A Hug From The Art World presents Roy Nachum Portraits, in an intimate exhibition space located at 515 West 19th Street, New York.
New York City is one of the greatest places in the world to spend any holiday, and valentine’s day is no exception! Watching the city transform into a beautiful vision of love and excitement makes the month of February one of the best. Pink and red truly make the holiday what it is, and our favorite place to go when we need some color in our lives is none other than SoHo’s The Color Factory!
You can’t miss the bright and colorful building as it lines the corner of the street, and that’s just the beginning. Valentine’s day has unveiled such sweet additions at the museum, the first being a flower bodega right at the beginning of the experience. The little cart is the cutest place to snap some pictures, and walking through the factory with a pretty bouquet of flowers will put a smile on anyone’s face!
The immersive walkthrough experience begins with rainbow streamers lining the entryway, and it only gets more colorful from there. The first room is complete with a macaron conveyorbelt, a transforming photo area, and more colors than you could ever imagine. Various cameras line each room so that you can get the perfect shot, and everyone leaves with so many little goodies, from candy to ice cream to a surprise gift at the end of the tour! There are music rooms, a massive gold dance floor, a floor maze that leads you to your secret color, and so much more! While it’s truly the most instagram worthy spot in the city, it’s so much more than that. It gives you the opportunity to learn something new about yourself, and someone that you love!
The Color Factory transformed its usual color pallet to create such a beautiful sea of Valentine’s day colors, and it’s iconic blue ball pit was complete with pink heart shaped, and even a slide! Weather you want to take the cutest pictures or just relax in the colorful sea, the opportunities are endless.
Such a big part of the color factory experience involves connecting with others, they feature a getting to know you color themed game where you stare at a friend or partner through a telephone booth and observe the colors of their hair, eyes, clothes, and even their mood. The ability to go through and connect with someone you love makes the color factory such an incredible date night location, and it’s even more perfect this time of year.
When we toured the museum for the holidays in December, I was in awe of the confetti room and couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for Valentine’s Day! The room was complete with confetti to match the new color pallet, as well as pretty heart shaped balloons lining the ceiling. The color wheel room was swirled with themes of pink and purple, and the whole experience was decked out for the occasion.
We truly can not get over how creative The Color Factory constantly is with their holiday experiences, it’s the best place to spend any holiday, but especially one dedicated to love, and the color pink! Experience it for yourself and get tickets here!
Jesse Gi and Urvashi Pathania were at the center of HBO’s Asian Pacific American Visionaries celebration on October 15, 2021.
“The Canvas: Los Angeles” premieres on Oct. 6, going inside the world of eight self-taught and self-made artisans who are inspired by their local SoCal communities.
From streetwear designer Chris “Spanto” Printup, the visionary behind the City of Champs collection, to L.A. teacher’s strike artist Ernesto Yerena, The Canvas tells the moving stories of Los Angeles residents who are looking to reclaim their community through art.
Plus, the Fuse/Fuse+ docuseries comes from the South Central-born director Calmatic, the auteur behind the Grammy-winning music video for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” ft. Billy Ray Cyrus.
Each episode focuses on a different artist, ranging from the below:
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Calmatic, director (South Central)
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Raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Calmatic is a self-taught filmmaker who discovered his passion for telling stories at a young age. As a director, he strives to humanize others’ unique experiences without infusing them with negative stereotypes. He seeks to stretch the limits of his viewers’ reality while highlighting the beauty in the mundane. His creative curiosity has allowed him to solidify a place for himself in a constantly evolving industry.
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Ernesto Yerena, mixed-media artist (Boyle Heights)
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Ernesto Yerena Montejano was born in El Centro, CA, a mid-sized farming town bordering Mexicali, BC, MX. Fueled by his cross-national upbringing, his art practice reflects his observations of the views and interactions between the Mexican communities living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Yerena shares narratives of his conflicts of identity that he feels are kindred to what many Chicanos of these communities experience.
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Mark “Peaced” Pangilian, photographer and creative director (East Hollywood/Echo Park/Silverlake)
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Mark “Peaced” Pangilinan is a photographer born in the Philippines and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up all over Los Angeles – he spent time in East Hollywood, Silverlake, and Echo Park – heavily influenced his career and work. Mark’s photography encompasses fashion, music and documentary storytelling.
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Guadalupe Rosales, artist and educator (East Los Angeles)
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Guadalupe Rosales is a multidisciplinary artist and educator best known for her community-generated archival projects, “Veteranas and Rucas” and “Map Pointz.” The projects manifested in 2015 from the under/misrepresentation and historical erasure of Latin@/x communities in Southern California.
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Chris “Spanto” Printup, brand owner (Venice)
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Venice native and co-founder of streetwear label, BornxRaised, which launched in 2013 after Spanto was released from a year-long sentence in prison. The brand was literally born and raised from sketches he made on a manila folder he got from the commissary.
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Joshua Vides, reality to idea artist (Fairfax/Rancho Cucamonga/Rialto)
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Joshua Vides is a Southern California-based graphic designer, visual artist and a first-generation Guatemalan. Vides was born and raised in Rialto, CA but moved to Los Angeles early in life to pursue his career. His work defines the premise of pop art through immersive illustrations and a range of limited products.
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Estevan Oriol, photographer (Los Angeles)
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Estevan Oriol is an American of Mexican-Italian descent and photographer and music video director. His work, which encompasses the essence of Los Angeles, has been featured in magazines and reflects Los Angeles’ urban and gang culture. He’s also photographed many celebrities.
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Ann-Marie Hoang “MSTR OF DISGUISE,” wardrobe stylist (Gardena / Torrance / Hollywood)
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Ann-Marie Hoang is a wardrobe stylist and environmental vibe setter, also known as Mstr Of Disguise. Her style influence is on display in music videos including Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” & “Thank You, Next”, Drake “POPSTAR”, and YG “Loko.”
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Check out our exclusive clip from the series premiere, with Spanto opening up about why he considers himself a true artist.
“The Canvas: Los Angeles” airs Wednesdays on Fuse.
Last night symbolized the official reopening of Broadway as the iconic Winter Garden Theatre housed the 74th Annual Tony Awards.
The world of bright colors and Instagram photo opportunities have exploded with the opening of SoHo’s Color Factory a few years ago, and the trend has only gotten better with age. Also in SoHo, The Happy Go Lucky Exhibit leaves nothing to the imagination. Sporting a Ball Pit, Pink Pool Room, and even a Diamond Room, there’s nothing here that won’t absolutely dazzle anyone’s Instagram followers. But there’s more to it than that, Happy go lucky celebrates you! The stage is yours to create any experience that one would dream of. Step inside of the diamond place, A complete runway that dazzles with sparkling lights and colors. It’s the perfect outlet for high quality pictures and unmatched experiences.
The exhibit showcases the lively spirit of its SoHo address with its bright colors and unique aspects of each and every room. The Kaleidoscope tunnel is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, sit inside as the colors constantly flash, shapes morph into new shapes, light shifts, and patterns spin. It’s truly a place unlike any other and anyone who sits in it for awhile will be moved and amazed.
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The exhibit contains illusions, magic, optics, and opportunities sure to make anyone’s trip (or regular day) in New York unique and exciting. This event is can’t miss, check it out here!
Music amplifies issues that the youth grapple with. And as generations go on, modernity gains new meanings in the form of new artists embracing new ideals. Up and coming singer GAYLE caters to this in her own incredibly unique way, harboring song lyrics that touch the hearts of so many by telling stories we can all relate to.
After the year and a half+ we all had, we could use a little bit of merriment in our lives. So, without further (much) ado (about nothing) – here are your top 5 reasons to run to see the current production of Merry Wives – this summer’s featured Free Shakespeare in The Park show presented by The Public Theatre.
1.) The diverse and unique perspectives brought to a classic work. Upon being seated, audiences are fully welcomed into the production via a drummer on stage who invites audience members to participate in a series of call and response greetings that are native to various African nations, including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, among several others. This warm welcome brings us into the world of modern day South Harlem and sets up the stage perfectly for this witty and fun production of Merry Wives, which is a spin on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Associate Art Director/Resident Director Saheem Ali. The choices made regarding this production make it clear that this is more than just your average Shakespeare in the park show – this summer’s production is here to honor Black joy, queerness, differences, similarities, heritages of all sorts, and the city itself.
2.) Physical comedy. Mark my words, there is no greater joy than seeing excellent physical comedy in a Shakespeare production. A good physical performance can take the antiquated words from the page and transport them centuries into the future. Overall, the performances were very strong – it was clear that the cast trusted each other and celebrated heritage, the Bard, and each other on that stage. I would be remiss if I didn’t shout out Jacob Ming-Trent, who portrays Falstaff in one of the most innovative and dynamic ways I’ve ever seen – perfectly adapted for a modern audience, but remaining true to iconic joker himself. Comedy gold was shining thru when Madam Nkechi Ford (Emmy nominee, Susan Kelechi Watson) and Madame Ekua Page (Tony nominee, Pascale Armand) play Falstaff’s game and meet him with shenanigans of their own in their element, heightening the confusion and making the encounter all the more enjoyable for the audience.
3.) Lights! Sets! Choreography! Costumes! Where to start. The craftsmanship of Merry Wives was all around outstanding. As mentioned earlier, from the get go, the audience is fully immersed in the world of this contemporary story. The scenic design by Beowulf Boritt and costume design by Dede Ayite focus on the small, but necessary details that make this production realistic and relatable such as Black Lives Matter signage all around the neighborhood and decorated iPhone cases that were used by characters to capture hysterical moments. At the end of the show there, we are transported into a “dream-like” sequence, which utilizes costumes and design in an extremely dynamic way that derives elements from various African cultures, making the scene impactful and emotional not only for Falstaff, but also for the entire theatre. Speaking of the “dream-like” scene, the choreography (by Darrell Grand Moultrie) and fight direction (by Rocío Mendez) were powerful vehicles for physical storytelling throughout the duration of the 110 minute show. The use of movement truly propelled the story in ways that just dialogue did not, we felt more connected to the characters and the emotional journeys they were going on.
4.) Theatre, but make it socially distanced (and vaccinated). Re-acclimating to “normal” life is a challenge in its own right. In addition to being an outdoor production (which is a staple of Shakespeare in the Park whether during a pandemic or not), The Public is requiring proof of vaccination for full capacity seating areas. Upon walking into the Delacorte Theatre, you must wear a mask until you get to your seat and those in physically distanced seating areas do not need to provide proof of negative testing, but those non-vaccinated guests must remain masked at all times. I’ve seen a few productions back at this point and this was by far among the safest I felt. A huge thank you to The Public for taking the initiative to put the safety of so many New Yorkers first.
5.) Merry Wives highlights the beauty of New York City in all its glory! Free Shakespeare in the Park has been a New York City tradition since 1954 and it’s one of the few that continues to strive to make professional theatre relevant to new generations and widely available to diverse audiences. This production is a love letter to New York and shows the world that we’re back and merry, baby!
Free Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Merry Wives as presented by The Public Theatre, is playing at the Delacorte Theatre (81 Central Park West) through September 18th, 2021. For more information, please visit: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2021/sitp/merry-wives/
This weekend, we joined Compound Long Beach for an exclusive VIP preview of the creative cultural space packed with diverse programs. Located in the Zaferia District of Long Beach, California, the long awaited complex will invite guests to explore the intersection of contemporary art, wellness, and community.
The VIP event commenced with a variety of visual and interactive experiences that make use of its expansive 15,000 square feet location which included an arts workshop by Slanguage and sound bath by Sabrina Rollo in the outdoor sculpture garden, along with crystal readings by Place 8 Healing and a ceramics pop-up with artist Jen King in the community space. In addition to art and immersive experiences, Compound will also have scheduled programming of classes and workshops focused on wellness. With a mission to provide a cultural sanctuary for its community, programming will also feature artist talks, farmers market pop-ups, breath work, sound baths, and meditation.
Sound bath by Sabrina Rollo
Art workshop by Slanguage
Long Beach native and creative Shelley Bruce opened the inauguration of the event, expressing the importance of inspiration and individual contribution our current state of chaos and uncertainty followed by an original poem. Artists Shauna Davis and Glenn Kaino were also in attendance to support the opening. Notable guests included artists Fritz Chesnut, Lita Albuquerque, Anna Sew Hoy, Robert Reynolds, actress Molly Shannon, gallerist Esther Kim Varet, and philanthropist Joy Simmons.
Accompanied by a soundtrack created in collaboration with Nosaj Thing and Jacques Greene, Glenn Kaino’s Tidepools is “a new sensory experience in between true science, science fiction, spirituality and art, each vessel is a unique spiritual, physical, and emotional lens for us to consider our life journey.”
—Glenn Kaino
The installation is the first to be commissioned for Compound, featuring cloud chambers that simulate a dream-like experience powered a particle detector, made in partnership with NASA designers, and also most notably the highlight of the exhibition, the bioluminescent wishing well developed with help from the Scripps Institute of Technology.
Organized by Compound Artistic Director Lauri Firstenberg, the inaugural show space named Radical Empathy showcases artists and artist-activists who are invested in both poetry and politics. Artists featured are Andrea Bowers, Noah Davis, Todd Gray, Leslie Hewitt, EJ Hill, Jenny Holzer, Mildred Howard, Isaac Julien, Jibade Khalil Huffman, Glenn Kaino, Rick Lowe, Narciso Martinez, Rodney McMillian, Jason Moran, and Tavares Strachan. The rotating art space highlights the confluence of art and activism and encourages social activism and cultural thinking.
Performance by Marcella Lewis and Shamar Watt
After a brief intermission of the day’s activities, Gxrlschool presented an interdisciplinary exploration of Afrofuturism co-curated by Shauna Davis live at Compound including the premiere of BLACK.ECO, a film by Shauna Davis, and a series of musical and dance performances by V.C.R & Chatwaka Jackson and Marcella Lewis & Shamar Watt. Following the showing, Compound held a conversation with Shauna David and AJ Girard on the merging of art, sci-fi, diaspora, and histories to tap into where we are, where we can go and places we can put ourselves.
Compound is now open. Reserve tickets at compoundlb.com.
On a cool summer day in East Williamsburg, the Amant art campus debuted its showcase of the Berlin-based artist Grada Kilomba’s nuanced, mixed-media work, Heroines, Birds, and Monsters.