Journalist needs info/contacts for Arts in Metro story

[Jordan Simon]

Hi all. I've got a very quick turnaround for AOL Travel (due late Tuesday, 4/5). The piece is Top 10 Metros for Public Art. I'm including Moscow, of course.

 

I'm hoping someone can provide P.R./official contacts for the Moscow Metro Arts program, or at the very least the city (please feel free to forward this email). Please feel free to email me directly at [e-mail]; I'll happily provide more information and my bio.

 

I need an overview/history of the Metro Arts program, its philosophy and mission, any ongoing projects, and quotes (either from the Metro Arts director or perhaps contemporary artists whose work is represented) about
Public Art & Public Transportation, both as a general concept and
specifically of course to Moscow. Especially from a visitor's standpoint:
what does public art in the metro tell the traveler about the destination, how
does it enhance the traveler's experience, what is its sociocultural
significance, etc?

 

I'll also need images for the piece---and in fact, if there are specific artworks that really help crystallize what the Metro Arts program is about, let me know.

Complicating the last-minute assignment is the fact that I'm traveling (and trying to bury several other deadlines before they---and I!---decompose). 

 

Many thanks in advance for all your help!

Jordan Simon

Forgive the last-minute request (is there any other kind in publishing, LOL?). I'm doing a piece for AOL Travel (I'm a regular contributor as you may know; my full bio follows below just in case for your records) on the Top
Ten Metros for Public Art, and of course plan to include Paris.

 

Unfortunately, there's never enough space to do such a complex, fascinating topic justice. I'm hoping you can provide contacts for the Paris Metro Arts program, or at the very least the city (please feel free to forward this
email).

 

I need an overview/history of the Metro Arts program, its philosophy and mission, any ongoing projects, and quotes (either from the Metro Arts director or perhaps contemporary artists whose work is represented) about Public
Art & Public Transportation, both as a general concept and specifically of
course to Paris. Especially from a visitor's standpoint: what does public art in
the metro tell the traveler about the destination, how does it enhance the
traveler's experience, what is its sociocultural significance, etc?

 

I'll also need images for the piece---and in fact, if there are specific artworks that really help crystallize what the Metro Arts program is about, let me know.

 

My deadline is fairly tight: I need to have this in by late Tuesday. Complicating this is the fact that I'm traveling (and trying to bury several other deadlines before they---and I!---decompose). 

 

Many thanks in advance for all your help! Hope all's well!

 

Bestest,

 

Jordan

 

Jordan Simon

404 East 75 Street

Apartment 2D (deliveries please ring buzzer #114; do not leave with super or in lobby)

New York, NY 10021

212/794-1020

646/300-1911

 

 

 

 

JORDAN SIMON BIO

 

Mr. Simon attended Manhattan's prestigious Trinity School and Princeton University, intending to pursue a career in film & theater. He has worked in nearly
every aspect of the entertainment industry, as a child actor in commercials, off
Broadway director, story editor (for Lewis Allen Productions), and producer of
the International Ski Film & Video Festival (1986--96) held annually in
Colorado.

 

He defected to the world of journalism to help launch the American edition of TAXI magazine and remained as contributing editor, specializing in travel, food &
wine and the arts. In the following decade, he participated in the launches of
Hamptons International (travel editor) and Vermont Vacations (food & wine
editor), as well as the re-launch of Miller Publications' Mountain Sports &
Living fka Snow Country (food & wine editor). He also served as an original
contributing editor of the Shermans Travel print magazine, food & wine
editor of Ski Impact (1991--95) and wine editor of Atlanta Homes &
Lifestyles (1997--2001), Second Home (1998--2001) and Hamptons (2000). Under the
pseudonym of J. Scott Stanton, he penned astrology columns for Hamptons, Atlanta
Homes & Lifestyles, Out Traveler and St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles. He
oversaw creation and development of Wine Country International magazine
(2003--4), serving as founding Editor-in-Chief of Wine Country Network. He is
currently a features writer for AOL Travel, contributing travel editor for Nikki
Style, lifestyle editor for the glossy Caribbean Living, Jetsetter.com
correspondent, regular contributor NYWineSalon.com, food/wine/spirits blogger
for Restaurant Magazine's World's 50 Best website (starting Apr 2011),
Tripatini.com blogger, and fantasy-sports columnist for
Fantasygameday.net.

 

Mr. Simon has contributed regularly to Diversion, Art & Antiques, Aboutwines.com, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, USAir Magazine, Caribbean Travel
& Life, Modern Bride, Caribbean Escapes, Family Travel Times, Seattle Homes
& Lifestyles, Medical Economics, ShermansTravel.com, Out Traveler,
Physicians Travel & Meeting Guide, Fodors.com, and Interval Intl.

 

He has written on various topics for Cooking Light, Wine Enthusiast, Condé Nast Traveler, Sotheby's Domain, Town & Country, N.Y. Times Syndicate, Elle,
Travel & Leisure, Los Angeles magazine, Incentives & Meetings
International, Market Watch, Beverage Media, Backstage, American Way, Food Arts,
AmEx Lifestyle & Travel for Physicians, TravelAge, Travel Agent, Fine
Dining, Travel Smart, Cedar Living, Palm Beach magazine... and many others.

 

He is the (original) author of Frommer’s Portable St. Maarten/St. Martin (with Anguilla & St. Barts), Frommer's Irreverent Las Vegas,
Fodor's Colorado, Fodor's Branson: The Official Travel & Souvenir
Guide, the Gousha/USA Today Ski Atlas, Frommer's Irreverent U.S.
Virgin Islands, and Frommer's Madrid & Barcelona By Night. He
also co-authored with Mo and Jennifer Siegel The Celestial Seasonings
Cookbook: Cooking with Tea (Park Lane), Astronumerology: Your Key to
Empowerment Using Stars & Numbers (with Pam Bell; Avon Books), and
Edge Atlanta (with Jeff Clark; Longstreet Press). He has acted as
co-editor and/or contributor to numerous books, including Frommer's Miami By
Night, Las Vegas By Night, and Irreverent Manhattan guides;
Fodor's Caribbean, Bed & Breakfast, USA, Sports,
and Virgin Islands guides; the Ocean Spray Cookbook; the
Complete N.Y. Mets Fans Almanac; and the Gousha/USA Today Golf
Atlas. His latest book, Fodor’s In Focus: Cayman Islands appeared on
bookshelves August 2008.

 

Mr. Simon has served as a featured panelist on several major writing seminars, such as the bi-annual American Society of Journalists and Authors convention; an
online expert (Fodors.com, msnbc.com, et al); a corporate wine tasting leader
(for restaurant groups such as Toscorp and alumni associations such as Boston
Latin School and Trinity School); a wine list consultant for leading resorts
(such as The Hermitage on Nevis and Ottley’s on St. Kitts); and as a judge for
numerous food and wine competitions (San Francisco International Wine
Competition, Restaurant Magazine S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants,
Quady Dessert Wine/Food Pairing, Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition;
Connoisseur Classic Southwest Wine Festival, et al.)