Tags archives: Michael Alan

  • Musician Billy Martin Shares Creative Ideas with Students I had the great pleasure and fortune for the second year in a row to host and to teach at the Art for Progress Summer Music and Art Program. The program was made possible by a grant from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and was open to young people seeking to pursue careers in creative fields. Music and art were made, and a great and enlightening time was had by all this summer. The program consisted of workshops held on four consecutive Sundays in July and August. For each week’s session, we created a unique, interactive space where creativity seemed to be seeping from the walls. Curiosity was inspired and mysteries demystified. Each week featured a professional guest artist in a different creative discipline. Our guest artists shared with us the experiences they each encountered on their journey toward becoming a fully realized professional artist. Jerrell Battle teaching Ableton while students interact The focus of the of the program, in addition to developing specific skills, was once again centered on questions and situations that a professional artist might encounter. The kind, for instance, that might not be intuitive or often addressed in traditional academic settings. Basically, the stuff they don't tell you in school. We discussed finding your audience, vetting creative ideas, being band-mates as well as friends, and checking your attitude. There were also break out music sessions on topics i[...]
  • We are gearing up for an incredible festival next weekend, and look forward to experiencing art and music in all their glory. With some of NYC's most innovative artists on board for installations, look no further than the East River. For AFP's "Artists4Equality," Michael Alan will be drawing his life long love who will be donned in a hand made painted dress and custom designed  accessories created by Alan.  In a 5 hour act of love, devotion and romance, witness Alan, the line maestro, will create many drawings live while celebrating their love in a piece titled, "Love is the Only." "Even the reclining male figure of Prostitution looks restless- the angular, attenuated limbs and their busy surfaces bring to mind one of Egon Schiele's more anxious self portraits." - Robert Shuster, The Villiage Voice, Best in Show Kim Holleman is best known for her seminal work, “Trailer Park: A Mobile Public Park,” which has been featured in the NY Times and shown at several different sites in the city. In Holleman's words, her installation at Solar One Park is an enormous Festival Flag which will fly in Stuyvesant Park. The fabric flag is huge, brightly colored and has metallic elements, so it acts as a terrific visual marker and color-pops against the sky. I designed to have some dimensionality too, so when it catches the wind, it fills out creating some interesting 3D shapes as it flows. I had the idea that the patchwork in the flag was the perfect symbol for the gatherin[...]
  • HOSTED by: NOoSPHERE Arts, Art for Progress, Amber De Vos, Mike Kronenberg, D'stroy And Rebuild, Joseph Meloy, Moody and many more invite you to a be a part of a positive cause. Michael Alan will be showing over 20 new and old works, drawings, paintings and prints for Auction in the project space of NOoSPHERE Arts On Saturday, January 19th at 7pm. The goal of the exhibition is to raise funds to help Alan who has been struggling physically with 2 major injuries in the last year. One of those injuries occurred as a result of a serious car accident in June 2012. Sales on works and donations from friends, family and all attending will be a good starting point to help Alan move on from these hard troubles, and get him the help he needs. It's been an uphill battle after unsuccessful spinal surgery, dealing with permanent nerve damage and a serious brain injury. This benefit will hopefully allow some relief for Alan by raising money towards his outrageous medical bills, and getting better medical attention than what he has received. We hope to see you on January 19th. You can help make 2013 a better year for the New York-born and raised, wild child artist Michael Alan. This show is made possible by the help of NOoSPHERE Arts, a fun non-profit artist space in the Lower East Side. Special Thanks to Klemmens Gasser and Tanja Grunert for their support and concern. Special Thanks to Frames and Framers of Short Hills and Printmor for their help and donations. This show w[...]
  • Thanks to all who attended our opening at Gallery Bar this past Friday. It was an exceptional night, and we were pleased to have many of the participating artists in attendance. The show will run through January 3rd. If you have the opportunity to check it out, please do. We also have some photos below for your viewing pleasure. It's been a very busy year for AFP. In March, we leased the Armory on Lexington Avenue in partnership with Fountain Art Fair to produce one of the largest art exhibitions in NYC during Armory Week. This past summer we hosted AFP's first annual 3 day music & art festival- Brooklyn Beat Festival and then launched a 3 month series of music & performance art at the same venue. In November, we were thrilled to host Michael Alan's "Living Installation" and work with his crew of incredible artists. The show was a great success, and we look forward to working with Michael in the future. To round out the year as we began, "What's Your Religion" opened on Friday night at Gallery Bar. As mentioned above, the exhibition will run through January 3rd. AFP's Art Education Program continues to grow and flourish. We are currently working with 5 schools and hundreds of students providing music, visual art and theater classes. We just received this new promotional video that was created by Jewel Fiore, a college level film student. As of January 1st 2013, AFP will no longer charge a fee for artist memberships. Applications will still need to be approved, [...]
  • We had the opportunity to work with Michael Alan and attend the show on November 9th. It was a great experience to work with Michael and his crew. They really put their hearts and souls into this production, and there is a great sense of community among them.  We also used this opportunity to help some of the people in Staten Island who are having a really difficult time. Guests brought food and made donations throughout the evening, and Michael personally delivered the goods to his hometown people in need. The show itself tells a lot about the man. Given his physical state and the demands of the show, it's clear Michael is a giver and a fighter. The show on November 9th was 8 hours long with a short break after a 4 hour stint. As people came to the door and were greeted by the lovely Caridad Sola, they were asked to pay $20 if they were not on the guest list. There were very few names on the guest list for this show.  Many who might have expected to be on the guest list responded, "I'll pay the $20 to support Michael." To our surprise, Michael contacted us a few days after the show and said he wants to do another show on November 24th. He was so pleased and energized by the last show that he wants to do it again. We're proud to be part of the show again. Below are some great shot's from the show and you can view a fantastic video that captures the essence of the performances. photos courtesy of Joseph Meloy
  • New York City Non Profit to host Michael Alan’s “Living Installation” Friday, November 9th at ABC NORIO Art for Progress (AFP), a NYC 501C (3) nonprofit, is proud to announce its hosting artist Michael Alan’s “Living Installation, Family Misfit Healing” on Friday, November 9th   at ABC NORIO in NYC’s Lower East Side. The epic art performance piece which has been featured in The Huffington Post, Marie Claire, Gothamist, Hyperallergic and many others, is the creative genius of artist Michael Alan. As described by Alan, The Living Installation Project is a human activist art mission. The main goal is reinforcing that humans are living installations by creating a space for people to open up, come together and are all equal through the process of creating art. After 8 years of creating performance art, Michael Alan was recently severely injured and suffered major spinal damage as well as a concussion. His injuries have affected his ability to walk and perform. Despite his physical challenges, the Living Installation Project will return November 9th @ ABC NORIO for a special 8 hour healing show. Family Misfit Healing: No matter how different and odd we all might be we all have the power to heal. Alan while healing after intense spinal surgery will team up with 7 performers to create a world based on acceptance and growth. A strong dynamic family portrait will be born, created from scratch. The 8 hour mega show, a true experience/happening, will be an escape where guests can d[...]