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Category archives: Art for Progress

  • DOC NYC: Biggest Documentary Festival in the Land

  • 10 years ago
  • Though only in its fifth year, DOC NYC seems like a city institution already. The annual event, which ran from November 13 through 20, has become the largest documentary film festival in the country. This year’s DOC NYC encompassed 153 films and events, ranging from screenings of classic docs (Hoop Dreams) and high-profile films (Citizenfour) to premieres from first-time feature filmmakers (Opposite Field, Vessel, many, many others). There were also educational panels and master classes (Finish Your Doc) for aspiring auteurs. Opening Night Film was David Thorpe's funny, poignant Do I Sound Gay?; Closing Night Film was The Yes Men Are Revolting, which chronicles the prankster-activists' past five years, directed by Laura Nix and The Yes Men. DOC NYC is a testament to the ever-growing popularity of documentaries, due to a number of reasons including an increase in movie outlets, the stylistic crossover between narrative fiction and non-fiction films, and accessibility of digital technology, now that practically everyone can make movies. (Imagine the various permutations that would exist of 1970 classic Gimme Shelter, had Altamont audiences owned smartphones.) Festival screenings took place at Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas, IFC Center and SVA Theatre; in many cases filmmakers were present to introduce their work and answer questions afterward. Every sort of documentary was represented, broken down into categories including American Perspectives, International Perspectives, Cente[...]

  • People Get Ready Open for Blonde Redhead

  • 10 years ago
  • Brassland recording artists People Get Ready will open for Blonde Redhead on upcoming dates including  Tuesday (November 26th) night at The Bowery Ballroom. The Brooklyn based band released a new album (Physiques) this past June to exciting reviews. The band is known for high energy live performances which showcase a blend of rock and performance art.  NPR's Bob Boilen, placing their performances among his top 5 concerts two years running, put it best: "No single show took my breath away the way this one did- part rock concert, part performance art, part dance, all perfectly melded together. Having seen so many dudes with guitars ... it was incredibly refreshing to find a group challenging and changing the norm." The first thing I thought was- sounds like an Art for Progress event! I caught up with Steven Reker from the band to learn more about these multidisciplinary artists, and here's what he had to say. How did the band come up with the name People Get Ready? I was at a play and one of the actors said ‘...people get ready...' in his dialogue - the phrase stayed with me. Then I named the first piece I did at The Kitchen (before the band was a band) People Get Ready and as the project developed we just kept the name. Are the band members originally from New York or are they transplants? We're transplants - mostly. Jen and I are from Arizona - James comes from California - and Booker is from Nyack, NY. Which artists/bands have been the most[...]

  • Statik Vision Check Out Some Live Shows

  • 10 years ago
  • The last couple of weeks have been have been a bit of a new chapter in the AFP Young Adult Music Enrichment Program. In addition to our normal regimen of band coaching, vocal exercises and singing work, and getting into some jazz chart analysis; the fellas ventured out with me for the first times to check out some live music. They came to my solo acoustic set at the AFP hosted Déjà vu show at the NoOSPHERE Art Space on the Lower East Side and to see my band, Bad Faces play at a loft party in Bushwick, plus, AFP Executive Director Frank Jackson took Jason, Alex, and me to Harlem’s Apollo Theater to a fantastic show by Brooklyn’s TV On The Radio! We had a few nice sessions since my last entry, and Statik Vision is sounding better and tighter than ever, with the new songs gelling and settling into themselves. We have mostly been working on locking in tempos and the timing of transitions. We’ve also been working with the vocals to find the best placement of the lyrics. Interestingly, the sound of the band is evolving to be more stylistically broad, while at the same time crystallizing into it’s own unique thing. It was a refreshing change last week to have T-10 guitarist Wesley Payano show up to do some shredding as well. We also continued our journey down the rabbit hole of jazz theory as Alex and I pursued an in depth analysis of the chord chart for “At Last”, defining the function of each chord and identifying key changes in the song form. We have a lot more work to do o[...]

  • AFP Music: goodbyemotel, Animal Talk, VHS Collection and Cheap Satori @ Bowery Electric

  • 10 years ago
  • The Bowery Electric played host to APF’s Homegrown show with Animal Talk, VHS Collection, Cheap Satori and goodbyemotel this past Wednesday night. The show celebrated the recent release of goodbyemotel's new album iF, which came out earlier that week, and was the band’s first gig post-album release. The record took two years to finish, but the wait was well worth it for the band returned to the stage with great new songs and as strong of a performance as ever. Boston’s Animal Talk opened the night with indie pop that you can’t help, but dance to. Songs like “Mama Was A Teenage Rocker” and “Tie Me Up” had the audience shuffling along right from the start. There’s something truly infectious about their combination of pervasive drums and soft vocals that keep you bopping along. “Dirty Feelings,” which opened their set, showcased vocalist/guitarist Steven Kilgore’s impressive range. He floated up to the high notes in "Monster" with ease. The band's original work was a lot of fun to jam along to, but perhaps the unexpected highlight of Animal Talk’s set was their cover of “Poison.” It was a welcome surprise that drummer Greg Faucher gave away as soon as he began those telltale opening bars on the drum machine. Kilgore again rose to the occassion, singing the Bell Biv DeVoe classic with no difficulty. Cheap Satori took the stage next to deliver PJ Harvey-esque piano-driven indie rock. It was a step down in energy when compared to Animal Talk, but the band showed potential[...]

  • Chris Ofili: Night and Day

  • 10 years ago
  • Chris Ofili has been producing paintings for the past two decades that have managed to captivate and bewilder audiences. A member of the Young British Artists-- a group of British artists who began exhibiting together in 1988, Ofili managed to distinguish himself from the rest early on.  In “Chris Ofili: Night and Day” which on display at the New Museum through January 25 many works spanning his illustrious career are on display. The exhibition was organized by Massimiliano Gioni, the New Museum’s artistic director, its curator, Gary Carrion-Murayari; and assistant curator Margot Norton. Ofili was Born in 1968, to Nigerian parents. At age eleven, he and his  family moved back to Nigeria. Ofili went onto attend the Chelsea School of Art where he received his BFA in 1991 and then the Royal Academy of Art in 1993. It was these early experiences with living abroad and his art training, which would play an influence in the work he would create. In 2003, he was the recipient of the prestigious Turner Prize and also represented the United Kingdom in the Venice Biennale the same year. Much of Ofili's work deals with issues surrounding race, class and gender which is evident in the work featured in “Night and Day.” The exhibition spans three floors of the New Museum's space and explores six distinct bodies of work that Oifli produced over the last twenty years. When you first enter the galley space, you are confronted by over seventy small framed paintings. These works entit[...]

  • Wearable Art: Designer Amber Jimenez Garcia Talks Baby Booties

  • 10 years ago
  • This week, as Kim Kardashian's Paper Magazine cover attempts to #BreakTheInternet with her booty, I chat with Brooklynite Amber Jimenez Garcia, creative director and designer of Ambit NYC, about another kind of booty---the baby shoe variety. Her label, known for locally-produced, handmade designs, using quality materials, is currently undergoing an evolution with the birth of Jimenez Garcia's son. The designer has found that incorporating her little one into her career plans is helping her to find her balance as a first-time mother and designer. Discover more about her new venture after the jump. -Jacqueline Colette Prosper, @yummicoco  Inspiration: Some of the reasons why moccasins appealed to me for him: The shoes are soft so he can feel the ground, and they don't interfere with his balance. The bottoms are suede, which is better than keeping him in socks because they are more sticky, and have more movement in them. My son is learning to walk, and moccasins are really easy and functional. I had some leather, and thought, I can do that. Once I started, it became more complicated than that, because you have to think in a different way [when designing for a baby]. I'm used to making adult things. [In this instance] I had to think, considering what would be good for a baby, which I had never really done. Challenge: I didn't study shoemaking, I studied clothing. I've always been interested in making adult shoes but it feels a little inaccessible, because i[...]

  • We Learn Dances: Rinsed reps for Brooklyn

  • 10 years ago
  • Were you at this past weekend’s Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival? If not, you missed borough-load of great parties, soundtracked by scores of brilliant artists and DJs. One of the best was the Rinsed closing party, held in a Bushwick warehouse space and featuring guest sets from the inimitable Detroit producer Omar-S, the always-worth-catching Chrissy and the Basement Floor label’s Turtle Bugg. In case you’re not familiar with Rinsed, the soiree has featured iconic artists and DJs along the lines of Inner City, MK, MJ Cole, Juan Atkins and Todd Edwards; stars of slightly more recent vintage like Jackmaster, Jacques Greene, Ejeca, Ben Pearce and Chris Malinchak; local players like Juan MacLean, Justin Strauss, Morgan Geist, Populette and Aurora Halal; and a list of outliers that includes Actress, NGUZUNGUZU, Ital, Sepalcure and Jaw Jam. Oh, and a bunch of other people, too—not bad for a shindig that, when it debuted four years ago, hosted about a hundred people in the loft space above Public Assembly. Nowadays, resident spinners Dan Wender and Blacky II, along with Rinsed’s indispensable “visual aesthetician” A.Pop, are among those running the show in Kings County. We asked the core gang, Brooklynites all, what they loved about their home borough, and here are their wide-ranging replies.  A.Pop Some things I love about BK: That you can find cappuccino Lays chips in Bushwick, the best slice of your life in Midwood, 24-hour amazing tacos in Sunset Park, or blue ribbon[...]

  • Daniel Ribeiro's Sweet Yet Substantial Debut

  • 10 years ago
  • The word “sweet” has appeared in almost every description of Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks), the feature debut from Brazilian director Daniel Ribeiro. (He used it himself during our conversation.) That might be off-putting to some, especially when describing a coming-of-age story with a blind protagonist. But Ribeiro’s film isn’t all sentimentality and charm. His main character, Leonardo (beautifully portrayed by Ghilherme Lobo), while very likeable, is also stubborn, as are most teens. He also happens to be gay, something he discovers when he falls in love for the first time, with the new boy at school (Fabio Audi). There’s also jealousy (via Leo’s best friend Giovana, played by Tess Amorim), bullying and parental friction, all handled with admirable restraint. The movie is a poignant, low-key drama from a filmmaker who describes himself as an activist. His first short was 2007’s Café com Leite (You, Me and Him); The Way He Looks is an elaboration on his 2010 short Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho (I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone) — which also starred Lobo, Audi and Amorim. Recently I spoke via Skype with Ribeiro, who was in his hometown of São Paulo, taking a break from his travels for international screenings and promotional duties. Your film opened in April in Brazil and has been screening all over the world; do you get the same sort of feedback from people everywhere? Yeah, it’s interesting; the reaction is usually the same, because it is such a [...]

  • New Songs from New Singers-AFP Young Adult Music Program

  • 10 years ago
  • The musicians participating in Art for Progress’ Young Adult Enrichment Program have been continuing to develop this fall as their band is morphing and evolving toward a more eclectic sound. What was T-10 has now, with a few personnel shifts, transformed into, Statik Vision. The sound has grown from mostly fast, hard rock bordering on metal, to more harmonic, lyrical pieces and even a bit of a pop sensibility. They have been developing original songs for a while now, but the core instrumentalists have begun to incorporate the vocal work we have been doing, and singing their own lyrics. We start off each session with vocal warm-ups and exercises to improve breath support and tone production. We’ve been recording video of each person singing a few bars, then watching and listening back together and offering critiques. I usually start by discussing some technical suggestions that may be helpful, and each person adds anything they think might help the person in the “hot seat” to more effectively put the song across. We work with existing songs to get a solid reference point, but have begun to dig into their original compositions to develop them as each person figures out how they want to sound singing their own songs. The songs are insightful and personal, and highlight the personalities of each player in new and unexpected ways. Alex, for instance, brings a rich baritone a la Jim Morrison. His vocals give the song, which I had heard played instrumentally many times before[...]

  • Drones, Donuts and DJ’s, Artist Talks and Unplugged Performances

  • 10 years ago
  • In association with Art for Progress (AFP) Déjà vu art exhibition, the group will host three exciting events during the two week show that features 14 international artists. Following up a fantastic opening night on October 30th, AFP will host an evening of unamplified sounds from its talented stable of musical artists at the space on Thursday, November 6th at 7:00PM. Barry Komitor, AFP’s Arts Education Program Manager and a teaching artist, will play an acoustic set followed by Jeremy Danneman from Parade of One. Plus, a surprise special guest performance. On Sunday November 9th, Art for Progress will host a brunch titled, Drones, Donuts and DJ’s from noon to 3pm at NOoSPHERE Arts. On opening night, artist Essam’s drone installation garnered much attention as people approached the space on Houston Street and experienced the actual sound from an approaching drone. As guests approach the space on Sunday the 9th, they’ll also hear the rich, full sound of analog beats (vinyl) being spun by DJ’s Bruce Tantum, Gatto (AFP’s founder & director) and Brett Crenshaw. And let’s not forget the donuts! Other than ice cream, donuts are one of the most loved foods in America! So, join us for brunch and enjoy a prominent topic of conversation, quality analog music and of course, donuts! Although we’ll be sad to see the exhibition close on November 12th, it will be an exciting evening as we host an artist talk from 6pm-8pm with NYC based artists Essam and gilf! We [...]
Wearable Art: Author Michael Malice Loves Clothes That Make Him Feel Like He's In 1981
 

  • Wearable Art: Author Michael Malice Loves Clothes That Make Him Feel Like He's In 1981

  • 10 years ago
  • Celebrity ghost writer Michael Malice is the subject of Harvey Pekar's Ego & Hubris, and is best known for co-authoring books with prominent personalities like comedian D.L. Hughley. In an interview, Pekar aptly describes Malice as someone who is "motivated by things that are different than what motivates other people."  Take his recent output Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il, which explores the life and influence of the beloved/feared former North Korean leader. Funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Malice breathes new life into a little odd man from a "hermit kingdom" that many in the West would rather sweep under the rug of history. He's also a fanatic of obscure 80s finds. Follow him, Dear Reader, at @MichaelMalice. In the meantime, discover three of his prized personal possessions after the jump. -Jacqueline Colette Prosper, @yummicoco 1) Traditional North Korean Suit Backstory: [When I was] going to North Korea, one of the things I really wanted was a handmade North Korean suit. There was someone on my tour who had one of those accordion cameras, like 1890s-y, but it was digital, and my guide did not know what that was. I'm like "oh, it's hipster," and then I tried to explain what "hipster" means. To a North Korean it was very hard for me to do, but fortunately good friend Nichelle Stephens had given me a definition years ago to mean "someone who likes anything that's old," so I said that's what "hipster" means. Later[...]