If you’re looking for a lovely little outing that will take you out of Manhattan and across the water, hop on the Staten Island Ferry where the ride is swift and the view tremendous and take a trip to The Staten Island Museum.
My intention was to see the work of a contemporary artist unknown to me, Betty Bressi. Getting off the ferry, I followed the signs for the Staten Island Stadium and just a short uphill hike away (on ramps most of the trek) I saw the small three-story brick building that housed an odd but pleasing array of exhibits.
Taking the elevator
to the second floor to see Bressi’s exhibit
I first passed a small glass
display of delicate and decorative porcelain medallion plates that were the
gift of Edith Susskind. Close at hand, I heard the sound of
children’s high-pitched, raucous and excited voices mixed with the steady
authoritative commands of the teachers and museum aides urging the children to
clean up their mess, gather up their things and line up in their rows. They’d been encouraged to make their own
creations in the style of Bressi’s work which included weaving colorful strips
of patterned paper and punching out designs on an old Underwood typewriter that
stupefied them.
Why? Because when they
pressed lightly down on the keys nothing magically happened!
As museum workers efficiently began folding up tables, gathering up materials and
putting things to right, now alone in the room I was delighted by the
exuberance, creativity, and color of Bressi’s work — see for yourself *
Though I love art, I am not artistic, but if I were, this is the piece I felt I might create if I only had the talent and eye of Ms Bressi.
The
rest of this little museum (now in the midst of a capital campaign to build a
larger place for all their artifacts and combine with Snug Harbor) offered
budding naturalists a look at the wonders of nature in their Hall of Science filled
with fluorescent rocks, the delicacy of birds in their habitats and some crazy
oddities preserved in glass jars — rather creepy to me, but probably
fascinating to the younger set.
Not being a
naturalist, I was more engaged with their collection of Staten Island Ferries
memorabilia — both the objects and the art that depicted the 100+ year-life of this maritime experience just a
short subway ride away.
On this day I only
had time to hustle back to the ferry and Manhattan — but not before sampling some
of the easily accessible local eat’n’run restaurants across the street. Fully expecting to sample the wares at a
small Spanish café (not the full-scale highly reviewed Beso’s close by, but a
little nondescript dive) featuring chicken, goat and ribs, but my nose led me to A & S Pizzeria — a local hangout where the slices looked divine. I picked a delicious specialty
slice, rich with finely chopped spinach and artichokes in a luscious Alfredo
sauce. Thin crust and crisp, the dough
was still chewy enough to not feel as if I was eating a cracker. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t order a
whole pie!
With
lots more to see and not enough time this time to explore, I’ll be back to
visit Staten Island —
that Small Town in the Big City... and you should too.
* If you want to catch the Betty Bressi Retrospective, hurry — it's on view until April 8!
