The newly re-opened, MADMuseum, The Museum of Arts and Design is a lovely exhibit space and the current exhibit called Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary is the inaugural exhibition. It features works by artists who have created objects and installations comprised of ordinary items, our society’s throw-aways for the most part.

These are those items that we are frequently mostly blind to seeing, simple combs, buttons, plastic spoon empty bottles, etc, and they are transformed by the creativity and imagination of the artists in to their second life as something meaningful and wonderful. This show is exiting, fun, creative and a pleasure. Good for children as well as adults.

The permanent collection of the museum includes a terrific jewelry section and lovely works in glass and pottery, not to be missed.

The building is the former Hartford Museum which NYers called  ”the Lollipop building” . Generally speaking, this was not any sort of compliment.  

The renovation is excellent and has unique views of Columbus Circle looking up up Broadway, and Central Park and down the street, across the Hudson River to New Jersey. Here are “before” and “after” photos of the building. If you look carefully on the first floor, you can see that the lollipops have been kept, perhaps they are structural, but they are embedded in the new design.

The shop is if fun for adults and children. There are no lines to enter the museum. Pay admission ($15, $12, kids free)  or pay what you wish on Thursday evenings after 6pm.