Art Nerd NY’s top art, architecture, and design event picks – 6/15-6/21

Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top art, design and architecture event picks for 6sqft readers!

If you’re feeling low this week, head to Times Square for a round of artful applause, or to the Rubin for some pick me ups thanks to the world of sound. Step back in time (and flex your history knowledge) for a Jazz Age Drink and Draw, then test your modern New York history knowledge at the New York Now Scavenger Hunt. If you’re itching to learn, join a free history tour of Washington Square Park, take in an artist talk by Martha Rosler, then celebrate the diverse history of the Lower East Side at the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival. Finally, cozy up with a date for Bryant Park’s first screening under the stars with King Kong.

Alex Prager’s Applause, June #MidnightMoment ↑
Times Square Ad Screens
Through Friday, June 30, 11:57pm-Midnight
This month, Times Square Arts partners with blue-chip gallery Lehmann Maupin and the Broadway League to bring photographer Alex Prager’s cheering audience to the passersby in Times Square. Pass through each night if you need a little confidence boost to get your very own round of applause.

Sketching Salon: 1920s Harlem Renaissance & Jazz Age Speakeasy ↑
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Avenue
Thursday, June 15, 6:30-9:00pm
Take a “time machine” for an amazing evening of 1920s glamor and creativity. Grab your pencils for a unique live drawing opportunity and sip on cocktails while sketching costumed in 1920s era styles, set to the tone of a three-piece band. After the drawing sesh, learn about artists from the Harlem Renaissance and participate in 1920s-themed NYC trivia- and win prizes!

The World is Sound ↑
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street
Friday, June 16, 6:00-10:00pm
Hop over to the Rubin for a free museum-wide opening celebrating how sound and our sense of hearing shape our daily lives, traditions, history, and all of existence. Opening night will include an introduction by the curator, opportunities to encounter artists featured in the exhibition, cocktail specials for purchase in the K2 Lounge, and free admission to the museum from 6:00 to 10:00p.m. (two-for-one drinks from 6-7!)

New York Now Scavenger Hunt ↑
Open House New York, 1133 Broadway, 2nd Floor (starting point)
Saturday, June 17, 10:00am
Think you know New York? To celebrate the 15th anniversary of OHNY Weekend, Open House New York has organized a citywide scavenger hunt of recent architecture, planning, and development. Travel the five boroughs while answering clues that send you to New York’s most breathtaking new buildings. Put your winning team together now!

Harlem Arts Stroll ↑
West 110th to 160th Streets, between Lenox and Amsterdam Avenues
Saturday, June 17 (and the third Saturday of every month through October), 1:00-6:00pm
The first-ever Harlem Arts Stroll kicks off this Saturday with a series of free exhibits and gallery tours throughout the neighborhood. Participating venues include the Calabar Gallery, LeRoy Neiman Art Center, Harlem Needle Arts, the Neighborhood Women’s Collective, Harlem Pride and the I, Too Arts Collective. End the evening at Shrine Music World for a full roster of jazz, folk, and reggae performances.

NYU & Washington Square: Changing Strategies of Growth and Design ↑
AIANY Tours- Meet at the Washington Square Arch, Fifth Avenue & Washington Square North
Sunday, June 18, 11:00am-1:00pm
New York University’s growth around Washington Square has been ongoing for more than a century. On this tour, learn about the NYU’s strategies–repurposing of existing industrial buildings, incremental contextually-designed new structures, and large-scale clearance and redevelopment through urban renewal–as well as notable buildings by the likes of I. M. Pei, Philip Johnson, Kevin Roche, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Machado & Silvetti, Steven Holl, and Morris Adjmi. Be sure to register in advance.

Egg Rolls, Egg Creams and Empanadas Festival ↑
Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street
Sunday, June 18, 12:00-4:00pm
Celebrate the diversity that is the Lower East Side with a day where Chinese, Puerto Rican, and Jewish Culture come together. The Museum at Eldridge Street’s party includes performances, workshops and of course plenty of food.

King Kong-HBO Bryant Park Film Festival at Bryant Park ↑
Bryant Park, 6th Avenue and 42nd Street
Monday, June 19, 5:00pm
Enjoy classic films under the stars on the big screen in the middle of iconic Bryant Park. Grab a blanket and pick up snacks from vendors curated by Hester Street Fair. Movies start around 8, but the lawn opens at 5 for picnickers.

Practice Lecture Series: Martha Rosler ↑
School of Visual Arts, Room 501H, 335 West 16th Street
Tuesday, June 20, 12:30-2:00pm
Spend your lunch break with a free lecture by Brooklyn-based artist Martha Rosler. Foor many years, she’s produced works on war and the national security climate, connecting life at home with the conduct of war abroad, in which her photomontage series played a critical part.

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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 is also the author of two books, The Art of Cardboard: Big Ideas for Creativity, Collaboration, Storytelling, and Reuse and The Art of Spray Paint. Follow her on Twitter @ArtNerdNY or Instagram @TheLoriZimmer