Category Archives: Museums

Taiwanese American Arts Council on Governor’s Island

August 23, 2026History, Museums, Music, Nature, NYCPaul Mason Fotsch

Every summer the Trust for Governors Island invites cultural organizations to host artists and events in its historic buildings previously occupied by military officers. Yesterday I stumbled upon a concert being performed by the duo of Shu-Wei Tseng on cello and Yu-Ting Cheng on clarinet in building 17, which was hosting the Taiwanese American Arts Council.

After the concert they invited the artists in residence to speak about the projects they had displayed throughout the old house.

They even had a little reception afterwords with chips and Guac!

Minnesota Boat Club/ Paul S. Kramer

August 16, 2026History, Minnesota, MuseumsPaul Mason Fotsch

My mother gave me this signed print by Minnesota artist Paul S. Kramer (1919-2012). It is of the Minnesota Boat Club, a St. Paul rowing club, which dates back to 1870 and claims to be Minnesota’s oldest athletic institution. Their boathouse on Raspberry Island was built in 1910 and can be rented for weddings or other events.

Kramer’s original 1998 painting is oil on canvas, measures 28″ x 37″ and is part of the Dan Shogren and Susan Meyer collection. Shogren and Meyer’s collection focuses on twentieth century American art and has been featured at The Minneapolis Institute of Art. A beautiful survey of Kramer’s art titled Other Realities was published by Julie L’Enfant, who taught at the St. Paul College of Visual Arts before it closed in 2013.

Kramer grew up on a farm, first in North Dakota and then South St. Paul. After serving in Europe during WWII, he studied art in France then returned to St. Paul, where he took classes at the St. Paul School of Art with Clement Haupers. Next, he attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and spent more time in Europe, before returning to teach and become Director of Exhibitions at the St. Paul Gallery and School of Art, which is now the Minnesota Museum of American Art.

The museum struggled financially in the 1990s and early 2000s but seems to be thriving at its current home in the 1889-1890 Pioneer and Endicott buildings designed by Cass Gilbert and James Knox Taylor. The museum is also free and hopefully can be part of a revitalized downtown St. Paul cultural scene!

Whitney Biennial 2026

March 8, 2026Museums, Nature, NYCPaul Mason Fotsch

Social Volacano/ Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien

I saw some beautifully crafted pieces at the Whitney Biennial today. Among them were Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien who spent time among agricultural activists of the Philippines and created hand made paper collages using plant materials from the islands to evoke the experience of local resistance.

MCNY Ginger Bread

November 16, 2025Food, History, Museums, NYCPaul Mason Fotsch

Among the NYC holidays countless joys are the seasonal exhibits held at certain museums. Vintage toys are found at The New York Historical Society. The New York Botanical Garden has their fantastical Train Show–where artisans spend months transforming twigs, leaves and grasses into area monuments. And The Museum of the City of New York hosts the enticing Gingerbread NYC, which I had the pleasure of visiting today. The first thing you notice upon entering the gallery is the sweet aroma of confectionery wonders that could easily crush any TV Baking Competition. My favorites included an apartment building with an iconic water tank, a wreath covered Sheridan Square subway station and a majestic Statue of Liberty. Visiting children were enthralled. The pieces must be made of edible material, but the cake and icing inevitably gets a little moldy. So while they look delicious, eating would likely mean a tummy ache!

MOMA on Sunday

March 3, 2025Food, History, Museums, NYCPaul Mason Fotsch

Two Sundays ago there were two very long lines extending down the steps and sidewalk before The Met Museum; once inside, another long line to buy tickets. On the positive side, the lines moved fairly fast, and the Caspar David Friedrich exhibit was well worth it.

Today, MOMA had a surprisingly short line and was not too crowded. Walking the galleries, it is sometimes shocking how many iconic modern paintings they own. In part, this is thanks to Lily P. Bliss, one of the museum’s founders. Highlights of her collection are assembled into an exhibit, including postcard bestseller: Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

At the other end of the value spectrum were Flat-Bottomed Paper Bags, displayed as part of Pirouette: Turning Points in Design.

After the museum, we stopped by K. Minamoto where edible art is displayed like jewelry behind glass cases. The white peach jelly Tosenka I found especially luscious.