WHAT TO SEE IF YOU'RE IN PHILADELPHIA FOR 24 HOURS AND LOVE ART

Philadelphia is well known for its important role in American history. But, what about if you love art and have a day to visit? Rest assured, there is plenty of great art to see. Let’s go!

PHILADELPHIA ART MUSEUM

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is well known for the great collection it houses. It definitely holds its own compared to its better known neighbors in New York City and Washington, DC. The 240,000 works inside cover 2,000 years of history, including pieces from the ancient world, medieval times, the Renaissance, the Impressionist movement, modern art all the way to the contemporary. From Cezanne and Van Gogh through Picasso, Cy Twombly, all the way to Sam Gilliam. One of my personal favorites are the works by Constantin Brancusi that I never forget to visit. The museum also has a wonderful collection of Asian art, including a little tea house and zen garden where you can just feel the stress sliding off your shoulders.

The architecture buffs will also appreciate the recent renovation led by Frank Gehry which added a new North entrance and a number of new galleries and public spaces.

Last, but not least, there is also a little treat for the Rocky film franchise lovers. Yes, these are the steps to run up and do your best Stallone impression. You can even take a selfie with the plaque that is embedded in the pavement at the top.

RODIN MUSEUM

Headed from the Philadelphia Art Museum back to Center City? Don’t forget to make a stop at another little gem, The Rodin Museum (good news: your art museum ticket will get you a free entrance here, too). Housed in a small pavilion surrounded by a beautiful garden and guarded by none other than The Thinker out front, the museum is home to many smaller versions of the artist’s famous works - from Balzac portraits, to his famed studies of human hands. More sculptures are sprinkled throughout the garden, including The Three Shades, and The Burghers of Calais. Stop by. All together, this is one of the largest collection of Rodin’s sculptures outside of Paris. In the spring and summer, this place is delightful.

BARNES FOUNDATION

If you like impressionism, post-impressionism and modern art, you must make this one of your stops. And, get ready to be overwhelmed. You will not see this many Renoirs side by side on a single wall anywhere else. The collection was built by Dr. Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951), who believed that art had the power to improve and change lives. Having enjoyed early career success, he started collecting art at age 40, and over three decades, amassed an impressive collection of works by the world's most important artists, including Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani (my personal favorite) and Picasso. Today, experts estimate the value of the collection at 20-30 billion dollars.

Originally housed in a special-purpose built mansion in Merion, Pennsylvania, the Barnes Foundation was moved to its current location in Center City Philadelphia in 2012. It was not without controversy. Detractors still point out that moving the collection from a neoclassical building in Merion to a postmodern raw stone and glass building designed by Billie Tsien undermined the vision Dr. Barnes laid out in his will. The curators defend themselves by saying that inside it is as if the dimensions of the old gallery were perfectly copied. It was also mandated: In order for the judge to approve the gallery move, the foundation promised to keep the dimensions of the original galleries and to replicate the quirky "ensembles" of paintings, furniture and metalwork the same way that Albert Barnes originally conceived and arranged them. Even the burlap on the walls looks the same. However, the architects found a way to incorporate natural light into almost every room. This accentuates the colors in images - a big improvement.

Be ready: When you walk in, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of art. Where else in the world can you find five Renoir paintings sharing the same wall with several Picassos, Matisses, Modigliani and maybe two Degas paintings? All this next to African masks, Native American jewelry, Greek antiques... And that's just one wall in one room... and believe me, there are many rooms where you can admire a similar collection. You won't see anything like this anywhere in the world. Go see it. Even this thoroughly contemporary art lover approves.

FIRST FRIDAY

If you're in town during the first Friday of each month, don't miss a chance to explore Philly's incredible art scene, First Friday. This is when the galleries around the city throw their doors open and art lovers pour through many of the galleries in the Old City Arts District. The 40-plus galleries that are scattered between Front and Third, and Market and Vine Streets, show everything from contemporary works in various mediums to ceramic arts. It's a refreshing way to unwind after work or start the weekend out with something different when you're in town.

NEED TO PUT YOUR FEET UP? A COUPLE OF PLACES TO STAY

And, since you may need to put your feet up and relax somewhere for the night after all that art, here are a couple of my tips for places.

KIMPTON PALOMAR. Plopped right in Center City near Rittenhouse Square, the hotel is built in the former headquarters of the American Institute of Architects. And, to go with he theme, it has incorporated art and architecture into the experience, with contemporary art by Philadelphia artists throughout the property. The rest of the accommodations are pretty nice too, with Frette linens, L’Occitane amenities, marble vanities and recycled glass tiles in the bathrooms.

WM MULHERIN’S SONS. And now for a slightly different experience. If you like industrial chic, this small boutique hotel in Fishtown may be the right destination for you. There are only a few rooms but they feature exposed brick, arched windows and clawfoot tubs. And, if that’s not enough on its own, there are some bonus points: lots of great eateries and music venues are nearby for your enjoyment

So, have I tempted you yet? Hop on the train or in the car, Philly has much to offer!

DRIFT AWAY WITH ME... IN NEW YORK CITY

New York City. Hustle and bustle. Traffic. Honking cars. Pedestrians rushing by. A concrete jungle that can swallow you whole.

But what if you could use all that concrete to help you pause? Take a breath. Slow down and let yourself drift away for a few fleeting moments. With The Drift, the show currently running at The Shed, you can.

THE MAGIC OF DRIFTERS

The Drifters are, without a doubt, the main attraction in Studio DRIFT’s art installation currently on display at The Shed in New York’s Hudson Yards. The giant concrete blocks that float effortlessly through the air have been intriguing audiences ever since the Pace Gallery brought one to the Armory Show in 2017.

Designed to float and move at slow speed on a controlled three-dimensional path, The Drifters are meant to provoke thought. The studio founders Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta put it perfectly: “On its own the concrete block is nothing, lost in space and time without reference to anything; it is always searching to be part of something bigger. Drifter wants to make people feel that without context they are lost. Without context, the object feels alien, divorced from its source. Drifter shows how unknown the world and its mechanisms still are to mankind and emphasizes the urge to expand our horizon and evolve in time.”

And they do just that at the Shed. Once you’ve made your way through the other parts of the show (more on those later), you'‘re asked to pause briefly in the waiting room. Here you’re treated to a couple of short films: one showing The Drifters levitate across the world, making their way over verdant highlands, weaving through forests and reflecting in the rushing water of mountain streams below. The other movie hits closer to home: The Drifters navigate the air above Manhattan’s busy streets. Now you’re primed for the “performance.”

The curtain lifts and you make your way into the massive space with several Drifters hovering in a perfect line above your head. Some people sit down, others stretch out on the concrete floors. Lights dim, music starts and The Drifters above you start moving. A forward slide here, a spin there, coming closer and closer until you feel you can touch them, only to have them pull away just out of reach. It’s mesmerizing and it takes some discipline to put the camera away and just enjoy the moment. I loved it.

BUT WAIT… DON’T SET YOUR EGO ASIDE JUST YET

The Drifters are the main draw, but visitors would miss out if they did not stop in the room that showcases another Studio Drift installation, Ego. Introduced in 2020, “Ego” is a kinetic sculpture made out of translucent mesh fabric that morphs, inflates, floats, stretches and collapses, only to lift up again a few moments later. The founders see it as a representation of our hopes, truths and emotions that evolve along with our own mind. Linger, ponder and see how your own belief system works. Is it rigid, or is it fluid?

The Drift is on display at The Shed in New York City through December 19.

Studio DRIFT was founded by Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta in 2007. Based in The Netherlands, the team focuses on creation of experiential sculptures, installations and performances, combining hidden properties of nature and technology to help humans re-establish their connection to the Earth. Their work has been shown at Victoria & Albert Museum; Met Museum; Stedelijk Museum; Biennale di Venezia; Pace Gallery; and now at The Shed in New York City.