05/21/2013

Forest to Shore: ‘Kick Ass’ x 4

perezStratford’s Forest To Shore Gallery promises both “horror” and “beauty” when they present four regional artists in a ”A Kick Ass Art Show” in a reception 6 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Jan. 26. (Why don’t more gallery receptions last until midnight?)

Live painting will be performed by all four artists on a single canvas throughout the night.

Also, there will be a special “Instagram raffle” with prizes donated from each artist and FTS.

FTS supplied this information about the artists: [Read more...]

MOCCA: The art and animation of Pee-wee’s Playhouse

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) and ECW Press will the animation and creativity of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the 1980s Saturday morning show and included cutting-edge stop-motion animation, as well as cartoons from Ub Iwerks, Dave Fleisher, Rudolf Isling, and others from the golden age of animation.

Punk artist Gary Panter lent his avant-garde sensibility to the overall artistic design of the show’s set and many of the puppets, both of which were like three-dimensional cartoons. On the 25th anniversary of the debut of Pee-wee’s [Read more...]

Downtown Renaissance Fair: ‘Bigger and broker’

2010's Renaisance Fair on Baldwin Plaza

It’s back for a third year, “bigger and broker,” writes organizer Keith Rodgerson on his Facebook page. The Downtown (Budget) Renaissance Fair overtakes Baldwin Plaza Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

LIFE SIZED STONEHENGE! Live jousting, fire and belly dancers, live swordfighting exhibitions by the Knights of Gore, giant chess, centaur rides, folk musicians, movie at night, maypole, costume making competition, sidewalk mural competition, stuff for ev’rybody + more! FREE + BYOB out on the green. Also: bands.

From the DCC: the folks that brought you the Burning Ham Festival, Park City Noise 1-5, the Downtown Amateur Wrestling League and Hillbilly BBQ, the Downtown Experimental Animation Festival, The Luis Bunuel Tapas BBQ, the Downtown Japanimation Festival, Halfway to Hal’s Birthday/Robot Expo 2009, the tornado and inclement-weather wreaked Burning Clam Festival and Downtown Idiotarod, the World’s First Drum Machine Circle, the Downtown Michael Jackson Funeral and Chalk Memorial, Bollywood Thursdays, the Fiji Mermaid Parade, Downtown Skatefest, Downtown Reggaefests 1 and 2, Jeff Coleman Appreciation Day, the Downtown Punk Rock Picnic, the Downtown Free Jazz Festival, the Oktoberfest in July Werner Hertzog Film Festival, the original Downtown Stonehenge, the Downtown Street Arts and Breakdancing Fest, and dozens of other free and volunteer movies, concerts, parties, and “happenings” over the last five years in Bridgeport.

Lo Nuestro II: Ricardo Reyes, Pasofino Social Club at Gallery 305K

Pasofino Social Club

Lo Nuestro is back, an evening of fun and celebration of Latino culture as Bridgeport marks Hispanic Heritage Month

The Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County, in collaboration with the Hispanic Heritage Committee, invites everyone to Gallery 305K from 6:30-9:30 Thursday, Sept. 29, for the second edition of Lo Nuestro Culture, Art and Music.

Live music from Ricardo Reyes of the Cosmic Jibaros and the Pasofino Social Club will fill the cavernous gallery, and expect plenty of appetizers, refreshments and wine. A minimum donation of $5 is suggested.

Interested artists who want to present and show their work must bring their own exhibition table no larger than 3 x 3 feet.

Ricardo Reyes

Contact Tamar Morales at 203-685-9593 to register or visit the Puerto Rican Parade website for more information. If you cannot attend this fun-filled evening, consider membership, volunteering or a simple donation to keep the spirit of Latino pride alive.

Around the corner: the Bridgeport Arts Fest

Rafter Bats

The second annual Bridgeport Arts Fest has evolved, as evidenced by the latest roster. This Saturday, McLevy Green will see 60 local artists, craftmakers and performers.

The Bridgeport Community Land Trust’s “Beer Garden” will support community gardens. Maltose Express, of Monroe, is hosting a local Homebrewers’ Beer Tasting. The city library, City Lights Gallery, Gallery 305K, The Center for Public Art & Design, World Artists Network, Neighborhood Studios and Read’s ArtSpace are all participating.

The McLevy Stage lineup includes musical performances from Chris Cavaliere, The Backyard Committee, Talking to Walls and Nardy Boy as well as preview theatrical performances by Connecticut Free Shakespeare and the Bridgeport International Academy.

“It’s so gratifying to see the Fest triple in size from 2010 to 2011” Don Eversley, the City’s Director of Planning & Economic Development and Bridgeport Arts Fest founder, said in a press release. “Bridgeport continues to amaze as a cauldron of creative minds!”

Here’s the aforementioned roster:

- The Arts Fest Bike Ride (10am-Noon) Kick off your Arts Fest with a leisurely morning ride led by local bicycle activist John Wilkins. The Ride departs from McLevy Green at 10AM, and takes riders past the Ballpark at Harbor Yard to the Seaside Park bike trail, Captain’s Cove and back to McLevy Green and the Arts Fest via the Railroad Avenue bike route.

- The Downtown Tour of Living (1pm & 3pm), led by Bridgeport Architectural Historian Charles Brilvitch, showcases downtown’s emerging residential community of new and renovated living spaces. On the Tour of Living, you will visit the City Trust, Arcade, 323 Fairfield and 333 State buildings, as well as the historic Bijou Theatre.

- Ground Floor Gallery Bloom Show (3-7pm) at Read’s ArtSpace is this year’s annual spring/summer exhibit, featuring work from nearly 40 resident Artists and their invited guests. BLOOM features works of diverse subject matter and style and speaks to the idea that art is a product of constant change, influence, and growth. The Ground Floor Gallery, a community arts space located in Read’s ArtSpace Lofts, 1042 Broad St, will have open gallery hours and guided tours of the BLOOM exhibit and common areas.

- Sites.Camera.Action Shorts Film Festival (6-9pm) The curtains are open and the films are ready to roll again! Site Projects Inc. will host an encore presentation of Sites.Camera.Action! A Film Shorts Festival at the newly renovated Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave. A reception (6-7pm) will be followed by the screening and awards from 7-8:30pm. A wrap party where you can interact and network with the filmmakers will end the evening. As with all other Arts Fest events admission is free.

- The Urban Beautification & Murals Project/Graffiti Block Party (11am – 8pm) is at the corner of Gold & Main St. The City of Bridgeport is working to transform this site into an attractive and active pocket park, welcome to all. During the Arts Fest local and regional artists will be installing a P.T. Barnum-inspired graffiti mural. The Block Party celebrates these improvements and gives you a chance to interact with the artists as they work. Entertainment includes DJ’s, local musical performances and B-Boy battles. Rampage Skateparks is setting up a temporary skate park for the event.

- Lightsaber Battle (9pm) The Arts Fest will begin to clear out of McLevy Green at 6PM, but the fun doesn’t stop there! Around the corner at Baldwin Plaza, the largest Lightsaber Battle this side of Tatooine will commence. The Battle will travel from Baldwin Plaza, to McLevy Green and up Main St. to the Block Party. Look for your own lightsaber at various retail locations downtown!

- Arts Fest After-Party Show (6-11PM) Saving some of the best for last, the After-Party Show at McLevy Green is a concert that features some of the most creative and electric musical artists around. Starting at 7pm, this lineup includes Bridgeport’s own psychedelic soul trio, The Stepkids; New Haven’s “dirty soul” foursome, Fake Babies; Milford’s experimental garage goodness, Electric Bucket and Bridgeport DJ Humble Dinosaur. BYO friends and let the good times roll!

The Arts Fest is sponsored, in part, by the following:
- Downtown Special Services District
- United Staging & Rigging
- Drinx Unlimited
- Gallery 305K
- Magnacon7
- Maltose Express
- NURevealed Photography
- Paradox Ink
- Deadly Grounds Coffee

artMRKT summers in the Hamptons

Caption: artMRKT Hamptons Exhibitor: Sara Nightingale Gallery, Water Mill Parade Field, Barry Underwood, archival pigment print

artMRKT Hamptons, a new contemporary and modern art fair, will feature 35 galleries presenting painting, sculpture, drawings, photography, video and installation. Showcasing a tightly focused selection by important artists in a boutique setting, artMRKT Hamptons sets out to create an ideal context for the discovery, exploration, and (hopefully) acquisition of art. It is a spinoff of artMRKTs in San Francisco and Texas. It will make use of the Bridgehampton Historical Society Grounds July 14-17.

Open Studios: Velvet Mill in Stonington

See this historic Velvet Mills lofts, enjoy live music, meet the artists, on Friday, July 8 from 5-8 p.m. Good luck finding the building without a GPS, though.

Beautifying Bridgeport during the Arts Fest

The Urban Beautification & Murals Project/Graffiti Block Party is set for Saturday, July 16th on Gold and Main streets, which is a (formerly) forlorn corner of  downtown Bridgeport and future home of one of the Office of Planning and Economic Development’s many “Pocket Parks.” Stop by between 11am – 8pm to witness the creation of a  P.T. Barnum-inspired graffiti mural demonstrated by local and regional artist from Bridgeport, the Greater CT area, and NYC.

This comes via Magnacon7, A Beautiful Crime Gallery Show, The Center for Public Art & Design, Rampage Skate Shop, NuRevealed Photography, Gallery 305K, and O.P.E.D.

Writers included on the project include ES, Geli, Pacer, Revenge, Curse, Drue, Jodi, Jahmane and EMDOT. There will be music provided by a rotation of DJs, local music performances and Bboy battles thru out the day, also a skate and bmx course sponsored by Rampage Skate Shop.

This is all  in conjunction with The Bridgeport Arts Fest.

From the organizers:

We’re taking one of the blighted and visually challenged buildings and covering with beautiful art work. It’s a less developed section of the downtown area, but located on a highly traveled and visible street. In turn we know this shall bring a surge of media attention and tourism to the area and city due to this being the first project of its scope in the city’s major downtown areas. There has already been much anticipation and fan fare for whats to come to the walls since the success of the Beautiful Crime Graffiti & Pop Art Show.

Call 203.395.1395
For more info or to contribute supplies or donations please contact us at:
Magncon7@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/beautifulcrimeshow

Museum Mile: Fifth Avenue fest starts at El Museo

Manhattan’s Museum Mile is a thing to behold, but the museum we reserve most of our affection is El Museo del Barrio, which is at the northern most point of that mile.

They are one of the nine Fifth Avenue museums that will be part of a multi-block party coming up soon.

One day a year, nine of the country’s finest museums that call Fifth Avenue home open their doors from 6 pm – 9pm for free to New Yorkers and visitors for a mile-long block party and visual art celebration. This traffic-free, music- and art-filled celebration fills Museum Mile from 82nd to 105th street.

Start the party at El Museo, and be one of the first to see EL MUSEO’S BIENAL: The (S) Files on its first day open to the public. Our sixth biennial takes on a broad exploration of the visual energy, events and aesthetics of the street. The exhibition features the most innovative, cutting-edge art created by 75 Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American artists currently working in the New York area.

Celebrate Museum Mile with us as we take over la calle with music, art-making, dance, and performance art!

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