Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit

If you're out of town on Labor Day, be sure to come by the next weekend to see a stunning array and variety of art, usually in a very pleasant walk down University Place. FB found out recently that Jackson Pollack (one of our favorite painters) and William DeKooning provided the first inspiration for the outdoor exhibit. 

 When: September 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9
Canon SX40 HS 12MP 35X Optical Zoom Digital Camera Black 5251B001
Where: University Place from East 12th to East 3rd St
Website: http://wsoae.org/

River to River Spreads Through Downtown Manhattan Again

Kicking off Sunday is the 10th annual River to River. Stretching out over a month and hitting venues all over lower Manhattan, this year's festival is pared down from last year but features a maddening breadth of acts, with a little theater, dance, an open artists weekend, and more thrown in.

When: June 19-July 16, 2011
Where: All Over Downtown Manhattan
Website: http://www.rivertorivernyc.com

Queens Art Express

Queens' multi-neighborhood art expo returns for another year. Use the interactive map to highlight venues in specific neighborhoods, then visit galleries, municipal beautification projects, museums and theaters.

When: June 16-21, 2011
Where: 7 neighborhoods throughout Queens
Website: http://www.queensartexpress.com

Affordable Art Fair

The biennial favorite returns with a variety of art originals with prices starting from $100.  Build out your collection or pick up a piece for Mother's Day. Tickets are $15-$20.

When: May 5-8
Where: 7W 34th Street (7 West 34th Street)

Website: http://www.aafnyc.com

CRAFTNEWYORK Benefit for CERF+

This craft show has 120 craftspeople with specialties in everything from jewelry to glass to textile and fiber arts exhibiting in the 7W show room center. Tickets are $15 (discounted for seniors and students and under 18 enter free).

Admission profits will go to benefit the Craftmens Emergency Relief Fund + Artists' Emergency Resources), an emergency fund that helps craftsmen and artists.

When: April 1-3, 2011

Where: 7W showrooms (34th Street @ 5th Ave)

Website:  CRAFTNEWYORK.COM

Show Overview : Show Information : Architectural Digest Home Design Show : March 17 – 20, 2011 : Pier 94 : NYC

Show Overview : Show Information : Architectural Digest Home Design Show : March 17 – 20, 2011 : Pier 94 : NYC

Designers, renovators, homebodies and anyone else with a design fetish or urge to decorate, get excited for the 2011 Architechtural Digest Home Show.

This show is also a real trade show, so you know the heavy hitters will show up. Over 300 brands are promised to exhibit, and presentations include design seminars, cooking demos, and - for the lucky few who show up early enough - one on one design consultations.

After drooling at the latest home fixtures and furnishings, head over to an artist sale and exhibition at Pier 92, and accessorize with the latest in original artwork.

Show tickets are $25 each, you can purchase them on the show's website.

When: March 18-20 (Trade only on March 17)

Where: Pier 94 @ 55th Street

Website: http://www.archdigesthomeshow.com

Meditation Fair Inspired By Sri Chimnoy

Think there's something to meditation but want to get started with guidance? Or are you a practiced hand at dropping into bliss?  There is something for both at the upcoming Festival of Meditation and Spirituality. Hosted by nycmeditation.com, a site inspired by the teachings of the late Sri Chimnoy, the festival goes on for 8 days and addresses the idea of meditation, spirituality and self-awareness and discovery through different media, including a concert of mantra, art exhibits, a play based on Sri Chimnoy's early life, and a free 3 day workshop on meditation technique.  Those looking for a new path may find food for thought here. Most activities are free but reservations are required in advance.

When: March 5-13, 2011

Where: 166 Essex Street

Website: http://www.nycmeditation.org

River to River

This weekend kicked off the annual River to River Festival - one of the more comprehensive arts festivals meant to get you out and checking out downtown Manhattan. 

Known mostly for its musical presentations, River to River (or R2R) sanctions arts performances ranging from theater to dance to spoken word, as well as other miscellaneous activities. August 21-22, for instance, has an automotive theme: a classic Volkswagen show paired with a day to have your car seats checked out by a certified technician.

R2R is so big it actually includes other festivals such as the J&R MusicFest and the 29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival. There's bound to be something for everyone. Head over to the website and print out the program, then start marking it up.

When: June 20-August 31
Where: Outdoor venues around Lower Manhattan
Website: http://www.rivertorivernyc.com

Crest Hardware art show

Billed as a "local block party" to benefit the NYC Reliquary (a repository for all kinds of New York mundania throughout the ages), the Crest Hardware Art Show promises artist displays, vendors, kids' activity table, food (a 10 foot smoker will be on hand to provide mouth-watering barbeque - for those of us who are missing the Big Apple BBQ Block Party!) and music near the Lorimer Street stop on the L train.

When: June 19 from 12PM-11PM
Where:  558 Metropolitan Ave btw Lorimer and Union.
Website: http://cresthardwareartshow.com/

Buy Tickets Now: Bococa Arts Festival

We hope you had a great time at the Art Walk. If you did and want more (or if you missed it), here's another chance to get out and about nearby.

BoCoCa stands for Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. I hate that acronym. Doesn't work nearly as well as TriBeCa or NoLita. Whatever. They're having an arts festival. This one is less visual arts (though there will be visual art) and more performing arts (music, theater, multimedia, etc), which makes it a nice follow-up.

Tickets are $14 for all performances if purchased in advance through the festival's website, and $17 cash-only at the door.

There will also be an outdoor event called BoCoCa Outdoors @ Carroll Park at, yes that's right, Carroll Park on June 19. This will be an outdoor performance 11AM - 5:30 PM accompanied by vendors. That will be free to walk through.

When: June 18-27, 2010
Where: Theaters, pubs, restaurants and public spaces around Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens
Website: http://bococaartsfestival.com/

Queens Puts Its Best Foot Forward June 10-13

Do you ever see signs for an event on the subway and think "Hmm, I wonder what the big deal is on that?" and then walk away?  I had to check out the Queens Art Express website and I have to say that this might get me back to Queens.

QAX - as they call it - is a multi-neighborhood effort to showcase the best of Queens. Ok all you Brooklynites, stop ragging on Queens. It's actually pretty cool. And here they are going to prove it. 

The 6 spotlighted neighborhoods are (of course) ranged out along the 7 line: Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Flushing. Each neighborhood has a calendar of various events and sites to visit. Naturally, you can expect Corona and Long Island City to dominate the art scene, but literature, poetry, design, theater and food all have a place in this festival.

Check out http://queensartexpress.com for a breakdown of events by date and/or by neighborhood (their website does one of the best jobs of this that I have found - good job guys! )

Where: Throughout Queens along the 7 line

When: June 10-13

Tickets: sometimes required

FREE: Museum Mile 6-9PM

Wish you could get your fill of NYC culture but don't have the dough?  Well, tonight's the night for you.  On Tuesday June 7 from 6-9PM, nine museums on Fifth Avenue will be free!  Start off at 82nd and tour the Met, but don't spend all your time there! Wend your way up to 104th where the Museo del Barrio awaits. All this across the street from gorgeous Central Park. If you only get up that way once a year, let this be the night!

Museums not your thing (Disclosure: they're not mine). You can still have fun. Along Fifth Ave you'll find performances and activities (mostly geared towards kids).  Join this annual promenade through the best of New York's museums.

http://www.museummilefestival.org/

Art Walk in Brooklyn

For the next couple weeks there are going to be some fun gigs going on in Downtown Brooklyn.  The first one starts Saturday June 5 with the Atlantic Ave Art Walk.  This weekend is jam packed and I am impressed and looking forward to getting down there.  


The garden of Atlantic Gardens will become a 5000 square foot beer garden and tons of restaurant and other  deals will be available from the local shops and restaurants that line Atlantic Avenue. 




There are lots of ways to tackle this blocks-long Art Walk. The website at http://atlanticavenueartwalk.com lists self-guided tours curated by exhibiting artists. Find one that fits your vibe and sample his or her highlights. Or, just download a map and pick out your personal hotspots. Or, follow my personal plan - just walk along and see what happens.    


Atlantic Avenue merchants and the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation are really pulling out the stops here. The website lists dozens of food and drink specials to exploit during Art Walk. The schedule of musical performances is jam packed. And of course, there's the art. There are open studios, exhibitions and plenty of opportunity for artists to display and discuss (and maybe sell) their work. The website for the Art Walk bears a couple hours of giddy exploration and planning. 


Check the website for additional events held in conjunction with the opening of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Bococa Arts Festival!

When: June 5 & 6
Where: Along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue
Website: http://atlanticavenueartwalk.com/home/

Gateway to Nations NYC Native American Heritage Celebration

Hosted by the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, the annual Gateway to Nations NYC Native American Heritage Celebration will be held June 5& 6 from 11AM to 7PM at Aviator Sports Complex in Floyd Bennett Field in the Brooklyn Gateway National Recreation area.

June 4 will be a student day at the festival - see details to register school groups at http://www.redhawkcouncil.org.

In the style of many "pow wows", the festival will feature grand entrances of the many dancing competitors in several dancing styles - southern straight, grass, fancy, and jingle dress, and the dancing competitions themselves are always fun to hear and watch as they feature live music and amazing dancers. A "birds of prey" demonstration is promised. In addition there will be many vendors selling their crafts, and food vendors will be there as well.

Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children and seniors, with children 6 and under getting in free.

Last 2 days: New York Photo Festival

It only costs $15 for a single day pass to the main exhibitions and programming at the New York Photo Festival in Dumbo, but INSTITUTE events are free to the public. Talks, seminars and exhibits continue through Sunday May 16. Go to http://www.nyphotofestival.com/site/ for more information.  The awards ceremony requires an additional ticket of $10.

Coming up: Affordable Art Fair.

Original works of art can cost a pretty penny. But if you know where to look you can find some great stuff. I got my cubist-inspired oil from Ebay from a prolific artist who seems to be pretty successful selling them that way. But if you need to really touch and see (or just see in the case of paintings) the stuff, head over to the Affordable Art Fair of NYC, in town May 6-9.

According to the website, the art is priced from the potentially affordable to $100 to the more aristocratic $10,000. Nevertheless, those who are familiar with art collecting know that this is indeed affordable art. However, window shopping is permissible. All it will cost you is the $20 ($16 for students/seniors) you paid to get in the door. If you're serious about collecting some art, $45 gets you into the private preview on May 5.  Most of the good stuff gets snapped up pre-sale, so it could be worth it for that perfect watercolor of the two bridges.

Ancillary to the AAFNYC is the I [heart] Brooklyn party on May 6, meant to celebrate Brooklyn's art galleries (primarily located in Williamsburg, Cobble Hill and Dumbo). $25 gets you in

It goes without saying that original art pieces are one of a kind, but don't worry if you can't make it: going forward, AAFNYC will hold a second fair in September. Stay tuned.