Babesta Beat AW 2017

DON’T MISS | SOULFUL CREATURES The Brooklyn Museum will host a fascinating look into a little known ritual in ancient Egyptian culture and religion: animal mummification. This exhibit grapples with the question of the purpose and evident popularity of the practice, as well as how mummies were made. The mummies on display are from as early as 3000 B.C.E., and include birds, cats, dogs and snakes. Senior Curator of Egyptian, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Art, Edward Bleiberg, notes that although the exact significance of the mummification is not known, the practice was not uncommon. “Over four million individual ibis mummies have been found at an ancient burial ground in Saqqara, and a nearby dog cemetery yielded over seven million mummies,” he says. Some Egyptians thought animals’ souls could carry messages to the gods, and the mummies were oft accompanied with a handwritten letter. One example on exhibit: a note from a child who complained to a god about her parent’s behavior. Yikes! Brooklyn Museum: September 29, 2017-January 21, 2018. Image by Gavin Ashworth, courtesy of Brooklyn Museum.

Soulful Creatures exhibit at Brooklyn Museum.

CHECK OUT| STORM KING ART CENTER Art + fresh air = a fun fall weekend! Head out past the Woodbury Common outlets to this acclaimed sculpture park set on 500 acres of hills, fields and woods. Bring your stroller to navigate the terrain, or if it’s a weekend without the kids, rent a bike to explore the expansive park. Currently exhibiting David Smith The White Sculptures , a collection of large white welded steel structures, and Heather Hart, The Oracle of Lacuna , a domestic rooftop, the rest of the home seemingly submerged in the green grass. Time your visit with the changing leaves and you’ve got yourself a magical time in the country! Open through November 2017.

Heather Hart’s exhibition The Oracle of Lacuna , courtesy of Storm King Art Center.

HIT THE SLOPES | HUNTER MOUNTAIN & SCRIBNER’S LODGE Ready for a chic East Coast weekend, just a stone’s throw from the city (relatively speaking of course)? This sixties era roadside lodge with mountain views (including the ski slopes at Hunter), has been remade by a trifecta of teams from the city: Glennon Travis who most recently managed Soho House and his partner Mark Chocock; boutique design firm Studio Tack, and the culinary team behind Greenpoint eatery Esme. Scribner’s Catskills Lodge features 38 rooms and 2 pools, as well as a locally sourced restaurant, Prospect, with an Alpine inspired menu. Rustic yet luxe, this upscale Catskills retreat is perfect for a ski weekender.

Mouth watering Prospect burger, image by Sidney Bensimon

From left : Prospect Bar and Scribner’s Library. Images by Nicole Frazen.

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babesta beat autumn/winter 2017