You Can Now Explore Every MoMA Exhibit Since 1929 for Free Online

Today, thanks to publicly accessible, digitized—or photographically reproduced—collections, art lovers can virtually "visit" museums through the screens of their computers, smartphones, and tablets. One major institution that has embraced this new technology is New York's famed Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In addition to browsing prominent pieces from its permanent collection (over 70,000 reproductions are available online), now, you can explore every exhibition presented by the museum since its grand debut in 1929.

According to Michelle Elligott, the museum's Chief of Archives, the new exhibition history tool offers “free and unprecedented access to The Museum of Modern Art’s ever-evolving exhibition history.” It commences with the museum's inaugural exhibition—a showcase of Post-Impressionist greats like Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat, and Van Gogh—and will continue to grow, “with new and forthcoming exhibitions appearing in the history as soon as they’re added to the calendar on MoMA’s website.”

Each exhibition materializes before your eyes with installation photographs, digitized reproductions of catalogues (including rare and out-of-print publications), master checklists, and press releases. Any show is also easily searchable, with selections narrowed down based on keyword, “type” (exhibitions, film series, performance programs, and other installations), and decade.  

Now you can stroll (and scroll) down memory lane with state-of-the-art ease.

Above image: Installation view of Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat, Van Gogh (November 7–December 7, 1929)

 Installation view of Cubism and Abstract Art (March 2–April 19, 1936)

Installation view of Abstract Painting and Sculpture in America (January 23–March 25, 1951)

 Installation view of Masterpieces from the Collection (March 2, 1982–March 1, 1983)

Installation view of Monet's Water Lilies (September 13, 2009–April 12, 2010)

Installation view of Painting & Sculpture II (November 20, 2004–August 5, 2015)

Dreamy Photos of New York Architecture Capture the "Secret Lives of Buildings"

Rising up as spectral monsters, the New York City buildings captured by photographer Marc Yankus loom as giants in the urban landscape. The series of dreamlike images give new perspective to the architecture, and by pulling back to show his subjects in their naked context Yankus forces the viewer to observe their raw impact. The solitude that inhabits the photographs are in stark contrast to the normally buzzing city streets. This solitude enhances the magnitude of the historical buildings, which stand as silent witnesses to the passages of time. The alternating cool and warm tones of the photographs lend a cinematic quality to the series, where the buildings appear to be ripped from the set of a post-apocalyptic science fiction film.

Yankus' work also serves as a time capsule of the evolving urban fabric. Some images commemorate the majestic past, while others look toward a decaying future. "On my way to the museum one day [when I was a boy], I was horrified to see wrecking crews knocking down one of my favorite buildings, a Beaux-Arts apartment building on 79th Street. In the months that followed, a monstrosity of a tower rose in its place. And while that eyesore is still standing today, the lost building—gone now for 40 years—endures in my memory [as] a fading, elegiac postcard of a lost time and place. In my current artwork, I seek to document New York’s iconic, lost, and forgotten architecture, from humble, small buildings to soaring skyscrapers. . . The buildings are not presented simply as they are. Muted of distracting visual noise, they represent my vision of how they ought to be seen."

The Secret Lives of Buildings will be on view at ClampArt in New York from October 13 - November 26, 2016.

Polymer Clay Sculptures Showcase the Intricate Parts of Nature That Are Often Overlooked

By Sara Barnes September 25, 2016

Artist Angela Schwer crafts clay sculptures that showcase the beautiful bounty of nature. Her intricate, detailed works are ripe with texture as leaves, fungi, sea urchins, and more are clustered together in decorative tiles to hang on your wall. Constructed in a single neutral color, the beauty of these organic shapes shine.

Schwer’s work revolves around the parts of nature that are often overlooked. “I could spend all day looking over fabrics, cellular photography, and the complexity of plant structures,” she writes. This fascination is translated into tiny, individually-formed elements that seemingly burst with life.

Although Schwer’s pieces look like porcelain, she actually produces them from polymer clay—a material that hardens in conventional ovens. “I enjoy the look of surprise when witnessing a shift in another's perspective on what polymer clay can be used for,” she explains. “Previously considered a craft medium, I have found that polymer can be used in unexpected ways to create explosive pieces of art.”

These one-of-a-kind pieces are available through Schwer’s Etsy shop, DillyPad.

Isolated Woman's Rundown House Faced Huge Fines Until Strangers Secretly Began Repairing It

Nowadays, we often don't take the time to get to know our neighbors—even though they just might be the people who can save your life in times of trouble. If it wasn't for her neighbors, Anne Glancey might have lost her house. The retired teacher grew up in a New Jersey house, whose shabby appearance led her to be faced with code violation fines up to $3,000 a day from the city council. With no known family or friends and little money to tackle this expensive job—which included repairing the peeling paint and cutting the three-foot-high grass—Glancey had nowhere to turn.

Then, one day this past summer, a group of kind volunteers unexpectedly showed up at her house with ladders, lawn mowers, and paint. The group was spearheaded by Glancey's neighbors, Adam and Kristin Polhemus—a couple in their 30's who had moved to town five years ago. This wasn't the first time they had tried to help their extremely private neighbor. "Until my wife and I moved in, no neighbors had a conversation with her," Adam shares with People. "She had no relations with anyone in the neighborhood." They would stop by and chat with Glancey everyday, forming a friendly relationship. As they got closer with the woman, they felt more comfortable dropping hints that they could help her refurbish her house's exterior. "But every time we brought up repairs, she would change the subject." 

Adam and Kristin knew that Glancey was struggling, but was too stubborn to ask for help. So, they rounded up 25 of their friends, neighbors, and church members to voluntarily work on the decrepit house. They spent every weekend in the summer landscaping, scraping, priming, and painting the house—jobs that Adam estimates would have cost $10,000-$15,000 to complete professionally.

Thanks to the work of her selfless neighbors, Glancey's violations have been erased. The most incredible transformation came from Anne herself. The woman who had lived in isolation for so long was starting to come out of her shell. Over the weeks, she would pop outside to socialize with the volunteers, and even gave them homemade carrot cake and orange juice. "To see the joy on our neighbor's face, I think the biggest thing is Anne's happiness and her kind of restored life," Adam says. "Her outgoingness to other neighbors is based on her house being improved."

The pictures taken by Kristin Polhemus show Glancey smiling and happy. "I appreciate their generosity," Glancey says of her kindhearted neighbors. "They are good Samaritans, really wonderful and thoughtful. Not everyone would arise to the occasion and I am grateful for it."

Gorgeous Geometric Wall Hangings Give Macramé a Modern Makeover

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Artist Rianne Zuijderduin’s dreamy macramé creations blur the line between bohemian simplicity and polished elegance. From large-scale wall hangings to petite plant holders, the Netherlands-based artist presents a contemporary twist on the classic craft.

Zuijderduin’s distinctively geometric macramé collection is as diverse as it is beautiful. Unlike knit or woven textiles, macramé is fabricated by meticulously knotting cords into intricate patterns, resulting in exquisitely detailed designs and a lovingly handmade aesthetic. Zuijderduin’s tapestries offer a creative alternative to typical wall décor, while her chic, suspended plant holders bring a modern feel to any room. Though most of her pieces simply retain the cords’ neutral and natural tones, some are dip-dyed with bright pops of color. Others even feature fun materials like beads and wool. The possibilities are endless!

Zuijderduin showcases much of her art on Instagram, where you can find interior installation shots (often featuring her beloved bunnies) and gorgeous details of her work. She also sells her exquisite work through her Teddy & Wool Etsy shop.