Art to Experience in Jan. 2025 ...
... in the Bronx and a Bit Beyond!
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Hope you had some fun or relaxation wherever you happened to be.
I was lucky to have been able to go to the Bronx Music Hall, launched just about a year ago by WHEDco, to celebrate the New Year with the awesome performance of Bobby Sanabria and his Latin Jazz band, including bassist Santi Debriano. Lots of celebrating and dancing going on, thanks to Sanabria’s successful efforts of encouragement.
Books
Interested in reading and learning more about “The Fire Next Time,” by James Baldwin (graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, by the way)? Well, BronxArtSpace in Hunts Point has been leading a book-group discussion on it. And it’s last one, this Saturday, Jan. 4 from 12 to 1:30 PM at Clinton, focuses on pp. 71 to the end. All the info and to RSVP here. FREE!
Art Exhibits & Happenings
Save the Date! On Sat., Jan. 11 WallWorks New York hosts its 10th Anniversary exhibition in its new space! They’ve moved from Mott Haven to Inspiration Point, a relatively new arts entity in Hunts Point. “Works from the last ten years of working with artists will be on display, as we introduce ourselves to the neighborhood and invite our amazing friends and supporters to see our new space.” More info (hopefully) on what time the Jan. 11 event is at in next week’s edition.
Beginning on Fri., Jan. 10, the Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) presents “Between Inspiration and Collecting: The Artist’s Cabinet.” Here’s an engaging description re: what it’s about: “In the grand narratives of art collecting, we often encounter stories of wealthy patrons and prestigious institutions. Yet there exists another, more intimate history of collecting—one that unfolds in artists’ studios, homes, and personal spaces. This exhibition turns our attention to artists not only as creators but as collectors, revealing how their gathering of objects shapes their creative vision and practice.” More about the exhibit here. FREE!
I’m going to this. Hope you do, too if you’re available on Fri., Jan. 10 from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Both Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture and PRTT/Pregones Theater present: Bronx Artists Showcase & Conversation called “Pepatián: Bronx Arts ColLABoration.” Different kids of art (music, dance, etc.) presented. More info and RSVP here.
Through April 8, En Foco and Kreate Hub present the curated group photo exhibit “Entre el Silencio: Meditations on Silence” at WallWorks. “The exhibition is part of En Foco’s mission to uplift, validate, and preserve the culture and legacy of diasporic lens-based artists.” Click here for more information.
In partnership with Pregones, En Foco 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 and features portraits by Mexican photographer Yampolski (1925–2002), and is curated by Xavier Robles Armas. FREE!
At Lehman College Art Gallery, through Jan. 18, 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. FREE!
“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 in Norwood, the Museum of Bronx History presents the group exhibition of Seis del Sur: “HISTORIAS: The Stories Behind the Images.” The museum is open on Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Private tours via appointment are available throughout the week. All FREE!
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. 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!
Theatre
Riverdale Children’s Theater (RCT) has two musicals coming up in January 2025, both at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale: “The Lion King” from Jan. 9 through Jan. 12, and “Sweeney Todd” from Jan. 18 to Jan. 20. Trust me: RCT puts on incredible performances. I’ve seen many because our daughter was a part of it for many years and we still go! All the info here.
Music
Drumline Live performs at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in Bedford Park on Sat., Jan. 18 at 6 PM. More info here, and video of group performing here.
An Beal Bocht Café in Riverdale features all kinds of performances throughout the week. Most are FREE! All the upcoming info right here.
Poetry & Open Mics
On, Tues., Jan. 7 at 7 PM, Art in the Basin presents Words With Melinda Wilson, author of the new poetry collection “What It Was Like to Be a Woman,” at Mon Amour Coffee & Wine on West 231st St. and Broadway in Kingsbridge. Also includes open mic for poetry and music. More info here. FREE!
Kids/Adults/Families
BxArtsFactory in Melrose provides a useful series of video lessons on their website for families doing art at home.
There are various kids’ art workshops at Bronx Children’s Museum, which opened 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.
Artist Opportunities and Awards
En Foco invites Bronx-based photographers and writers to submit their work for inclusion in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of ‘Nueva Luz: The Bronx Issue.’ This special edition will spotlight the vibrant and diverse photographic community that thrives in the Bronx. To be considered, submissions must include works suitable for print reproduction. The deadline for submissions is Fri., Jan. 10, 2025, at 11:59 pm. (The deadline was initially Jan. 3 and that still appears on their website, but it has been changed to Jan. 10.)
Blue Door Art Center in Yonkers has a Call for Artists for their Black History Month exhibit “Ancestors.” The deadline is Sunday, Jan. 19.
The deadline to apply for Bronx Council on the Arts’ BRIO Award is Jan. 13, 2025. Each year, BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create works in the literary, media, visual, and performing arts with awards of $5,000. BCA provides a few on-line sessions for likely applicants re: info and advice on completing the application. You can check out BCA’s website for more info, and the application itself.
BCA also has a listing of additional organizations that provide various “calls for artists.”
A Bit Beyond the Bronx
At the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers there are several exhibits to explore, including “No Bodies: Clothing as Disruptor,” which is on through Jan. 26.
At the Riverfront Art Gallery (in the Riverfront Library) in downtown Yonkers, the exhibit “Windows and Doors” is on through this Friday, Jan. 3. “In all of our lives we have windows that can be opened, and doors that we may pass through. Making art can provide opportunities to open windows onto new vistas, and walk out of those doors that keep us held inside. … “The concept of this exhibition has a unique meaning because it features artwork from incarcerated individuals in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) visual arts program. Check it out. FREE! You can take a Metro-North train from Marble Hill or Riverdale to Yonkers and the library is about a block across from the station.
One final note: I really hope to deepen the coverage and significantly expand the readership of Art All Around Us in 2025. If you find this newsletter helpful, please spread the word among friends and colleagues. I’d be truly grateful. The Bronx is a lot of good things, but one thing is there isn’t sufficient awareness of is its art performances, exhibits and opportunities for artists. Each of you can help me fix that, even if it’s just letting one friend or neighbor know that it exists. Thank you!
Peace and Progress to All of You in 2025!
—Jordan