On Friday, February 20 the Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) will open its new exhibit Sculpture in the Age of Donatello. Twenty-three masterpieces of early Florentine Renaissance sculpture - most never seen outside of Italy - will be exhibited at MOBIA as the centerpiece of the Museum's tenth anniversary season. MOBIA will be the sole world-wide venue for this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition.

These works by Donatello, Brunelleschi, Nanni di Banco, Luca della Robbia and others were made in the first decades of the fifteenth century for the Florence Cathedral ("Il Duomo"), which was then in the last phase of its construction. This tightly focused exhibition features works all created as components of larger programs for the exterior and interior of the Cathedral from around 1400 until 1450. The sculptures include statues and reliefs by Nanni di Banco and Donatello; two larger-than-life seated evangelist figures made to flank the church's main western portal, two of Donatello's life-size figures of Old Testament personages from the Bell Tower; and three of the hexagonal reliefs carved by Luca della Robbia to complete a fourteenth-century series of scenes of Florentine life.

Sculpture in the Age of Donatello will be on display from Friday, February 20 through Sunday, June 14. MOBIA is open from Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-6pm and is located at 1865 Broadway at 61st Street. Admission for this exhibit is $12, $9 for students and seniors, and free for MOBIA members. For more information or to purchase tickets click here. 

The winter weather can be truly brutal on your skin, and with there still being weeks left of winter, feeling chapped and dry is getting old! Fortunately, many of Lincoln Square's shops are stocked with fine lotions and skincare products, and are even offering 'can't miss' specials for keeping winter's meddlesome weather out of your body care business.

Crabtree & Evelyn, located on the ground floor of The Shops at Columbus Circle, is offering a 'Winter Skin Savers Mix & Match' deal through Sunday, February 15. Any combination of two shower gels, body scrubs, or body lotions is $29.95 (regularly $48).  

On the third floor of The Shops, Aveda has a number of offers in the month of February for your skin, hair, even your pets.  On Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7 you can book an appointment to learn how to best hydrate from head to toe. Plus, you can stop in for a 'Wellness Happy Hour' from 4:00pm - 7:00pm every Wednesday through July 1. Stop in for $10 chair massages (includes a donation to Clean Ocean Action), hand rituals and hair touch-ups. At Sephora (also on the third floor), through Saturday, February 28, you can get a complimentary 15 minute Mini Makeover, a 45-minute Custom Makeover with a $50 minimum purchase, or a 90-minute beauty consultation with a Personal Beauty Adviser that includes a Custom Makeover and personal shopping session with a $125 minimum purchase. Be sure to reserve your spot at sephora.com. 

You can also head north to Kiehl's located at 154 Columbus Avenue between 66th & 67th Streets, where products for their Healthy Hydration Routine  can be purchased, and, according to Kiehl's, you can be on your way to healthier younger skin in just 28 days. And, if you're interested in creating the perfect look and routine, visit MAC Cosmetics located at 148 Columbus Avenue between 66th & 67th Street and catch one of their Walk in Demos (based on artist availability).

Visit lincolnsquarebid.org to see all of the health and beauty options in Lincoln Square.  

As of July 1, 2015, food service establishments, stores, and manufacturers may not possess, sell or offer for use single service expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam articles, including cups, plates, trays, and clamshell containers or loose fill packaging (i.e. packing peanuts) in New York City. This is a follow-up to Local Law 142/2013, which required the Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation to make a determination as to whether such material could be effectively, economically, and safely recycled.  The Commissioner has now determined that EPS could not be recycled, resulting in this EPS ban.

The following are some provisions of Local Law 142/2013 that everyone, especially Lincoln Square's quick serves and take-out establishments should know:

• On and after July 1, 2015, no food service establishment, mobile food commissary, or store shall possess or sell single service articles that consist of expanded polystyrene. 
• Exceptions:
  • EPS containers used for prepackaged food that have been filled and sealed prior to receipt.
  • EPS containers used to store raw meats from a butcher case or similar retail appliance.

• On and after July 1, 2015 no manufacturer or store shall sell polystyrene loose fill packaging in NYC (i.e. packing peanuts).
• Establishments with a gross income under $500,000 per location, which are not part of a chain, may request a financial hardship waiver.
  • Fines:
    • First violation: $250
    • Second violation on a different day within 12 months: $500
    • Third and subsequent violations on different days within 12 months: $1000
    • Grace Period: Warnings rather than Notices of Violation to be issued for violations occurring before January 1, 2016.
• The city is to conduct outreach and education to affected establishments.

To read the entire Local Law 14/2013 click here or see the press release announcing the Commissioner's decision here. 

The Lincoln Square BID will hold its 18th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 8:15am at Fordham University. 

In order to vote on corporate matters, eligible property owners, businesses and commercial tenants, and residents must register ahead of time. Simply visit lincolnsquarebid.org/keep_informed

and submit the online form to register.

We will announce our guest speakers soon, so check back for updates.  Space is limited and reservations are required. To RSVP email info@lincolnsquarebid.org or call 212.581.3774.