This May, two new visitor amenities—an Audio Guide and a café—are being introduced for the first time at The Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art located in northern Manhattan and dedicated to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages.
Peter Barnet, the Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, commented: "The Cloisters—a 20th-century museum constructed from portions of five medieval cloisters—is unique among American museums. Its superb collection of medieval art is housed within a building that is evocative of the Middle Ages. The building, in turn, enjoys a splendid setting and breathtaking views. Without intruding on this special atmosphere, the new Audio Guide will help us convey the fascinating history of The Cloisters as well as specific information about individual works of art. The café—which is situated within one of the cloisters—was developed in response to frequent visitor requests, and will make it possible for them to spend more time at the museum."
The Audio Guide
The voices of Museum curators, conservators, educators, and horticulturists and
period music are featured on the new Cloisters Audio Guide, which will be
available beginning on May 15. The guide includes 75 stops (approximately two hours of random-access programming) and will allow users to customize a tour to suit their interests—from general descriptions of medieval art and culture to specific information about the history of The Cloisters, its architecture, its gardens, and some 70 works of art.
Readings from primary sources such as the sixth-century Rule of Saint Benedict and a 12th-century letter by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux will provide insight into the role of art in medieval churches and monasteries. Staff research into the design and purpose of medieval gardens also will be presented, along with information about seasonal plantings on site. Highlights from the collection of The Cloisters—including the renowned Unicorn Tapestries—will be discussed in detail.
The lightweight, palm-sized "MP3" player is used with earphones and may be rented for $5 ($4.50 for Members) at the entrance to The Cloisters.
The Audio Guide is produced in collaboration with Antenna Audio, the leading provider of audio programming for museums and historic sites around the world.
The Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg.
The Café
Modeled on the cafés in the Museum's Main Building—specifically, those of the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court and The Iris and B. Gerald
Cantor Roof Garden—the café at the Cloisters will be open during Museum hours,
rain or shine, from May through October. At lunchtime, sandwiches, biscotti, brownies, espresso, and cappuccino will be served. Cash and credit cards will be accepted.
The café—which accommodates approximately 75 visitors—opened on May 1 and is located in the covered outer walkway surrounding the Trie Cloister. Featuring late-15th-century carved marble elements from the Bigorre region of southwestern France, the Trie Cloister also includes a garden and a fountain.
The Cloisters
Located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, a magnificent setting that overlooks the Hudson River, The Cloisters was opened in 1938. It incorporates elements of five medieval cloisters from Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint Guilhem-le-Désert, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-en-Bigorre, and Froville, and from other monastic sites located in southern France. Much of the sculpture was acquired by George Grey Barnard (1863-1938), who was a prominent sculptor and an avid collector of medieval art. Barnard opened his museum on Fort Washington Avenue to the public in 1914; through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller Jr., most of its collection was acquired in 1925. A new museum was built in medieval architectural style, incorporating elements from Barnard's museum as well as works from Rockefeller's own collection.
Known particularly for its Romanesque and Gothic architectural sculpture, The Cloisters collection also includes illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, stained glass, metalwork, enamels, ivories, and paintings.
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May 18, 2001
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