The Solomon R. Gugggenheim Museum designed by renowed architect, Frank Llyod Wright.
I n June 1943, renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright received a letter from Hilla Rebay, the art advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, asking him to design a new building to house Guggenheim’s collection of non-objective art, a radical new art form being developed by such artists as Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Piet Mondrian.
Guggenheim’s one requirement of the architect was that the building should be unlike any other museum in the world. Wright, in turn, created a design that he believed would be “the best possible atmosphere in which to show fine paintings or listen to music.” Frank Lloyd Wright was already known as the preeminent American architect of the 20th century, but this invitation would add another major accomplishment to his influential career.
The project evolved into a complex struggle pitting the architect against his clients, city officials, the art world, and public opinion. Both Guggenheim and Wright would die before the building’s 1959 completion, but their achievement, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, remains.
It testifies not only to Wright’s architectural genius, but also to the adventurous spirit that characterized its founders.Wright made no secret of his disenchantment with Guggenheim’s choice of New York City for his museum: “I can think of several more desirable places in the world to build his great museum,” Wright wrote in 1949, “but we will have to try New York.” To Wright, the city was overbuilt, overpopulated, and lacked architectural merit.
The museum’s skylight or “oculus” spans 58 feet and is made up of twelve sections. Each “pie slice” section is created of 14 pieces of glass and one polygonal cap for a total of 169 pieces. The sunlight coming through the oculus was of crucial importance to Wright, who felt art was best viewed in natural light. It’s one of the most iconic skylights in the world.
Wright conceived of the museum as an airy, open place where visitors would not have to retrace their steps, instead entering the building on the ground level, taking an elevator to the top, and descending gradually, enjoying the art on display until returning to the entrance.
Still, he proceeded with his client’s wishes, considering locations on 36th Street, 54th Street, and Park Avenue (all in Manhattan), as well as in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, before settling on the present site on Fifth Avenue between 88th and 89th Streets. Its proximity to Central Park was key; as close to nature as one gets in New York, the park afforded relief from the noise and congestion of the city.
Nature not only provided the museum with a respite from New York’s distractions but also lent it inspiration. The Guggenheim Museum is an embodiment of Wright’s attempts to incorporate organic form into architecture. On one of his early sketches, Wright jotted “inverted ziggurat,” referring to a stepped or winding pyramidal temple of Babylonian origin.
His plan for the new building dispensed with the conventional approach to museum design, which led visitors through a series of interconnected rooms and forced them to retrace their steps when exiting. Instead, Wright whisked people to the top of the building via elevator, proceeding downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp. The galleries were divided like the membranes in citrus fruit, with self-contained yet interdependent sections. The open rotunda afforded viewers the unique possibility of seeing several bays of work on different levels simultaneously. The spiral design recalled a nautilus shell, with continuous spaces flowing freely one into another.
Wright’s design put his unique stamp on Modernist architecture’s rigid geometry. The building incorporates triangles, ovals, arcs, circles, and squares. Forms echo one another throughout: oval-shaped columns, for example, are reiterated in the geometry of the fountain and the stairwell of the Thannhauser Building. However, circularity is the major motif, from the rotunda to the inlaid design of the terrazzo floors.
“Wright’s building made it socially and culturally acceptable for an architect to design a highly expressive, intensely personal museum.” Paul Goldberger, Architectual Historian and Critic
‘Buy a picture a day’ and I lived up to it.”
- PEGGY GUGGENHEIM
“My motto was
Some people, especially artists, criticized Wright for creating a museum environment that might overpower the art inside. “On the contrary,” he wrote, “it was to make the building and the painting an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony such as never existed in the World of Art before.”
In conquering the static regularity of geometric design and combining it with the plasticity of nature, Wright produced a vibrant building whose architecture is as refreshing now as when it first opened. In August 1990, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was designated as an official New York City landmark. It is the youngest building ever to receive such recognition. The Guggenheim is arguably Wright’s most eloquent presentation and stands today as one of the great works of architecture produced in the 20th century.
Based on an essay by Matthew Drutt, former Associate Curator for Research
The tight knit band has an explosive Indie/Alt rock sound, coupled with dynamic stage presence and fantastic stage production for a performance that proves to be bigger than the venue itself. And when the highly successful band, “Lucius”, founded by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, joined by drummer, Dan Molad, and guitarist, Peter Lalish, say LA rock band VEERS is one of their favorite bands—you just have to check them out!
VEERS was started by English frontman, guitarist, and principal songwriter Andrew James, who was born in London and later moved to New York City to check out the music scene. In early 2014, James packed up and left New York for LA. His intent was not really to stay, but it’s there where things began to happen and the vibe was positive. He met Arizona natives Nick Lanata (bass) and Spencer Schuck (guitar), Mark Fallavollita (keys/guitar) from Massachusetts and Chris Neff (drums) from Portland, Oregon. They were all accomplished musicians in their own right and all had the same mind set. “None of us like bands with drama, it’s got to be fun, anyone that starts moaning in the studio is buying everyone lunch, that’s for sure.” says James.
As VEERS lead vocalist, James sings with a full, classic rock timbre that burns with its own sense of urgency. Their abrasive sound combines wiry vocals, tangled guitars, and thick drums, bringing volume with a jagged edge. “Falling in the tradition of alternative British rock, their music brings a consuming energy to the room that will get you amped up far beyond the end of the concert.” is how NextFest LA describes the band.
VEERS debut album Universe Reversal, released September 2022, was followed by a wave of buzzworthy attention in the Los Angeles rock and roll scene and helped to land them their first record deal with Merrill Artists (ECR Music Group). “The energy and sheer power of this band had me hooked instantly,” says Merrill Artists’ President Tommy Merrill. “Soaring melodies, consummate musicians, plus they have an infectious, inherent joy about what they do. How can you not get behind that?”
September 8th kicks off their US 2023 Fall Tour with Texas rock band, Blue October. Expect to see electrifying concerts seamlessly blending Brit-Pop, Post-Punk, and Psychedelia into a sound that’s fresh and compelling.
NowVIZ: Many historic bands have come from Britain, but you decided to create your band here in the States. Was that your intent? (addtionally would you include how you came together.)
VEERS: That’s very true, many bands have come from Britain. I created the band in LA purely because I moved here a long time ago for music; first living in NYC to get to know the music scene, but with no intention of starting a band off the bat.
That was an interesting time and I spent most of it hustling for cash to have a roof over my head. The music scene there was pretty boring, to be honest. I’d end up playing acoustic versions of my songs at 4 am in bars to anyone drunk enough to listen. I think most musicians get too tired or stressed to stay in that city for a long period of time.
I joined the exodus to Los Angeles in 2015 and met the rest of the lads there shortly after, mostly through musician friends that also migrated west. We shared a common drive for making loud yet melodic music, something I didn’t find in NYC …and so it began.
NowVIZ: It seems like the VEERS have been playing together for years! The music and the way you interact present a much more seasoned and experienced band. Would that be an accurate assumption?
VEERS: We were all experienced in our own right before VEERS. I think touring in a small van and living on top of one another for a while, not to mention going through a pandemic together (which was somewhat beneficial for us, honestly) makes you stronger as a band, musically, and personally. We’re in our rehearsal room working on songs as much as possible, trying to get them as tight as we can, and we’re not sick of each other yet …shockingly.
NowVIZ: Can you talk about your most recent European tour and debut album, Universe Reversal!
VEERS: We had an absolute blast in the UK. I’m from England originally so going back with the band and sounding so good was very special. It was a nice way of coming back with some form of validation for leaving.
We toured with a band from Texas called “Blue October”. They were top lads, but unfortunately, they crashed their tour bus after the first show (everyone was ok thankfully), which meant the next couple of shows were scaled down to acoustic sets. They asked us to do the same, just me and a guitar, and that was like I was back in NYC again!
The rest of the tour picked up with no hiccups and we had a great time - great responses from the crowds, good laughs within the band. Perfect!
Universe Reversal is our debut album, we recorded it ourselves and mixed it ourselves - the whole thing was just …us. We made it during lockdown. I think most bands used that time wisely; nobody knew when it would end.
We’re really proud of that record and learnt a lot from making it. Now that it’s out in the world it’s kind of a weird feeling. You disconnect from it as soon as it’s released; it’s someone else’s, everyone’s.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASE UNIVERSE REVERSAL ON ALL MUSIC OUTLETS
“The energy and sheer power of this band had me hooked instantly,” says Merrill Artists’ President Tommy Merrill. “Soaring melodies, consummate musicians, plus they have an infectious, inherent joy about what they do. How can you not get behind that?”
NowVIZ: Every band seems to have their own creative process or method that works for them. Can you talk about what works best for you guys?
VEERS: Our process is much like most bands: I’ll write 75% of the songs and make rough demos of them, sit on them for a while, then send them to the band. They’ll soon give a thumbs up or thumbs down, or we’ll play them, and if it flows live and sounds good then we’ll keep working on them.
I never get offended by a song being turned down and I like it when everyone chimes in with ideas to make a song great. I can be pretty lazy, so rather than work on one that’s not working I’ll just go write another better song. I have hundreds of demos and voice memos lying around.
Left Veers Frontman, Andrew James and Nick Lanata on Bass.
Veers Drummer, Chris Neff
NowVIZ: The highly successful band “Lucius” really enjoys your music! Who have been some of your favorites throughout your career and why?
VEERS: Well, clearly Lucius has impeccable taste, and I unbiasedly appreciate them! Picking some of our favorite bands over the years is a rough one, though, as tastes are always changing. But aside from the obvious bands - the Beatles, Oasis, Radiohead, etc. we really like Interpol, and I think Paul Banks’ lyrics are so dark yet romantic. I love the arrangements on Interpol’s first three albums - so good! Queens of the Stone Age is another great band, a band I’d love and hate to open for. The reason being that I feel like we’d come off stage and be like we just rocked it and then they would play and make us sound like we really didn’t at all! They’re just so good and go so hard. Other notable bands we’re into are Mew, Longwave, BRMC (first two records), and Travis.
NowVIZ: Who has been your biggest influence in music?
VEERS: Personally, I’m gonna give the most clichéd answer but only because I live and die for them - The Beatles. The other VEERS boys would have their own answers I’m sure, but that’s what makes us so great; we all have different influences and we’ll toss them out there to make them our own.
Chris the drummer, luckily for us, is drum obsessed. So anything that hits hard drum-wise he loves. Nick the bass player is all about Portugal. The Man. They mean to him what The Beatles mean to me. Mark, our newest band member loves most bands and can play most of them within two seconds on the guitar. It’s pretty impressive! Even the shit songs by Dire Straits, he knows them all! As for Spencer, let me tell you, you could put on the theme song from Sesame Street and he’ll smile and get down to it.
NowVIZ: Aside from your musical career what inspires you daily?
VEERS: I was going to say nothing as I’m so consumed with music daily, but that’s lame. Other people’s positivity is inspiring to me. Being in a band is really difficult these days, especially when you have no financial help, and all the other bullshit involved. It can really bring you down and create a negative atmosphere. So it’s great to hear others’ positive take on things, life, problems, work, etc. It’s something I’m trying to be better at.
NowVIZ: What’s on the horizon for VEERS? Anything you’d like to discuss?
VEERS: Record number two has already started, so that’s really exciting and I’m loving it! More, longer, and bigger tours, hopefully. We are obsessed with touring, meeting, and connecting with new people. We’d love to get back to the UK in the first half of 2024 as we had such a great time there and there are still 40,000 pubs we’ve yet to visit!
Often, it’s a single moment in the course of your career, a moment that may be overlooked by onlookers, that makes you realize you’re on the right road.
For Italian Tennis pro Lorenzo Musetti, that came after a five-set loss to former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open. The then 19-year-old Musetti took the first two sets against the Serbian maestro in what was his Grand Slam debut.
“It was a fantastic experience. I was playing my best tennis, for sure,” the young player who ranked 76th at the time later told the press, adding, “Now I know how I can play, how far I am from the biggest in the tour, like Nole (Djokovic), so I know that if I play good I can stay at this level.”
It was a moment of clarity for Musetti that propelled the player to become one of Italy’s top three tennis players less than two years later. But though he claimed his highest ATP ranking of World No. 15 on 26 June 2023, the road to sporting success had been a long time coming for the Italian star.
Musetti, who was born in Carara, Tuscany, in Northern Italy, on 3 March 2002, began playing tennis at the incredibly young age of four. When it quickly became obvious that he had a gift for the game, his father, Francesco, a marble producer, and his mother, Sabrina, a secretary in a local Tuscan company, didn’t hesitate to support their only child’s tennis dreams.
At the age of 10, Musetti was taken under the wing of tennis coach, Simone Tartarini, who has remained the Italian champ’s coach to this day. A regimented training routine and the tight circle of supportive family and friends around him were instrumental in keeping Musetti focused during his teen years as he evolved into a strong junior player.
Between 2016 and 2019, the young Italian won seven singles titles, reaching his peak as the winner of the 2019 Australian Open boys’ singles and ranking junior world No. 1 that same year.
2019 was also the year that the star player turned pro. Receiving a wildcard and passing the qualifiers, 17-year-old Musetti made his ATP Tour debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February 2020.
In 2021, he reached the semifinals of the ATP Tour 500 Mexican Open where he had his first top-10 win, beating world no. 9 Diego Schwartzman in three sets. Later, he played in the Lyon Open and the French Open, and finished the season with the Next Generation ATP Finals.
In 2022, the determined tennis dynamo scored 44 wins from 74 matches. He scooped winning titles at the Napoli Tennis Cup and the Hamburg European Open, where he beat current Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz. Reaching the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters 1000, Musetti faced-off with Novak Djokovic once again and took another loss against the tennis superstar.
That would change in 2023. In a three-set thriller against Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters in April 2023, Musetti finally defeated the former world No. 1 and reached the championship’s quarter finals.
“I am really proud of myself,” the Italian player told the media in his on-court victory interview afterwards. “I am struggling not to cry because it is a dream…”
And though he added, “Beating Novak is something remarkable for me,” perhaps, beating Djokovic was also an inevitable step on the road to tennis greatness that only a few years ago, Musetti had realized was the actual road he was on.
MUSETTI in action, Barcelona, Spain.
Lorenzo has the phrase, “Il meglio deve ancora venire” tattooed on the side of his chest. Translated in English as, “The Best is Yet to Come” inspired by a song from Ligabue.
NowVIZ: You’ve been on fire this 2023 season making your top 20 ranking debut with a career-high singles ATP ranking world No.15! At this year’s Monte-Carlo Master’s you upset world No. 1 and top seed Novak Djokovic to reach your second Master’s quarterfinal. Then you went to the fourth round at the French Open, and the third round at Wimbledon! Will you talk about some of your best moments?
Lorenzo: My best moment in this season so far was when I had the chance to beat Nole (Novak). I was living a dream for sure! It was the best win in my career and something that I won’t forget!
NowVIZ: You’ve been coached by Simone Tartarini since the beginning of your career. What is it that makes him a great coach for you?
Lorenzo: Simone is more than a coach; for me, he is like a parent. We have shared a lot of memories and experiences during our relationship and he definitely knows what I need to do the most.
On set with pro tennis player Lorenzo Musetti and photographer Andrea Mead Cross.
“I really like how he plays. He’s got a lot of firepower from both forehand and backhand. He can play with a lot of spin. He’s got a great feel, come to the net. He can play short balls and dropshots. He can flatten out his serve. He can open up with a good kick and slice. He’s got an all-around game.”
--Djokovic praise on Musetti’s game at 2021 Roland Garros.
NowVIZ: Every top athlete seems to have or has had a mentor, friend, or someone in their corner to offer guidance. We wonder if you do and, if so, how have they helped?
Lorenzo: I think my family is the best support system I could ever dream of. They are always there for me and they are always supporting me.
NowVIZ: What motivates and inspires you daily?
Lorenzo: My daily motivation is to get better every day so that I reach my goals!
NowVIZ: You travel extensively when on tour. So besides playing tennis, how do you stay physically fit?
Lorenzo: I train every day either in the gym or the track field. The fitness part is something really important in our sport, but training is also important for my health.
NowVIZ: As a top player how do you stay in control of your game mentally?
Lorenzo: I work daily with a psychologist; the mental side is equally as important as the physical side in this sport. It is a long process to develop and takes time to be defined.
NowVIZ: How do you fuel your body nutritionally throughout the season? Is there a specific diet or regime you follow?
Lorenzo: I try to stay as healthy as possible and follow a meal plan, especially during tournament week.
“The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. So keep climbing!”
-Lorenzo Musetti
Founded in 2002 by US Olympian Glenn Mills, GoSwim.tv is the world’s leading content provider for the sport of swimming. Glenn and his team create instructional videos featuring Olympians from the USA and around the globe that describe and demonstrate the techniques each individual competitor uses and every swimmer can easily learn to use too.
With his impressive swimming background, Glenn knows exactly how to film superstars like Amanda Beard, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirsol, and Brendan Hansen in the water. He expertly captures unique angles while utilizing the finer points of technique that even the most attentive viewer misses when watching these athletes on TV. Vivid colors, split-screen techniques, along with slow-motion footage and engaging narration informed by the athletes themselves make the viewer really start to think, “Hey, I can do that!”
In 2010, GoSwim launched swimming’s first iPhone app, bringing the best of its content right to the pool deck. Then, in 2011, GoSwim (always at the forefront of using technology to improve coaching and swimming) created the industry’s first subscription platform for delivery of swim-driven content. The platform offers swimmers a simple, inexpensive way to access all of its content, and gives coaches the added ability to send selected videos to their swimmers each day before practice.
Acclaimed and unsurpassed for clarity of filming, content, and commentary, GoSwim’s videos are highly respected throughout the sport. Through its presence on YouTube, Facebook, and its own online subscription platform, GoSwim videos are watched by tens of thousands of swimmers and coaches every day and in nearly every country in the world. At any given moment, there’s a swimmer, somewhere, watching a GoSwim video with the desire to become his or her absolute best!
Originally debuting on the Exquisite Gucci runway, a mirror-filled space where historic emblems multiplied and metamorphized across sartorial streetwear, the first adidas x Gucci collection expands on the creative concept founded on an affinity for three stripes. Revealed in a lookbook this past spring, the cross-category selection portrays the kaleidoscopic aesthetic of Alessandro Michele by mixing the codes of the House with those of the historic sportswear brand, and consequentially those of high fashion and streetwear.
For the launch, Alessandro Michele has envisioned a campaign that takes inspiration directly from an archival 1979 adidas catalogue. To animate the concept, a gridded template showcases a variety of moving imagery captured by Carlijn Jacobs. Against brightly colored backdrops, models stretch, run, or dance in place to a soundtrack of pensive phrases such as, “When your thoughts become reality, you understand what magic is.”
The assemblage plays out across women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, as well as on bags, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and lifestyle pieces.
Throughout the selection, the GG monogram and Interlocking G mix with the adidas Trefoil in colorful prints, as well as on jacquard fabrics; while the red and green Web of Gucci complements the three stripes of adidas. Pushing the collection further into hybridized territory, ready-to-wear pieces echo the sporting attire of decades past while portraying an undeniable contemporary character. Additionally, conventionally formal pieces like leather heels, suede loafers, and silk scarves are marked with casual codes. Beyond the standard selection, the expansive offering also includes some lifestyle items including a golf bag in two different variations, a nod to the House’s heritage in leisure products.
Reflecting a shared commitment to innovation, progress, sustainability goals, and collective action, the collection features multiple pieces crafted with future-conscious material fabrications including polyester, cotton, and viscose. Furthermore, each piece comes with special packaging that features the adidas x Gucci logo and that was strategically designed to reduce environmental impact.*
The collection will be distributed through designated stores, online on Gucci.com and through ephemeral Gucci Pop-Ups, where the spaces will be decorated with one of the geometric prints found in the offering. A dedicated product selection will also be available on the adidas CONFIRMED app.
*All paper and cardboard come from sustainably managed forest sources, and an uncoated paper has been used to ensure it is fully recyclable. In addition, shopping bag handles are made of 100% recycled polyester while pouches and suit carriers are made of a mix of regenerated cotton and recycled polyester.
#adidasxGucci
Creative Director: Alessandro Michele
Art Director: Christopher Simmonds
Photographer: Carlijn Jacobs
The cross-category selection portrays the kaleidoscopic aesthetic of Alessandro Michele by mixing the codes of the House of Gucci with those of the historic sportswear brand Adidas, and consequentially those of high fashion and streetwear.
“When your thoughts become reality, you understand what magic is.”
Alessandro Michele
LORENZO MUSETTI, PRO TENNIS PLAYER
Music is probably my biggest passion. I’m a huge fan of music in general and I listen to it a lot during the day –Literally, every kind of music!
ANDREW JAMES, VEERS FRONTMAN, GUITAR, AND PRINCIPAL SONGWRITER
Demob Happy
NICK LANATA, VEERS BASS
Portugal. The Man
SPENCER SCHUCK, VEERS GUITAR
Amazon’s Sesame Street theme song!
MARK FALLAVOLLITA, VEERS KEYS/GUITAR
Margo Guryan
CHRIS NEFF, VEERS DRUMMER
Tigercub
Lorenzo Musetti, Båstad, Sweden, July 2023.
On set in Miami with Musetti.
