Showing posts with label Williamsburg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Williamsburg. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
If I Was In NYC, July 31st
"Announcing the City Reliquary's first Summer Benefit Party!
We hope you will join us for this delightful evening benefiting everyone's
favorite community museum on July 31 at 7:00pm.
Please email cityreliquary@gmail.com to reserve your tickets
as soon as possible! Tickets are $50 (civic level) or $100
(metropolitan level -- includes a Reliquary membership!).
In addition to enjoying drinks, snacks, and music while exploring the
Reliquary and its grounds, the evening will include a silent auction
featuring swag from Crest Hardware and Transportation Alternatives, a
personalized NYC tour from The Levy's Unique New York!, original
artwork, and more. We'll also offer you the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to "Win-a-Date with a Reliquarian."
You can pay for your tickets by mailing a check to the Reliquary at PO
BOX 110948, Brooklyn, NY 11211 or by cash or check night-of the party.
Thanks for your support and see you on July 31!"
It's unlikely I'm going to this mainly cause I'm too broke but if I think residents of NYC should consider going to this benefit for on of the little gems of Brooklyn-- A tiny storefront museum commited to an active engagement in NY's past and future in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.Both me and Merge went to this place a while back during the Festa Del Giglio.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
NY Trip: My Introduction to Queens.
It's been a long day of driving, most of it very intense. Route 80 is a good enough road- not much different than the turnpike, except that it is perhaps in better shape. The downside is that it's not nearly as scenic as I thought it would be. Plus the rest stops are very basic. There are bathrooms and vending machines, but no Starbucks or chain restaurants. You have to get off at an exit if you need gas or food. Anyway, we rolled along smoothly until we got into Northern New Jersey, and then we poked along the rest of the way to the Forest Hills section of Queens. There are some pleasant residential streets in this area that don't necessarily fit my expectations of NYC. But Queens is the most sprawling of the boroughs, and there are many types of neighborhoods within it.
I've read a lot about Queens being the only part of NYC that resembles the old-time traditional image of the City. Supposedly there are still alot of working class folks living here. The ethnic diversity is obvious. Despite the fact that I've only explored a small portion of this town (and much of that in the dark), I've already noticed influences from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and several regions of Asia. There are hispanics, jews, white people, blacks, etc. It's certainly not entirely gentrified yet. But to hear JM talk, a large portion of it has already changed during the relatively short time he's been away. I was impressed to find an actual grocery store, albeit one with compacted shelves. I didn't know such things existed anymore in the "Big Apple". I bought drinkable yogurt!
We decided to take a drive into Williamsburg (Brooklyn) this evening. Right away we spotted a "community museum". It had a charming collection of souvenirs and artifacts. We got pulled in to watching a documentary about the Giglio (giglio means "lily" in Italian) in the backroom. I found it useful background information for something we intend to see tomorrow. The Giglio Feast is meant to honor St. Paolino, a baron in the ancient Italian city of Nola. It is said that he sacrificed himself by working in the fields and providing offerings for a North African Sultan. He did this so the autocratic ruler would spare the lives of the youth in his city. People have been celebrating this deed since it occurred in 409AD. In Brooklyn, the feast is held by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. They emulate their ancestors by building a five-story tower, weighing several tons and embroidered with saintly imagery by traditional artisans. Then a team of 120 men carry the thing, with a 12-piece brass band perched atop its base, through the streets. The bearers of this object are called Paranzas and they are led by a cadre of Lieutenants and overseen by the Capo. Of course there's lots of hot sausage and dancing, too.
So that's the plan for Sunday. We'll try to find parking and see the "first lift" in the afternoon. And I'll strain to get close enough to take some pictures. Anyway... we watched the film (which was made for PBS and featured John Turturro as narrator) and then it was back to the streets once again. As we checked out the scene in Williamsburg, JM was increasingly dismayed by the scenesters who have apparently robbed the place of any authenticity it once had. The people didn't bother me, but that may be because I never saw the way it used to be- when artists first moved into the neighborhood. I won't lament the loss of any viable environment for a struggling artist in NYC. There are always other places to move.
We ate a late dinner at a Taqueria in Astoria. I got a chicken chimichanga- a delicious meal served up by a waitress that could barely speak English. It was some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. I'm exhausted, but I'm suffering for my art by staying up an extra hour- just so I can share my account of my day with you.
I've read a lot about Queens being the only part of NYC that resembles the old-time traditional image of the City. Supposedly there are still alot of working class folks living here. The ethnic diversity is obvious. Despite the fact that I've only explored a small portion of this town (and much of that in the dark), I've already noticed influences from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and several regions of Asia. There are hispanics, jews, white people, blacks, etc. It's certainly not entirely gentrified yet. But to hear JM talk, a large portion of it has already changed during the relatively short time he's been away. I was impressed to find an actual grocery store, albeit one with compacted shelves. I didn't know such things existed anymore in the "Big Apple". I bought drinkable yogurt!
We decided to take a drive into Williamsburg (Brooklyn) this evening. Right away we spotted a "community museum". It had a charming collection of souvenirs and artifacts. We got pulled in to watching a documentary about the Giglio (giglio means "lily" in Italian) in the backroom. I found it useful background information for something we intend to see tomorrow. The Giglio Feast is meant to honor St. Paolino, a baron in the ancient Italian city of Nola. It is said that he sacrificed himself by working in the fields and providing offerings for a North African Sultan. He did this so the autocratic ruler would spare the lives of the youth in his city. People have been celebrating this deed since it occurred in 409AD. In Brooklyn, the feast is held by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. They emulate their ancestors by building a five-story tower, weighing several tons and embroidered with saintly imagery by traditional artisans. Then a team of 120 men carry the thing, with a 12-piece brass band perched atop its base, through the streets. The bearers of this object are called Paranzas and they are led by a cadre of Lieutenants and overseen by the Capo. Of course there's lots of hot sausage and dancing, too.
So that's the plan for Sunday. We'll try to find parking and see the "first lift" in the afternoon. And I'll strain to get close enough to take some pictures. Anyway... we watched the film (which was made for PBS and featured John Turturro as narrator) and then it was back to the streets once again. As we checked out the scene in Williamsburg, JM was increasingly dismayed by the scenesters who have apparently robbed the place of any authenticity it once had. The people didn't bother me, but that may be because I never saw the way it used to be- when artists first moved into the neighborhood. I won't lament the loss of any viable environment for a struggling artist in NYC. There are always other places to move.
We ate a late dinner at a Taqueria in Astoria. I got a chicken chimichanga- a delicious meal served up by a waitress that could barely speak English. It was some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. I'm exhausted, but I'm suffering for my art by staying up an extra hour- just so I can share my account of my day with you.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
More Picking at the Scab
So here are some thoughts, I have about the previous post. As you can see it's an ongoing public therapy session which is freely flowing between a lot "issues" but almost all of them relate closely to the pretty hardcore suffering that a lot of artist's are going through right now. Obviously it starts with a rant related to the pressures and inequity that faces a lot of women artists in getting their work done, getting it out there and all the trouble that seems to involve in the current system. It soon exposes a lot of the deep wounds that unite/ divide most artists. How does one keep a studio? How can one get one's work out there? etc...
Here are a few thoughts. First of all, I think that my first purpose here was to just try to expose some of the anger and pain that's out there. I think that one fundamental problem that exists is that a lot of this pain is not talked about freely. So there is an increasing lack of awarness on the part of a lot of the "power structure" of dealers, collectors and the like of what the level of pressure on artists is. I also think it's really important in that what is going on now is pretty new in that it's on a totally different level and now threatens the existence of the art world as we know it. Here and here are some more links on the subject.
Getting back to all that bitching; ( and here's some more, more, more. ) What is my opinion about it and who's side do I take. I would say that, yes I feel the artist's pain but my sympathy level is pretty low and dropping fast. The current scene of today is more than anything else the product of the choices made by artists so they have a lot to do with thier own problems now. I mean, artist's in the 1965 East Villiage or 1965 Haight Ashbury could lay some claim to being unaware of their own role in the process of urban gentrification. And also artists in the NY scene during this period could claim a high level of commercial ignorance since for the most part it wasn't a commercial scene. But with each passing year the ignorance excuse gets thinner as nieghborhood after neighborhood is revived by artists and also as the enourmous art industry develops around artists. A lot of artist's have a lot more money than me ( someone's paying for those $90,ooo MFA programs) and a lot of artists are highly skilled in a way I am not- good on computers and handy. We all know that a huge chunk of NY was fixed up by artists living on the sly in run down buildings. So my sympathy level is pretty low.
Almost all of the middle aged artist's in NY know and now resent the few artists who were smart enough to scrimp and buy thier run down rat infested buildings years ago. The fact is that they were the stupid frogs who sat and sat while they were slowly cooked. To anyone with eyes open the point of no return for Billyburg came around 1996-1997 ( which is around when Joe bought his building I think ) The issue of NY's housing shortage has been known for many years.
Artist's made this situation and now they will suffer for it.
One fact stands out in America. There are dozens of emptied out and run down cities with surplus housing and empty factory space ( I moved to one, not that it's all run down or anything ) and some are pretty big. You would think that artists would be flocking here to grasp thier last chance to have some control of thier lives. ) and you woud think that dealers who are allegedly concerned about thier artist's would be making similar moves. But for the most part this is not happening. The level of inertia is amazing and is more and more unforgivable,
Here are a few thoughts. First of all, I think that my first purpose here was to just try to expose some of the anger and pain that's out there. I think that one fundamental problem that exists is that a lot of this pain is not talked about freely. So there is an increasing lack of awarness on the part of a lot of the "power structure" of dealers, collectors and the like of what the level of pressure on artists is. I also think it's really important in that what is going on now is pretty new in that it's on a totally different level and now threatens the existence of the art world as we know it. Here and here are some more links on the subject.
Getting back to all that bitching; ( and here's some more, more, more. ) What is my opinion about it and who's side do I take. I would say that, yes I feel the artist's pain but my sympathy level is pretty low and dropping fast. The current scene of today is more than anything else the product of the choices made by artists so they have a lot to do with thier own problems now. I mean, artist's in the 1965 East Villiage or 1965 Haight Ashbury could lay some claim to being unaware of their own role in the process of urban gentrification. And also artists in the NY scene during this period could claim a high level of commercial ignorance since for the most part it wasn't a commercial scene. But with each passing year the ignorance excuse gets thinner as nieghborhood after neighborhood is revived by artists and also as the enourmous art industry develops around artists. A lot of artist's have a lot more money than me ( someone's paying for those $90,ooo MFA programs) and a lot of artists are highly skilled in a way I am not- good on computers and handy. We all know that a huge chunk of NY was fixed up by artists living on the sly in run down buildings. So my sympathy level is pretty low.
Almost all of the middle aged artist's in NY know and now resent the few artists who were smart enough to scrimp and buy thier run down rat infested buildings years ago. The fact is that they were the stupid frogs who sat and sat while they were slowly cooked. To anyone with eyes open the point of no return for Billyburg came around 1996-1997 ( which is around when Joe bought his building I think ) The issue of NY's housing shortage has been known for many years.
Artist's made this situation and now they will suffer for it.
One fact stands out in America. There are dozens of emptied out and run down cities with surplus housing and empty factory space ( I moved to one, not that it's all run down or anything ) and some are pretty big. You would think that artists would be flocking here to grasp thier last chance to have some control of thier lives. ) and you woud think that dealers who are allegedly concerned about thier artist's would be making similar moves. But for the most part this is not happening. The level of inertia is amazing and is more and more unforgivable,
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
The Birds Speak
, I know all of you Yinzers are eager to hear about my little trip to NY. I met a few of the little birds there and this is sort of how I remember things. The setting is Kellogg's Diner.
Me: Hi There little birds.
Birds: Hi.
Me: My, there are a lot of you in here and look at all the flocks on Bedford, but it seems a little thinner this year.
Birds: Are you buying? We need food.
Me: OK, I will try to help, but you have to talk to me. Bird number 3 a little male passes out on the counter-- a little tuckered out from his three jobs.
Me: So why are you all here? Tell me little about yourselves.
Yellow dreadlock bird: I use chewing gum to confront gender is--
Me: It's OK. Relax.
Pink and green Bird: I want to act. Isn't this where I have to go?
Yellow d: I always wanted to be an artist. This is the place isn't it?
Other Birds: No one has ever asked us this question. We Just have to because...
Me: It's the lights isn't it?
Greeny bird: Yes, I saw them on TV in Iowa.
Other Birds: And all the sound and some birds would dance and some would sing..
Pink Bird: Also, I feel more at home here. There are so many different colored birds.
Other Birds: And it's going to work out-- I know someone who served Andrea Ro ( other birds break in.. one says that's a lie )
Me: So, Where are all of you from?
Other Birds: --India, Germany, Boston, Idaho, Mexico, Alabama, Long Island ( can't remember them all)
Me: So, most of you aren't from around here?
Old Bird: I ain't but I've been here forever, seen it all.
Other Birds: No. most of us are not from around here.
Teeny bird: I came in on the bus a week ago and I am looki--
Other Birds: We ain't got no room-- Find your own nest.
Me: There is a slight shortage of nests? Huh,
Old Bird: Not like when I was young. I had a huge nest on 11th St. ( He meant more than one bedroom. ) and I did my art and the went to The Bottom Line and
Me: Didn't they close?
Old Bird: Well, then the rent went up and I moved into The East Village.
Other Birds-- Cool, tell us about CBGB's ( closing )
Old Bird: Well it was rough. Birds wer shootin and wailin and things were dirty and all the garbage.
Middle aged Bird: Yes, I was scared to go there. I got a place in Soho. I wasn't supposed to live there and it was empty there were no stores.
Me: And, what was your place like?
Middle Aged Bird: It was so raw, there was big hole in the floor and there was no kitchen and not much heat. But the space was big and I was handy. Me and my friends put in new wiring and plumbing. We fixed it up over a bunch of years and of course we lived there.
Old Bird: You guys did shows-- They were so great, the place was so sincere and...
Middle Aged Bird: Well, we did a lot of great stuff. But then rich people started coming to watch us and we thought it was great untill, I had to move to Brooklyn.
Old Bird: They kick you out?
Black Bird: They kicked me out of Dumbo. I fixed my place up almost from scratch.
Other Birds: They Kicked me out of ( everyone chirping at once, so I can't remember all ) Soho, Noho, Tribecca , Long island City, Hoboken, Harlem , Chelsea. Something has broken and a few birds start to cry. A few walk out they have to be seen at some opening or they want to try to do some art. Many have to leave, they live in places like Red Hook or Jackson Heights and they have to work the next day.
Me: So, can we get back to why you are here?
Dreadlock Bird: I need to be near the galleries that might want to show my work.:
Me: Do you get much art done?
Dreadlock Bird: No, partly because I can't sleep with my four roomates working all hours and then after I get back from work ( an hour on the subway ) I have to be seen at a friends opening.
and I get into the studio around 10pm and--
Greeny Bird: He is just lazy and won't stay up past three. If he was a commited artist-
Pink Bird: Yes. Ed told us that he is looking for serious artists who are willing to ( All the birds look down, they know they should work harder and then they would get a break. )
Me: So, If I get you guys right you are all here because you like the other birds and all the cultural exitement. You are here because the other birds are here. The filmaker birds and the dancer birds and the artist birds. Why don't you all move?
To Be continued
Me: Hi There little birds.
Birds: Hi.
Me: My, there are a lot of you in here and look at all the flocks on Bedford, but it seems a little thinner this year.
Birds: Are you buying? We need food.
Me: OK, I will try to help, but you have to talk to me. Bird number 3 a little male passes out on the counter-- a little tuckered out from his three jobs.
Me: So why are you all here? Tell me little about yourselves.
Yellow dreadlock bird: I use chewing gum to confront gender is--
Me: It's OK. Relax.
Pink and green Bird: I want to act. Isn't this where I have to go?
Yellow d: I always wanted to be an artist. This is the place isn't it?
Other Birds: No one has ever asked us this question. We Just have to because...
Me: It's the lights isn't it?
Greeny bird: Yes, I saw them on TV in Iowa.
Other Birds: And all the sound and some birds would dance and some would sing..
Pink Bird: Also, I feel more at home here. There are so many different colored birds.
Other Birds: And it's going to work out-- I know someone who served Andrea Ro ( other birds break in.. one says that's a lie )
Me: So, Where are all of you from?
Other Birds: --India, Germany, Boston, Idaho, Mexico, Alabama, Long Island ( can't remember them all)
Me: So, most of you aren't from around here?
Old Bird: I ain't but I've been here forever, seen it all.
Other Birds: No. most of us are not from around here.
Teeny bird: I came in on the bus a week ago and I am looki--
Other Birds: We ain't got no room-- Find your own nest.
Me: There is a slight shortage of nests? Huh,
Old Bird: Not like when I was young. I had a huge nest on 11th St. ( He meant more than one bedroom. ) and I did my art and the went to The Bottom Line and
Me: Didn't they close?
Old Bird: Well, then the rent went up and I moved into The East Village.
Other Birds-- Cool, tell us about CBGB's ( closing )
Old Bird: Well it was rough. Birds wer shootin and wailin and things were dirty and all the garbage.
Middle aged Bird: Yes, I was scared to go there. I got a place in Soho. I wasn't supposed to live there and it was empty there were no stores.
Me: And, what was your place like?
Middle Aged Bird: It was so raw, there was big hole in the floor and there was no kitchen and not much heat. But the space was big and I was handy. Me and my friends put in new wiring and plumbing. We fixed it up over a bunch of years and of course we lived there.
Old Bird: You guys did shows-- They were so great, the place was so sincere and...
Middle Aged Bird: Well, we did a lot of great stuff. But then rich people started coming to watch us and we thought it was great untill, I had to move to Brooklyn.
Old Bird: They kick you out?
Black Bird: They kicked me out of Dumbo. I fixed my place up almost from scratch.
Other Birds: They Kicked me out of ( everyone chirping at once, so I can't remember all ) Soho, Noho, Tribecca , Long island City, Hoboken, Harlem , Chelsea. Something has broken and a few birds start to cry. A few walk out they have to be seen at some opening or they want to try to do some art. Many have to leave, they live in places like Red Hook or Jackson Heights and they have to work the next day.
Me: So, can we get back to why you are here?
Dreadlock Bird: I need to be near the galleries that might want to show my work.:
Me: Do you get much art done?
Dreadlock Bird: No, partly because I can't sleep with my four roomates working all hours and then after I get back from work ( an hour on the subway ) I have to be seen at a friends opening.
and I get into the studio around 10pm and--
Greeny Bird: He is just lazy and won't stay up past three. If he was a commited artist-
Pink Bird: Yes. Ed told us that he is looking for serious artists who are willing to ( All the birds look down, they know they should work harder and then they would get a break. )
Me: So, If I get you guys right you are all here because you like the other birds and all the cultural exitement. You are here because the other birds are here. The filmaker birds and the dancer birds and the artist birds. Why don't you all move?
To Be continued
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