Image via Complex Original
Completed in 1959, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, one of the greatest architectural gems Frank Lloyd Wright bestowed us, is home to some of the best modern and contemporary art in the world. With its spiraling ramp gallery, it is arguably a museum with the most unique viewing experience. Right now, the cylindrical wonder displays nearly 400 objects from the Italian Futurism movement with a show entitled "Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe." In one of the museum's side galleries, works by New York City public school student artists are on view in the Guggenheim's annual "A Year with Children." It might be impossible to catch all the art in one visit, but if you are ambitious, check out Do It In a Day: How to Make the Most of the Guggenheim in the Least Amount of Time.
RELATED: 100 Museums to Visit Before You Die
RELATED: The 20 Best College Art Museums
Before you go, download the Guggenheim app.
The Guggenheim app is super user-friendly, gives you a survey of what's on view, and allows you to develop a working knowledge of the permanent collection. The app also has a schedule of when special programs are happening, images of artwork, and special updates about the museum that will make your trip easier. Download the app here.
Do it the Wright way.
Frank Lloyd Wright wanted every museum visitor to take the elevator to the top and walk down, hitting everything in between the top ramp and the Rotunda floor. Wright felt that going from the top and spiraling through the museum to the bottom allowed for the viewer to have an "uninterrupted" experience.
Some visitors think that the Fourth Floor offers the best views in the entire museum because you can almost see every work exhibited in the ramp gallery, but this could pose issues when trying to navigate exhibitions chronologically. Wright's intention is best for moving fluidly through the museum and experiencing the work continuously. This technique is also convenient because you can literally walk out the doors of the museum as you are seeing the last pieces of art.
But don't miss the side galleries.
The Guggenheim has four side galleries that display a lot of the museum's permanent collection and smaller shows. Recently, Carrie Mae Weems' work occupied one of the side galleries. Right now, on view in one of the side galleries is a show called "A Year With Children 2014" (May 9 – June 18, 2014), featuring art created by New York City public elementary school children who participate in the Guggenheim's artist-in-residence program. Another of the side galleries, the Sackler Center on the lower level, features the exhibition "A Long-Awaited Tribute: Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian House and Pavilion" (July 27, 2012-Ongoing). Also, the Thannhauser Collection, an ongoing exhibition of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work, is always on view in an additional side gallery.
"Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe" is a must-see.
"Italian Futurism" is the museum's current Rotunda show. It is the first comprehensive survey of Italian Futurism to be shown in the United States. This multidisciplinary exhibition includes everything from the manifesto of the movement's founder, F.T. Marinetti, to Fortunato Depero's iconic Skyscrapers and Tunnels. The show traces the origins of the movement through its demise at the end of World War II.
If you have five hours, view every work in "Italian Futurism," and then have a meal at The Wright.
There are almost 400 objects that reconstruct the history of Italian Futurism on the walls of the Guggenheim. If you have it in you, go see every object, and then treat yourself to a meal and a cocktail at The Wright, the Guggenheim's five-star restaurant on the ground level.
And if you don't have time for all that, stop by Cafe 3.
Cafe 3 is the Guggenheim's smaller on-the-go spot for refreshments on the third floor. It is tucked in one of the curves of the museum that offers a view of Central Park. You can grab a snack and take in the view as you wind your way through the museum's works.
Regardless of how long you spend at the museum, plan to hit these works.
These pieces represent some of the more notable works on display at the Guggenheim right now:
Futurist Manifestos
Umberto Boccioni's Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913
Giacomo Balla's Abstract Speed + Sound, 1913–14
Ivo Pannaggi's Speeding Train, 1922
Fortunato Depero's Series of 8 Rhinoceros, 1923
Fortunato Depero's Skyscrapers and Tunnels, 1930
Benedetta (Cappa Marinetti)'s Synthesis of Aerial Communications, 1933–34
Tullio Crali's Before the Parachute Opens, 1939
Also be sure to check out what's on view from the permanent collection, which includes everything from Picasso to Van Gogh.
Take a selfie in the Rotunda, and grab a Lavazza Coffee.
When you've hit the must-see works on view, reward yourself with an #artselfie in the Rotunda. This is the only place photos are permitted in the museum, and thankfully, the skylight provides excellent selfie lighting. Post-selfie, grab a coffee from the Italian outpost Lavazza Coffee, who set up shop to complement the "Italian Futurism" experience.
Check the special programs schedule.
The Guggenheim is much more than the art on its walls. The museum often offers talks with artists, educational programs, and performances. Make sure you check the public programs schedule before heading over to the museum to make the best use of your time. Recently, the museum hosted a special program with artist Carrie Mae Weems, called "Weems Live," where a roster of artists discussed a wide range of topics from performativity to art as a social practice.
Don't overlook the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture.
Frank Lloyd Wright didn't just design beautiful buildings, he also designed furniture and a lot of it is sitting around the Guggenheim. Make sure you visit the Sackler Center for The Arts (lower level), and lounge in some of the furniture that Wright built while viewing "A Long-Awaited Tribute: Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian House and Pavilion." The exhibition features gems from the Guggenheim Archives on the two structures originally built at the site of the Guggenheim Museum.
Experience the Guggenheim's incredible architecture from across the street.
There are benches across the street from the Guggenheim that offer really great views of the entire museum. Or, if you are an architecture person and want to find a good reading spot while you bask in the shadow of one of the great architectural wonders of the 20th century, the benches provide you with ample reading room away from the chaotic entrance of the museum.
Visit on Saturday, and save some money.
Saturday nights are "Pay What You Wish" at the Guggenheim from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The usual admission is $22 dollars, so save a few bucks and make a trip to the museum before dinner on Saturday.
