The community mural: A time honored urban tradition rooted in local flavors and tastes. Every major city and many small towns have them and most people who live near one of these colorful creations also have stories they can tell you about them. Apart from the graffiti scene or the Street Art scene, Allison and Garrison Buxton have one focus in mind when curating artists into this neighborhood in Queens to paint for the third year in a row: The nexus of community and creativity.
The styles, perspectives, and command of the aerosol can may vary, but the enthusiasm and refreshing lack of attitude at this non-commercial weekend event are undeniable. This year the number of participating artists grew to over 90 and the number of dishes served by neighbors on folding buffet tables in the middle of the street was probably 10 times that. It’s easy to see that this working class neighborhood full of racing kids on bikes and people posing for photos in front of murals is one true definition of New York today. For this sunny summer event, it’s the electricity of live creativity on the street that draws people out to talk with each other.
Thank you to Garrison and Allison Buxton for their indefatigable efforts to bring the community of artists together. Thank you to the families and business of Welling Court for opening their doors and their walls to the creative spirit.
That was a short week, right? Let’s resolve to have short weeks for the rest of the year! Welcome back to Fun Friday, which took a little vacation. Here are our stories this week;
1. LUDO and FKDL Welcome 2012
2. “Rather Unique” Saturday at Woodward Gallery
3. New Labrona Prints
4. Droid and Avoid “Live the Dream, Learn to Die II”
5. VHILs Video of his Skulls at Nuart
6. “En Masse”, Miami 2011 Parts I and II by Fred Caron
Taking advantage of the fact that a lot of New York street art goes into hibernation this time of year, artist/curator Royce Bannon ia collecting a “Rather Unique” group of Street Artists for this new show at Woodward, opening January 7. A group show opening the 7th at the Woodward Gallery in Manhattan.
Along with the new piece, “Personality”, pictured above by Street Artist Infinity, the roster includes many of the names on the scene today bringing it inside from the cold, including Cassius Fowler , Celso , ChrisRWK , Cope2 , Darkcloud , H. Veng Smith , Indiw 184 , KA , Keely, Kenji Nakayama , Kosbe , Manhattan , Matt Siren , Moody , Nose Go, Royce B , Russell King , UR New York, and Wrona
For further information regarding this show click here
New Labrona Prints
Walls, freights, canvasses – all are attractive sights for Labrona, and now he’s hawking some new prints he made, like the one below, which he’s selling here.
Dogman Rides Again (yellow), by Street Artist/ Fine Artist Labrona
Droid and Avoid “Live the Dream, Learn to Die II”
Speaking of trains, Avoid and Droid have collected tales of their freight-hopping journey up the West Coast in the summer of 2011, and include fun stories told in rusted rail haiku like ones about the pot-growing subculture they discovered in California. Also they give helpful hints about how to pick your spot in the weeds to catch some shut-eye, how you should not defecate in the pathways, and that urine flows downhill. Welcome to the Jungle! Call it a punk-rock travel guide.
You can check out their publishing enterprise of zines here
VHILs Video of his Skulls at Nuart
Courtesy of Martyn Reed, here’s a new video of Street Artist Vhils’ work at Nuart 2011.
Brooklyn Bodega presents “Under The Influence,” the first curated art event to be held in conjunction with the 2011 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. Opening Tuesday, July 12th as part of the Festival’s week-long programming at The powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY; the exhibit will celebrate the influence Hip-Hop has had for multiple generations within the artistic community.
“The idea is to pay tribute to the culture and bring together artists who have something special in common – an influence, a back-story, a motivation. Hip-Hop wouldn’t have become the same movement without the influence of the graffiti writers who created an aesthetic for a new generation. The artists in this show prove that the influence of the golden era keeps its roots and continues to inspire new creations. The influence is powerful and this show brings together both the pioneers and a new wave of artistic progression.”- Corrie Zaccaria, Event Captain, The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival
Artwork on view during “Under The Influence” has been curated by Royce Bannon and Alex Emmart of Mighty Tanaka Gallery. We are also excited to announce Gawker Artists as media partners of “Under The Influence.” The opening night festivities include a public reception with refreshments provided by Brooklyn Brewery and music from a special guest DJ. A live music performance and more featured artists will be announced soon!
Featured inthe Show:
Photographs from Back in the Days Remix: 10thAnniversary Edition – Book Signing Upon its first publication in 2001, Back In The Days by Jamel Shabazz became an instant classic. This seminal and iconic title has been inspiring a decade-long, international revival in old-school Hip-Hop style, music and culture. Appearing alongside photographs from the book, Shabazz will be on-hand to sign copies of the limited-printing, tenth-anniversary edition of Back in the Days Remix. It includes a new edit with over 30 never-before-published photographs, a new essay, an interview with Shabazz and deluxe cloth binding.
Contributing Artists – Second Floor Gallery 212 Magazine, 907 Crew (UFO, SADU, DROID, Tony Bones, OZE 108 and GEN II), Ader, Ak5, Alice Mizrachi, Avoid, Cash4, Darkclouds, Destroy & Rebuild, Don Morris, Endless Love Crew (Royce Bannon,Matt Siren, Celso, Infinity, Abe Lincoln Jr), Ellis G, Eric Jordan, Jesus Saves, Joe Conzo, John Brenner, KA, Keely, Kosbe, Martha Cooper, Miguel Ovalle, Mike Screiber, Moody, Pesu, Robots Will Kill, Rodeo, The Me Nobody Knows, Toofly, Tuxedo, URNewYork and Vanessa Chew + more TBA.
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What: “Under The Influence” Art Event When: Opening BHF ’11 Reception: Tuesday, July 12, 6:00 – 10:00PM
Exhibit Dates: Wednesday, July 13 – Sunday, August 7, 2011 Where: The powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY Who: Photographs from Back in the Days Remix: 10th Anniversary Edition. Gallery showing of influential artists.
North of Grand Street – that’s how you know it’s NORTHSIDE. Shooting for SXSW status soon, Northside Festival already has tons of live free music in bars, clubs, and on the street – including ticketed gigs like BEIRUT tonight in McCarren Park. Did we mention there will be approximately 270 bands?
Now L Magazine is extending the offerings with a huge visual art component, replete with open studios and panel discussions and, this is where we come in, art in the streets.
This weekend the streets of Williamsburg will be alive and buzzing with an array of all sorts of visual and musical exhibitions and shows to mark NorthSide Open Studios and the very popular annual event CrestFest which includes the famous Crest Hardware Art Show, now pushing a decade.
This festival includes 175 events and participating galleries and artists’ studios. For additional information regarding the complete list of events, schedules and locations click on the link below:
“Sick” photographer Jim Kiernan Solo Show at 17 Frost Tonight
A combination of Brooklyn Street Art and Brooklyn Street photography, Jim is having his first show tonight. Stop by and say hi and have some refreshments.
Skewville, the revered Street Art duo, are going LARGE this weekend on a 100′ long wall across from the Brooklyn Brewery and around the corner from the Brooklyn Bowl. Can’t get more Brooklyn than that, baby. The progress all week has been promising.
Skewville will be painting live on Saturday beginning at Noon to complete the 100 feet long mural on the corner of N. 11 and Wythe Streets. Special thanks to Crest Hardware and Montana Colors for their generous help. Read more about the project here.
A neighborhood favorite, this art show in a hardware store has grown into a festival of it’s own, with bands and food and crafts. You have to see it to believe it, so put it on your list. Street Artists are well represented in the collection too with Olek crocheting covers for some garden equipment and Aakash doing some installations in the actual garden out back. Our short list includes Skewville, Jon Burgerman, Olek, Aakash Nilhalani, Haze, General Howe, Royce Bannon, Celso, and Laura Lee Guilledge.
For more a complete list of events and schedules click on the link below:
“Racing Lines” : Jon Burgerman Scrawls on a Car (Which is Usually Not Allowed)
CrestFest and BSA invited internationally renowned artist Jon Burgerman to do his trade mark doodling and drawing on a ZipCar right in front of Crest on the sidewalk, and with arms full of Posca markers at the ready, he’s going to be out there doodling LIVE!. A little more about it here.
Brooklyn Street Art and Crest Fest invite you to attend the Launch Party for NorthSide Open Studios
After Jon mucks up the car, we’re piling a bunch of monkeys in it and taking it for a drive around the hood, probably fighting over who gets to control the radio. We’re hoping to entice people on the street to go to the afterparty we’re co-hosting with Crest for the Northside Open Studios Launch party. We’ll drink a toast to Skewville and Jon and all the artists who make this gorgeously ugly borough a hotbed of creative activity. All sales benefit Northside Open Studios.
BOX HOCKEY at Pandemic Saturday
Pandemic Gallery invites you to come and play BOXHOCKEY!!!
The greatest game you probably haven’t played yet! We’ve been lucky enough to play it, and nearly poked an eye out, but that’s just because we have very little athletic skill. You’ll probably ace it like a pro.
Plus it has custom art based on the Box Hockey game by some of the kool kids on the Street Art scene among the list of participating artists;
AV Dirty Deeks Don Pablo Pedro Keely Matt Siren Scott Chasse Stikman Tony Bones Vor138 Wrona
Los Angeles based visual artist Patrick Martinez and his dialogue with the Streets of Los Angeles.
BOXHOCKEY!!!
The greatest game you probably haven’t played yet!
Invented (or at least perfected) by Derek Pippin
Opening Reception: Sat. June 18th 2011, 7-11pm
Show runs through July 12th
What the #%*@ is BOXHOCKEY you ask? It is a glorious, homemade, indoor/ outdoor game played with two sticks and a hockey puck. The rules are simple, score! Slightly similar in play to Air-hockey or Foosball but completely in a league of it’s own.
BOXHOCKEY has proven to be the gnarliest party game we have come to know. We have teamed up with the Inventor, Derek Pippin, a rather sophisticated gentleman who came up with the original BOXHOCKEY, set. Bringing you a show of epic proportions all based around wild game play and having an awesome time.
Besides the sets we will have installed and set up for live gaming, and tournament play, we will be displaying 10 custom painted sets from 10 different NYC street and fine artists. Guaranteed to be a raucous engagement!!
Join us!!
Participating Artists include: AV Dirty Deeks Don Pablo Pedro Keely Matt Siren Scott Chasse Stikman Tony Bones Vor138 Wrona
If you decide to stay in the city this holiday weekend you can incite your imagination and feed your intellectual curiosity by walking the streets for the great out door gallery, or go inside to see great new stuff.
1. Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)
2. “Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
3. Miss Van and Gaia Double Bill at Jonathan Levine
4. Shai Dahan Solo Show in Gothenburg, Sweden
5. Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”
6. FAILE SAYZ: PLAY WITH YOUR ART! Release Puzzle Boxes
7. DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite
8. Narcelio Grud
9. FEIK in Brazil by Sampa Graffiti
Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)
“Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Paint It Now makes its NYC debut in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood (just north of Williamsburg). The show’s curators, Thomas Buildmore and Scott Chasse partner with Fowler Arts Collective for this Brooklyn-centric show, although Philadelphia and Boston represent.
Miss Van “Bailarinas” and Gaia “Succession” opened last night at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in Chelsea in Manhattan. Miss Van has been painting since her teenage years in France and in Europe and Gaia is celebrating his recent graduation from MICA in Baltimore. Congratulations GAIA!
(images courtesy of the Gallery)
For more details on this show, times and address click on the link below”
Shai Dahan moved to Sweden last year and, wasting no time, he set up to work on his new art projects as soon as the plane touched ground. Today he invites all people that happen to be in Gothenburg , Sweden to come to the opening of his solo show “Things Come Undone” at the Artspace + Us Gallery.
Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”
On Saturday the West Coast Street Art site Melrose&Fairfax invites you to attend the opening reception of their curatorial debut “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles” at the Maximillian Gallery in West Hollywood, CA.
Street Art Collective Faile have released a set of six different Puzzleboxes to the public. When we visited their studio last year they were in the process of creating these fun, interactive fine art pieces and now they are available, with an app on Itunes to boot.
For information about the Puzzleboxes and to purchase go to:
DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite
Narcelio Grud
Brazilian artist Narcelio Grud was filmed getting up all day in Manhester, UK where the only thing that really got in his way was a flock of adorable baby geese crossing his path.
This weekend is a perfect storm of shows that are opening on the East, West and points in between.
Up Close And Personal: RJ Curates Street Artists Into an Upper West Side Apartment (NYC)
In the intimacy of a private residence in the Manhattan suburbs of UWS, RJ Rushmore of Vandalog fame along with Keith Schweitzer and Mike Glatzer of newly minted M.A.N.Y. have mounted a fresh new open house show just off Broadway. An exquisitely curated show with marquee names and a few newbies the selection is solid in quality and unusual in it’s scale.
Troy Lovegates aka Other (image courtesy of the curators)
Participating artists include:
Aiko, Chris Stain, Clown Soldier, Don Leicht, Edible Genius, Elbowtoe, Gaia, How & Nosm, Jessica Angel, John Fekner, Know Hope, Logan Hicks, Mike Ballard, OverUnder, R. Robot, Radical, Retna, Skewville, Tristan Eaton, Troy Lovegates aka Other and White Cocoa.
Aiko’s cans are on proudly on display at the bachelor pad, and that’s not all (image courtesy of the curators)
Dates: May 12th– 15th, 2011
Times:
May 12th, 7 – 9pm
May 13th, 7 – 9pm
May 14th, noon – 9pm
May 15th, noon – 7pm
Note: Due to the limited exhibition space, people may be admitted in block times every half-hour.
Location: Apartment on the Upper West Side (217 West 106th Street, Apartment 1A, New York, NY 10025) – Between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues.
Cost for entrance: Free
Go to Hellbent and John Breiner Tonight in Brooklyn (NYC)
Mighty Tanka is presenting a show with two Brooklyn based artists: Hellbent and John Breiner.
Mr. Hellbent says of the show: “The best part of making a show like this is to finally see it up on the wall and the way that everything interacts. I have been thinking of these pieces as parts of a quilt, different fabrics being stitched together. The different colors, floral stencils, animals, and jaw bones melding together and playing off one another, even down to the different depths and sizes of panels, but until it was hung they were just pieces, not yet a whole. Its given me an opportunity to show the different elements that i am working with and how they have grown out of one another and to display all the different carvings and stencils patterns together, where on the street they are separated in different locations.”
To learn more about “Smiled Distress” at Mighty Tanaka tonight please click on the link below:
Matt Siren and My Plastic Heart present “Ghost in the Machine” (NYC)
25 spirits in the material world have made tributes to Street Artist Matt Siren’s Ghost Girl character for this show on the Lower East Side tonight. The custom toy show transforms the character that appears in doorways around New York, each putting its own unique spin on his character.
The show includes work from 64Colors, Royce Bannon, Steve Chanks, Chauskoskis, DarkCloud, Deeker, Gril One, J*RYU, Jester, Keely, Abe Lincoln Jr., Map-Map, Marka27, Brent Nolasco, Lou Pimentel, Reactorss, Marc Reusser, Todd Robertson, Robots Will Kill, Chris Ryniak, Matt Siren, Scott Tolleson, Julie West, Wheelbarrow, Wrona
Click on the link below to learn more about this show:
Ghost in the Machine May 13th 2011 – June 12th 2011
Chicago Street Art Show Tonight (CHI)
Tonight the book “Chicago Street Art” is being released at the the Chicago Urban Art Society in conjunction with a show titled “The Chicago Street Art Show”
Brooklyn’s AD HOC has a New Puppy in Los Angeles (LA)
On the West Coast the dynamic duo and husband and wife Garrison and Allison Buxton have curated a group show “I have a dream, I have a nightmare: Friday the 13th” at The New Puppy Gallery opening this Friaday from 7:00 to 11:00 pm
Artists include: Alison Buxton, Beau Stanton, Bill Fick, Broken Crow, Bunnie Reiss, Chor Boogie, Chris Stain, CRASH, Dabs & Myla, Daryll Peirce, David Loewenstein, Don Leicht, Ezra Li Eismont, Garrison Buxton, Hellbent, Joe Iurato, John Breiner, John Carr, John Fekner, Jordan Seiler, Know Hope, Lady Pink, Michael De Feo, Mikal Hameed, Paul Booth, Peat Wollaeger, Ray Cross, Rex Dingler, ROA, Robert Steel, Sean Starwars, TheDirtyFabulous, & Thundercut.
WHERE:2808 Elm Street, Los Angeles, California 90065
English Kills Group Show Saturday, “The Mother Ship” (NYC)
Chris Harding, owner and ringmaster of the Bushwick Brooklyn-based space station English Kills brings out his strong stable of artists for this group show aptly titled “The Mother Ship” opening this Saturday at 7:00 pm. It’s not necessarily Street Art – but this is a hotbed of new ideas so it is always worth your trip.
Participating artists include:
Brent Owens, Andy Piedilato, Vilaykorn Sayaphet, Jim Herbert, David Pacheco, Hiroshi Shafer, Gyles Thompson, Sarah H. Paulson, Holly Faurot, Tescia Seufferlein, Peter Dobill, Steve Harding, Judith Supine, Lenny Reibstein, Andrew Ohanesian, Jason Peters, Don Pablo Pedro, Steven Thompson, Andrew Hurst and Rob Andrews.
English Kills is located at:
114 Forrest St. Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(718) 366-7323
Specter is a “Repeat Offender” 5/14 at Pawn Works in Chicago (CHI)
Brooklyn based artist Gabriel Specter’s solo show “Repeat Offender” opens this Saturday at the Pawn Works Gallery.
Opening Reception Saturday, May 14, 2011/ 6-10pm
PawnWorks
1050 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60622
Ph: 312.841.3986
London Police in Denver, “Amsterydynasty”
In Denver Colorado Black Book Gallery brings back the glamour of the 80’s with The London Police and Handiedan in a show titled “Amsterydynasty”
While Nick Walker is in town hitting up all kinds of fancy, he spent a little time with BSA to make this new stencil in The People’s Republic of Brooklyn, above. Coming from the printers to check on the progress of the new release tomorrow (see below), Nick and his merry cluster of “assistants” rolled through the BK to poke his head into a couple of windows. Full process pics and the installation come up Sunday on BSA’s Images of the Week.
Nick Walker will be releasing a print in collaboration with Opera Gallery, 115 Spring Street, New York, this Saturday, February 26th, 2011 at 3pm EST. A lottery has been set up making 50 prints available for collectors in the UK. In order to apply for a print please email info@theartofnickwalker.com with New York TMA lottery in the subject box.
Nick Walker’s “Morning After New York” print release at Opera Gallery Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
The print will be a signed limited edition of 150 with 18 hand-finished Artists proofs.
Royce Bannon Catches Unusual Suspects at 17 Frost Tomorrow
Check out Abe Lincoln Jr. Celso, Chris RWK, Darkclouds, Infinity, Keely, Matt Siren, Moody, Nose Go, and Sno Monster, all curated by monster man Royce Bannon at this eclectic show in Brooklyn Saturday night. Read more and see images from the show HERE:
Please Support the Pantheon Show Across from the MoMA in April
This spring at the former Donnell New York Public Library across the street from MoMA Joyce Manalo and Daniel Feral will bring you PANTHEON: A History of Art From the Streets of NYC. This artist’s initiative is a 40 year history of New York Street Art told by the people who actually did the work. Run with volunteers, this show promises an erudite assessing of this moment in the timeline, and a look at how we got this far – and daily demonstrations in the windows. With your pledge to their Kickstarter campaign they will be able to afford to print catalogues and mount the show. Please throw them a buck! Click Here to see their KickStarter.
Street Art can be a very singular activity, and if you desire, you can do your own thing without ever hanging with the crew. Royce Bannon has never been interested in the Lone Wolf approach, preferring to work with friends on projects. In fact, as part of the Endless Love Crew, he brought about the big “Work to Do” show in Soho a couple of years ago with a truckload of mostly New York Street Artists, all working collaboratively to pull off one of the most lively freeze-frames of the current scene, without attitude.
For “Unusual Suspects”, opening Saturday, the curator and artist invited some of these same artists to this nice open community space in Williamsburg with one important requirement; They all needed to collaborate on a piece with a least one artist in the show.
When asked why he wanted the artists to collaborate he explained that a lot of them work together in many shows but most of them have not painted together on a single piece. In a collaboration you are more cognizant of the working style of the other, and, while not losing your own identity, you are part of a conversation. The resulting work is something entirely different from what either one could have produced solo. The process here involved passing the work back and forth over a period of time with each artist adding his or her contribution. Instructed Royce “Do what you want – just make it look good!”
Most of these names are seen on the street and it is always interesting to see how the work translate to the framed pieces on gallery walls. Included in this offering are a number of individual pieces that span a wide range of styles and one can clearly see these Street Artists going forward in their personal explorations.
Elfo is a graffiti writer and social commentator whose work intentionally sidesteps traditional notions of style or technical lettering. This …Read More »
In her latest mural, Faring Purth delivers a powerful reflection on connection, continuity, and the complexity of evolving relationships—a true …Read More »
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
