Subway Art, Opera, Rock Music Exhibit & Much More!
AAAU — 4.9.24
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have come across actual art in NYC subway stations. But probably none of us have seen the whole “museum,” with galleries in so many stations, especially in the Bronx. So, I’m going to sometimes share photos I come across throughout the Bronx. In last week’s newsletter, I included a ceramic artwork, by Rito Gatson, of Sonia Sotomayor at the 167th Street station of the D/B line (along the Grand Concourse). And here is just some of the gorgeous mosaic work by artist Andrea Dezsö in the Bedford Park station of the 4-train (more on the staircase walls). It was created in 2007. Its title? “Community Garden.”
OK, let’s get to the listing of more art happenings in the Bronx and a bit beyond …
MUSIC
Latin Jazz great Eddie Palmieri performs at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in Bedford Park on Sat., April 19 at 8 PM. All the info and tickets here. And you can learn about more upcoming shows here,
This is the first time I’m mentioning this group as I only learned about it a few months ago. Bronx Opera will perform, in English, “Cosí Fan Tutte,” by W.A. Mozart, at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre from Sat., April 26 through May 4. All the details here and here.
On Thurs., April 17 at 7 PM, Cocomama, an ensemble of women musicians whose global influences blend Salsa, Soul, Afro-Cuban, and Latin jazz into an unforgettable sound, brings their original music to the Bronx Music Hall, joined by two New York tap dancers, Max Pollak and Maria Clara Laet. Tickets are $15. All the info here.
On Wed., April 16, at 11 AM, Bronx Arts Ensemble is teaming up “with master yoga instructor Amaparo Chigui Santiago for a unique session at Vladeck Hall, which is part of Amalgamated Houses in Van Corltandt Village. The session will blend movement, relaxation, and classical music. Santiago will guide participants through gentle yoga stretches, suitable for all levels of experience.” All the info here. FREE!
As usual, there is a lot of great live music, as well as art and theatre, to check out at An Beal Bocht Café in Riverdale. Open mics are always on Tuesday at 8:30 PM.
THEATRE
Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and R.Evolución Latina announce performances of “Aguardiente: In Process,” a new bilingual musical written and directed by Luis Salgado for next week, Thurs., April 10 through Sat., April 12. All the info here.
Riverdale Children’s Theatre presents “Frozen Jr.” at St. Barnabas Elementary Auditorium in Woodlawn. It’s on through Sun., April 13. Tickets are $15.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Bronx Documentary Center (BDC) hosts the exhibit “1000 Dreams” project, a photo exhibit from Witness Change, a nonprofit that shares the stories of marginalized groups. It is on through Thurs., April 17 and BDC is open on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. All the info here. FREE! One of the photos and story below.
“My dream is to get my status and get the house with my girlfriend,” says Leticia (63), a Ugandan asylum seeker living in the United Kingdom. Leticia fled Uganda after her husband found her being intimate with another woman. “The people came, start beating, beating. I ran away,” she said. “It didn't feel good. And you can't even go back in his house. He can even killyou.” Leticia now stays with a friend, goes to church and attends an LGBTQI+ group. “Joining the groups make us so strong,” she says. Her children are still in Uganda. She misses them. When things get really difficult, she calls her girlfriend. “We console each other,” she says. She wants people to know that “those people who do not like gay people, they have to take us as we are.” As for life now in the UK, she says: “With my girlfriend, holding each other... you can kiss on the street, which you can't do back home.” She says being in the UK is better. Here, she says: “I feel free.”
Bronx Documentary Center also presents Jamel Shabazz’s exhibit: “Seconds of My Life; Photographs from 1975-2025” through April 20. It’s FREE and more info here.
FILM
This month, The Bronx County Historical Society at Poe Park Visitor Center will launch the first season of its Bronx Solstice Cinema Series, highlighting new and historic films from the cultures that make up The Bronx. The first one, “La Tercera Edad,” (in Spanish with English subtitles) is this Fri., April 11 at 3 PM, at the Visitor Center on the east side of the Grand Concourse at Kingsbridge Road. The movies are FREE! And they’ve been scheduled for a time most convenient for older adults. More details here.
Speaks for itself ….
WRITERS
As I spend a good chunk of time at Bronx libraries working on this newsletter I’ve become much more aware of late as to all the great programs/classes/events public libraries provide aside from books. It’s a lot! . Here are a couple of upcoming events.
Next Wed., April 16 from 6 to 7 PM, the Bronx Library Center, presents “Poetry & Power: A conversation with Roya Marsh and Joél Leon.” The poems in Roya Marsh’s second collection, ‘savings time,’ wear their raw feeling and revolutionary forcefulness on their sleeves. Alternating between confrontation and celebration, Marsh trains her unsparing eye on the twinned subjects of Black rage and Black healing with practiced, musical intention.” All the info here. FREE!
In a two-author conversation at the Melrose Library (910 Morris Ave.) about “The Young Lords,” on Thurs., April 17, 5:30 to 6:30 PM, author and professor Johanna Fernandez talks with the co-founder of the Young Lords Party and author Miguel “Mickey” Melendez about the party and their impact on New York City. “The Young Lords: A Radical History,” by Fernandez, and “We Took the Streets: Fighting for Latino Rights with The Young Lords,” by Melendez, discuss how the Young Lords resisted, educated and fought for the people. There will also be a Q & A session at the end. FREE!
ART OPENINGS/CLOSINGS/DISCUSSIONS/TOURS
Bronx County History Society presents the exhibit “Uptown Rumble: Heavy Music in the Bronx,” with an opening on Thurs., April 24 from 6 to 8 PM. Here’s what the show is all about: “While The Bronx is universally recognized as an epicenter for hip hop, salsa, doo-wop, jazz, reggaeton, and many other popular music genres, our borough is ignored in popular narratives about hard rock, heavy metal, and punk rock.” The show, at the Bronx History Museum in Norwood, features photos, flyerz, fanzines, clippings, memorabilia, oral history and more. And there are events related to this exhibit through October, listed here as well.
The Van Cortlandt House Museum in Van Cortlandt Park features an opening for the exhibit, “Unfolded Ornament: Fans from the VCHM Collection,” on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 12 PM, opening with activities, light refreshments, and some thoughts shared by volunteer curator John Carini. It’s “a selection of 18th and 19th century handheld fans — beautifully carved, painted and decorated.” All the info here and here.
Longwood Art Gallery, led by Bronx Council on the Arts, has an exhibit, at its Westchester Square headquarters, called “Ancestral Wisdom,” which brings together the voices of four Bronx artists whose work bridges heritage, nature, and community to challenge contemporary social and cultural constructs. It features artists Palén Obesa, asmara, Susan MacMurdy, and Darryl Alexander Moore and is curated by Lucia Warck-Meister. There will be a closing reception on April 30 from 6 to 8 PM. All the info here. One of the photos in exhibit is below.
The art exhibit, “Angst,” appears at BronxArtSpace through Sat., April 19, with a closing reception the same eve from 6 to 8 PM. It includes these artists: Lauren Caminero-Susana, Emelin Peralta, Jahzeel Peralta and Leonie Smith. And “it focuses on the cost of living. … It creeps into all our lives at some point and can shape our reality. Acknowledgment of mental health struggles are not afforded to women of color who live with anxiety due to societal pressures and standards.” Exhibit and openings are FREE! More info here.
At the Bronx River Art Center in West Farms is “Resilient Roots: Ecofeminism in Video Performance.” It “explores the profound intersection of ecofeminism and contemporary art through the lens of six prominent Latin American artists. It closes on April 18 with an Artist Talk from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. FREE! All the info here.
At the Derfner Judaica Museum in Riverdale, the exhibit “Nature’s Persistence: Recent Work by Shelley Haven,” is running through June 29. There will be a Reception and Artist’s Talk on Sun., May 4 at 1:30 PM. All the info and photos here. Above is one of the photos from the show.
ART EXHIBITS
At Inspiration Point in Hunts Point, WALLWORKS NY has the exhibit “Repainting Subway Art by TRIPL a.k.a FURIOUS,” (which is also the name of TRIPL’s book). FREE!
In Hastings-on-Hudson, not far up on the Saw Mill from the Bronx, at Upstream Gallery, is a “New Artists Showcase” on through April 27. More info here.
At the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, there are several exhibits to go see, including “Alvin C. Hollingsworth: And All That Jazz,” through April 27; “It Takes Two: Unexpected Pairings,” through June 1; and “Collection Spotlight: Cityscapes,” which is ongoing. All current exhibits listed here.
The exhibit, “The Art of the Wrapping,” at Lehman College Art Gallery is on through May 3. All the info here. FREE!
Hostos Center for Arts & Culture presents the exhibit, “Roots and Rebirth: Dominican Women in Art,” through April 16. It “showcases 22 contemporary Dominican women artists deeply connected to their history and traditions, yet forging a fresh vision of their culture through new ideas, influences, and expressions.” All the info here. FREE!
Also in downtown Yonkers is a Juried Members Competition & Exhibition at Blue Door Art Center. It’s on through April 19. FREE!
POETRY/SPOKEN WORD OPEN MIC
At the relatively new Bronx Music Hall, Palabras Abiertas, a spoken word open mic hosted by Bronx poet Sumbodies Mama is set for Thurs., April 10 at 7 PM. The open mic welcomes poetry and spoken word in any language and also solo music performances. It’s only $5. All the info here.
ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES
Bronx Council on the Arts continuously lists opportunities (grants, submissions, etc.) for Bronx artists of all kinds right here and here.
OK, have a great week and weekend everyone!
Peace, Paz, Salaam, Shalom, etc.,
Jordan