Calling All Ghouls & Boogie Monsters..

Saturday, Oct 26

12-4PM

Come Join Us For A Halloween Craft-A-Bration

Art in a Box Company

31 Main Street @ One Station Plaza

Ossining, New York

Swinging In The Plaza!!

On Wednesday, June 13, 7:00 PM, there will be Western Swing at
Grand Army Plaza

Can't dance? Come at 6:30 PM and take swing dance lessons with Eve Polich
The bank starts swinging at 7! 
http://catalog.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/record=g1004862&searchscope=63&SORT2=R

Where the Books are..

This is the Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn Library

I love this place and can remember heading there after school to hide between the book shelves in the adult section. It's been years but with improved facilities, free classes and activities the magc is still there.

http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/locations/central

All Images © Simone Rene 2012

at the Skoto Gallery...

Aime Mpane'

ERASED

March 10 - April 9, 2011

Please get yourself to the Skoto Gallery before this show closes.

A bit of the press release -

"Aimé Mpané’s work embodies the pain and grace of human conflict drawn from an informed political consciousness and awareness of Africa’s colonial history. His work indicts the social and political reality around him, a reality shaped by a perspective wrought out of his ability to express universal human emotions, deep understanding of the aesthetic and cultural character of the African continent and an abiding interest in redefining the relationship between reality and art. The history of his homeland - Democratic Republic of Congo – with memory of the brutalities instigated during the 19th century by King Leopold II of Belgium, continuing through the legacy of colonialism and the ensuing ravages of war and economic missteps in the postcolonial period is emblematic in this sense, revealing deep tragic outcome on the Congolese people in which trauma and the memory of trauma are central."

click on title to go to gallery site

Did You Know...

That The International Center of Photography (NY) has Pay As You Wish Fridays?

(click on title to go to site for details)

Target Free Sundays at

The Studio Museum in Harlem 144 West 125th Street

(between Lenox Ave and Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd)
click on title to go to site

Snapping Fingers For A Good Cause

Dark Matters

The Alternative New Year's Day Spoken Word

Performance Extravaganza - 150 Performers.

New Years Day, January 1, 2011

Bowery Poetry Club & Cafe

Open, 2 p.m.-Midnight, Free

Collecting Books for Books Through Bars and

Canned Goods for Urban Pathways, Inc.  click on title for details

Ring In The New Year with

100s of Brooklynites  as they gather in

Prospect Park

for

Entertainment, Refreshments and Fireworks

on

Friday, December 31, Midnight

The celebrations start around 11 p.m

click on title for more details

Get Ready for ...

Monday, January 3

Free Admission

Doors Open at 7pm, Show at 8pm

Tuesday, January 4

Show with the Big Apple Circus

for info & tickets click on title

Thursday's Art Opening List

Liz Cohen

"Trabantimino "

Salon 94

243 Bowery

Thursday, October 6, 6-8 PM

( http://www.salon94.com/ )

"Inaugural Group Show"

Krause Gallery

149 Orchard Street

6-10 PM

 ( http://www.krausegallery.com/ )

Tony Oursler "Peak" 

Lehmann Maupin

201 Chrystie Street

6-8pm

 ( http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/exhibitions/2010-10-07_tony-oursler/ )

This Week's Art Openings

I am starting a new weekly habit of posting information on Art Show Openings throughout the boroughs.

Thursday nights start the chain of openings and if you plan it right you can usually thread your way through at least 2 or 3 parties in an evening.
Sometimes I skip the openings and make my way to the galleries on the first Sunday morning after the party when the crowds are thin.
This week's openings are -

Agora Gallery

( http://www.agora-gallery.com/ )

Masters of the Imagination:

The Latin American Fine Art Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: 9/10/2010 - 10/1/2010

Opening Reception - Thursday, September 16, 2010, 6 -8 PM

About Little Secrets 18 by André Netto

=========

Art In General

(http://www.artingeneral.org/)

Luis Jacob: Without Persons

Exhibition Dates: 9/16/2010 - 11/13/2010

Opening Reception - Thursday, September 16, 2010, 6 -8 PM

Luis Jacob

=======

Brooklyn Hostorical Society

( http://www.brooklynhistory.org/default/index.html )

Painting Brooklyn Stories of Immigration & Survival

Exhibition Dates: 9/17/2010 - 2/27/2011

Opening Reception - Thursday, September 16, 2010, 5:30 -7:30 PM

Artist -Nina Talbot

Charlie Parker Jazz Fest

Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan

Saturday, August 28

3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

featuring:

McCOY TYNER

JASON MORAN AND THE BANDWAGON

THE JD ALLEN TRIO

REVIVE DA LIVE: CHARLIE PARKER REVISTED

Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan

Sunday, August 29

3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

featuring

JIMMY SCOTT, VIJAY IYER

THE COOKERS

CATHERINE RUSSELL

click on title for more details

Too Much of A Good Thing

Hi, my name is Simone and I am a recovering fabric junkie.

There was a time when I purchased whatever fabric caught my fancy. If I walked out of a store without a yard or two of my "dream" cloth I would obsess about it and the things I could make with it until overwhelmed by desire I had to return and buy a "dress length". 

I purchased with intent and expectation. I purchased fabric to make items to sell, to make my own clothing, to make gifts for friends and family and eventually to make art (I make fabric collages). I purchased so much fabric I could never get around to using all that I owned. Organizing became a nightmare and much of it ended up stored and forgotten but that didn't stop my lust or buying because there was always more fabric to be had.

I could blame it on working in the garment district where fabric was cheap and accessible or Wal-Mart's amazing and now defunct (I cried myself to sleep many a night over that one!) fabric department because since leaving my job near Broadway and the demise of Wal-Mart's fabric department my fabric buying has all but stopped and I have forced myself to address my stash.

Despite my hoarding I was never cheap with my stash. I shared but even after sharing I still have way more than I could or can realistically use on my own. It has taken me a long while to let go of my fabric lust. I no longer have the desire to own every piece of fabric that catches my fancy. The new dream is to use all the fabric I own and own all the fabric I can use. Don't get me wrong, my apartment isn't over flowing with fabric. I have culled much of it, assigning specific garment intent to some by placing a sewing pattern with it or passing much of it on to friends and strangers (free cycle, craigslist, Housing Works) but there still more to let go.

This go round I tend to release my stash to as many artists as possible by donating it to Materials for the Arts, an organization that provides thousands of New York City's arts and cultural organizations, public schools and community arts programs with the supplies they need to run and expand their programs.

Click on title to go their website

Come Dancing...

Starting Tuesday, July 6, at 6 PM join other Brooklynites and

Dance Under the Stars 

at

Brooklyn's Washington Park

(5th Avenue and 3rd Street)

click on title for more info

Today Show Rocks the Plaza

The Today Show kicks off the Friday morning summer concert series on May 14th with a performance by Sting. He is set to play an hour and half of music and will followed by some major music star - 
MAY

14 Sting
21 The Script
27 “American Idol” winner and runner-up

JUNE
4 Justin Bieber
8 Christina Aguilera
11 Rascal Flatts
18 James Taylor and Carole King
25 Maxwell

JULY
2 Maroon 5
9 Lady Gaga
16 Enrique Iglesias
23 John Mayer
30 Carrie Underwood

AUGUST       
6 Train
13 Ke$ha
20 Keith Urban
27 Katy Perry

Viewing is on a 1st come, 1st serve basis so get to TODAY's Window-on-the-World Studio, 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza early - the site suggests by 6am!

Free Pastry Day At Starbucks

on Tuesday, March 23rd from opening until 10:30AM.

Print or upload the coupon onto your phone to show your server when you purchase your beverage.

Click on title to go to coupon page

59th Street-Columbus Circle Subway Station

Installation by Sol Lewitt Installation, one of his last commissions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_LeWitt

Summer in the City

Despite the mass ownership of AC, for most city kids cooling off during the summer while in the city is about running through a sprinkler in the many public parks or a fire hydrant opened with permit and making their way to a public pool or occassionally hopping a train to a local public beach for the day.

Part of city life is experiencing what a city summer offers

Go out and Enjoy!

(All Images © Simone Rene 2009 - Houston & Avenue A)

Enter the Dragon Boat Festival of New York

At 9AM on Sunday, August 9th more than 120 teams from across North America will descend upon Flushing Meadows- Corona Park to participate in the Hong Kong Drago Boat Festival.

Enjoy music, dance, traditional arts & crafts and a variety of foods as you cheer on your favorite teams.

The event is free.

Check out the website for more information

http://www.hkdbf-ny.org/

Gathering in Battery Park Tonight

Tonight, August 6th, 7PM at

Castle Clinton in Battery Park

Join in a tribute to Woodstock.

John Kelly singing Joni Mitchell's Songbook.

Admission is free but it's a first come first served event.

For more details -

http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/events/eventDetail.php?eventID=2960

Get there early!