A Short Ride to the Bronx Museum

photo credit: Hannie Chia

Last Friday you may have read my "groundbreaking" simultaneous tweetcast from my Droid phone (my thumbs have new muscles) during the Elizabeth Catlett panel at the Bronx Museum. The program space was filled to capacity with the expectation that Ms. Catlett would make a rare NYC appearance. As it turned out the artist was ill and did not participate on the panel. Those who attended conveyed to me the honor they still felt to see the exhibition and have the panelist; exhibition's curator Isolde Brielmaier, artists Sanford Biggers, Renee Cox and Xaviera Simmons;  speak with such adoration of the nonagenarian painter/sculptor/woodworker.

After, when everyone stormed the galleries to view the work of Ms. Catlett and 21 other artist, I had a chance to chat with attendees and colleagues. People were shocked by two things: one, that I worked at the Bronx Museum (my public life); and two, how quickly you can get to the Museum from Manhattan and Brooklyn by train. I, who seem to know only people who live in BK, know this.

You'll need the D train. Hop on, crack open that book you've been saving for a quiet moment --all things are relative-- and in less than 20 minutes, 5 train stops you're at the Museum! The 4 train works too but the walk is a little longer once you get off at 161/Yankee Stadium.

Train Stations

59th St/Columbus Circle, NYC: 20 minutes, 5 stops

W 4 St. NYC: 37 minutes:  37 minutes, 10 stops

Pacific Ave, Bklyn: 50 minutes, 13 stops


Go to http://bronxmuseum.org for complete exhibition details. And before you start your trip it's always a good idea to visit Google Maps, Hopstop, and especially the NYC Mass Transit website to check for service changes.

Bon Voyage!