Cocktails with a Curator Guest Blog

Art Education, Cocktails, and COVID

From my friend Joanne in Florida

Hi  Ruth! 

I received a wonderful book from your sister Mary which reminded me of the creative way the Frick Museum NYC stayed connected to the public during their shut down due to the long pandemic. 

First, the back story. 

During 2020-21, Mary shared a link to a video series that the Frick Museum posted to YouTube.  It was one of their ways to offer a virtual means of communication and keep the museum present and engaged.  They offered sixty-five episodes of a series called “Cocktails with a Curator.”  Each new episode (Friday nights) featured a piece of art from the Frick Collection, paired with a cocktail that “matched” the art.  They provided the recipe, the curator would be online with his/her drink, and spend a half hour providing commentary on the selected masterpiece.  Wonderful way to spend Friday night happy hour, and you can still enjoy all episodes of this award winning series at this link:   Cocktails with a Curator™ – YouTube

Best of Cocktails highlights 15 of the 66 episodes

Audiences under 21 are encouraged to join with a non-alcoholic drink” so Mocktails it might be


And now about the book.  Based on the popularity of the video series, the Frick has produced a volume that presents histories of works of art paired with creatively inspired drinks.  For example, Holbein’s painting of Thomas More, who famously clashed with Henry VIII, is combined with a Bloody Mary (named after Henry’s eldest daughter).  You can find the book here:   

Cocktails with a Curator – The Frick Collection Shop

Thank you Mary, for introducing me to the video series, and for sending me this lovely book.  Cheers to you!

About The Frick Collection

Here’s the book’s cover
Book by Aimee Ng, Giulio Dalvit, and Xavier Salomon
Joanne concocted this classic cocktail

We especially enjoyed the episodes hosted by Xavier Salomon who is now “new Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.”

Imagine, Standing with Van Gogh, St. Patrick’s Scaffolded, Mercury, Ribbons for Peace, Patience

We walked through Strawberry Fields and saw the Imagine mosaic.  A man sat on a bench playing the guitar.  We wondered why he wasn’t strumming a Beatles tune.  We walked over the to the Frick Collection and saw the Piero della Francesca in America , no photography allowed.

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At the Metropolitan Museum of Art

you could stand around all day and take photos of people being photographed with Vincent Van Gogh’s self portrait.

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The scaffolding on St.Patrick’s Cathedral will be in place for three to four years.

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Lit a candle in St. Patrick’s.

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Mercury at Rockefeller Center

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Prayers for Peace. I read the sign and took the photo.  After I crossed the street I realized just how many ribbons there were on the fence surrounding the church.

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We walked down Fifth Avenue from 72nd St to 10th St

Mary and I stood at Washington Square in the late afternoon sun for long shadows.

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