05/18/2013

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Diana Vreeland: A First Lady at City Lights

03/25/2013 By

vreelandWho would write this today?

Why don’t you…

tie black tulle bows on your wrists?

have a yellow satin bed entirely quilted in butterflies?

remember how delicious champagne cocktails are after tennis or golf? Indifferent champagne can be used for these.

upholster your car seat in fine camel’s hair? Hermes of Paris will do this for you.

wash your blond baby’s hair in dead champagne to keep its curl?

Diana Vreeland had such a flair for cockeyed fantasy. Both an outcast, a visionary and a determined confabulist, Diana Vreeland is an inspiration.

I’ve been enamored of her for years, ever since I saw “Full Gallop” on Broadway, a one-woman show with Mary-Louise Wilson that brought the former Vogue editor back to life. If you don’t know much about Diana Vreeland, then pay attention…

Now a new documentary about the legendary La Vreeland is on tap at City Lights Gallery.

FIRST LADIES, from Eve and Beyond, art exhibit at City Lights
FILM SCREENING AND CLOSING EVENT, WEDS. APRIL 3, 2013, 6:30 p.m.,
will feature a film about the First Lady of Style, Diana Vreeland “The Eye Has to Travel” documents the life and work of Diana Vreeland. Her career spanned five decades: as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar editor-in chief of American Vogue. She also was an arts patron and special consultant to the Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Light refreshment available, suggested donation: $5

City lights is located in downtown Bridgeport, CT 06604, (203) 334-7748

www.citylightsgallery.org

More aboout DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL documents one of the most influential women of the 20th century, “an enduring icon whose influence changed the face of fashion, beauty, art, publishing and culture forever.”  Known for this and other statements: “the bikini is the biggest thing since the atom bomb,” Vreeland was considered the “Empress of Fashion.” She was the visionary beahind Twiggy and  Jackie O.

Further reading:

Filed Under: Art & Artists, Downtown

World Artists’ Network sets up at the Arcade

02/19/2013 By
WAN paints and cleans a storefront before setting up shop at the Arcade in Bridgeport

WAN opens up shop at the Arcade in Bridgeport

I first got to know the World Artists Network when their president, Valeria Garrido Bisceglia, gave a beautifully constructed series on art criticism at the Black Rock Library. I’ve seen her now and again, ever since, usually setting up or breaking down tables at an art fair or similar event. Now, I’m happy to see that WAN has a place to put down some furniture that won’t have to be folded up and carted away at the end of the day.

I hope to be there when they celebrate their grand opening at the historic Arcade Mall in downtown Bridgeport. Open by appointment or for special events, WAN’s storefront will give life to the downtown space.

The grand opening starts 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 with an exhibit that will be up until April 11.

 

Filed Under: Downtown

Third Bridgeport Arts Fest is near: Time for a clambake

06/14/2012 By

The City of Bridgeport and Downtown Special Services District’s 3rd annual Bridgeport Arts Fest  is Saturday, July 7 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., the Bridgeport Arts Fest is one of the area’s most exciting celebrations of local and original creativity.

It’s New England, so how else to raise money for the festival than with a  huge Clambake Fundraiser Dinner. It will be served Friday, June 15, from 7 – 10 p.m. at the very hip loft spot 305 Knowlton Street, hosted by Gallery 305K. As of yesterday 10 tickets remained available at the door: $30 for a single ticket or $50 for a pair of tickets. The event is sold out.

The clambake’s food sponsors are Bridgeport Shelfish and Seafood, the legendary food distributor that’s right across the street; Barnum House; One of a Kind Catering; Sweet Magnolia Catering and, providing a home grown salad, Cook and Grow; wine sponsored by Barefoot.

Party Horse will be rocking the house during and after dinner.

Tickets enter you for a chance to win one of five orignal artworks, one of two Gathering of the Vibes Sunday passes, two of 10 Bijou Theatre gift certificates, one of 10 Bridgeport Arts Fest golf discs, and other door prizes. There will also be a silent auction.

The door re-opens at 8 p.m. for those who didn’t get a dinner ticket, but still want to join the party. Your $20 charge supports the 2012 Bridgeport Arts Fest and gets you in for live music and drinks (does not include food and door prizes).

Planned this year:

  • Over 75 exhibiting local and original artists, artisans, crafters and community groups
  • A Photo Walking Tour with Michele Beaulieu
  • 9 live day-stage performances
  • 4 live after-partystage performances
  • 7 live roaming and busker performers
  • 10 live action demonstrations
  • Local food and drink vendors
  • Bridgeport Community Land Trust “Beer Garden”
  • Urban Beautification Murals Project
  • Downtown Tour of Living with historian Charles Brilvitch
  • Gold & Main block party
  • Seaside beach bike ride
  • Westport Arts Center Connections Program presents “Heroes” Project
  • LuvJonz summer fashion show
  • “Home Sweet Bridgeport” film competition winners screening
  • “Sweet Spot!” area design competition
  • Cross promotion with downtown bars, restaurants and merchants
  • The Bridgeport Arts Fest is sponsored, in part, by  CT DECD, Office of the Arts’ Creative Placemaking Initiative; Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County;  Gallery 305K;  Magnacon7; Read’s Artspace; Aquarion; Antinozzi Associates; Bijou Theatre; United Staging & Rigging; Bridgeport Arts + Cultural Council; Westport Arts Center;  Merit Insurance
Filed Under: Downtown

Read’s Ground Floor Gallery: Go ‘Green’

04/18/2012 By
Eyelumination, Liz Squillace

Eyelumination, Liz Squillace

Described as an “open artist interpretation of this trendy term with many eco-related creations,” Read’s Ground Floor Gallery will open a “Green” exhibit 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 20. The organizers write:

“Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk about “going green”. While the popular phrase usually refers to environmental living, this captivating color that has been embraced to represent everything from rebirth and nature to jealousy and finance.

“The artists of Read’s Artspace have decided to offer their own creative interpretation. Set to open in time for the spring season, ”Green” will showcase each artist’s unique take on the meaning of this minimally entitled exhibit.”

The opening reception will feature music and refreshments, and a $5 donation is suggested.

Filed Under: Art & Artists, Downtown Tagged With:

City Lights’ encaustics show: Wax is a Verb

04/04/2012 By

Artists have rediscovered the once-forgotten ancient technique of encaustics. And the greater Bridgeport area happens to be home of a number of accomplished practitioners. City Lights has found them and is offering their work on view next week.

Artscope invited me to write about the show as it was still being put together. Here’s what I wrote: [Read more...]

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B.M.Riley’s Critterz at Port Coffeehouse

03/20/2012 By

I first noticed Bridgeport artist B.M.Riley‘s work when I was amuse by some marshmallow-themed temporary tattoos were sitting by the register at Rainy Faye, but there’s a lot more to him than that. He has been featured in galleries in San Francisco, New York, and New Orleans. Next up for Riley is “Critterz,” opening with a reception 4-6 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at Port Coffeehouse in Black Rock. 

His engrossing “OZlings” series has also been on view at Port, and his illustrated book “Dear Diary, My Friend,” has been published by the I Am Campaign to help raise awareness of human trafficking. Moreover, I’ve bought two of his silkscreened shirts on Etsy. His work just tickles me.

Riley says he draws his inspiration from pop culture, comic books, cartoons, TVand film, and artists like David Lynch, Dr. Seuss and Terry Gilliam.

The pieces in Critterz are soft watercolors for pet and animal lovers.  A self-published book of “Page The Cat” is  in the works, and some of these pictures will be included.  Both originals and prints will be on sale.

Also an accomplished actor, writer, and director, Riley is the Director of New Works for the Bridgeport Theatre Company.  He is developing and directing that company’s first workshop of an original rock musical, “SubUrban Decay.”  This Christmas he will be directing BTC’s “A Christmas Carol,” Goth style.

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Call for artists: SameSex returns to City Lights

02/21/2012 By
Conspirators 2 by Richard Taddei

Conspirators 2 by Richard Taddei, featured in the 2011 SameSex show at City Lights Gallery

City Lights Gallery is issuing a “call for artists” to particpate in its second “SameSex” show, a gay art exhibit scheduled for late spring.

Which, of course, begs the perennial question, What is gay art?

That’s up to the artist.

“We are intentionally not providing a specific description of this theme, thus encouraging artists who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or otherwise supportive of this community to offer their interpretation,” City Lights program director Suzanne Kachmar’s call states. Anyone who went to the first SameSex show can tell you that the jury (which I am on) is not concerned with frightening the horses.

“SameSex” is scheduled to open the last week of May, with an artists’ reception in June.
Submissions in jpeg form are due by April 6. For more info email clgallerybpt@gmail.com.

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BACC: “Character Development” by kHhyal™

02/20/2012 By

kHhyal™ at BACCkHhyal™ — that’s small k, big H, with a trademark sign at the end — is a Black Rock artist who you could describe in film terms: Character driven.

And it’s in Hollywood where her own artistic development took place.

As a young child of three or so, my imagination conjured up a series of characters that appeared in my realities. The earliest ones were quick circling lassos of hair that would wake me up in bed and follow me down the hall. Later, they became colorful combinations of transparent orbs with lively faces that popped up behind the living room furniture when no one else was around. Once I was in middle school, they only joined me in my sketchbook when I would draw them from memory and other unknown places.

When I was 20 years old, I moved to Los Angeles – a big, bold, bright city – that inspired me to create large, colorful canvases with a new cast of characters. In 1985, I received my first public art commission – a character painting in Rustoleum on a dumpster at a Beverly Hills gallery. I was commissioned to do another one at Newspace Gallery next to Paramount Studios, then a series of similar private client commissions through Ankrum Gallery on stainless steel trash cans.

The work has snowballed from there – and the character development continues.  (It’s probably no surprise that my favorite artist is Dr. Seuss.)

See kHhyal™ and her characters at the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council at an opening reception Thursday, Feb. 23. The show will be on view until March 29, when a brown-bag lunch with the artist is planned at 12:30.

Filed Under: Art & Artists, Downtown Tagged With: ,

City Lights: ‘Converging Paths,’ filled with color

01/27/2012 By
From Robert Leung's "The Heart of Man Project"

Robert Leung, who is orginally from the Bronx, presents work from a body of work that he calls "The Heart of Man Project."

Men hailing from Algeria, Nigeria, New York City and New Haven are featured in ”Converging Paths” at City Lights Gallery‘s next show.

Fethi Menghelli, Tunde Odunlade, Robert Leung and Gordon Skinner are the artists, and you, the viewer, are encouraged to find the differences and similarities in the works and contemplate the expressions and creations of male artists from diverse backgrounds whose paths converge through their art

The show opens Thursday, February 16, and the opening reception is a week later, on Feb. 23. The show closes  March 22. [Read more...]

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