Outdoor Bronx Art Happenings This Weekend
... including author Colson Whitehead at the Bronx Book Festival!
Hey Everyone,
I’m sorry this week’s newsletter is a day-and-a-half late! (I’m out of town at the moment.) I aim for publishing Wednesday eves or Thursday early morning at the latest. Hope you can still enjoy some of what’s listed below re: this weekend and beyond.
It feels like it’s the beginning of summer because there are several outdoor weekend happenings. I’ll start with a couple of them.
The Bronx nonprofit book organization, “The Bronx is Reading,” is having its 7th annual Bronx Book Festival next weekend June 7 through June 9 featuring all kinds of events. There’s a lot going on so start out here re: Saturday, the main day, in Fordham Plaza, where authors, including renowned author Colson Whitehood who will be in conversation with Cree Myles.
This weekend, today, May 31 through Sunday, June 2, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education celebrates its 90th birthday with its annual gathering of so many different performances and lessons, including Dominican roots music, a Basics of Bomba dance lesson, art activities, and even the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra! There is so much more! You can learn about all the happenings right here. (I wish I was in town this weekend. If you go at all, please let me know what you enjoyed seeing and taking part in!)
Dance (Inside & Out!)
Every summer over the last several years, there’s been a series of “Barefoot Dancing,” at Van Cortland Park where adults and kids of all ages can “kick off your shoes and learn to dance,” to all kinds of music from around the world. It’s on the grass outside the Van Cortlandt House Museum. This Saturday, June 1, at 2 PM, it’s “with Estelle Walkin featuring Escalante Amaru (Music Medicine) who will be playing Brazilian music.” FREE! Enter the park at Broadway and West 246th Street. More info here.
On Saturday, June 1, at 8 PM, BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance!) presents “Haus of Charly: Fashion Art Showcase,” “where visual artist Charly Dominguez presents a rousing runway show with body-painted muses, celebrating ballroom culture and LGBTQ community!” Tickets and more info here.
Photography Exhibits
Bronx News 12 covered the photo exhibit at the Derfner Judaica Museum in Riverdale. “Leonard Nones: Essential Workers,” features Nones’ portraits of staff on RiverSpring Living’s Riverdale campus (also known as The Hebrew Home). “The series of 18 archival inkjet prints are tributes to the strength, resilience, and compassion of all the people who work with the Hebrew Home’s residents.” You can see several photos here. FREE!
Bronx Arts Factory, at 240 E. 153rd St., presents a FREE open celebration of their member artists today, May 31 from 6 to 9 PM. You’ll get to see their work and art studios. “Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support local artists and experience the vibrant art scene of the Bronx,” they state. Again, it’s FREE, but if you’re going, sign up for it here.
At the Bronx Documentary Center in Melrose, photographer Juanita Escobar’s exhibit, “Orinoco - Frontera de agua - (Water Border)" (see photo above) is a visual and literary essay featuring various stories and voices from those who have forged a life in this stateless area near the Orinoco River border between Colombia and Venezuela.” The exhibit ends on June 9. More info here.
Art Exhibits
Longwood Arts Gallery (on the first floor of Hostos Community College) the exhibit Black Shedding(s), features “a group exhibition where each artist's work comes together to tell a collective story,” which starts on June 5. Through visual art, sound production, literary reflections, and educational resources, the viewer is invited into their own contemplation and conversation about diverse quests for liberatory transformation.” It begins with an opening on June 5, 6 to 8 PM. You can learn more and RSVP here. FREE.
New York Botanical Garden’s new art/nature show is “Wonderland: Curious Nature,” (ends Oct. 27) with “sights, settings, and scents of the classic story of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
The Bronx Museum’s Part II of its biennial is on through June 16. It’s always FREE.
Gallery 505 in Riverdale is currently showing “Color of an Independence,” by Jose-Luis Tejeda. Exhibit is on until June 28.
Bronx River Art Center has an excellent FREE group exhibit, “NEVER WAIT!/¡NUNCA ESPERES!” through June 8.
A Bronx/Washington Heights Hike and Gathering
A friend told me about “Hike the Heights 20” (the 20 indicating the events annivesary) on Saturday, June 1, where people will hike and gather for food, arts, game painting and more in Washington Heights, across the High Bridge, and in the Bronx! For all the details, click here.
Theatre
Riverdale Children’s Theatre (RCT), puts on excellent shows and has won all kinds of awards. You can check out details for “Rent,” next weekend at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, June 6 to June 9.
Live Music (& 3 Open Mics!)
Next Friday, June 7, at 6:30 PM, The Van Cortlandt House Museum in Van Cortlandt Park features a FREE live concert connecting music and poetry. Cornelius Eady has “set his poetry to song” with the Cornelius Eady Group. A National Book Award winner and Pulitzer prize nominated poet, Eady's songs tell the story of passing time, the Black American experience and the blues in the style of Folk & Americana music.
As usual, An Beal Bocht in Riverdale has a lot of great, live music going on, including an open mic on Tuesday nights at 8 PM. It’s FREE to get in but all are urged to “Please! Be! Generous!” to gather well-deserved tips for the performers. An Beal Bocht was just featured on Bronx News 12. Check it out.
Connaughton’s, the steakhouse in Riverdale (5700 Riverdale Ave.) also has an open mic this Friday, May 31, from 8 to 11 PM. FREE. (You can check out “Mark the Harper” on Facebook for a list of all the other music Connaughton’s hosts.)
On the other side of the Bronx, Starving Artists on City Island also has an open mic on Friday, May 31 at 8 PM. FREE. “Singers, songwriters, comics, actors, poets, musicians... all welcome!”
Classes/Programs/Events for Kids & Adults
Every Saturday from 2 to 4 PM, BronxArtSpace, on 700 Manida St., provides FREE art classes for all ages, which include drawing, painting, collage and flip-book animation.
Also open to all ages, is “Sing With Us!,” weekly Monday night singing classes through June 17 for adults and school-age kids from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, (except Memorial Day) at Bronx Music Heritage Center. For more info go to @bxmusic on Facebook and Instagram or email lmolde@whedco.org.
Great interactive exhibits and programs at the relatively new Bronx Children’s Museum.
Bronx River Art Center, on East Tremont Avenue, provides children’s and teen art classes.
Blue Door Arts Center in downtown Yonkers has a FREE workshop that features many FREE kids’ and teens’ art workshops.
Through its Youth Photo League, Bronx Documentary Center in Melrose offers a “FREE after-school and summer documentary photography programs [that] teach[es] middle and high school Bronx students to use photography, writing, and research to explore social justice issues and prepare them for college and future careers.”
Every summer and fall/spring season, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center in Wakefield (northeast Bronx near 2/5 trains) offers a number of FREE art programs for kids and teens in addition to public performances, workshops and presentations.
Blue Door Arts Center in downtown Yonkers has a FREE workshop that features many FREE kids’ and teens’ art workshops.
Through its Youth Photo League, Bronx Documentary Center in Melrose offers a “FREE after-school and summer documentary photography programs [that] teach[es] middle and high school Bronx students to use photography, writing, and research to explore social justice issues and prepare them for college and future careers.”
Every summer and fall/spring season, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center in Wakefield (northeast Bronx near 2/5 trains) offers a number of FREE art programs for kids and teens in addition to public performances, workshops and presentations.
I’ll end here: Exploring a bit in Boston today, I came across Church of the Covenant. There’s a lot of injustice in our country and beyond, which is why I really appreciated these positive, beautiful, large statements : “Climate Jubilee: The sacred movement of liberation for racial and eco-justice,: and “God is Love. You Are Loved. Trans Folks are Beloved.” (You can learn more about their social justice work here.)
Have a great weekend everyone! I promise to produce Art All Around Us on time next week. :-)
