The month of May is a great time to be in New York if you are an arts fan. Coming our way are at least four, brand new outdoor exhibits for some wonderful new work by some major artists. Enjoy their stunning creations while soaking up some of nature’s greatest creations, the warm, springtime sunshine.  Along with the al-fresco displays are accompanying indoor exhibits which are related in style, theme or materials.

•    Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads– This is Ai Weiwei’s latest public installation, which can be said to be following the lead of ‘The Gates’ by Christo and ‘Waterfalls’ by Olafur Eliasson.  Weiwei was arrested last month by the Chinese government, so he will not be able to attend the opening , which will take place at the Pulitzer Fountain in Grand Army Plaza, (59th and Fifth adjacent to the Plaza Hotel.) The opening is scheduled for May 2, where you can see the installation, which was inspired by the fountain-clock of the Yuanming Yuan, which was an 18th century imperial retreat on the outskirts of Beijing.

•    I Had a Vision- This is the latest from Martin Kippenberger. Opening on May 7th at Luhring Augustine, this display is culled from shows in San Francisco in 1991 and another show in Vienna of the same year, and takes its name from the catalog that accompanied that San Francisco show.  You may see a dumpster full of broken paintings, or an abandoned tunnel, among other things.

•    Echo- this is by far the largest sculpture on display this month. Its reflective surface on a 44-foot-high fiberglass reinforced plastic bust is the work of the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, and portrays the head and neck of a nine year old girl. You can see this amazing artwork beginning on May 5 at Madison Square Park, where it will rival the surrounding trees by its size.

Peter Yarrow

Peter Seeger

Take a walk down memory lane with some of the greatest performers of the folk genre this coming Friday at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Join Pete Seeger, 91, Peter Yarrow, 73, and Peter Yarrow, 80, for a concert which will benefit Mr. Seeger’s environmental protection group, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

The three singers commented on the recent wave of protests from the Middle East to Wisconsin, saying they feel inspired by the enthusiasm of their younger relatives who will also join the old-timers on stage.

“I do have the feeling that the kind of energy we felt in the ’60s is in the air now,” Mr. Yarrow said. “That energy seems to be reigniting itself.”

At the end of February Mr. Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, attended a rally with an estimated 100,000 union supporters in attendance in Madison, Wisconsin. The crowd was excited to hear the classic songs which he sang at labor rallies of the distant past, and he was more than happy to sing them.

“There is a tacit agreement between a performer and an audience,” he said. “And since I’m not ashamed of singing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ or ‘If I Had a Hammer’ or even ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ or ‘We Shall Overcome’ or whatever, I’m not unhappy about the songs that have become very popular.”

David Amram

For more information: Clearwater Generations: Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow and More, 8 p.m., Friday, at Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main Street. Tickets: $48 to $250. Information: (914) 631-3390 or tarrytownmusichall.org.

Let’s talk about interior design, especially two women decorators working in New York who immediately come to mind as the kind that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home. I am talking about Janna Bullock and Amanda Nisbet.

Quality of Interior Design Crucial

New York is well known for its elegant apartments, townhouses and homes. What is often forgotten when admiring the location, age or history of the living space in question, is that perhaps the most important element which can mean the difference between living in a comfortable, pleasing environment and not, is the quality of the interior design.

After all, even a small, cramped apartment can be made to feel spacious and homey when the correct approach is taken to the furnishings and accessories; and even the largest and well thought-out floor plan can be irritating and annoying if it is decorated poorly or without the personalities and needs of the residents in mind.

Two female decorators working in New York are the kind of designers that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home.

Janna Bullock Joins Art, Architecture and Design

Janna Bullock is famous for her use of contemporary artists which are considered as important to the overall results and architecture and design. As Janna Bullock has said, “For art and architecture to co-habitate, it is important to create inspirational interiors and not sterile environments.” Ms. Bullock was originally a real estate developer who made her mark buying, renovating and reselling townhouses on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

A few years ago Janna Bullock was synthesized her love for historic architecture with her passion for modern art to create a warm, calm and tranquil environment in a 3,000 square foot apartment in New York’s Plaza Hotel. “When you design a collector’s residence it is important that the art has enough space to live, inspire and influence,” Janna Bullock explained. “There needs to be harmony between all of the components.”

Nisbet Expert in Fabric Design

Amanda Nisbet was born in Montreal but has become a central figure in New York’s world of interior, fabric and lighting design. Amanda has a real sense of fashion, as she explains, “I love fashion. I am lucky to live in New York City where I can walk down Madison Avenue through SoHo and see incredible window displays. What fashion designers are doing inspires me.”

Amanda Nisbet could be said to be a bit more fun-loving and vital where Janna Bullock is more elegant.

“My perfect room is an imperfect room. When something is slightly askew, it gives a room more energy.”

When you think of New York, you probably think of great restaurants, Broadway shows, endless kinds of entertainment, and of course, museums.

New York has about 80 museums, most of which are found in Manhattan. Here is a list of some of New York’s most famous (and rightfully so) temples of western culture.

•    The Museum of Modern Art–

MOMA has an astounding collection of at least 150,000 pieces of art, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs and more. Also stored with her walls are 22,000 works of media, videos and films. The library of the museum has 300,000 books, periodicals and artist books. MUSEUM HOURS Galleries open Sat., Sun., Mon., Wed., and Thurs. 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Fri. 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Thurs. in July and August 10:30 a.m.–8:45 p.m. Closed Tues., Thanksgiving day, and Christmas day. (212) 708-9400.

•    Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum–

This extraordinary museum is itself a piece of artwork. Designed by the avant-garde architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this museum of modern and contemporary art or as the Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Guggenheim, Nancy Spector says, “It’s the museum of the new,” is certainly worth a visit.  1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128, Phone: 212 423 3500.

•    Ellis Island Immigration Museum–

Part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, at this unique museum the immigrant experience comes to life as visitors learn about the moving stories of the 12 million people who entered the US through the ‘golden door’ of Ellis Island. It is necessary to take a ferry to the island, which is located at the mouth of New York Harbor. Ellis Island is one of the country’s most important historic sites and also one of the most heavily visited monuments. Carefully planning your trip will make it more enjoyable. Statue Cruises provides ferry transportation to Ellis Island from Battery Park in New York and Liberty State Park in New Jersey from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, with extended hours in the summers. For ticket rates and availability and schedule information, call 1-877-LADY TIX or 1-877-523-9849 or visit www.statuecruises.com. The audio tour can be purchased along with your ferry ticket or on site at the Discovery Audio booth.