Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/28-5/4
In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers!
Spring has finally arrived and with it comes another dose of stimulating art events, starting with an eye-opening photo exhibit of artists along the U.S.-Mexican Border, as well as the much-anticipated spring edition of Greenpoint Open Studios. If you’re looking for a more interactive experience, check out the Mad Hatters Ball at the McKittrick Hotel on Saturday or the Art into Action later on in the week. From the gallery side of things, Jenn Singer Gallery will be exhibiting an unconventional body of work from Brooklyn-based artist Emily Weiskopf, and the Booth Gallery will be debuting several works from the controversial Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum. In addition to these thought-provoking solo shows, Brooklyn’s Center for Performance Research will host a group show entitled Beaver, challenging the role of female sexuality in mainstream media.
LA FRONTERA: Artists along the U.S.-Mexican Border ↑
Deutsches Haus at NYU, 42 Washington Mews
Opening Thursday, April 28 at 6:30pm; On view through May 23rd
In part with the Literary Mews, an annual festival described as global bazaar meets county fair, the Deutsches Haus at NYU will include as part of this year’s program, “LA FRONTERA: Artists along the U.S.-Mexican Border.” This exhibition features the work of photographer Stefan Falke, as well as a talk with the photographer and journalist Claudia Steinberg. The content of the show encompasses Falke’s photographs of 180 artists, painters, photographers, musicians, writers, and architects, all living and/or working along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Greenpoint Open Studios ↑
Greenpoint Brooklyn
April 29-May 1
Greenpoint Open Studios is back with their 2016 spring edition when 300+ local artists open their studios to the public. Both established and emerging artists will be participating in the event as the creative community as a whole comes together to celebrate the area’s vibrant art scene. Check out the brochure here for additional details about the artists, events info, and studio locations.
Mad Hatters Ball ↑
McKittrick Hotel, 530 West 27th Street
Saturday April 30
The McKittrick Hotel, widely know for their haunting interactive theater piece “Sleep no More,” is hosting an evening perfect for letting your creative freak flag fly. This month’s movie-themed blow out, where the hotel invites guests to come dressed as characters inspired by some of the greatest films of all time, is “Alice in Wonderland.” Get your bunny ears and pocket watches ready, and join your fellow mad hatters for dancing, live performances, costumed revelry and an open bar. Purchase your tickets in advance here.
Emily Weiskopf: Pixan Paths // Higher Roads ↑
Jenn Singer Gallery, 72 Irving Place
Opening Saturday, April 30, 5-7pm; On view through May 28
Presented by the Jenn Singer Gallery in conjunction with its one-year anniversary with Pixan Paths Higher Roads, this solo exhibition features new and unconventional work from Brooklyn-based artist Emily Weiskopf. Pixen Paths // Higher Roads explores the artist’s fascination with spirituality, science and ancient ruins. This work uses these subjects as a means of understanding the world in which every event is simultaneously psychical and physical. The show includes pieces described as contemporary frescos–hand-painted, etched and carved with dyes, enamel, roofing paint, and cement on aluminum and plaster.
Crime and Refuge – Odd Nerdrum ↑
Booth Gallery, 325 West 38th Street
Saturday, April 30 at 6pm
Booth Gallery will be opening Crime and Refuge, the first U. S. solo show from Scandinavian-born, European-based kitsch painter Odd Nerdrum. The exhibition will include sixteen paintings that have never been shown in the U.S. before, several of which are making their world debut. This body of work shares its name with a 455-paged monograph published by the artist in 2013, and embodies his vision of the human experience in the form of love, solitude, and struggle set in the dusty atmosphere of bleak Martian-like landscapes. Each piece represents a humanistic narrative recorded on canvas, sure to invite an illicit visceral response from the viewer.
Beaver ↑
CPR-Center for Performance Research, 361 Manhattan Avenue
Saturday, April 30, 6:30pm
The presence of the female form in art and mainstream media is undeniable, and “Beaver” is questioning how advertising, mass media, and mainstream pornography affects how female sexuality is expressed both individually and collectively. Curated by artist Naomi Elena Ramirez and Kristen Sollee of Slutist.com, this group show poses to facilitate a conversation surrounding pornography, gender performance, and female sexual self-expression. The work featured will include film screenings, readings, performances, and roundtable discussion events.
Art into Action ↑
Gallery 151, 132 West 18th Street
Tuesday May 3, 7pm-12am
Gallery 151 will be hosting a very special event where they invite all guests in attendance to dress as a blank canvas in all white attire. They will also be holding a silent auction for works created by both local and regional artists where all the proceeds will be allocated to support FIGMENT NYC. The bids will begin at $50, and the event will also include performances from several DJs as well as transformational body painting, live button making and performances. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance through eventbright.
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Lori Zimmer is a writer, curator and founder of Art Nerd New York, an off-beat art history guide to the city. Lori also recently released her first book through Rockport Publishers, The Art of Cardboard: Big Ideas for Creativity, Collaboration, Storytelling, and Reuse. Follow her on Twitter @LoriZimmer.
