Author Archives: Christina

Bob Gruen and Elizbeth Gregory-Gruen featured in The Villager article: HOW THE WESTBETH WAS WON

photo; Bob Krasner for The Villager

BY BOB KRASNER | Bob Gruen still recalls the moment vividly — and, no, it didn’t involve an event from his storied career as a rock-’n’-roll photographer.

“When I got the call that there was an apartment for me in Westbeth,” he said, “it was the most exciting moment of my life.”

That was in 1970, when he grabbed one of the last four spaces available in the new affordable artists’ housing complex.

Gruen’s files include the iconic portrait of his friend John Lennon wearing a “New York City” T-shirt — with the sleeves torn off at Gruen’s suggestion to give him more edge — as well as shots of Elvis, the Sex Pistols, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Blondie, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and, well, the list goes on.

Read the entire Villager article HERE

Sandra Caplan at Kinescope Gallery April 6 – May 11, 2019

Kinescope Gallery in collaboration with Fillmore Projects is pleased to present Metaphorical Transitions: Lost and Found in the Still Life, an exhibition of charcoal drawings by Sandra Caplan. Opening reception, April 6 from 5–7pm.

This everyday substance, which has no beauty on its own, aided my researches into chiaroscuro and the invisible … I must say, however, that charcoal does not allow kindness, it is sober and only with real emotion can you draw results from it.
Odilon Redon

Working in situ in Le Marche, Italy, as well as recreating scenes after the fact back in NYC, Sandra Caplan composes rich, loaded landscapes in charcoal from the still life. Patterned fabrics, ribbons, and the edges of fallen magnolia leaves are among the many objects that become moving lines, which insinuate themselves into the drawings as lost and found unifying parts. Her subtle use of negative space encourages this movement and recalls earlier work where Caplan used fabric ribbons (also on view) as device in a more minimal context. Now those ribbons can be found in her dense, charcoal drawings, along with the white pastel lines that enrich the various tonalities.

The architecture of Le Marche occupies background space in many of these works. The enduring and hard-edged structures provide a counterpoint to the fragile lifespan of the organic forms, which consume the page. Space and light are explored through the density of forms in her drawings. In Caplan’s hands Redon’s assertion that “black is the most essential color” rings true — using charcoal she captures not only the beauty inherent in the individual objects but also the spirit and intensity of her materials.
Sandra Caplan has shown her work in New York City at: Cast Iron Gallery, First Street Gallery, The Prince Street Gallery, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Westbeth Gallery, Fordham University, and the World Financial Center. Her work has also been shown at Boston University Gallery, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Glenbow Alberta Art Institute, and the Palazzina Azzura, among other international locales. Awards and residencies include: The Canada Arts Council, The MacDowell Colony, and the Yale Norfolk Summer Program. She has taught at MoMA, The Brooklyn Museum, The School of the National Academy of Design, and other prestigious institutions. Her work is housed in private and corporate collections worldwide. Caplan earned MFAs from both Boston University and Yale University. She lives and works in New York City and Italy.

The exhibition is viewable from the sidewalk daily noon to 9pm from April 6 through May 11, 2019 or by appointment.

Metaphorical Transitions: Lost and Found in the Still Life has been curated by Fillmore Projects for Kinescope Gallery.

For press inquiries and for appointments please contact info@fillmoreprojects.com

Kinescope Gallery 616 East 9th Street NY NY 10009 kinescope.gallery

WESTBETH OPENS WAITING LIST

Westbeth Artists Housing Lottery Application Process

WESTBETH ARTISTS HOUSING

RE-OPENING WAITING LIST

As of April 15, 2019, requests for applications for the waiting list at Westbeth is closed.

The deadline to submit a completed application is May 31st, 2019. Completed applications must be mailed by regular mail only, sent to the Post Office Box address indicated on the application, and postmarked by the application deadline date. Applications received after the deadline will not be processed.

Please carefully follow directions on how to complete and submit the application. If more than one application is received from the same household, all applications from that household will be dropped to the end of the list. The waiting list will be established by lottery.

It is illegal to discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. This Equal Housing Opportunity is supervised by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WESTFEST DANCE FESTIVAL 2019
Dance Inside/Out
April 25 – April 28, 2019

WESTFEST
DANCE INSIDE/OUT
April 25th – 28th

Westbeth Artists’ Residence
55 Bethune St / 155 Bank St New York, NY 10014
www.westfestdance.com

TIME OUT names WESTFEST one of the best dance concerts in NYC this month. Click HERE

WESTFEST is a cutting edge, curated dance festival presenting established and emerging movement artists in the historic Westbeth Artists’ Residence in West Village, NYC. The festival includes two distinct programs: WestFest Top Floor and All Over Westbeth.

WESTFEST TOP FLOOR
Join us April 25th – 28th, 8PM for WestFest – Top Floor at the Martha Graham Studio Theater as we present visionary NYC dance artists in a traditional theater setting.

Program A – Thursday, April 25th and Saturday, April 27th at 8PM – includes artists Carol Nolte/Dance Collective, danceTactics performance group / Keith A. Thompson, Amos Pinhasi, Claire Porter / PORTABLES, Choreographer My Lindblad Szlavik (SE/DK), Chloe London Dance, Benjamin Freedman, and Li Chiao-Ping/Li Chiao-Ping Dance.

Program B – Friday, April 26th and Sunday, April 28th at 8PM – includes artists BOiNK! Dance & Film, Jamal Jackson Dance Company, The Bang Group, LMnO3 (Deborah Lohse, Cori Marquis, and Donnell Oakley), HUMA, Ramona Sekulovic, Louise Benkelman & Tommy Seibold, and Abarukas.

Tickets: $20
Purchase Ticket Link: TBD
Time: 8 PM
Running Time: 1 hour
Location: 55 Bethune St, New York, NY 10014

ALL OVER WESTBETH
Our site-specific program, takes place on the weekend of April 27 & 28th. Join us for guided tours of Westbeth’s unique architectural history featuring original dance creations tailored to several of the community’s most iconic spaces.

Free tours begin every 15 minutes from 2-4 PM both days.

Performers include TruDee, BOiNK! Dance & Film, Sarah Esser, Kevin Clark – Soluq Dance Theater, Taylor Donofrio & Donofrio Dance Company, N E 1 4 Dance, Copy That Dance, Molly Mingey.

Tickets: FREE
Tours: Every 15 minutes from 2-4 PM
Running Time: 1 hour
More Info: www.westfestdance.com
Location: 155 Bank St, New York, NY 10014

CONTACT:
Carol Nolte – Founder / Artistic Director & Founder westfestdance@gmail.com
Lauren Hafner Sheehan & Dylan Baker / Producers westfestdance@gmail.com

Activities at the Martha Graham Studio Theater are made possible in part by generous support from The New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
WestFest 2019 is made possible by a generous grant from NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
WestFest 2019 is produced under the auspices of the Westbeth Artists’ Residents Council. westbeth.org