Happy Holidays, New York!
A letter to Mayor Mamdani, medieval psalms at the Morgan, and divine chaos at The Met.
For the last month or so, every time I've left my apartment in Astoria I've cut through an aisle of Christmas trees, some festooned with bright red bows, some bare. Around me are those cutting wreaths down to size, taking selfies, begging their parents for a bigger tree, and lugging them away. Despite the cold, the uncertainty, the relentlessness of the news cycle, it makes me feel grounded, in community — which is what the holiday season is about. I'd like to take a moment to thank you for being part of our community, whether you are a reader, a subscriber, or a paid member.
We're in an interesting time of the year — not just the holiday season, but also that in-between time when we've elected a new mayor, but he hasn't been sworn in. It's the season for gratitude, but if I know anything about New York, it's that it always looks forward. In that spirit, I beseech you to read Sami Abu Shumays's open letter to the next mayoral administration. One stat I simply can't get over: The city currently gives The Met more money each year than every single institution in Queens and Staten Island combined. Let's see city government put our money where its mouth is.
Wherever you're headed this week, whether you're just hopping on the subway or taking a flight, we hope it's absolutely lovely. Happy holidays!
Dear Zohran, Don’t Let Art Workers Down
Sami Abu Shumays writes an impassioned letter to Mayor-elect Mamdani regarding his arts and culture agenda. Crucially, Shumays emphasizes that he's not asking for special carve-outs for artists — funding culture more equitably is part and parcel of the general affordability reforms Mamdani's championing.
The Messy Family Drama of Ancient Egyptian Gods
Meanwhile, at The Met, a very different kind of community is on view in the Divine Egypt exhibition — think gods swallowing each other, fighting over moonlight, and transforming into birds to hover over erect penises (?). It'll make your family seem normal in comparison.
From Our Critics
Tamar Boyadjian
Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life at the Morgan Library & Museum
"By not bridging the divide between the visual relics and the performed ritual — for instance, through accompanying audio loops of Gregorian chant or monastic recitation — the presentation ultimately prioritizes the expensive, silent object over the lived, functional, and auditory experience of the medieval (and illiterate) believer."
What Else Is Happening?
- Art models for organizations like the Art Students League say they are overworked and underpaid.
- Mayor-elect Zohran's been dabbling in the arts: He's announced his public fandom for Lorraine O'Grady and signed a letter in support of the Metropolitan Museum of Art union. And his wife, Rama Duwaji, is giving Richard Avedon-meets-Modigliani in a new photoshoot for The Cut.
- It's the final days of the MetroCard 🥺 Visit the Transit Museum's exhibition bidding adieu to the diva, and go grab a souvenir at any subway station near you.
- Film Forum's Screen Deco series, celebrating the centennial of Art Deco, is entering its final week. Read our guide to the series to make your pick. (Through Thurs Jan 1) [filmforum.org]
- After 12 years, Woodbine, a formerly Ridgewood-based experimental, volunteer-based hub that hosts film screenings, classes, and more, is moving to Tribeca.
- Have a lovely holiday! ❤️🎅🏼🎄
