Inspired by our last two Friday photos (Seated Ballerina and Hippo Ballerina), Joseph took to the streets of New York to practice his moves in honor of the official start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Neither torrential downpours nor his questionable ballet moves could stop his dancing feet in Times Square (the Elmo joined in), Coney Island (the runners in the Brooklyn Half were temporarily distracted by the pure joy on his face), and the High Line (where he started a conga line). He even brought his inspirational steps to the office at DLG and has us all two-stepping. Happy Memorial Day to all and may your summer be filled with dancing...
DLG at the Brooklyn Half Marathon
Brooklyn Half finish line!
While most people were sleeping in or taking it easy last Saturday morning, over 27,000 ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon, including our very own Liz, Alexis, and Daniele. Liz, with her husband Mark, was looking very strong and powerful throughout the race. Alexis was super excited about the cool medals. And Daniele used the race for some serious meditation time. Congratulations, you deserve all the champagne!
Coney Island Dreamland
Nicknamed Cy, this sculpted Cyclops head hung above the Spook-A-Rama in the 1950s in Coney Island.
While summer seems a long way off now in the midst of an unpredictable and cruel winter (yesterday, twenty-five mile-per-hour bone chilling winds), Brooklyn Museum's exhibit, Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, 1861–2008, will remind you of warmer and sunnier weather soon to come. This colorful and fun show, the first major exhibition to explore the kaleidoscopic visual record of this iconic beach, documents the "historic destination’s beginnings as a watering hole for the wealthy, its transformation into a popular beach resort and amusement mecca, its decades of urban decline culminating in the closing of Astroland, and its recent revival as a vibrant and growing community." Featuring numerous artistic styles and subjects, the exhibit includes everything from 19th century paintings of the Coney Island shore by William Merritt Chase and John Henry Twachtman to iconic photographs and videos by Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, and Weegee, as well as contemporary works by Daze and Swoon. See it now before it closes March 13 and remember what George C. Tilyou, a prominent Coney Island developer, said: "If Paris is France, then Coney Island, between June and September, is the world."
National Running Day
David Lewis in Coney Island with the Cyclone in the background. (Photo by NYRR.)
In honor of National Running Day this week (it was June 3, to be exact), we wanted to celebrate the many runners in the office, including paralegal David Lewis who recently ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon and is training for yet another marathon. (Lizzie B, you may remember, also ran a marathon recently). Looking good, David, keep it up! Next year I'll be waiting for you on the Coney Island boardwalk with a hotdog and beer.