Category Archives: Trips

Visit Monet’s Garden Sept. 9, 2012

Monet's GardenClaude Monet, the celebrated Impressionist painter, was also a passionate gardener and horticulturist. The gardens he constructed during his 40 years at Giverny, rank as one of the great artistic projects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He settled there in 1883 and remained until his death in 1926. It was in Giverny that he conceived a paradise of arches with climbing roses, a water garden with a Japanese bridge covered with wisteria, weeping willows that reflected in the pond, and water lilies that bloomed all summer long. From this exquisite landscape, he created his most famous paintings.

You won’t have to travel further than the Bronx to get a taste of Monet’s magnificent paradise; the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has transformed its space into gardens reminiscent of Monet’s Giverny. On Sunday, September 9, you can enjoy a private tour of the gardens.

Designed by Tony Award-winning set designer Scott Pask, a façade of Monet’s famous pink house with green shutters provides a stunning entrance – stepping out from the house into a long corridor of
magnificent flowers. The main attraction is a living approximation of the two major gardens that Monet created; one in traditional French style, the other, a Japanese-inspired fantasia of water, lily pads and weeping willows. The Victorian glass house of the Conservatory opens onto an indoor re-creation of the Grand Allée at Giverny – a long path with extraordinary flowers blossoming on either side. As the seasons change, so will the flowers.

The entire show is organized by Paul Hays Tucker, one of America’s foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism. There are two original Monet paintings on view; “The Artist’s Garden in Giverny” and “Irises.” Also on display is Monet’s painting palette, the only one in existence, on loan from the Musée Marmottan. Photographs of Giverny in different seasons by Elizabeth Murray, who gardened at Monet’s estate, are on view as well.

The cost – $105 – includes luxury coach, all gratuities, mimosas with breakfast en route, admission to the New York Botanical Garden, and private guided tour of “Monet’s Garden.” A selection of cheeses will be served with wine on the return trip. Note: Lunch is dutch-treat and available in The Visitor Center Café or Garden Café.

The bus departs from the back of the former Ames, Kingston Plaza, at 8am and the front of the Monticello Govt. Center at 9:15am. We return to Monticello at approximately 5:30pm and Kingston at approximately 6:45pm.

To reserve: make your check payable to AAUW (American Association for University Women), include your phone number, address and email, and mail it to: Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561. For further info, call Linda at 845-255-5256 or email artladyLG@aol.com. Specify “art tours” in the space for “subject.” Sign up early to ensure a spot. There will be no refunds unless the spot is filled by someone on the waiting list.

AAUW Kingston 2012 Spring and Summer Day Trips

We’ve lined up four lovely spring and summer trips for your convenience and pleasure. We hope you’ll join us for one or all of them.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 (rain date, May 23rd)

Pepsico Gardens and Sculptures &
the Purchase College Neuberger Museum

The museum exhibit is featuring artist, Kiki Smith (check out her website) and an outstanding on-going exhibition of African Art.

The bus leaves at 8:30 AM and returns by 5 PM (with a stop for lunch). Cost: $48 or $45 for members of AAUW, SIP and SSIP Payment includes the bus, driver tip and museum entrance

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Monday, July 2, 2012

James Taylor Concert at Tanglewood

james taylorEnjoy an evening with the mellow sounds of a long time favorite, James Taylor.

The bus leaves at 4:30 PM and returns by 11 PM. Cost: $112 or $109 for members of AAUW, SIP and SSIP. Payment includes bus, driver tip and seats in the shed. Bring a picnic to eat on the lawn before the performance!

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 Saturday, August 11, 2012

 Cooperstown and the Glimmerglass Opera featuring Aida

The bus leaves at 8 AM and returns by 7:30 PM Cost: Orch: $116 or $113 for members of AAUW, SIP and SSIP Rear Balcony: $99 or $96 for members of AAUW, SIP and SSIPPayment includes bus, driver tip and entrance to the performance.  Cooperstown alone: $42

Michelle Johnson sings Aida

 

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Hudson Valley Shakespeare at Boscobel featuring
Romeo and Juliet

Enjoy the beautiful views, the balmy summer air, and immerse yourself in romance.

The bus leaves at 4 PM and returns by 11 PM  Cost: $77 or $74 for members of AAUW, SIP or SSIP   Payment includes bus, driver tip, and entrance to the show. Bring a picnic to eat on the lawn before the performance!

Details that apply to all trips:

To reserve your place, call ViVi at 845-331-0155 or write vvhlavsa@aol.com Then send your check, made out to AAUW-Kingston Branch to:  ViVi Hlavsa, 191 Lapla Road, Kingston NY 12401

All trips leaving from the rear of the former Ames in the Kingston Plaza and stop for pick-ups at the New Paltz Thruway Park-n-Ride when going south.

These trips, like membership in the Kingston Branch of the AAUW, are open to all so bring your friends. Enjoy!

Thank You!

Van Gogh Up Close – Trip to the Philadelphia Museum

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Cost: $120

This compelling Van Gogh exhibit has inspired us to offer you this wonderful day trip to enjoy it at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday, March 18.

The exhibition focuses on the extraordinary burst of creativity and experimentation during the last five years of Van Gogh’s turbulent life. You’ll find forty-five paintings, on loan from private collectors and museums worldwide, including works from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, and The Hague. You’ll also find a major source of inspiration for Van Gogh’s paintings — a display of stunning Japanese woodblock prints.

When he moved to Arles in 1888, Van Gogh wrote that being in the south of France was the closest thing to going to Japan. During these last years, he created still lifes and landscapes, experimenting with depth of field and focus. He used shifting perspectives and brought familiar objects “up close” into the foreground. In “Almond Blossom,” painted in 1890, while at the asylum in Saint Remy, Van Gogh looks up through the stunning white branches of the almond tree supported by an intense blue sky.

About the painting “Ears of Wheat,” also painted while at the asylum, the artist wrote to his friend and painter Paul Gauguin, “I tried to paint the sound of the wind in the ears of the wheat.” Here there is no sky at all; just the long, sweeping brushstrokes suggesting the swaying grasses.”

In the painting “Undergrowth with Two Figures” neither the treetops nor the skyline are significant. With the ghostly images, unconventionally colored trees, and muted foliage, he creates immense anticipation.

In the recent NY Times review  (February 3, 2012), Roberta Smith wrote, “These paintings convey another aspect of the restless intelligence, always looking, always striving, that permeates and is also given a new sense of order and forthrightness by this marvelous show. Van Gogh knew what he was about and wanted us to also know.”

In addition to the Van Gogh exhibit, you can visit many of the other wonderful artworks in the museum’s collection. Whether it’s American, Asian, or European art you like, there are over 200 galleries for you to explore and enjoy. Other current exhibitions include works by the architect Zaha Hadid and photographer Zoe Strauss.

Here’s what the trip includes:

The bus departs from the back of the former Ames parking lot in the Kingston Plaza at 8am and returns at approximately 7:30pm. The cost includes

  • Timed exhibit tickets and audio tour for “Van Gogh Up Close”
  • Luxury coach and gratuities
  • Champagne breakfast en route
  • Box dinner (see below) with a selection of wines on the return trip

Lunch is “dutch-treat” in any of the museum restaurants.This trip is based on a minimum of 25 participants.

To Reserve: Reservations are on a first come first served basis. Your early sign-up will ensure a spot. Make your check for $120 payable to AAUW, and mail it along with your phone number and email address to: Linda Gold, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY 12561.

For further information, email Linda at artladyLG@aol.com or call Linda at 845-255-5256 or ViVi Hlavsa at 845-331-0155.  There will be no refunds unless your spot is filled by someone on the waiting list.

Day Trip to Van Gogh Exhibit at Philadelphia Museum, March 18

Linda Gold of Gourmet Art Tours and AAUW-Kingston present

Van Gogh Up Close

The Philadelphia Museum
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Cost: $120

This compelling Van Gogh exhibit has inspired us to offer you a wonderful day trip to enjoy at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday, March 18.

The exhibition focuses on the extraordinary burst of creativity and experimentation during the last five years of Van Gogh’s turbulent life. You’ll find forty-five paintings, on loan from private collectors and museums worldwide, including works from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, and The Hague. You’ll also find a major source of inspiration for Van Gogh’s paintings — a display of stunning Japanese woodblock prints.

For all the details, click here.