Author Archives: Christina

RODARTE SPRING 2022 at Westbeth

Photo: Simbarashe Che for NY Times[/caption]

“Kate and Laura Mulleavy held their Rodarte show in the sculpture-festooned courtyard of the Westbeth Artists Housing complex, with black-and-white slip dresses trailing fronds of lace that caught just so in the breeze, neon-bright fringed frocks in constant motion and mushroom-printed silks looped up behind to billow like parachutes in the wind (plus one eye-popping black cape embroidered with a sequined image of an alien, complete with U.F.O.).”

– Vanessa Friedman. NY Times Chief Fashion Editor
Sept 12, 2021

All photos by Simbarashe Che for NY Times

Read entire article HERE

Rodarte made special mention of David Seccombe’s sculptures in their Instagram posts.

Sharp 5 Quintet
Brazilian Jazz
CD Release Event

Friday SEPT 24, 2021 at 7:30PM
SHARP 5 CD release event!
Westbeth Community Room
55 Bethune St, NYC 10014

$20 suggested donation

SHARP 5 Quintet
SHARP 5 is a newly-formed Brazilian Jazz band, and they are releasing their new recording, Shine a Bright Light, on September 20 on Valley Jazz Records! SHARP 5 includes musicians TERI ROIGER on vocals, PETE LEVIN on piano (Gil Evans fame), JOHN MENEGON on bass (Joe Lovano fame), JEFF SIEGEL on drums, and Brazilian percussionist NANNY ASSIS (perc. guitar & vocals).

SHARP 5 is a group of extraordinary musicians who embrace the passion of collaboration, engaging in the music of Brazil as well as the heartfelt emotion of American classic jazz. The nuance the group brings to the stage empowers the rhythmic and melodic expression that will take the audience on a magical journey through time, space and beyond.

In musical terms, Sharp 5 represents the raised 5th in a chord, which creates a unique sound in the evolution of American music. The group is all about creating new sounds and putting a positive vibration into the universe. The band members have all had extensive experience/careers as creative artists.

The combined experience of these five musicians creates a unique balance of the past, present and future. Their diverse repertoire includes original compositions (Menegon & Siegel), music by King Crimson, Kenny Barron, Peggy Lee, Abbey Lincoln, plus Gil Evans’ influenced arrangements of unique standards, and joyful Brazilian-flavored music. The experience of recording with this group has allowed everyone involved to explore their own personal relationships and history with the music. The friendship, interaction and empathy they feel comes through in the music they create, allowing freedom of expression and an opportunity to share their life experiences.

Vocalist TERI ROIGER has recorded with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Gil Goldstein, etc. and has forged a unique career as a bandleader. On keyboards is PETE LEVIN, who has worked extensively with Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Simon, Annie Lenox, Miles Davis, The Levin Brothers). Bahia native NANNY ASSIS is a Brazilian percussionist, vocalist & guitarist, who has recorded with vocalist Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer) and many others.
Bassist JOHN MENEGON is a well-known composer, arranger and bandleader who has worked extensively as a sideman with the likes of Dewey Redman, David “Fathead” Newman, and more recently Joe Lovano. Drummer JEFF SIEGEL is an in-demand sideman as well as a bandleader who has worked with Kurt Elling, The Levin Brothers, Ravi Coltrane, etc.

Point of interest: Pete Levin’s long association with the Gil Evans Band had him rehearsing extensively with Gil in the Community Room at Westbeth!

BIOS

TERI ROIGER (vocalist, lyricist, songwriter, pianist, educator)
“Teri has an intuitive laid back sense of time reminiscent of Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter but with her own uniqueness.” JACK DEJOHNETTE (legendary jazz drummer & NEA Jazz Master)
Teri is a jazz vocalist, but also plays piano, composes music, and writes lyrics. She has performed and taught masterclasses throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico (San Miguel), Panama, and Europe. The depth of her experiences and love of jazz is apparent when she brings her talents to live performances, the recording studio, and through her moving lyrics and compositions. Teri has been sharing her knowledge and inspiration with her diverse students for over 25 years. Her recordings have all met with critical acclaim, as have her live performances at festivals and top New York jazz spots (Birdland, Kitano, Dizzy’s, Mezzrow, Jazz Standard, Café Bohemia). Teri’s latest release “Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day” shines a new light on the many facets of Billie Holiday, the vocalist who provided the initial spark for Ms. Roiger’s commitment to a life in jazz, and was chosen by jazz critic Scott Yanow as one of the top 30 jazz releases in 2017. Her recording “Dear Abbey: The Music of Abbey Lincoln” also met with great critical acclaim, as did her first two recordings, “Misterioso” (featuring Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell & John Menegon) as well as “Still Life” which featured two of her original compositions, the title song winning 3rd prize in the jazz category of ISC (Int’l Songwriting Competition).
“Teri is made for those who still understand the meaning of the term the real thing.” Stanley Crouch (Author & Cultural Critic).

PETE LEVIN (keyboardist, composer, arranger)
In a diverse music career spanning several decades, keyboardist/arranger PETE LEVIN has performed and recorded with hundreds of Jazz and Pop artists, including Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie Robertson and John Scofield – receiving critical accolades for his work during a 15-year association with the legendary Gil Evans, and his 8-year stint with jazz icon Jimmy Giuffre. His recent activity includes touring with his brother Tony Levin in their band “The Levin Brothers,” always met with enthusiastic audiences and high critical acclaim.

JOHN MENEGON (bassist, composer, arranger)
“New York bassist JOHN MENEGON is in the line of George Mraz and Michael Moore; a harmonically sophisticated bassist with technical facility who swings hard when it’s called for.” Kirk Silsbee, Downbeat!
MENEGON began his career as a musician in Montreal. After having worked for several years on the Canadian jazz scene, Menegon moved to New York City to study jazz at Long Island University. John has been composing and arranging music throughout his career, and the ten years he spent as bassist for two legendary tenor saxophonists, Dewey Redman and David “Fathead” Newman, provided a solid foundation for Menegon to continue his explorations as a bandleader. Having spent over a decade performing, touring, and recording with each of them, these jazz legends have taken John around the world, playing at jazz festivals in South Africa, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Europe and the U.S., and have been a major influence in his playing and compositions. Menegon currently plays with jazz legend Joe Lovano as well as leading his own band. John has released five CDs as a leader, including “I Remember You” (a dedication to Redman and Newman) with a four-star review in Downbeat, and his latest “Quartet East: Blew By Blues,” a dedication to Charlie Haden.

NANNY ASSIS
Singer, guitarist, drummer, percussionist, songwriter and Bahia native NANNY ASSIS is a master of Brazilian Jazz, Afro-Brazilian music and other popular and folkloric sounds from his homeland. Music is the mirror of his inner expressions. He was born in the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia, in 1969. Bahia is one of Brazil’s first cities, with predominantly African influences. Salvador is the birthplace of some of the country’s most remarkable music creations. That, in part, explains why Nanny has music running through his veins, making him an outstanding singer, a terrific drummer/percussionist, and a talented songwriter.

JEFF “SIEGE” SIEGEL
Drummer/composer/educator (New School, Western Connecticut State University, SUNY New Paltz) currently performs w/Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet & Sextet and The Levin Brothers (Tony & Pete). Additional performances and/or recordings w/ Sir Roland Hanna, Dave Douglas, Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Ryan Kisor, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Wadada Leo Smith, Arthur Rhames, Mose Allison, etc. He is endorsed by Canopus Drums, Beato Bags & Vic Firth Drumsticks.

COVID RESTRICTIONS: Masks are required for the unvaccinated & recommended for the vaccinated.

Susan Berger
Kingston Annual 2021 Exhibition

The Kingston Annual 2021 Exhibition
Displayed at Arts Society of Kingston
97 Broadway in Kingston, NY
September 4 – September 26th
Tuesday- Sunday from 1 PM to 6 PM

There were three jurors: Anna Conlan, Director of Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY; Ransome, an artist from Kingston and Sevan Melikyan, Director of Wired Gallery, High Falls, NY. There were 30 artists and 30 works selected from over 450 works that were submitted from artists throughout the Hudson Valley.

Susan Berger received one of the top awards from one of the jurors, Sevan Melikyan.

The work is called: “20,000 Strong to the Inferno 0f 1911″ (Drawing)
Size: 30.5” (w) x 40.5″(h) x 3″(d)

The work is about the inside the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory of the rows of women, who were between 16 to 25 years of age. They were immigrants from mainly Eastern European countries living in lower Manhattan particularly the Lower East Side. The brown fabric has images of the twisted ladders from the fire escape as these workers leaped from the fire to escape which ultimately led to their death. Those who witnessed the horrific fire thought that bundles of rags fell but were actually humans falling from the loft building right near Washington Square Park. This happened on March 25, 19ll at 4:15 PM, and 146 perished and 123 were women.

You have the layout of the workplace and the escape doors which were locked. And the lone elevator. It is artwork that tells a story. The middle part has images: one of the images is of women holding signs of striking and behind them of the burly police who roughed up these young girls. Another image is a closeup of three women striking and announcing why they are picketing. The middle image is darkened and ash-like in presence of a screen over it and a print from a page from a newspaper of its time. The print or lettering gives a clearer description of the work. The 20,000 shirtwaist workers marched to Cooper Union to tell the world about the horrible working conditions and dismal wages, and that they wanted a better life and felt that joining a union was the solution. Unity brings strength. These women were immigrants who were feminists and believed they deserved a better existence in the workplace; and told about their plight. Two years later the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory happened and some things were changed and eventually, The Ladies Garment Workers were founded by these very brave souls.

Immigrants are the soul and bedrock of our country.

Susan Berger
I am a fiber mixed media artist. In a way, I want to create a setting. I find material and use stitching for the details in the work. It becomes like a sampler that women did in the 19th Century. Before I do a larger and more detailed work it is a drawing. The middle piece was actually a swatch that I did or someone asked me to do to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. After I did it, I was told that the 12″x12″ swatch was too heavy and asked for it to be returned. I put the swatch away, forgetting about it and it was tucked away in my studio. My studio was in the basement of Westbeth and along came Superstorm Sandy and rediscovering the work not ruined. A year plus later decided to do something with the swatch, and that is how the piece came about. From there, an installation work came which had taken more close to two years to complete, and the swatch was used in its entirety with rug hooking techniques and again a mixed medium artwork. The story expanded.

Ana Garcés Kiley
Spring / Break Art Show
Booth 1145

HEARSAY / HERESY
625 Madison Avenue
b/w 58th and 59th Sts.

Sept 8 – Sept 13, 2021

Spring / Break Art Show returns for the second time to NYC specifically to unveil its new art show Hearsay / Heresy with over 100 curatorial exhibits.

Spring / Break Art Show 2021
HEARSAY : HERESY
625 Madison Avenue
b/w 58th and 59th Sts
New York City

September 10 – 13, 2021 // 11am – 4pm

Timed Entry ONLY

TICKETS: Spring / Break

Ana Garcés Kiley received her MFA from Columbia University and her BFA from the University of Houston. She is a LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies fellow and the recipient of the Joan Mitchell MFA award, the Kimbrough Fund award from the Dallas Museum of Art, and was awarded a residency at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts as well as in the AIM program at the Bronx Museum of Art. She has taught at Columbia University, SUNY, and CUNY. She exhibits her work throughout the United States and abroad. Originally from Colombia, she currently lives/works in New York City.
*Due to COVID-19 protocols, advanced timed tickets are required

PRESS PREVIEW:
Wednesday, September 8 // 11am – 5pm

FIRST LOOK COLLECTORS PREVIEW:
Wednesday, September 8 // 11am – 5pm

COLLECTORS PREVIEW DAY (extended):
Thursday, September 9 // 11am – 5pm

VIP PREVIEW NIGHTS:
Wednesday, September 8 // 5pm – 9pm
Thursday, September 9 // 5pm – 9pm

REGULAR SHOW DAYS:
September 10 – 13 // 11am – 8pm

Karin Batten / Peter Ruta
We Rise
9/11 Group exhibit

Opening Reception: Friday, September 10 from 6pm–9pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, September 12 from 5–7pm
Exhibition: Friday, September 10 – Thursday, September 16, 2021
Weekdays & Weekends from 1–6:30pm

Contact: E. info@oneartspace.com – T. (646) 559-0535
Event Location: One Art Space, 23 Warren Street, TriBeCa, NY 10007

Twenty years ago, New York and the world were changed forever by the attacks on 9/11. Although we have rebuilt, we have never forgotten that day.

In memory and in honor of those affected by the tragedy, we present “We Rise” a twenty-year-memorial exhibition at One Art Space curated by Karin Batten to feature artists who all have direct personal experience with 9/11.

Karin Batten, Peter Ruta, Megan Craig, Sjoerd Doting, and Nancy Friese had studios on the 91st floor of Tower One on 9/11 in an artist studio on the 91st floor of Tower One that was destroyed with the rest of the wreckage, and she served as the director and curator of Westbeth Gallery in New York, which had a direct view of the plumes of smoke rising out of the Twin Towers.

She and the artists in the show have created new work celebrating the rebirth and rise of New York and its people. Some artists’ work captures the beauty of NYC from above, while others have transformed collected materials into stunning collages and inspiring sculptures.

This exhibition features fantastic, uplifting, and memorable works that help us all understand the loss of what came before and the positive forces of change that rose from the devastation.

“We Rise” features work by Karin Batten, Peter Ruta, Hobong Kim, Namjoo Kim, Nina Boesch, Michael Bucher, Megan Craig, Sjoerd Doting, Mike 171, SJK 171, Elaine Forrest, Nancy Friese, Velvet S. McNeil, Hobong Kim.

www.oneartspace.com • facebook.com/OneArtSpaceNYC • Instagram: @oneartspace • Twitter: @OneArtSpace

Robert Bunkin
An Argument for Figurative Art Now

Michael Andrews 1928-1995 detail from portrait of Timothy Behrens, Oil on cardboard, Thyssen-Bornemiszra National Museum, Madrid

Thursday September 9 at 5:30 PM
Hudson Park Library
66 Leroy Street
New York, NY 10014
212-243-6876

FREE

This talk will present a selective overview of post-World War two painting, focusing on the revival of figurative art starting in the 1950s, as a response to the increasingly narrow parameters of modernist abstraction, and a desire to reintroduce human experienc back into “serious” art. Artists discussed will include Larry Rivers, Alice Neel, Lucian Freud, Kerry James Marshall and Jennifer Packer, among others.

Robert Bunkin is a figurative painter living in Westbeth. He has extensive experience as a curator, educator and art historian.

*The event will take place in person at Hudson Park Library.
** Face mask required

Robert Bunkin
Recent Paintings
Family, Friends, Neighbors

Orly in Her Studio 2020 acrylic on canvas 30×22 inches

GALLERY AT HUDSON PARK LIBRARY
October 2 – October 30, 2021
Mon – Fri 10am – 6pm
Saturday 10am – 5PM
Sunday Closed

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday October 2, 2pm – 4pm
No refreshments will be served due to Covid restrictions.

GUIDED TOUR LED BY THE ARTIST
Saturday October 9, 2021 at 2PM
Works can be purchased directly from the artist.

The works on display were produced since the artist moved to Westbeth in 2014.

They are all done from life, incorporating the sitter’s works or relating to the subject’s life and environment.

Several sitters are represented in a series of works offering more varied insights than the ‘traditional’ definitive image portraiture offers.

Robert Bunkin is a painter, curator, art historian, and educator with an MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.

Penny Jones and Ralph Lee
Puppets of New York

August 17, 2021 – April 22, 2022
Museum of the City of New York

1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street
Friday – Monday 10AM – 6PM

“The International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC, which arrives this week with over 50 shows and events, more than a dozen short films and five accompanying exhibitions, including “Puppets of New York” at the Museum of the City of New York, is far from a kiddie celebration.

But perhaps this festival’s most novel element is its partnership with the Museum of the City of New York, which will open its 2,500-square-foot exhibition with a sold-out celebration on Thursday evening. “Puppets of New York,” which runs until early April at the uptown Manhattan museum, features photographs, videos, films and sets, as well as more than 60 puppets. They range from cardboard finger models designed by Penny Jones to José A. López Alemán’s 12-foot-tall Titanya, the fairy queen from “Sueño,” Teatro SEA’s Afro-Caribbean version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“The main argument of the show uptown is that the history of puppetry in New York City mirrors the demographics of the city,” said Monxo López, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fellow who curated “Puppets of New York.” And, he noted, “many different puppeteers that reflect that diversity have not been as visible as others. It was important to tell that story of diversity, of visibility, of inclusiveness, in a way that also showed joy and possibility.”

To that end, the exhibition includes not only designs by famous masters like Jim Henson and Ralph Lee, but also work by artists like the Manteo family, who brought complex metal-armored Sicilian marionettes when they immigrated to New York a century ago, and Derek Fordjour and Nick Lehane, whose 2020 puppet production, “Fly Away,” featured a nameless young Black
man.”

–Laurel Graeber
NY Times August 121, 2021
Read entire article HERE

Westbeth Movie Night
Joan Didion

Across more than 50 years of essays, novels, screenplays, and criticism, Joan Didion has been our premier chronicler of the ebb and flow of America’s cultural and political tides with observations on her personal – and our own – upheavals, downturns, life changes, and states of mind.

In the intimate, documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, actor and director Griffin Dunne unearths a treasure trove of archival footage and talks at length to his “Aunt Joan” about the eras she covered and the eventful life she’s lived, including partying with Janis Joplin in a house full of L.A. rockers; hanging in a recording studio with Jim Morrison; and cooking dinner for one of Charles Manson’s women for a magazine story. Didion guides us through the sleek literati scene of New York in the 1950s and early ’60s, when she wrote for Vogue; her return to her home state of California for two turbulent decades; the writing of her seminal books, including Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album; her film scripts, including The Panic in Needle Park; her view of 1980s and ’90s political personalities; and the meeting of minds that was her long marriage to writer John Gregory Dunne.

Rotten Tomatoes’ 89% rating consensus states: “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold pays tribute to an American literary legend with a richly personal perspective that should thrill devotees while enlightening newcomers.”[6] On Metacritic it has a score of 72% based on reviews from 9 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.

Note: Masks required for the unvaccinated. Masks recommended for the vaccinated.