Art All Around Us — 11.13.24
Photography, Planetarium Rock, Concerts, Drama and More! .....
My Photo Exhibit Opening — Thurs., Nov. 14
It’s already up and running but there will be an “opening” on Thursday, Nov. 14, from 7 to 9 PM, for my photo exhibit, “All In Sight,” at An Beal Bocht, an awesome artsy pub in Riverdale. (It will be up and running until the end of the month.) I hope some of you can make it! There will be some live music that An Beal Bocht always has, and some appetizers. You can learn a little bit more about the exhibit here.
Photo Exhibits & a Tour That Can Lead to Photos …
As you may already know from several postings of my own photography, I’m really into nature, and that interest is not always related to a plant or trees themselves, but how they interact with other nature, or how small/large parts of them provide an infinite source of beauty. So, getting.a one-hour walking tour of The New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) 50-acre forest, to learn more about what I see — or haven’t seen or noticed — will be, I suspect, a treasure. The next one is next Thurs, Nov 21. at 2:30 PM. Just meet at the Reflecting Pool. All the info here.
“Ken Light | American Stories:1969-1995” at Bronx Documentary Center “showcases three decades of work by photographer Light, highlighting significant moments in American history from 1969 to 1995.” Exhibit through Nov. 17. Check out the pic and video on Bronx Documentary Center’s website regarding its current exhibit. More info on upcoming events at BDC, here.
En Foco, in partnership with Pregones and the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, presents the exhibition “In The Spirit Y En El Espíritu: Works by Mariana Yampolsky” at the Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (575 Walton Ave., Bronx). It runs through March 31, 2025 and features portraits by Mexican photographer Yampolski (1925–2002), and is curated by Xavier Robles Armas. The exhibition is an initiative of the Nueva Luz Study Center (NLSC) and part of En Foco’s mission to preserve the culture and legacy of diasporic lens-based artists. FREE!
Planetarium Rock!
On Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 PM, the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers presents “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.” in its planetarium. Here’s a preview …
Art Fellowships/Programs
The Bronx River Art Center has an open call for artists who maintain collections of any kind to participate in an upcoming exhibition that explores the intimate relationship between artistic practice and collecting. It is for the exhibit “Between Inspiration and Collecting: The Artist's Cabinet.” The deadline is Dec. 15. More info here.
The Bronx Council on the Arts’ (BCA) Longwood Arts Project is seeking a Bronx-based Curatorial Fellow to assist with its 2025 series of exhibitions at the Longwood Art Gallery. The theme, "The World We Want to Live In," will explore how art can raise awareness and spark public discourse around social and political movements. The deadline to apply is Fri, Nov.15, 2024, at 11:59 PM. More details and the application can be found here.
BCA is also looking for a Bronx-based youth journalist to write three articles on the Longwood Art Gallery exhibitions, artists, and related topics. This is a great opportunity for aspiring writers to gain experience in art journalism. The deadline to apply for this is also Fri., Nov. 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM. More details and the application can be found here.
Dance
Have you checked out BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance) yet? It’s in a vary cool old former church and brings so many kinds of dance and creative expression. Click here and you’ll see what performances are coming up this week and next at BAAD!
Art Exhibits/Happenings
An excellent exhibit opening I was at last Saturday at WALLWORKS NEW YORK in Mott Haven,“Yo Soy de Aquí / I am From Here,” features artists Lizzy Alejandro, Alexis Marie Montoya, and Kamille Vargas-Estrella. It’s on through Dec. 6. Here are some photos I took at the opening.
The Casita Maria Gallery, of the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education in Hunts Point, presents the exhibit “Animal Studies,” by Maria P. Vila, through March 6, 2025. The work of Vila, a teaching artist at Casita Maria, “features a series of watercolor, soft pastel and oil paintings combining animal imagery with poetry and collage as a form of healing.” FREE!
At Lehman College Art Gallery, through Jan. 18, 2025 (and at two other CUNY colleges) is “Incandescence: The Chandelier in Contemporary Art Works” by 45 artists exploring “the motif and meaning of the chandelier through sculptural forms, photography, painting, drawing, installation and video.” All the details here and here. FREE!
The Derfner Judaica Museum, at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale, features “Artfully Arranged: Floral Works from the Collection” through Feb. 2, 2025. It’s a “thematic exhibition [that] features 24 prints, paintings, drawings, and mixed media works spanning the mid-20th century to the aughts by 20 artists who use flowers and floral forms to explore the intersection of the natural and urban worlds; formalism; decorative design motifs; symbolism, and mortality.” FREE! You can also see on Derfner’s website many of the paintings and more info on the exhibit.
Through Nov. 16, BronxArtSpace features “Intersecting Visions,” by artists Andre Trenier & Lady K Fever and curated by Christine DeFazio. There’s a closing celebration on Sat., Nov. 16 from 5 to 7 PM. FREE. More info here.
“FUTURA 2000: BREAKING OUT,” at the Bronx Museum is “a retrospective of this singular artist’s evolution from early graffiti art styles to his current practice of contemporary abstraction. The exhibition is the most comprehensive examination of FUTURA 2000’s five-decade career ever presented in his hometown of New York City.” It runs through March 20, 2025. FREE!
Through Jan. 26, 2025 in Norwood, the Museum of Bronx History in Norwood presents the group exhibition of Seis del Sur: “HISTORIAS: The Stories Behind the Images.” “This interactive multimedia exhibition will go below the surface of the collective’s documentary photographs of The Bronx … and illuminate the borough’s historical narrative through contextual timelines, meta and personal anecdotes.” The museum adds that the pop-up showcase “will cover a broad range of issues … that have impacted the people of the Bronx over the last four decades.” The museum is open on Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Private tours via appointment are available throughout the week. All FREE!
There are a few great exhibits at Wave Hill right now and there is more info on all of them right here. Admission is FREE on Thursdays. I wrote a bit about one of the exhibits, with photos, in a recent edition.
Theatre
This Friday, Nov. 15 at 8 PM, Hostos Center for Arts & Culture presents “Quíntuples” by Luis Rafale Sánchez with Joaquín Jarque and Gretza Merced. Two actors portray five quíntuplet siblings, exploring family dynamics “with hilarious results.” Learn more, and tickets here.
Music
On Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 PM, Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture presents its 15th Annual South Bronx Folk Festival Finale, celebrating Puerto Rican heritage with Danza Fiesta. “Experience the vibrant rhythms of Bomba, Plena, and Salsa brought to life through dance and music — honoring the rich cultural traditions of Puerto Rico.”
At Lehman Center for the Performing Art (in Bedford Park) this Saturday, Nov. 16: Pavel Núñez, a Latin grammy nominated artist from Dominican Republic, performs with a whole cast of Latin Music artists from all over the globe. More info here.
An Beal Bocht, an artsy Irish pub in Riverdale has live music and other artsy events throughout the week. In upcoming days, there’s The Long Shakes, a band performing at 8 PM, Thursday, the 14th, the same night as my photo exhibit opening from 7 PM to 9 PM; Shannon Brown & John Pinamonti at 8 PM on Friday; a bluegrass jam on Saturday, the 16th at 11 AM with Ron Zwerdling; the band Seeing Voices the same night; and Irish Tradition Session from 3:30 to 6:30 PM on Sunday; and at 8 PM a band called Mike Davidson & Hank. And that’s only the next 4 days! Much more here.
Here’s what’s going on at the brand new and beautiful Bronx Music Hall during the next couple of weeks.
Connaughton’s Riverdale Steak House in Riverdale has live music including open mics every other Wednesday eve. You can get more up-to-date details on host and performer Mark Weitzman’s (also known as Mark the Harper) Facebook page.
Families/Kids
BxArtsFactory in Melrose provides a useful series of video lessons on their website for families doing art at home. You can learn a lot more about the organization here.
There are various kids’ art workshops at Bronx Children’s Museum, which opened just a little less than a year ago. Info here (scroll down page for listing). And here’s a link to all the “active” exhibit space and happenings.
Blue Door Art Center in downtown Yonkers offers FREE classes/programs for kids on Saturday mornings.
A Bit Beyond the Bronx
At the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers there are several exhibits to explore, including “No Bodies: Clothing as Disruptor,” (photo above) which is on through Jan. 26, 2023.
Just over the bridge from Bronx to Manhattan on Broadway are art happenings in Inwood organized by Inwood Art Works which supports ongoing creative happenings of all kinds. Check it all out here.
Through Nov. 22, Within/Without is an exhibit at the Riverfront Art Gallery in the downtown Yonkers Public Library that explores visual storytelling and how what we create reflects deeper underlying personal narratives. FREE!
In Pelham, very close to the Bronx border’s northeast section, there are many ongoing art exhibits and events at the Pelham Art Center. Check them all out here.
Holiday Art Gifts
And speaking of the Pelham Art Center in Pelham, they’re having an Art Boutique Opening Reception this Saturday, Nov. 16 from 12 to 2 PM. It features “the best” in local art and handmade gifts, that you can purchase.
Beautiful, Jordan.
Hope your reading my memoir on substack: Badass; From Fearful to fierce.