It’s the perfect post-holiday treat for yourself: an art-filled weekend escape to Manhattan that gives you plenty of time to take in several of the most intriguing exhibitions at three cultural powerhouses—and a night on the town to enjoy as you like.
Art historian Judy Pomerantz leads the visit, which highlights early 20th-century Modernist artists and their works. Included is a private tour before opening hours of the Neue Galerie New York’s special exhibition “Max Beckmann: The Formative Years, 1915-1925.” This exhibition features approximately 100 works by the artist and focuses on the profound shift that occurred in Beckmann’s work during a crucial decade.
The spotlight is on Pablo Picasso at the Museum of Modern Art. “Picasso in Fontainebleau” showcases works the artist produced while summering in Fontainebleau, France. Among his most astonishing creations were Three Women at the Spring and Three Musicians, two very different 6-foot-high canvases that he painted side by side within weeks. The exhibition puts these two monumental paintings side by side again and highlights other works from the artist’s pivotal three-month stay, complemented by rarely seen photographs plus archival documents.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers a guided look at the Thannhauser Collection, built by collector and art dealer Justin K. Thannhauser (1892–1976). Thannhauser’s gifts brought the Guggenheim works by artists such as Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh, and Picasso. The collection provides an important survey of late 19th- and early 20th-century Modernism. During this critical period—as artists sought to liberate art from academic genres and introduce contemporary subject matter—the avant-garde investigated novel materials and methods, setting the stage for the development of radical new styles.
Participants stay at the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square in the heart of the Theater District. The location is perfect for visiting the TKTS booth for discount tickets to a show on Sunday evening, which is open. An early three-course supper is included before you set off on Monday.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit*
Know Before You Go
- Cost includes bus transportation, lodging, all activities, and the following meals: Sunday boxed lunch en route and Monday breakfast and supper.
- Overnight accommodations are at the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square.
- Tour departs by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. and DeSales St., NW, with a pickup at the DoubleTree Hilton, 15101 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland at about 8:40 a.m.
- Single-room supplement $100 (factored into the Single Room Member and Single Room Non-Member pricing).
- Singles registering at the double-room rate are paired (on a nonsmoking basis) if possible, but must pay the single-room supplement otherwise.
- Detailed information is emailed to registrants about four weeks prior to departure.
- Participants are advised to purchase travel insurance for overnight and multi-day tours from a provider of your choice. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, January 12, 2024.
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Smithsonian is a mask-friendly environment. Masks are strongly recommended to be worn on buses at all times and may also be required at various indoor sites.
- For additional tour information:
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
