Events
UPDATE 5/21/24: Thank you to everyone who came and supported us at our first pop-up event on May 19! Stay tuned to our website and Instagram account for the latest updates about us and future events.
Visit our Instagram page @catmuseumnyc and view the highlights from the event in our Instagram story.
Update 11/13/24: Video and photos from the event are below (credit for most of these photographs as noted below goes to photographer Cindy Trinh).
About the Past Event
UPDATE 5/16: In-Person Tickets Sold-Out!
May 19, 2024: The Cat’s Meow Secret Speakeasy
The Cat Museum of New York City is thrilled to announce we held our first-ever public event showing off amazing cat art that will be in our collection!
Co-hosted by the Museum of Interesting Things as part of their Secret Speakeasy series, this one-night-only pop-up event in SoHo featured cat art, cat books, cat board games, cat music, a raffle, and more. Emceeing the Cat Museum of New York City’s hour from 7pm to 8pm was Gemma Smith, host of Catbaret, a cat-themed variety show at Caveat.
From 7pm to 8pm, our guests enjoyed feline-themed fun, knowing that they were helping to fund the future of the Cat Museum of NYC; they:
Witnessed the historic unveiling of the very first artworks that will be in CMNYC’s collection:
Drawings by Poorly Drawn Cats (aka Brazilian artist Heloísa Nora).
Oil paintings by NYC-based artist Milka Montero (prints were available for sale).
Prints by LA-based artist Jayne Cooper.
A canvas print by Bodega Cats of New York.
A sculpture by Stella Nijhof.
Learned the latest plans for the forthcoming Cat Museum of New York City—and met the museum co-founders Jenny Pierson, Reynard Loki, and Susan Steshko.
Discovered the Salem Cat Museum (@salemcatmuseum), a CMNYC partner opening on November 16, 2024, that also supports cat art and rescue efforts in Salem, Massachusetts. Founder Wendy Casazza Scruton brought a sampling of the Salem Cat Museum’s collection and information about the Witch City Kitty event on September 15, 2024.
Enjoyed original music by Dr. Jeff Levy, the veterinarian behind Housecall Vet NYC, a certified veterinary acupuncturist who lends his skills to helping our feline friends with various medical and behavioral issues, and a writer of pet-centric musical pieces (@housecallvetnyc).
Each in-person attendee’s admission included a free raffle ticket for:
Travel Cat gear including a cat harness, cat backpacks, and more! Travel Cat makes premium, safe, fun products for cats, and they are committed to educating people about the benefits of harness and backpack training, including for travel, emergencies, and enrichment opportunities. Visit TravelCatShop.com (@yourcatbackpack) to shop and learn more.
A signed copy of Peggy Gavan’s book The Cat Men of Gotham with a matching sticker. The book is the winner of the Cat Writers’ Association's MUSE Medallion. Peggy runs the blog The Hatching Cat featuring tales of historical cats of New York City (Facebook: “The Hatching Cat”) and is a founder and tour guide with Cats About Town Tours.
Items by New York–born, Boston-based digital glitch artist Allison Tanenhaus (@atanenhaus).
Available for purchase with a portion of proceeds going to the Cat Museum of NYC were:
Pet portrait keychains by Taleology (including an exclusive design for CMNYC by Emma Sadler).
Cat products designed by Ben Lenovitz, a CMNYC steering committee member. Ben is the in-house pet portrait artist at Fishs Eddy.
Guests stuck around, because each ticket also included admission to watch unique vintage pet-themed 16-mm films in the Museum of Interesting Things’ collection from 8pm to 10pm.
We were so glad to share this special evening with our guests!
Event Details:
The Cat’s Meow Secret Speakeasy
Co-Hosted by the Museum of Interesting Things and the forthcoming Cat Museum of New York City
Sold Out!
$20 In-Person Admission
Buy your ticket at the door via cash/Venmo
$16 Advance Virtual Tickets (Zoom):
https://catmuseumzoom.eventbrite.com
Sunday, May 19, 2024
7pm–10pm
(Cat Museum portion from 7pm to 8pm)
The Loft at Prince Street
177 Prince Street
Between Thompson and Sullivan Streets
in SoHo, NYC
About the Museums
The Cat Museum of New York City is a proposed institution dedicated to supporting the work of cat rescuers, no-kill cat shelters, cat nonprofit organizations, and the local community of cats and the humans who care for them.
Its programming will include art, books, gift shop merchandise, and education on how to get involved in cat rescue, TNR (trap, neuter, return), adoption/fostering, and more.
The Cat Museum of New York City needs your help to launch! Half the proceeds of ticket sales will go toward helping CMNYC register as a nonprofit to create a more permanent space for its art collection, programming, and more to help support those who rescue and care for cats.
The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling virtual or live interactive demonstration/exhibition of antiques and inventions that goes to schools, libraries, and events and inspires kids and adults to be curious. They bring back tinkering. Founder Denny Daniels likes to say it shows kids and adults that their iPods did not pop out of thin air! Like a circus... just no elephants! Watch the NY1 interview.
The Secret Speakeasy is a live and virtual benefit to help the Museum of Interesting Things reach more kids and adults as well as a way for more people to see and enjoy the thingies and see 16mm films! Each week has a different historic theme.
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