We are flying Delta to Los Angeles and then to New York. Check out the 'Flight Test' by Traveller.com to find out a bit more about the 13-14 hour flight to LA.
commons.wikipedia.org
worldairlinenews.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Strawberry Fields Forever
The Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park West was completed on October 9, 1985 as a dedication to the memory of John Lennon. The memorial is located in an area of Central Park that was often visited by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and is directly across from the Dakota Apartments where they lived. It was outside this apartment block that John Lennon was murdered in 1980.
Neptuul own work - creative commons. org
Strawberry Fields in Central Park with the Dakota Apartments in the background.
Strawberry Fields in Central Park with the Dakota Apartments in the background.
The memorial was named after the Beatles' song 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and was designed into a tear drop shape by landscape architect Bruce Kelley with a $1 million donation from Yoko Ono. This Garden of Peace is over a hectare in size, and has a plaque listing more than 120 countries that planted flowers and donated money for the maintenance of the area.
Damzow(talk) own work - http.commons.wikimedia.org
The iconic black and white 'Imagine' mosaic lies in the centre of Strawberry Fields. It evokes a vision of hope for a world without war or conflict.
See the Beatles perform 'Strawberry Fields Forever' below:
www.pinterest.com
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Harry Potter comes to Universal Studios April 2016
The opening of the new 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' at Universal Studios, Los Angeles happens on 7 April 2016 - just before we depart for New York and Los Angeles!
Check out the following link to launch the interactive experience:
New York: The City of Skyscrapers
New York and Chicago are renown cities for the birth of the modern skyscraper.
Find out about the history of the New York skyscraper and the construction of the Empire State Building in the documentary link below:
commons.wikimedia.org
Remember the 'Night at the Museum'?
Well, we will be spending a morning at the American Museum of Natural History and the Rose Centre for Earth and Space/Hayden Planetarium.
The 2006 movie, 'Night at the Museum' was based on the American Museum of Natural History and some external shots of the building was used in the movie. The rest of the film was made using purpose built sets in British Columbia.
en.wikipedia.com
The American Museum of Natural History
www.amazon.com
Some of the memorable characters from the film were inspired by collections at the American Museum of Natural History. On the Museums facade you will find a statue of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback. Inside you will find fantastic dioramas and museum collections that inspired many sets in the film such as the woolly mammoths, cowboys, Easter Island heads, the Hall of Primates with the capuchin monkey, and the fossil skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, the Temple of Dendur is not on show here but it is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts collection across Central Park.
www.amnh.org
www.amnh.org
Rose Centre for Earth and Space and Hayden Planetarium
www.commons.wikipedia.org
The Hayden Planetarium has an 27 metre diameter sphere that seems to float inside a glass cube. Inside the sphere, a number of space shows and the Digital Universe Atlas are projected. The atlas is based on millions of astronomical observations.
Dark Universe is a permanent exhibition that celebrates the discoveries that have led to a greater knowledge of the universe and new frontiers for exploration.
Learn about this fascinating exhibition below:
https://youtu.be/pOxG4aSQOO8
Monday, January 18, 2016
New York Attractions
Getting excited about New York? Only one more school term to go!
Check out these amazing places we will see on our Art and Science Tour!
9/11 Memorial and One World Tower
en.wikipedia.org
One World Trade Centre
One World Trade Centre is the tallest building in the western hemisphere
www.911memorial.org
911 Memorial
The twin reflecting pools of the 9/11 Memorial feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The pools sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of those who died are inscribed in bronze panels.
www.pinterest.com
One World Observatory
One World Observatory has 'Skypod' elevators with full length digital screens that take you on an journey through the development of the New York skyline from the 16th Century to present day.
The observatory is high-tech with immersive interactive displays like the 'Sky Portal', and floor-to-ceiling windows to reveal an amazing 360-degree panorama where your can "see forever".
See the One World Observatory below:
Jeff Koon's 'Red Balloon Flower'
Just a block from the 9/11 Memorial is Jeff Koon's 'Red Balloon Flower'. It has been on extended loan at 7 World Trade Centre since 2007. The sculpture is seen to be a bit of fun in a sombre setting and is meant to bring a smile to visitor's faces.
www.art-nerd.com
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Art Tour Highlights
A number of amazing places have now been booked for our art/science tour, starting with the Statue of Liberty. Here are some interesting facts to whet your appetite!
On our first full day in New York we board a ferry at Battery Park to visit Liberty and Ellis Islands.
On our first full day in New York we board a ferry at Battery Park to visit Liberty and Ellis Islands.
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island
- 'Liberty Enlightening the World' was a gift from France to America in 1886 as a celebration of the unions victory in the American Revolution and the abolition of slavery. The head of Liberty was displayed at the World's Fair Expo in Paris in 1878.
- The Statue of Liberty is constructed of iron and clad in copper. Over the years, the copper has turned green due to oxidation. This patina protects the statue from further deterioration. The torch was replaced in 1984 with a new copper one covered in 24k gold leaf.
- In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was the tallest iron structure ever built. Gustav Eiffel was behind the design of Liberty's spine. He went on to build the Eiffel Tower.
- In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
- The Statue of Liberty has been hit by approximately 600 bolts of lightning every year since it was built.
www.pinterest.com
- Damage to Liberty's torch bearing arm occurred in 1916 during WWI by German saboteurs who set off an explosion. The stairs to the torch have been closed ever since.
- After the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001, the Statue of Liberty was closed. The pedestal was opened again in 2004 and the statue in 2009. Only a limited number of people can go up to the crown. It was also closed in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy and reopened on Independence Day 2013.
commons.wikimedia.org
Ellis Island
en.wikipedia.org
Ellis Island
- Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station and closed in 1954.
- The island's history includes being an execution site to hang men convicted of piracy; housing a tavern that was built by island owner Samuel Ellis; serving as a military fortification and munition store during the Civil War; and then becoming a centre for immigration in 1892.
- Ellis Island expanded its size using landfill from its original 3 acres (1.2 hectares) to 27 acres (11 hectares) to house the immigration centre, hospital and psychiatric wards.
- The island was the gateway to the USA for 12 million immigrants with the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom greeting them as they approached America.
- Famous people who have passed through Ellis Island immigration include composer Irving Berlin, Hollywood actors Claudette Colbert and Charlie Chaplin, bodybuilder Charles Atlas, and psychologists Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.
www.pinterest.com
Installation work by JR
Art Installation at Ellis Island Hospital
'Unframed Ellis Island' is a project by French artist JR that aims to bring the memory of Ellis Island to life. Ellis Island was the entry point for millions of immigrants who left their families and belongings behind to start a new life, but also had the fear of being rejected and sent back when they arrived at the immigration centre.
www.tripadvisor.com
The immigration hospital was closed in 1954. Artist JR created many installations throughout the hospital inspired by the archives from Ellis Island. The site specific work incorporates archival photographs taken in and around the hospital from a hundred years ago. Visitors to the hospital can experience both the present and the past together.
View 'Ellis', a short film directed by JR and written by Eric Roth starring Robert de Niro:
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