With a population of around 8 million, New York is bound to have produced enough talent in the design arena to challenge even the best of the rest, including the Swedes! With its imposing skyline, inspiring statues and readily available public art, New York is the ideal place to study design, whether you are the next Jason Miller or a grandparent finding new interests in life.

Studying art, however, is a pastime many of us can enjoy without the aid of a mentor. With so many resources available in the form of art galleries, museums and libraries, where do you start?

To begin your journey through American art and design, a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan is well worth your time. This will introduce you to the history of art, starting with the work of earlier European painters such as Van Gogh and Gauguin, and finishing with an overview of more modern artists such as Andy Warhol. The exhibitions are changed regularly, providing a new experience each time you visit.

The Guggenheim is another valuable location to consider. Built by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950"s, this building was another of the architect"s controversial designs. However, this much criticised spiralling ramp form of a museum is still used as an exhibition space, housing performances by Marina Abramović, her famous Seven Easy Pieces being a highlight, in 2005.

Other museums and galleries well worth a visit are the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Parrish Art Museum for works of cultural interest, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, for a modernists view.

For more information, contact the New York Tourist Office, or get out and widen your horizons, explore New York (http://www.total-holiday.com/Amazon_Pages/_new+york+%2528eyewitness+travel+guides%2529_0789493829_z.asp) yourself. With so much to do and see, what"s stopping you?