It's Art for Arts Sake This Week in New York

Mayor Mike Bloomberg launched a week of cultural activities (March 2-7) across New York City yesterday—they include everything from special tours to museum discounts, performances to open arts studios. Close to $44 million is expected to be generated by 60,000 visitors partaking of the city’s cultural offerings. In addition, the event is expected to bring in $1.8 million in tax revenues.
Among the goodies offered? Rare looks at the studio of artist Christo and the Alexander Calder Foundation.
The Art Dealer’s Association of America’s Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory, one of the week’s highlights, includes 70 exhibitors who represent the nation’s top art dealers, 55 of whom are from New York. In addition, the (separate) 12th annual Armory show will take place March 4-7 at Piers 92 and 94, and will feature art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Other art shows this week include the Dutch Art Now and Korean Arts Shows.
Other programs around the city this week? Soho Night (March 4); Chelsea Day and Brooklyn Night (March 6) and Lower East Side Day (March 7).
Museums are also getting in on the act, with the recently opened Whitney Biennial; the Target First Saturdays program at the Brooklyn Museum; and MoMa's Performance Series program on March 4
Despite the recession, attendance at cultural institutions was up last year in New York.
For more information, check out nycgo.com

The British Are Coming! (To Lincoln Center, That Is)

To go, or not to go...well, of course you should go!
That is, to the Lincoln Center Festival in the summer of 2011, when the Royal Shakespeare Company sets up shop in New York’s Park Avenue Armory, as part of the Center’s Summer Festival.
An announcement was made this week at a news conference at Alice Tully Hall that the troupe, perhaps the most prestigious classical theater company in the world, will present 45 performances of Shakespeare’s’ works in repertory, for a six-week residence from July 6 to August 14, 2011. The five plays are being chosen from the company’s current offerings: “King Lear,” “Romeo and Juliet,” Julius Caesar,” "Antony and Cleopatra,” The Winter's Tale,” and “As You Like It.”
An exact copy of the Royal Shakespeare Theater is being built in Stratford, and will be shipped (in pieces) to New York and then assembled in the Armory’s Drill Hall. Is there room there, mayhap you are wondering? Prithee, do not fear: The Hall holds a whopping 55,000 feet of space.
The theater, modeled on a new one that is set to open in spring of 2011, will offer seating on three levels for 930 people. The seat farthest from the stage? A mere 49 feet away.
And the Royal Shakespeare is importing more than the stage: 44 actors, 23 musicians, and 30 other artists are coming along as well.
Although the Royal Shakespeare Company has been offering productions in the United States for the last 15 years, this is the first time they will undertake anything of this magnitude.