Exhibits

PAST EXHIBITS

“Women Unbound” and “George Washington Revisits Washington Heights”
September 15, 2012 through January, 2013

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum is pleased to present two concurrent exhibitions by Mexican-born, Washington Heights-based artists Andrea Arroyo and Felipe Galindo.

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 15, 4pm-6pm (free and open to the public.)
Exhibit on view: September 15, 2012 through January 7, 2013. Visiting Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-4pm.

To view videos about the artists, click on the following links:
About Arroyo
About Galindo

If you would like to learn more about the artists and their work, please visit their websites:
Andrea Arroyo
Felipe Galindo Feggo

“Women Unbound” by Andrea Arroyo
Inspired by the inhabitants, cultural history, art and artifacts of Manhattan’s Oldest House, Arroyo created original works integrated with the historical objects and furniture in the Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum collection. These works create a conversation between the past and the present, and allow for connections to be created between the female experience of Mary Morris or Eliza Jumel and the contemporary viewer. Arroyo has been exploring notions of identity, gender, class and social prejudice throughout her career. In her project “Women Unbound” she investigates how women navigated life within the boundaries of late 1700s and early 1800s society. For the artist, the stories of the women who inhabited the Mansion mirror the struggles of women in contemporary society, who have to defy social norms and prejudice in order to achieve their personal goals. The pieces are executed in a variety of media, including paintings, artist’s books, sculptures, mixed media and installations.

“George Washington Revisits Washington Heights” by Felipe Galindo
Galindo found inspiration for his project from the history of the neighborhood; Washington Heights is an area where the Battle of Harlem Heights took place and where George Washington (based at the Morris-
Jumel Mansion in 1776) commanded the nation’s troops during the Revolutionary War.

Galindo’s project presents an imaginary visit from America’s first president to the present-day neighborhood that bears his name. Influenced by historical imagery from the 18th century, the artist
creatively interweaves the past and the present in a series of whimsical images, creating a unique world in which George Washington interacts with locals, explores the vicinity, learns about modern
customs and ultimately enjoys the amazing mixture of cultures in uptown Manhattan.

About the artists:
Andrea Arroyo’s work is exhibited, published and collected extensively around the world. President Clinton selected her as the Clinton Global Citizen Award Artist. Additional honors include: 21 Leaders for the 21st Century Award, Groundbreaking Latina in the Arts Award, Official Artist of the Latin Grammys, Outstanding Latina of the Year, Woman of the Week, Women in the World Foundation, New York City Council Citation Award for Achievement in Art, New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Awards, Puffin Foundation Award, Harlem Arts Alliance Award and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Grant. Her works are featured in numerous public collections, including The Library of Congress, The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, The New York Public Library, The University of Richmond Museum, The National Museum of Mexican Art, and in private collections in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Europe, and Japan. Public commissions include permanent murals and glass art for a New York public school, a New York subway station and landmark building in NYC. Arroyo’s work has been published extensively (The New Yorker, The New York Times,) and continues to be featured by national and international media (CNN, NBC, NY1, Univision, CW11, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Women’s eNews, Women in the World, the Associated Press and EFE, among others.) For more information about the artist please visit www.andreaarroyo.com

Felipe Galindo (Feggo) is a fine artist, illustrator, cartoonist and independent animator. His drawings have appeared in the New Yorker, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, Nickelodeon, Mad Magazine, Narrative, Barron’s, INXart.com and others worldwide. Galindo has held numerous individual exhibitions in the United States and abroad. His animations have been featured in TV programs such as MTV’s Liquid TV, Reel Thirteen and Sí-TV as well in numerous film festivals and cultural institutions worldwide, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid.

He has received grants from the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Puffin Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting, the New York Council for the Arts, and the US/Mexico Fund for Culture of the Rockefeller Foundation. Additional awards include: Porto Cartoon Festival, Portugal; United Nations Correspondents Association Award; Greek Ministry of Culture; San Antonio Cine Festival and Omiya Festival, Japan.

He is the creator of the celebrated project Manhatitlan, which includes works on paper, animations, and the book Manhatitlan, Mexican and American Cultures Intertwined (Pinto Books, 2010.) And the author of No Man Is a Desert Island – Cartoons by Felipe Galindo-Feggo (Pinto Books, 2012.) For more information about the artist please visit www.felipegalindo.com

“Women Unbound” is made possible in part with funds from the NoMAA Creative Grant Program, made possible by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.

“George Washington Revisits Washington Heights” is made possible in part with public funds from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

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Temporary Exhibit: “Dressed for the Occasion”
This exhibition features period costumes from the collections of the Saratoga Springs Historical Society which are displayed within the Mansion’s period rooms. Empire Historic Arts designed and installed the exhibit to give the museum visitors a sense of what life was like in the 18th and 19th centuries. ” The exhibit is on display through September 2012

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Temporary Exhibit: “Inspired by Design”
June 1 – September 9, 2012

There’s always something new at Manhattan’s oldest house and this summer visitors will experience art that reflects the contemporary meets colonial theme, as part of “Inspired by Design,” the third annual Morris-Jumel Mansion educational and interpretive art exhibit.

Artists representing diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds use painting, fabric arts, mixed-media, ceramic and photography to interpret the Mansion’s connection to the past and present of New York City history. The ten artists, who reside in Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood and the Bronx, have their present day works installed in the museum’s historically furnished period rooms. The result is an exhibit that reinforces the Mansion’s mission to serve as a bridge connecting the past and present of New York City.

“Inspired by Design is part of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) Uptown Stroll. Morris-Jumel Mansion is dedicated to collaborating with arts and cultural organizations for the public benefit.

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Then and Now: Washington Heights in Words and Pictures
As the oldest house in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion has left its impression upon generation after generation of families in Washington Heights. Although the neighborhood has undergone many changes during the last two-and-a-half centuries, the Mansion remains a testament to the neighborhood’s rich history.

This exhibit, drawn from the MJM archives, features quotes from “Community Voices,” an oral history project conducted by Karen Sotiropolous. The exhibit offers a timeline in words and pictures that chronicle the history of Washington Heights and the changes that have evolved from colonial to contemporary times.

“Then and Now” chronicles experiences of the residents of the Washington Heights community surrounding Morris-Jumel Mansion throughout its history and offers glimpses of life in the shadow of the Mansion.

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Temporary Exhibit: “Northern Manhattan as Muse”
Some artists have been so touched by the people, places, traditions and curiosities they’ve experienced in Washington Heights and Inwood that they have invested untold hours of careful study and practice trying to understand what it means to them. The result is a significant body of artwork about Northern Manhattan. Living uptown shaped their artistic careers.

“Northern Manhattan as Muse” features photographic portraits, essays and artwork documenting local artists inspired by Washington Heights and Inwood. The photos and text are by Mike Fitelson.

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Temporary Exhibition: “Establishing the New Nation: New York in the 1790s”

George Washington came to New York amid much fanfare and celebration as he assumed the presidency. He was America’s most popular and important citizen. Cheering crowds greeted him all along his journey from his home in Virginia to New York City.

This exhibit focuses on the role of New York as the first capital of the United States and George Washington’s place in history as the first president of the United States of America. From his inauguration in 1789 through the important first years of of his presidency, “Establishing the New Nation: New York in the 1790s” offers a unique examination of artifacts and documents that chronicle the earliest days of the nation.

The exhibition is funded by the New York Council for the Humanities.
The exhibit was on display from March 11, 2011 through June 15, 2011.

Click here to view the brochure of the exhibit: ‘Establishing the New Nation’

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Temporary Exhibit: “Memories Past and Present: 1765 – 2011”

Memory is a powerful element of history and contemporary art. Local Artists Andrea Arroyo, Felipe Galindo, Peter Hoffmeister, Jessica Lagunas, Trish Mayo and Misha McGlown created site specific works that reflect the visual memory of New York City and the Morris-Jumel Mansion.

The artworks reflect personal or historical memories of the past, present or future and interpret the history of Manhattan’s oldest house and the people who lived here through the visual art forms of painting, fabric/textiles, mixed-media installation, cyanotype and book art.

Exhibit: June 1 through September 9, 2010

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Permanent Exhibition:
Morris-Jumel Mansion presents rooms furnished in the colonial, Federalist and Empire styles that reflect specific time periods in the history of the Mansion. To get acquainted with our permanent exhibition please join us in a photo tour.