Creative Happenings in the Bronx and a Bit Beyond
I thought I’d start with something important that I didn’t know, or forgot about: Bronxites are entitled to FREE access to The New York Botanical Garden (photo at NYBG above from last Spring). If you’ve never been to NYBG, this would be a great way to check it out! Hear are the details:
“Bronx residents are invited to experience the seasonal beauty across our 250 acres, FREE of charge. Find out what’s beautiful now and explore the winding trails of our old-growth forest and stately conifers throughout the Garden. Dig deeper into our collections with mobile guides and enjoy a self-guided forest bathing experience. Bring the whole family for seasonal fun throughout the grounds and in the Edible Academy.
“The Grounds Access Pass is available Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays. Includes daytime access to the outdoor gardens and collections; does not include access to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, indoor exhibitions, special events, or evening events. Proof of Bronx residency is required. Parking fee is not included.”
The current art exhibit (outdoors and indoors) at the New York Botanical Garden is “Wonderland: Curious Nature” through Oct. 27.
Photography
In Norwood, beginning this Thursday, Sept. 12, the Museum of Bronx History represents 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 — many never exhibited before — 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 exhibit runs through Jan. 26, 2025 and the museum is open on Saturdays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Private tours via appointment are available throughout the week. FREE!
On Friday, Sept. 20, Bronx Documentary Center in Melrose will have an opening for “El Salvador: Legacy of Violence,” an exhibit by Robert Nickelsberg and Fred Ramos. More info here. FREE. Photos from exhibit below.
Relatives and friends of Sgt. Pablo Cándido Vega at the cemetery in Panchimalco, El Salvador in April 2015. Photo by Fred Ramos.
Comedy Performance (and Poetry, too!)
Coming up at BAAD! — Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance — on Sat., Sept. 21 at 8 PM, in Westchester Square, is “You Had Me at Atmósfera: A Serene Evening of Stand-Up & Stanzas,” featuring host and comedic raver of ceremonies Mateo Rodriguez-Hurtado “for a one-nigh-only affair lovingly uniting hard belly-laugh inciting comedians and soul reviving poetic performers.” It’s $10. More info and tickets here.
Art Exhibits
There are two events coming up at the Bronx River Art Center.
The first, an opening reception for a group exhibition of studio artists past and present, will be on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 4 to 7 PM. FREE.
The second, on Wed., Oct. 16, is Artistry in Service: A Celebration of Legacy and Dedication, Honoring Executive Director Emeritus Gail Nathan, “honoring the leadership and commitment to the arts of Nathan.” The celebration includes a group exhibition, gala and silent auction. For tickets and more info, click here.
The Derfner Judaica Museum, at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale, features “Artfully Arranged: Floral Works from the Collection” through Feb. 2, 2025, 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.
At Lehman College Art Gallery (and at two other CUNY colleges) beginning with a FREE opening/reception on Wed., Sept. 18 from 5 to 8 P.M. 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.
Within/Without is an exhibit at the Riverfront Art Gallery at the Yonkers Public Library in downtown Yonkers that explores visual storytelling and how what we create reflects deeper underlying personal narratives. The FREE opening reception is this Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2 to 5 PM.
There are five exhibits through the end of the year at Wave Hill in Riverdale. All the info here.
In Mott Haven, WallWorks New York features never-before seen original artworks in the exhibit, “The Found Art of Thom Corn,” curated by filmmaker Nancy August. Recently found by the late artist’s landlord, the works showcase classic elements of Corn’s artwork. The opening is this Saturday, Sept. 14, from 3 to 6 PM.
Have you ever been to the Hudson River Museum? It’s really worth checking out, as there are several exhibits to explore, and it’s just a bit north of Riverdale. “No Bodies: Clothing as Disruptor,” is one in particular that I look forward to seeing.
Rachel Breen. Shroud, 2018. Used white shirts, thread, and fabric. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Music
Riverdale Steak House has live music (calendar out-of-date on their site, but music is still going on) including open mics every other Wednesday eve. (I’ll be there on Sept. 18 playing some blues with a pal.)
The Artist (also known as Starving Artist) on City Island hosts lots of live music. More info here.
And “Rumba, Mambo & Salsa” is on at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts this Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 P.M. More info here.
To see what’s going on at the relatively new (and beautiful!) Bronx Music Hall, go here.
An Beal Bocht in Riverdale: Great live music and other artsy events throughout the week.
Free Writing Workshop
The Bronx Council on the Arts is hosting, via its Bronx Memoir Project, an online three-class workshop called “The Body is a Portal: A Creative Writing Workshop on Poetry, Prose, and Memoir” beginning this Saturday, Sept. 14. (The two others are the 21st and the 28th) . You can RSVP for any, or all, of the three classes. It is all FREE! Oh, one more important thing: “This free virtual workshop series is open to all regardless of writing experience.”
Live Music
Riverdale Steak House has live music (out-of-date schedule on their site, but the good stuff is still happening) including open mics every other Wednesday eve. (I’ll be there on Sept. 18 jamming for a couple of songs with a friend. I play blues harmonica.)
There’s also open mic on Tuesday nights, and much more throughout the week at An Beal Bocht Café in Riverdale.
The Artist (also known as Starving Artist) on City Island hosts lots of live music. More info here.
And for a bigger show, “Rumba, Mambo & Salsa” is on at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in Bedford Park next Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 P.M. More info here.
I hope you get to enjoy something from above this week!
—Jordan