NYC Gazette

Artist Yoko Ono is often recognized for her connection to Beatle John Lennon, yet she has an independent artistic legacy. At 91, Ono remains influential in the art world, having begun her career before meeting Lennon in 1966 at London's Indica Gallery. She played a significant role in Lennon's songwriting while continuing her own work into the 21st century.

Brigid Cohen, a professor at NYU's Department of Music and author of "Musical Migration and Imperial New York: Early Cold War Scenes," notes that Ono is "a stunningly original artist who has brought vibrant creative milieus into contact from Tokyo to London to New York." Despite increasing recognition over the years, Cohen points out that "relatively little sustained attention has been paid to her decades-long work as a musician and composer."

NYU students can explore Ono's artistic contributions through Cohen’s course “Musical Worlds of Yoko Ono.” This College of Arts and Science class examines late-twentieth-century music genres linked to Ono's life in New York. Students participate in walking tours visiting significant locations such as 87 Christopher Street, where she lived; 64 East 7th Street, where she worked at the Paradox restaurant; and 112 Chambers Street, known for her Loft Series events.

The course includes visits to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and NYU Special Collections at Bobst Library. Here, students engage with rare recordings and documents highlighting Ono’s legacy.

Students also visit Central Park’s Strawberry Fields memorial for Lennon. They delve into Ono’s conceptual art book "Grapefruit" through discussions and exercises designed to inspire creativity. Lennon once credited "Grapefruit" as inspiration for his song “Imagine.”

During their time in Central Park this fall, student reactions varied from tranquility to confusion when engaging with Ono's works. Some found new ways of connecting with classmates and strangers.

Cohen emphasizes that appreciating Yoko Ono involves experiencing her art creatively: “Through their own reflections and interactions in historically significant locations, students deepen their understanding of where Ono's work comes from and how that work reactivates in the present.”