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New York State Pavilion Show Extended/Modern Ruin Screening!

NYS Pavilion exhibit extended! Encore screening of Modern Ruin!
Sunday, January 15 @ 7 PM
Tix: $8 general/$5 Reliquary members

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By popular request, we’re offering an encore screening of Modern Ruin: A World’s Fair PavilionMatthew Silva’s documentary on Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion. The building, designed for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, is now best known as a fascinating ruin in the middle of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.Silva’s film chronicles the many transformations of the Pavilion, from World’s Fair exhibition space, to concert venue, to roller rink, and asks viewers to envision their own plans for the building’s future.

Tickets available through Artfully!

Previous screenings of this film at the Reliquary sold out. Secure your tickets now! Don’t miss your chance to see this gorgeous treatment of one of NYC’s most iconic curiosities. Check out this stellar review from Untapped Cities!

After an overwhelmingly positive response, we’re extending our exhibition on Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion to Sunday, January 29.

#ruinatthereliquary

2016 Annual Appeal: Help Support the Reliquary!

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Our community museum needs your support. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our Annual Appeal.

Dear Friends,

One day, about fifteen years ago, I had an idea that began quite small: a simple window display in a neighborhood undergoing drastic changes. Appreciating that New York City has historically been a place of constant change, I was eager to offer something new that respected its rich past.

An unlikely success, thanks to you.
By sharing a handful of local artifacts in a public display, a modest dream began to grow into a community project. With the participation of fellow civic-minded New Yorkers, we grew this little dream into a real storefront museum. A museum that seemed to exist despite all odds. And yet, New York was just the right place for this endeavor that helped people celebrate the city they loved. Sincerity and passion outweighed cynicism and apathy as our dream grew big.

Important growth, thanks to you.
Now, after fifteen years of growing, we are daring to dream bigger still. In the past year we have introduced new staff and board members, an administrative office and workshop, and have built new ambitious programming for our upcoming year. These major developments were possible thanks to your support.

Just as when The City Reliquary began, our city and country face incredible challenges. In response, we continue to fortify our community project as a safe place for civic appreciation and diverse celebrations. But we need your help.

Our future depends on you.
To provide the optimistic and inclusive vision of what our city and country truly represent, we call for your support.

To prove in the face of adversity that we may not be more accurately represented by our leaders than by ourselves, we rely on your support.

To continue building on our past, and to sustain the bold future we’ve dreamt of, we must have your support.

With your support, we will continue to dedicate our sincerest energies to making New York City a place we can all continue to be proud to call home.

As always, we’re very grateful for your generosity and belief in our mission. If you’ve already made your gift, thank you! If not, I invite you to make your tax-deductible gift before Dec. 31. To qualify for a 2016 tax deduction, make your gift online by 11:50 pm EST on Dec. 31.

If you prefer to mail your gift, please send a check made out to “The City Reliquary” to:

The City Reliquary Museum
370 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

With faith and fortitude, I am,

Always civic,

Dave Herman
Founder

Comic Arts Brooklyn Afterparty

CAB 2016 Poster

Comic Arts Brooklyn afterparty
Sat., Nov. 5, 8-10 PM
Admission: $5

COMIC ARTS BROOKLYN, the free annual comix festival organized by our friends at Desert Island Comics, returns Saturday, November 5th to saturate your eyeballs with cutting-edge graphics and comics. This event showcases the biggest stars in indie comics.

We’re hosting the afterparty for this awesome event! Join us Sat., Nov. 5 at 8 PM in the backyard for live music and drinks. $5 to get in, and drinks available by donation. See you there!

Life of an American Ruin on NY1!

NY1’s Roger Clark talks to Us about Life of an American Ruin!

Courtesy of Marco Catini, 2012

Courtesy of Marco Catini, 2012

Roger Clark talks with curator and Reliquary manager Sarah Celentano and Reliquary founder Dave Herman about our latest exhibition, Life of an American Ruin: Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion!

Check out the video!

National Trust for Historic Preservation on Life of an American Ruin!

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation has covered our exhibition on the New York State Pavilion, Life of an American Ruin!

From the article:

“…the exhibit asks an important question about balancing reinvention with restoration:

‘Strolling through the exhibition, visitors will get the opportunity to see the structure during its heyday at the World’s Fair, as well as in its present, ruined state. While vintage photos do exist online, the exhibition specifically asks viewers to consider the importance of ruins in the modern age, and whether or not an architectural icon should be reinvented to fit in the current cultural landscape.'”

Fall Exhibition–Life of an American Ruin: Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion

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The City Reliquary presents:
Life of an American Ruin: Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion
Sept. 29, 2016 – Jan. 15, 2017
Opening Reception: Oct. 1 @ 7PM

This exhibition is devoted exclusively to Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion and asks viewers to consider the importance of ruins in the modern age. Archival images from Bill Cotter show the Pavilion at its height during the Fair; photographs by Phil Buehler, Marco Catini, and Robert Fein capture the beauty of the building in its ruined state. Also on view will be a temporary installation by Aaron Asis suggestive of the Pavilion’s iconic suspension-cable roof, and a painting by Eric Doeringer addressing Andy Warhol’s controversial installation for the Theaterama at the Fair, “13 Most Wanted Men.” Complementing these works will be ephemera loaned in part by The Museum of Interesting Things, and an audio clip of a 1999 interview with Philip Johnson on the fate of the Pavilion.

The opening reception for this exhibition will be Saturday, October 1 at 7 PM. It will include a screening of the documentary Modern Ruin at 7:30 PM followed by a Q&A with its creator, Matthew Silva. Beverages available by suggested donation, with beer courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery.

This exhibition was curated by Sarah Celentano, manager of The City Reliquary.

#ruinatthereliquary

022-new-york-state-pavilionThe New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Parkis one of the few surviving structures built for the 1964 World’s Fair, the second held in Queens. Designed by Philip Johnson, it housed numerous exhibitions celebrating New York industry and culture in the context of the theme, “Peace Through Understanding.

The Pavilion comprised the Tent of Tomorrow, the three Astro-View Towers, and the circular Theaterama. These futuristic structures embodied promises of progress and discovery in the era of the Space Race.

The building exists today as a ruin for the modern worlds-fair-0089age. Only the Theaterama remains in use. The Towers and the Tent, however, have long intrigued passersby and commuters on the Long Island Expressway. Stripped of its colors, the Pavilion took on a minimalist purity. In its ruined and graffitied state, it served as a site for personal inspiration, contemplation, and collective memory.

The Pavilion has reached another transformative moment: the walls and crown were freshly painted between 2009 and 2015. Plans are underway to repaint the Towers. The modern ruin is gradually disappearing, yet the popularity of websites celebrating ruined or abandoned places, such as Untapped Cities and Atlas Obscura, argues for the important of ruins in the current cultural landscape.
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In 2016 the National Trust for Historic Preservation sponsored an Ideas Competition that asked the public to design new possible uses for the Pavilion. It asked participants, “How do you reinvent an architectural icon for the 21st century?” This exhibition hopes to provoke another question: “Should you?”

 

 


Image credits:
Images 1-3 courtesy of Bill Cotter of worldsfairphotos.com, ca. 1964/65
Images 4 & 6 courtesy of Marco Catini, 2014
Image 5 courtesy of Phil Buehler, 1985

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Brudnizki Design Studio at CR!

“In a city where large, iconic museums and galleries dominate the cultural landscape, The City Reliquary stands proudly as an alternative site of interest, and one with an arguably richer and more impactful story to tell.”

A designer from Martin Brudnizki Design Studio recently visited the Reliquary. Check out this fantastic Brudnizki blog post that resulted! All images of the museum are courtesy of Reliquary board member Anna O. Grant.

MBDS has designed some of the world’s most celebrated spaces, such as The Ivy, Soho Beach House Miami, Scott’s, and Cecconi’s West Hollywood.

io9 Interview with CR Founder Dave Herman!

On Monday, the fine folks from io9 spent some time at the Reliquary with founder Dave Herman. Check out the video below to see Dave guide them through the museum’s collections!

Secrets from Ascenzi Square: The Order of Skeletons and the Curse of the Sultana Diamond

SkeletonsOur Ascenzi Square exhibition included this collection of medals and a letter from the Order of Skeletons sent to Charles Ascenzi. In researching the Order and the contents of the letter, we learned even more about the fascinating connections Charles had through his service in WWI.

The Order of Skeletons was a veterans group of the Army & Navy Union (ANU) that playfully engaged macabre imagery and language. Ranks included “Ghoul,” “Body Snatcher,” and “Pound of Flesh.” A 1944 Troy Record article lists some additional spooky titles.

Stehlin detailEqually interesting is the letter’s mention of Col. Joseph C. Stehlin and his upcoming trip to Washington, DC. The letter is dated August, 1950. Just 2 months later, Stehlin led a delegation in DC that presented President Harry Truman with a gold lifetime ANU membership card and plaque.

We found a picture of that moment:

In researching Stehlin further, we discovered a story worthy of Indiana Jones.

Stehlin was a WWI aviator and soldier of fortune. In 1924, he purchased the “Sultana” diamond from Sultan El Mulai Hafid on behalf of “a wealthy Spaniard” and transported it from Morocco to Paris. The stone was supposedly cursed; all who purchased it before Stehlin died tragically and mysteriously, and it always ended up back in Morocco.

But Stehlin had more than a possible curse to face; Moroccan residents thought it would be bad luck for the diamond to leave the country, and they did their best to ensure Stehlin wouldn’t successfully transport it. He took on numerous disguises to travel safely: he first pretended to be a French tourist. Later, with the help of two Arab guides, he disguised himself as an Arab. He escaped on horseback through Tangiers, then caught a private yacht to Cadiz, and finally reached Paris by racecar where he successfully delivered the Sultana to be insured, priced and sold. The diamond’s whereabouts today are unknown. For more of Stehlin’s story, see this Brooklyn Daily Eagle article.

Charles Ascenzi’s intriguing medals take us on an exhilarating international tour, from Williamsburgh to Tangiers to Paris, with a cursed Moroccan diamond in tow. This incredible story is a reminder that any object, no matter how small, can tell any number of captivating stories.

Order of Skeletons membership card and pin

Ascenzi Square Clean-Up: Do Your Civic Duty with the Reliquary!

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Help us restore Ascenzi Square to its former glory! Volunteers from The City Reliquary will meet at Ascenzi Square (intersection of Metropolitan, Roebling, and N. 4th) on September 11, from 5 – 7:30 pm. We’ll pick up trash, rake leaves, and generally do our best to improve the appearance of the site and give it the respect it deserves. The City Reliquary will provide materials, tools, and plants for cleanup and gardening.

We’ll have cold drinks on hand and tunes playing. Come out and do your civic duty with the Reliquary!