New-York Historical Society Celebrates Presidents’ Day with Week of Family Programs at new DiMenna Children’s History Museum

The Presidents will be in residence  at the New-York Historical Society’s DiMenna Children’s History Museum, a new museum-within-a-museum  © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Presidents are in residence starting Saturday, February 16 at the New-York Historical Society’s DiMenna Children’s History Museum, a new museum-within-a-museum. Families explore, learn, and compete together with Presidents’ Day-themed programs, including scavenger hunts, an Abraham Lincoln quiz, chocolate-making from the colonial era, storytelling, writing workshops, and more, taking place through Tuesday, February 19.

PRESIDENTS SCAVENGER HUNT

Saturday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 19, 10 am – 6pm

Ages 6 and up; Free with Museum admission.

Families will search high and low throughout the galleries for presidential objects in this scavenger hunt. These hunts combine clues, images, and facts that help you locate these amazing president-related pieces. Scavenger hunts can be picked up any time in the DiMenna Children’s History Museum on the Lower Level.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN FAMILY QUIZ

Saturday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 19, 2 pm

Ages 7 and up; Free with Museum admission.

Who in your family knows the most about Abraham Lincoln? Test your knowledge about Honest Abe with multiple choice questions for kids and adults. As each question pops up on our big screen, families confer and write down their best guess. Each answer also highlights an object from the New-York Historical Society’s collection, so participants learn as they compete! A grand prize will be awarded to the family (or families) with the most correct answers, but every contestant receives a prize for participation as well.

PRESIDENTIAL ART PROJECTS

Saturday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 19, 1 – 4 pm

Ages 4 and up; Free with Museum admission.

Vote for me! Choose a slogan and create an election button to wear home. Or create a funny-faced president by shuffling up some New-York Historical Society portraits. Drop-in throughout the afternoon and create the project of your choice!

MACY’S SUNDAY STORY TIME: PRESIDENTS’ DAY

Sunday, February 17, 11:30 am

When Mrs. Madoff’s class decides to hold an assembly about Presidents’ Day, everyone in class helps set up and perform a grand play. Families are invited to a reading of Presidents’ Day by Anne Rockwell to discover why we celebrate the holiday. Then, kids can re-enact George Washington’s Oath of Office in the DiMenna Children’s History Museum!

THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE WITH AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE®

Monday, February 18, 12 – 4pm

All Ages; Free with Museum admission.

Chocolate was not always sold as a candy bar! See, smell, and taste colonial hot chocolate — watch as American Heritage Chocolate® educators grinds cocoa beans, add spices like red pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and heat up hot chocolate to taste.

 

TWO-DAY WWII WRITING WORKSHOP FOR KIDS AND TEENS

Monday-Tuesday, February 18-19, 10am-3pm

Recommended for ages 10 and up; Payment required ($395).

Spend your Presidents’ Day holiday in a special workshop taking advantage of the incredible stories from the WWII era. In collaboration with Writopia Lab, writing and history educators will lead age-based groups through this fascinating time period and exhibition, inspiring their short fiction, poetry and other forms of writing. Each day will combine time in the galleries, up close investigation of objects and documents, and time writing and critiquing.

The DiMenna Children’s History Museum is a new museum-within-a-museum and occupies the New-York Historical Society’s entire lower level. It covers 350 years of New York and American history and includes character-based pavilions, interactive exhibits and digital games, and the Barbara K. Lipman Children’s History Library. Families explore and learn together, through visiting the museum and through participating in our intergenerational family learning programs. All ages can enjoy and learn in the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, but the exhibits are targeted at age 8-13.

New-York Historical Society is recognized for engaging the public with deeply researched and far-ranging exhibitions, such as Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America; Slavery in New York; Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School at the New-York Historical Society; Grant and Lee in War and Peace; and the 2009 exhibition Lincoln and New York. Supporting these exhibitions and related educational programs is one of the world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, works of American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States and New York.

From October 5, 2012 through May 27, 2013, New-York Historical Society is presenting WWII & NYC, a major new exhibition on the most widespread, destructive, and consequential conflict in history. WWII & NYC restores to memory New York’s crucial and multifaceted role in winning the war, and commemorates the 900,000 New Yorkers who served in the military while also exploring the many ways in which those who remained on the home front contributed to the national war effort.

The New York Historical-Society is open Tuesday- Thursday: 10 am – 6 pm; Friday: 10 am – 8 pm (pay-as-you-wish from 6 pm – 8 pm); Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm

Museum Admission is Adults/$15, Teachers and Seniors/$12, Students/$10, Children (5-13)/$5, Children (4 and under)/free.

The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, (212) 873-3400, www.nyhistory.org.

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New York Cool Free Music Series at New-York Historical Society Features Known, Emerging Artists

Founded in 1804, the New-York Historical Society is one of America's pre-eminent cultural institutions, dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today © 2012 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

This spring, the New-York Historical Society is presenting New York Cool, a free concert series highlighting musical history makers, past and present.

This seven concert series features hip, well-known and emerging names from across the spectrum of classical, jazz and popular music genres, performing in our Robert H. Smith Auditorium for free on Friday evenings. A unique combination of live music, art, history and culture, New York Cool will attract a young, cool and dynamic new audience to the New-York Historical Society.

This season’s performers include Missy Modell, a rising star who is bridging the gap between pop, rock and soul; Jay Leonhart, his family and friends, all prominent members of the New York jazz scene; rockers The London Souls; vocal group Just Friends; the Beijing Guitar Duo; Ahn Trio, who blend classical music with a twenty-first century sensibility; and the Ted Rosenthal Quintet, who will perform music from Images of Monk.

With the completion of the  new Robert H. Smith Auditorium, the musicians will have the opportunity to perform to an audience of up to 420 in a state-of-the-art facility featuring a 75-foot-long high definition screen. All performances will be first come, first served, and refreshments will be available for purchase. Concertgoers will also have a pre-performance chance to view our Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History, a 3,400 square foot space featuring New York Rising, a permanent installation centered on the themes of America’s and New York’s founding.

Bank of America is a sponsor.

 Performances

Friday, April 20, 2012, 6:30 PM MISSY MODELL
Missy Modell is a rising star who is bridging the gap between pop, rock and soul. Modell was featured on E!’s hit show “The Dance Scene,” working with renowned choreographer Laurieann Gibson. Modell recently released a music video for her song “Leave Well Enough Alone” and is working on her next single.

Friday, April 27, 2012, 6:30 PM JAY LEONHART, HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Jazz great Jay Leonhart (bassist) is joined by his family and special friends who are prominent members of the New York jazz scene. Together, they will perform an electrifying program of music from some of New York’s finest jazz composers.

Friday, May 4, 2012, 6:30 PM THE LONDON SOULS
The London Souls (Tash Neal and Chris St. Hilaire) have been nothing short of a best-kept secret among New York City concertgoers since the band’s formation in 2008. Their debut album was produced by Ethan Johns at London’s renowned Abbey Road Studios and captures the spirit of the band, offering an exhilarating fusion of blues and rock and roll. The London Souls’ unique reinterpretation of classic hard-hitting rock and roll recalls elements of the past with a boundless energy that will hypnotize and amaze.

Friday, May 11, 2012, 6:30 PM JUST FRIENDS
Since its inception in 1989, the vocal group Just Friends (Shelton Becton, Gail Blanche-Gill, A. Makea McDonald, Nedra Olds-Neal, Michael Neal and Jamet Pittman) has cultivated an enthusiastic following in the New York area. They have appeared on HBO and at the Riverside Church and have performed with the Dance Theater of Harlem, Alice Parker and Melodious Accord and Canadian Brass.

Friday, May 18, 2012, 6:30 PM BEIJING GUITAR DUO
The Beijing Guitar Duo, composed of Meng Su and Yameng Wang, is widely acclaimed for its outstanding technique and artistic musicality. Their first duo album, Maracaípe, received a Latin GRAMMY nomination for the featured work “Maracaípe,” written and dedicated to them by composer Sergio Assad. In addition to their performances in the United States, the coming concert season takes them to guitar centers in countries such as Holland, Ireland, Croatia and China.

Friday, May 25, 2012, 6:30 PM AHN TRIO
Hailed as “exacting and exciting musicians” by the Los Angeles Times, the three sisters of the Ahn Trio (Lucia on the piano, Angella on the violin and Maria on the cello) have earned a distinguished reputation for embracing twenty-first century classical music with their unique style and innovative collaborations. The Trio has recorded six albums and has performed for President Obama at the White House, in all fifty states and in over thirty countries.

Friday, June 1, 2012, 6:30 PM TED ROSENTHAL QUINTET
The Ted Rosenthal Quintet, with jazz stars Brian Lynch (trumpet), Dick Oatts (saxophone), Martin Wind (bass), Quincy Davis (drums) and Ted Rosenthal (piano), perform music from Images of Monk, Rosenthal’s award-winning album. The suite of Thelonious Monk’s pieces creatively “deranged” by Rosenthal takes a fresh look at Monk with daring arrangements and creative soloing without losing sight of Monk’s swing and wit.

New-York Historical Society

The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.

New-York Historical is recognized for engaging the public with deeply researched and far-ranging exhibitions, such as Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America; Slavery in New York; Drawn by New York: Six Centuries of Watercolors and Drawings at the New-York Historical Society; Grant and Lee in War and Peace; Lincoln and New York; and The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society. Supporting these exhibitions and related education programs is one of the world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, works of American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States and New York.

New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, N.Y.; for information, 212-873-3400, www.nyhistory.org.

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