What My Art 'Work' Means to Me, and ...
Here's what's happening all around us ... 4.16.25
Hey Everyone,
So I screwed up last Wednesday, clicking the wrong “send” button that made this edition of the newsletter only reach a small fraction of y’all. Really sorry about that. But here it is for ALL of you. Some of the listings are out-of-date, but most are still happening! And I’ll be putting out the next edition this coming Wed. eve., April 23.
Thanks for reading!
—Jordan
What My Art Work Means to Me
As I struggle with the concept — well, actually, the reality — of an emerging dictatorship, with Trump & Clan’s daily horrors headed toward such, I think about what role art plays, and can play, in saving and re-creating our democracy. I know art can be a form of activism and political expression, but I’ve always wondered about that regarding my own abstract artwork, like the example above.
How the heck will this kind of expression, without images we all can collectively identify, have an impact on authoritarianism?!
Well, I recently came across this article in a Massachusetts community newspaper, “The New Bedford Light,” by Don Wilkinson, which explores what local artists feel about the impact of their work at this time. That gave me some thoughts.
For example, sculptor Keith Francis expresses himself with a focus on war, violence and cultural upheaval.
I get that, and truly value it.
But I feel more connected to the focus of Diane Cournoyer, a painter Wilkinson interviews who recognizes and values the expressions of artists like Francis. Yet she focuses on nature, seeing the value in sticking with that, even at this time:
“If there was ever a time, it’s now. With a stifling political atmosphere, we have all appreciated the artist’s response … poking fun, exposing grueling sentiments. We need it. That said, I’ve mulled over my own reaction, and on seeing a recent ‘call for political art’ posting, my imagination painted a bleak picture.
“I’ve been painting mostly images of nature for some time. It’s through this work that I keep myself grounded and perhaps others feel so too, with images of the ordinary. I appreciate those who fight the fight — make those pictures — but presently I’m painting the work that lightens the load.”
And artist Liv Haines Gauthier, the daughter of Sig Haines, also a painter who died in June 2023, had this to share:
“I started painting a year ago as a way to connect with my Dad after he died. I discovered a part of me that I was unaware of or had buried. Painting has now become one of the few ways that I have found that I can shut out negative thoughts and the virtual noise of the world around me and focus on the present moment, what is in front of me, what I see, and my relationship with it.”
In addition to “lightening the load,” with abstract work — like Cournoyer does in expressing her take of the great outdoors — I’ve still endlessly mulled over, and scribbled, the American flag and how I can express what the United States is now, or what I want it to be, or both. I’m not there yet.
Maybe I will eventually paint a flag in one form or another, or something else to express my political thoughts, but right now abstract art gives me what I enjoy: mixing colors of paint and oil pastel and seeing what comes from that, often painting over what I’ve already painted to get to what looks right to me. For me, this kind of focus and creation is like meditation, with a bit of a difference I dig.
It leads to a physical, visible piece of art that I sometimes relish, and always seem to learn from. And it is there for others to see and define in their own way.
I may never create that flag, but I think the art work I explain here, gives me more enjoyment, and energy to fight the power.
Wilkinson’s article in The New Bedford Light helped me realize that.
OK, here’s what’s going on in the Bronx and a bit beyond …
PHOTOGRAPHY
Bronx Documentary Center presents Jamel Shabazz’s exhibit: “Seconds of My Life; Photographs from 1975-2025” through April 20 with a closing that same day. It’s FREE and more info here. “Shabazz’s work in this exhibition spans the 1970s to the early 2000s, including iconic photo albums, early images of his junior high classmates and photography spanning fashion, street, and documentary styles.” (See Shabazz’s photo of Alicia Keys above.)
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 Sun., May 11 and BDC is open on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. All the info here. FREE!
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,
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.
“Form and Abstraction: A Retrospective” is the current exhibit at the Riverfront Art Gallery, a beautiful space at Yonkers Public Library in downtown Yonkers. It is on through May 23. All the info here. FREE!
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.
Every month you can see the monthly Bronx Music Podcast interview of Bronx musicians, hosted by Gary Axelbank, every month live at The Artist on City Island. You can also check out the interviews/performances on YouTube, Spotify or Apple. The most recent edition, featuring jazz musicians Rale and Alma Micic is right here.
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.
WRITERS
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
Bronx County Historical 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.
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. (Three works of Susan MacMurdy in photo from exhibit above).
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 Fri., 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.
Bronx Arts Ensemble celebrates jazz appreciation month with musician Elio Villafranca at the University of Mount Saint Vincent on Sun., April 27 from 2 to 3 PM. More info here. FREE!
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 (see photo below). 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!
Also in downtown Yonkers is a Juried Members Competition & Exhibition at Blue Door Art Center. It’s on through April 19. FREE!
Casita Maria Gallery in Hunts Point presents “You CAN Sit Here,” a multimedia solo exhibition by Bronx native Tiffany ‘Tiff McFierce’ McPherson, on through Aug. 16. More details here. FREE!
A Spurt of Spring …
WORKSHOPS/CLASSES/GRANTS
Blue Door Art Center in downtown Yonkers offers FREE classes/programs for kids on Saturday mornings.
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. Info here (scroll down page for listing). And here’s a link to all the “active” exhibit space and happenings.
Bronx Council on the Arts has a great listing of organizations that provide various opportunities, grants and projects for artists of all kinds.
If you want to contact me directly, you can email me, Jordan Moss, at AAAUBRONX@GMAIL.COM.
Much of my art and photography is on IG @jordanmossbx.
Enjoy the week, and weekend, everyone.
Peace, Salaam, Shalom, Paz, etc.,
Jordan