The Starving Artist

Artists Needed for Software Jobs

2010-06-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

Most artists aren't going into the field for the money. In fact, if you are, I don't know where you're getting your information, but get out, NOW! In all seriousness, though, there may be some hope in the artist job market. While artists are often forced to give up their artistic passions in order to eat, pay bills, etc., venture capitalist Mike Dodd has said that the companies he invests in need artists who can design an intuitive user interface, or UI as its called in the trade.

In the growing world of software and technology, artists act as the bridge between the tech-minded programmers (who write the software code) and the customer, who uses it. A partner at Austin Ventures, Dodd spoke at a venture capital panel held by the San Diego Venture Group last week, and stated that the user interface design for business and consumer software is just as important as the underlying software itself.

He spoke about the difficulties that software companies are facing in finding artists who are gifted at "explanation through design." Dodd said his company (and others like it) spend a lot of time looking for people right out of art school to place in UI-design positions.

So if you're an artist who thinks you could be good at designing software interfaces, you're in luck. Read more about Dodd's promising words of wisdom HERE.

"Art as Currency" : One Hospital's Unique Approach to Helping Artists Afford Medical Visits

2010-05-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

While some nations (like France and Japan) sponsor programs that support "starving artists," the US isn't know for helping artists obtain affordable health care, and as the national health care crisis continues, "starving artists" (and "starving anyone" for that matter) are forced to live without insurance - and thus, without proper medical care.

But one hospital is taking health care assistance into its own hands. Brooklyn's Woodhull Medical Center has developed a unique way to help artists through its Artist Access Program. The hospital's program allows artists to use their own creativity as currency for medical services at Woodhull.

Program coordinator, Amy Duquette, recently discussed the program, stating,

"The artists provide a wide range of imaginative services. One artist, trained in yoga breathing and self-soothing, helps breast-cancer patients remain calm and centered while they are waiting to be seen. Others might read to pediatric patients in that waiting room. An actor might put on role-playing sessions for staff, helping them rehearse how to break bad news to ppatients and loved ones."

Uninsured patients at the Brooklyn public hospital pay a flat fee for doctor's visits (which include most lab work and x-rays). Artists earn 40 credits / hour of participation in the Artist Access Program, and just one hour of participation pays for two medical visits. By the end of 2008, over 400 artists had earned credit through the successful program - benefiting both the hospital and the artist patients.

The project coordinator also announced a new program that will include photographers taking pictures of newborns which will be given to the mother as a thank-you for choosing Woodhull Hospital.

It seems art and medicine are leading to some interesting and mutually beneficial collaborations at this Brooklyn hospital... hopefully other institutions will see the success of these programs and follow their lead!

Free Art Events around Manhattan

2010-04-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

While NYC is arguably one of the world's most expensive cities to live in, there are always free events going on.

According to New York Magazine, here are the critics' picks for the free events happening in the next 7 days:

Anselm Reyle @ Gagosian Gallery (through Oct. 24)
Check out Reyle's flashy and ultra-shiny sculptures and wall works (image, left)

Candida Höfer @ Sonnabend (through April 17th)
The exhibition displays the artist's extensively detailed and voluptuously colored pictures that depict interiors, libraries and museums throughout Naples and Florence.

Eva Hesse @ Hauser and Wirth (through April 24th)
Fourteen of Hesse's gauzy sculptural fragments are currently on display (image below).

Fiona Rae @ PaceWildenstein (through May 1st)
The show includes Rae's whimsical large-scale oil and acrylic works (image below).

Milton Glaser @ James Cummins Bookseller (through April 24th)
On display are 40 original drawings, watercolors and giclee prints that represent the 50 + years of Glaser's contributions to the development of American design and illustration.

Tom Gr eenwood @ CUE Arts Foundation (through May 12th)
Go see Greenwood's first NYC solo gallery show, which exhibits the "fecund, hallucinogenic, magpie multimedia" artist's intricately drawn abstract and boldly colored CD covers (image, left).

Click here to check out the full list

A Dancer Dodges the "Starving Artist" Cliche

2010-03-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that artists of all types have a strong passion for their craft. After all, most artists do not hit it big or become rich and famous - but are so dedicated and devoted to the arts, that they choose to pursue their artistic passion regardless (hence the cliche term "starving artist").

The other day I read an interesting article - a blog post from a recent college grad - who received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in 2008. I really think this woman should become a life coach (not that she needs to add anymore onto her already piled-high plate), but her advice and story are impressive, and this 23/24 year-old artist definitely has her life together (even more than many non-artist adults I know)!

When graduating from college, finding a job (and adjusting to post-college "real life") is a scary experience, but for an artist, the combination of that stress, along with the current economy causing a huge lack of job opportunities and the knowledge that your skills / degree / passion as an artist will not exactly allow you to rack in the big bucks are even more overwhelming. How, then can a modern day artist balance paying the bills with remaining sane, and focusing on their art?

We can all relax, as the 2008 BFA Modern Dance graduate has a few simple strategies to share with us. She refers to "pay-the-bills jobs" as PBJ and discusses her day-to-day life of pursuing her dancing passion with several dancing gigs in NYC, while also working at her PBJ - oh, not to mention that she's also started her own company.

The multi-tasking dancer works at her hum-drum secretarial PBJ three times a week, several hours a day and takes on freelance jobs, which allow her to remain flexible and run her company outside of work as well as dance in the various companies she's part of and still pay the bills.
While the dancer is attempting to transition into a PBJ that may provide her with skills that could be useful to her art or the running of her company, she understands the importance of remaining realistic and reveals some impressive - yet practical tips for how artists can balance their lives.

The dancer advises:

1. Take care of business: Get a job so that you can pursue your artistic career. If you do not, you will find yourself in a sticky situation.

2. Don't let your PBJ dictate your life, but don't be so picky that no one will hire you because you don't work such-and-such hours

3. Be patient, things will come with time and diligence

4. Just because you have a PBJ, doesn't mean that you are not a "real artist," it's just one of the many hats you wear throughout the day

5. Make time for yourself

6. Make time for your art

Nava Lubelski's Guide to Creating Cheap Art

2010-02-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Visual artist Nava Lubelski is the author of The Starving Artist’s Way, a how-to guide to creating easy artistic projects on a tight-budget. Lubelski grew up in Soho as the child of Starving Artists and now lives in artist / hipster haven, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Lubelski’s book is unique in that it not only teaches how to craft a variety of artistic projects (see below), but also because it’s intended for artists AND non-artists of all ages – and offers interesting alternatives to typical arts and crafts projects.

Furthermore, art-enthusiasts will enjoy the added plus of Lubelski’s side notes on art movements and other aspects of art history (this is also a good way for parents to subtly educate their children on culture and art).

The Starving Artist’s Way is divided into five sections, with instructions on dozens of projects per category. Read some highlights below:

Recipes – Learn to make Coffee Granita from leftover breakfast coffee, plus giant lemon gummy bears, at-home absinthe and instant Japanese Soup. YUM!

Clothing / Wearables – These eclectic crafts include old sweater slippers (cozy), fashionable double braided belts, duct tape wallets and a “found object charm bracelet.”

Furniture – Travel back to the 1960s and create a Pop Art Tomato Table that Andy Warhol would be proud of (see image, left)

Special Events – Forget about spending money on a party planner, florist or caterer. Make your next event a DIY fiesta by baking a Paul Klee Edible Mosaic Cake and crafting rows of duck candles and deco paper flowers that guests will enjoy (see image, below)

Houseware – Some interesting activities include how-to make a “Seven Years Bad Luck” mirror, Dada photo frame and detergent bottle wall sconce (see image, below)

I’m inspired already (and kind of craving that instant Japanese Soup on this chilly February day)…

There's lots to do in Williamsburg, click here to see what's going on.

New Hampshire's "Starving Artist" Collective

2010-01-21T11:53:00.001-08:00

"The Starving Artist" is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving artists and art-lovers through performances, lectures, workshops and a gallery. Founded by writer / director / filmmaker, Aaron Wiederspahn along with his wife, Keri and Laina Barakat, the collective is based in Keene, New Hampshire.

The gallery changes its exhibition each month, with self-taught Russian immigrant, Lee Filmanov's work on display through January (to recognize and celebrate the life of the recently deceased artist). This month's events include a dance workshop, knitting circle, figure drawing model swap and a writers workshop (among others). The events are cheap (this month's are $5 and under) and seem to offer something for everyone.

Membership to "The Starving Artist" ranges from a pretty thrifty $30 / year (for students) to $75 / year (for couples and families), and benefits include a "starving artist" mug, 10% discount on regular classes, free admission to members only events and parties, automatic electronic updates and a schedule of events and classes, the opportunity to display personal art links and network on the Starving Artist Website, priority registration to all special events, classes, workshops and priority ticketing to limited seating events.

Click here for a guide to New Hampshire's art galleries

Click here to check out various the various non-profit art venues around the US

From Starving Artist to Successful Entrepreneur

2009-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

A Chicago-based program called the Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship will seek to eliminate the "starving artist" stereotype by teaching artists how to become successful entrepreneurs. The program, which is set to launch in September 2010, contains a two-year curriculum combining experimental learning, mentorship and a personalized classroom environment. Another feature, which seems to be especially useful, is the curriculum's inclusion of vital one-on-one time with faculty (who are successful artist-entrepreneurs).

Lisa Canning, a 25-year business veteran and artistic entrepreneur, founded the Institute and states,

"There is simply no reason whatsoever that artists cannot be relevant and earn a living. And now, more than ever, society is not only willing but must innovate ... The arts hold many key ingredients that can help fuel economic growth. The time has come for artists to financially benefit from what the world now most needs--their creativity."

To read the entire article associated with this post, click here.

For more information about the school, click here.

For a free "Starving Artist" button, click here.

Starving Artist Gift Guide

2009-12-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

For the typical starving artist (plus the 11% of unemployed and 17.5% of underemployed Americans), the Holiday season's joyful tradition of gift giving has become a daunting juggling game of trying to make loved ones happy by buying them thoughtful gifts without going broke (or plunge further into an already overwhelming debt).

However, fear not, the Daily Loaf's Sarah Gerard has come up with some ideas to keep you from drowning in debt this season, while still conveying the Holiday spirit.

1. Volunteer (offering up several hours of service to a loved-one's favorite charity is a great way to get into the holiday spirit by not only showing a friend or family member you support his / her cause, but also by generously devoting your time to helping those in need)

2. Bake (a good way for a "starving artist" to show creativity with inventive recipe choices and personalized package decoration)

3. Make a mix tape (again, good way to use your creativity - with thoughtful song choices and package decoration)

4. Offer your services (use your best assets and skills to show someone how much you love them... i.e. if you're a photographer, offer to take a family portrait and have it framed or to be the designated Christmas day photographer and create CD montages as post-Christmas presents)

5. Share your resources (get together with fellow starving artists and / or family members and friends and rummage through each others' closets and storage spaces. One person's trash is another person's treasure)

6. Re-gift a book (be careful with this one... only re-gift slightly used books that clearly match a loved-one's tastes or interests and write something personal on the inside cover, as Gerard suggests)

7. Recycle (this is another "one person's trash is another person's treasure" idea... you could even get the dreaded spring cleaning out of the way by cleaning out your closet or storage spaces and finding old picture frames to decorate or vintage tee-shirts to could give to rock-loving friends)

8. Babysit (every parent you know would appreciate this one)

9. Go hands-on for kids (another good way for starving artists to showcase their talents and a fun weekend activity)

10. Give a growable gift (plants, herbs, and seeds are cheap, personal and make a dreary winter day a little more cheerful and spring-esque)

To see the author's tips, tricks and comments, click here.

"Money Makes Art"

2009-11-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

As Miami gears up for its art fair season, art dealers and galleries are looking to bring their most dynamic and unique pieces of art to the table (excuse my pun). As always, it will be interesting to see the eclectic mix of art swarming around the booths of Miami's top fairs - including PULSE, SCOPE, Aqua Art, and Art Basel. Additionally, as expected, anxieties are running high, as everyone questions how the economy will affect the success of the art fairs.

This year has proven to be better than last for art fairs (and the art world in general), exemplified by reports from October's Frieze Art Fair in London (where many said 2009's fair did a lot better than the one in 2008). But clearly money is still an issue, and one gallery is using money in an intriguing way.

Wynwood's Artformz Alternative is showing a presentation and exhibition called "Money Makes Art." This exhibition, which opens less than two weeks before the inundation of art fairs to Southern Florida, calls attention to the current economic situation and shows how artists specifically are affected. In the group exhibition, each artist takes his or her own approach to currency. Conversations between the artists include the discussion of how the economy has affected the art market and how the current state of the art market influences (and changes) what artists make.

Artformz Alternative will have a booth at Aqua Art Miami, where it is assumed that some of the money-themed artwork will be displayed.

To read more about "Money Makes Art," click here

For a list of the upcoming art fairs in Miami, click here

The Vatican Commissions a Former Starving Artist

2009-10-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Image of Vatican City from Scrape TV News

The Catholic Church is sticking to its value of charity-- but not in a way one would typically expect. The Vatican has commissioned Los Angeles artist Yuri Gevorgian to commission a painting of Father Arcangelo Tadini, an Italian saint for working women. Gevorgian used his signature style of cubism to capture the saint's compassionate essense, and his massive painting tells the story of Tadini, who helped set up schools for poor children and get homeless women off the streets.

Coincidentally, Gevorgian was a "starving artist," living on the streets of Los Angeles twenty years ago when he began his art career. While the artist has come a long way, having achieved international recognition throughout the past two decades, he is honored to have been commissioned to create a painting for the Vatican, especially one that embodies a message he can relate to and one that is personal to his own experiences.

To read the entire article, click here

WarmUp at PS1

2009-10-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sooo.... this "hefty" $10 ticket is usually more than I would feel comfortable with posting on this site, but I've just had so much fun at WarmUp in the past, that I really feel like it's worth it... and I know that the summer is over and we'll have to wait another year (or just a few months) to do it again, but I thought that I'd mention that I loved it again this year!

Warm Up

Voted by Time Out New York readers as the Best Club in 2005

— December 29, 2005-January 4, 2006 issue

#10 of The 20 Hottest Beach Parties in the world by The Observer (UK)

— February 12, 2006 issue

Click here for Warm Up 2009 line-up

Warm Up is P.S.1's critically acclaimed music series and has become one of the most anticipated summer events. The series is housed within the architectural installation created by the winner of the annual P.S.1 and MoMA organized Young Architects Program. Together, the music, architecture and exhibition program provide a unique multi-sensory experience for music fans, artists, and families alike.

Highlights from the series include a stellar group of international DJs and live music ensembles: DJ Harvey, Groove Collective, Lovebug Starski, Afrika Bambaataa, Prins Thomas & Hans-Peter Lindstrom, Mad Professor, Richie Hawtin, Danny Krivit, Trevor Jackson, Francois K, DJ Craze, Charlie Dark, Vikter Duplaix, Fischerspooner, Frederic Galliano, Kid Koala, Arto Lindsay, The Scissor Sisters, Ursula Rucker, Derrick May, Swayzak, Luke Vibert, XPress 2, Danny Wang, and many more.

Warm Up Admission

On Warm Up Saturdays, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the admission fee to P.S.1 and Warm Up is $10.00. Included in this price is access to all exhibitions and to Warm Up. We do not offer special discounts for seniors or students on Warm Up Saturdays. Cash only.

Central Park Art

2009-09-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

So, we are all familiar with The Gates, perhaps the most famous of all Central Park public art pieces, but what about all of those other statues, fountains, etc.? This past weekend a friend of mine and I met up in the park for a nice long walk and a picnic and we started noticing all of the beautiful pieces sprinkled throughout. It wasn't long before we were researching their history and placement on her iphone. I highly recommend spending a beautiful Fall afternoon strolling through the park and looking at all of the old (and new) pieces of art in the park. If you get in the mood, while you're up there, stop off at any of the great museums the Upper East Side has to offer - like The Met, The Frick, The Guggenheim, or The Whitney. Click here for a list of sculptures in Central Park.

Punch Up Your Life

2009-09-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday evening at 8, the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on Crosby Street is home to a free comedy show. According to NYMag, it is "hosted by vets Jessi Klein (Best Week Ever) and Pete Holmes (Premium Blend). The month-old show has already seen appearances from John Mulaney, Nick Kroll, John Oliver and Janeane Garofalo. " And it's free!

Housing Works Bookstore Café

126 Crosby St., New York, NY 10012

nr. Houston St.

212-334-3324

Governor's Island for some art

2009-08-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Governor's Island offers a great weekend day trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's also an awesome place if you're interested in the history of New York, but can't quite afford admission to the Tenement Museum. Right now you can go on a tour of the site-specific art projects sponsored by Creative Time. Click here for details.

Is Summer over yet???

2009-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I missed the opening of this show last weekend, but I hear that it’s still definitely worth a visit, especially if this recession has you reeling…

Brooklyn Bailout Burlesque

Show runs till August 30th, 2009

The art world, global companies, complex societies and every

small individual all have one problem in common: how to deal with

the crisis. When money goes wrong nothing goes right. Many in

the high society of art dreamt the dream of instant success and

big overnight money, but the awakening was rough and most of

the ambitious collectors had gone with the wind. So how can one

stay in a market that barely exists in this time, where money

displays a rather strange behaviour.

Jim Avignon, Brooklyn-Berlin based artist, musician and hopeless

bohemian curated a show with 7 young artists from Brooklyn and

Europe,which might have some answers for you. They throw their

skills together and create a panorama, where strange and funny

characters inhabit a peculiar zone somewhere between realist

figuration. cartoons, messageboard-doodling and pure fantasy.

Expect everything from unsentimental portraits, vibrant colors,

playful items contemporary weirdness with a good old

anti-establishment vibe.

Between high art and crumbling economy there is a common

ground for inexpensive works, keenly tailored for broad appeal.

The show must go on.

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The great communal fun that is the Central Park Summer Film Festival returns August 18 to 22. And the 19th is likely to be the biggest blast of all: That's the evening for Gordon Parks's 1971 Shaft. Yes, the characters are cardboardy archetypes, but the wealth and depth of New York location shots—especially in Times Square and the ratty old Village, both of which look absolutely awful—provide way more hits of pleasure than you may remember. Add to that Richard Roundtree and his impressive assortment of turtlenecks, plus, of course, the Über-funky Isaac Hayes theme music, and you've got a groovy evening on your hands. — Christopher Bonanos from NYMag

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Also, since the weather maybe will give us a little bit of a break this weekend, you should go see Roxy Paine on the roof of the Me t – it closes October 25

Auuugust ideas

2009-08-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

Right now (August 5 -23, 2009) Lincoln Center is hosting a slew of free events called Lincoln Center Out of Doors. There's something for everyone - from music lovers to families with kids. And it's all FREE!

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Every Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, the Brooklyn Artists Alliance is open:

"We will work for an hour or so on a Booklyn Production Project and in exchange, I'll teach some book making and/or bring other folks through to teach. You might also exchange your labor for access to Booklyn's guillotine, shears, saddle stapler or paper folder. Read more about the Open Studio here."

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I'm thinking about throwing a party sometime within the next few weeks - click here for some ideas for partying on a budget

Bryant

2009-08-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

First off, today I may head over to Bryant Park (6th Ave and 41st St.) for "Bryant in the Park":

You’re invited to a surreal celebration of summer featuring art.party's own fictional Bryant Park Croquet Society.

Clad in white, fourteen actors spout the nature poems of William Cullen Bryant while playing croquet and sipping tea.

Sultry, stirring, and surprising, Bryant in the Park is a paean to nature in an urban oasis and a not-to-be-missed celebration of summer.

Wear your most sophisticated croquet whites and enjoy a free evening of theater in the park.

For more information about art.party.theater.company, please visit: www.artpartytheatercompany.com.

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Tomorrow, I'm also meeting my friend for bagels and going to the library (hello, free books galore) and to see one of the copies of the Gutenberg Bible.

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Also, the young artist Dash Snow tragically died several weeks ago, and there will be a memorial of sorts at Deitch Projects.

DASH SNOW

1981-2009

A COMMUNITY MEMORIAL

Dash Snow’s friends and family have joined together to create an open memorial exhibition for Dash’s community. We have asked friends to bring photographs and video of Dash and works of art made for Dash and works made in his memory. Friends have also brought in special works by Dash from their own collections. A group of previously unseen Polaroids from Dash’s studio are also included.

The memorial project also has an open wall where Dash’s friends and admirers can write, paint or paste artworks and texts in his memory.

The façade of the gallery has been painted over with a giant fire extinguisher version of Dash’s tag, SACER.

Visitors are encouraged to bring flowers to throw into the main gallery where images of Dash and his own works are exhibited.

Dash’s community of friends is invited to bring in additional images and works during the run of the show.

Jade Berreau

Dan Colen

Jeffrey Deitch

Christophe de Menil

Kathy Grayson

Hanna Liden

Agathe Snow

Sale guide

2009-07-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ahh summertime - a time for sun, beach, hiking, chips and dips, margaritas, and oh yes.... the dreaded move. Summer is the time that most young-ish people tend to move, either because of the academic calendar, or because our year-long leases are still based on the move we made straight out of college.

Today ApartmentTherapy posted a sale guide for the weekend... so if you're looking for new furniture or housewares from anywhere other than the Salvation Army, check out the places they recommend.

Brokelyn

2009-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Chances are if you are broke and living in New York, you don't live on the Upper East Side, Tribeca, or even the Village. It's probable that you live in Brooklyn.. true, you may live in Queens, or Harlem, or Yonkers, but Brooklyn has, as we know, become home to the young and broke-ish (please no comments about all of the trust-fund kids parading around Williamsburg or the abundance of strollers in Park Slope).

Well, coming to our rescue is Brokelyn.com - a very funny and very great website that gives great ideas of things to do, places to go, etc. in Brooklyn. You can choose your neighborhood, or just check out the general news items... definitely worth a read.

hot hot July

2009-07-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am planning on doing several things around town with friends... hopefully the heat doesn't wipe me out...

(Long Beach, NY)

Everyone has been going to the beach lately, and from what I hear Long Beach, the Rockaways, and Sandy Hook are the best. I'm not sure which one I'll try this weekend, but I'm sooo excited to escape the city with a simple hour long drive/train/water taxi and put my feet in the water... ahhh

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(Francis Bacon show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

I have been a complete slacker and have not seen the Francis Bacon show at the Met. Although I feel bad saying this (because we all should really be supporting museums right now), admission at the Met is always a "suggested donation", so you never have to pay full price.

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(The Lower East Side, NYC)

I think I'll get brunch somewhere tomorrow with my friend and stroll around and see some galleries in the Lower East Side, post-Bloody Mary/benedict food-coma.

Let me leave you with a little something that made me smile today - a beautiful little video...

free music fridays in the city

2009-07-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Date: Friday, July 10th

Time: 6:00pm
Location:South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (South Street and Fulton Street)
Cost: Free

Free, summer, concerts roll on tonight as River to River continues their Seaport Music Festival on the East River tonight with a live performance by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with ZAZA and Ribbons. "A breaking New York City four-piece, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart plays sweet & noisy pop with boy/girl vocals, blissful melodies and blistering drums, which typifies "everything that's great about indie pop at the moment. ZAZA and Ribbons are both Brooklyn-based duos. The former performs "gothy, post-punk-influenced" music, while the latter plays progressive, thrash rock that draws comparisons to early Joy Division." Check the full line-up below. All Ages.

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Date: Fridays
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Whitney Museum (945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street)
Cost: pay-what-you-wish

"Fun, bold and unpredictable, Whitney Live showcases an eclectic variety of cutting-edge performers." Tonight features Titus Andronicus, a Glen Rock, New Jersey,punk-infused Replacements-esque pop band with screaming vocals, layered guitars, and songs about suburban malaise.

Wednesday - MJ & a River Flick

2009-07-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

River Flicks (for Grown-Ups)

Pier 54 at 14th St.

Wednesdays (tonight, July 8 is Iron Man)

Movies begin at dusk (generally around 8:30 pm.) Seating is available. Free popcorn. Beverages and Snacks are for sale.

I Know What You Saw Last Summer! Watch all of your favorite blockbusters from 2008 on the big screen, again! This time around, they’re all FREE and out under the stars. From superheroes to gossiping gals, Hudson River Park’s RiverFlicks has all of last years favorite summer hits!

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Bad Bash at Whiskey River (575 2nd Ave)

You've seen all the news reports...heard all the jokes...and paid your last respects...but

DON"T STOP TIL YOU GET ENOUGH!

Now it's time to celebrate King of Pop-style!

This Wednesday, we present our Tribute to MJ!!

Get out your white gloves and moon-walking shoes and come to the bar dressed as MJ! Whether you look like BILLY JEAN, Wacko Jacko, or a SMOOTH CRIMINAL you'll get a FREE beer, and the person with the best costume will win a $100 bar tab!

Those of you who have some balls behind that crotch grab, can participate in a THRILLER dance-off or choreograph a special tribute RockBand performance!

And what NEVERLAND party place would be complete without some fun and games!

Play some King of Pop (beer) Pong and see if you can BEAT It! BEAT It!...Play Carnival Games on our Wii..or get drunk during our drinking games!

No Cover!! Drink Specials All Night Long!!!

Queens Guide

2009-06-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

While reading one of my favorite blogs, DesignSponge, I came across a “design guide” to the borough of Queens. Written by a guest blogger of sorts, the guide breaks down the neighborhoods and lets you know what to do, where to eat, and places to shop and find great deals. Many of the recommended “things to do” are free or cheap – and there are tons of art venues in Queens. Also, Queens is known for its wildly diverse cultures, which makes it an ideal place to live, as well as visit.

So buy a $2 metro card (the prices are going up soon) and head over to Queens and make a day of it. Or if you already live there, maybe you can discover some new gems from the guide.

Queens!

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center

5 pointz - grafitti mecca

X - No Soul for Sale

2009-06-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Starting tonight, and lasting through June 28, X in Chelsea will be hosting an event entitled No Soul for Sale - A Festival Of Independents. Over 30 international art spaces will be given a small space and encouraged to share information, work, etc. Admission is free.

Neither a fair nor an exhibition, NO SOUL FOR SALE is a convention of individuals and groups who have devoted their energies to keeping art alive. The Festival will be an exercise in coexistence: organizations will exhibit alongside each other without partitions or walls. As on the set of the legendary Lars Von Trier’s

movie Dogville, participants will be assigned spaces that are only marked on the floor, creating a map of an imaginary city of art, where distances and hierarchies are abolished.

With associations and groups coming from Berlin, Milan, Dublin, Barcelona, Paris, Reykjavík, Hong Kong, Rabat, Trinidad, New York, Los Angeles, and many other locations, NO SOUL FOR SALE provides a unique occasion to foster creative exchange and to connect with international organizations that aren’t usually accessible in New York City. With free entrance and a rich program of daily activities, NO SOUL FOR SALE will be a celebration of the independent forces that animate contemporary art.

Participants: ARTIS CONTEMPORARY ISRAELI ART FUND (NEW YORK AND TEL AVIV), BALLROOM (MARFA), BIZART/ARTHUB (SHANGHAI/HONG KONG), DISPATCH (NEW YORK), EMPTY PURSE PUBLICATIONS (NEW YORK), FILIPA OLIVEIRA + MIGUEL AMADO (LISBON), FLUXSPACE (PHILADELPHIA), GALERIE IM REGIERUNGSVIERTEL/FORGOTTEN BAR PROJECT (BERLIN), HERMES UND DER PFAU (STUTTGART), K 48 (NEW YORK), KADIST ART FOUNDATION (PARIS), KLING&BANG (REYKJAVÍK), L’APPARTEMENT 22 (RABAT), LATITUDES (BARCELONA), LAXART (LOS ANGELES), LIGHT INDUSTRY (BROOKLYN), LUCIE FONTAINE (MILAN), MIGRATING FORMS (NEW YORK), MONO.KULTUR (BERLIN), MOUSSE MAGAZINE (MILAN), NEXT VISIT (BERLIN), NOT AN ALTERNATIVE (BROOKLYN), PARTICIPANT INC. (NEW YORK), ROB PRUITT (NEW YORK), RHIZOME (NEW YORK), STARSHIP (BERLIN), STOREFRONT FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE (NEW YORK), STUDIO FILM CLUB (TRINIDAD), SUPPORTICO LOPEZ (BERLIN), SURASI KUSOLWONG (THAILAND), SWISS INSTITUTE (NEW YORK), THE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF ARTS (LOS ANGELES), THISISNOTASHOP (DUBLIN), TRANSFORMER (WASHINGTON, D.C.), VIAFARINI (MILAN), VOX POPULI (PHILADELPHIA), WAGE ARTISTS (NEW YORK), WHITE COLUMNS (NEW YORK), YOKOLAND supported by the OFFICE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART NORWAY, (OSLO).

let there be sun!

2009-06-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

How much longer can we take it with the rain!? It's been nasty weather for the past few weeks, and my weather.com outlook for NYC is seriously all thunderstorm icons for the next 10 days. I may go crazy.

Anyway, this weekend there are a couple of really cool things happening for cheap 'round the city...

The Bicycle Film Festival

Date: Saturday, June 20th 

Time: 12:30pm (meet at noon) 

Location: Anthology Film Archives (2nd St and 2nd Ave) 

Cost: Free

Calling all bikes, tall bikes, ugly bikes, crazy bikes and bikes in every shape and color… The Bicycle Film Festival is in town this weekend and that means it's time for a crazy Bike Parade. Dress up your bike and join the fun ride this afternoon followed by the Bike Beauty Pageant and Street Party.

click here for tickets to see the films at the BFF - not free, but cheap for sure

------------------------
“Lincoln Center at Time Warner Center”

Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle
Upper West Side
Subway: A, B, C, D, 1 to 59th St–Columbus Circle
Prices
Tickets: Free
Description
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lincoln Center, its neighbor to the south hosts an exhibit of photos and artwork that depict the performance venue in all its glory. Featured artists include Jim Dine, Andy Warhol and Guillermo Kuitca, who created pieces specifically for the new Lincoln Center’s unveiling this past February.
When
Today–Tomorrow 10am–9pm , Sun 11am–7pm

FIGMENT

2009-06-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but part of me gets really annoyed at the name of this festival, but hey - it's free and artsy, so I may just have to go check it out. This weekend Governor's Island will play host to this summer's FIGMENT Festival. FIGMENT is an arts festival which aims to break down the traditional ideas of art (no white cube galleries here), and has lots of different mini-events associated with it, like performances, music, games, etc.

From the festival:

"As a free, public, non-profit event, we aim to advance social and personal transformation through creativity. FIGMENT is uninterrupted by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. Selling or advertising goods or services is not permitted. Neither our artists nor our planners and staff are paid – everything that you see at FIGMENT is born from a simple desire to share imagination with each other and the public.

In these challenging economic times, it is important that artists devise new ways to create, share, think, and dream about what is possible. FIGMENT is an alternative to many of the shortcomings of the commercial art world— exclusive, expensive, impersonal, untouchable and often simply boring."

The festival runs from June 12-14 - get there by taking the Governor's Island Ferry, located next to the Staten Island Ferry.

Museum Mile

2009-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I know it may seem like a silly thing to suggest a walking tour of New York's finest museums on a thunderstorm-filled day, but just strap on those galoshes and get out there for a night of FREE MUSEUMS!

Annually, the Museum Mile Festival takes place on the 2nd Tuesday in June. From 6-9pm cultural institutions from 82nd to 104th street offer free admission, and some have art activities for children.

These are the museums along Museum Mile :

El Museo del Barrio at 104th Street
Museum of the City of New York at 103rd Street
International Center of Photography at 94th Street
Jewish Museum at 92nd Street
Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design at 91st Street
National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts at 89th Street
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 88th Street
Metropolitan Museum of Art from 82-86 Street
Goethe House German Cultural Center at 82nd Street

Renegade Craft Fair

2009-06-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend in Brooklyn, both Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 7 pm, Greenpoint/Williamsburg's McCarren Park will be home to the 5th Annual Renegade Craft Fair. The fair is FREE to enter and it should be really nice weather (at least on Saturday). So if you're looking for something lovely to do, head over there - the fair features handmade jewelry, posters, crafty items, clothing, paper, stationery, and other cute items. Plus, it would be really nice of you to support small business owners and buy handmade objects in this current time of woe.

Complete list of Renegade Art Fair Brooklyn vendors/artists

Kaleidoscope at the American Folk Art Museum

2009-06-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, June 5, The American Folk Art Museum will be hosting a special free evening. In conjunction with the beautiful show entitled KALEIDOSCOPE QUILTS: THE ART OF PAULA NADELSTERN, the museum will have a night featuring live music with Will Knox and Ayo Awosika.

Friday, June 5, 2009
5:30-8:30 pm
Free admission, live music, and drink specials

If you haven’t ever been to the Folk Art Museum, you should definitely go – the exhibitions tend blow my mind with the level of craft in the work, and are always really beautiful. Plus, it’s really close to MoMA.

45 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019

Since space is limited, it may be a good idea to call ahead for reservations at folk53@folkartmuseum.org or call 212.977.7170, etc. 329.

KALEIDOSCOPIC XXX: TREE GRATE, 53RD AND 7TH

Paula Nadelstern, 2004, Machine-pieced and hand-quilted cotton and silk, 51 1/2 x 58 1/2 in.

Bushwick Open Studios

2009-06-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend many, many studios will be open to the public (yes, for free) in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick, just east of Williamsburg. Events, like a parade, parties and panel discussions will coincide with the festivities.

click here to see a list and map of participating artists and studios

BOS ‘09

BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS and ARTS FESTIVAL

Friday, June 5th - Sunday, June 7th

Bushwick Open Studios is a self-organized art festival where anyone and everyone in the community is welcome to participate by presenting art work, organizing activities or helping to produce the event. The purpose is to create an open and inclusive event that benefits the entire community through the sharing of artistic projects and the encouragement of community interaction and dialogue.

BAM!

2009-05-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yeah, BAM isn't just an Emeril Lagasse catchphrase, it's a really awesome place in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Academy of Music has all kinds of free music and events on the weekends.

Their website for the BAMcafe Live says "Free live music every Friday and Saturday night, featuring rock, jazz, R&B, world music, pop, and more from Brooklyn and beyond."

This week:

Friday, May 29 - 9pm
Chase the Devil - Gary Lucas and Dean Bowman

Saturday, May 30 - 9pm
Thing-One with The Dustbin Brothers

click here to see the complete schedule and for more events

Cooper Union - Great Hall Politics

2009-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Great Evenings in The Great Hall: Electoral Politics
Multimedia event
Tuesday, May 19, 6:30pm
The Great Hall
7 East 7th Street at Third Avenue
Free and open to the general public

For 150 years, thousands have come to Cooper Union's Great Hall to protest or promote political change in New York City and across the nation: from Theodore Roosevelt and Fiorello LaGuardia to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Reliving some of those momentous times in American politics, Great Evenings in The Great Hall presents "Electoral Politics", an exciting multi-media event and rare opportunity for the public to see notable New Yorkers such as author, journalist and political pundit Fred Siegel, CUNY professor Frances Fox Piven, actress Rutanya Alda and other well-known actors and writers reenact portions of these pioneering Great Hall speeches. The program includes the overthrow of Boss Tweed and the notorious Tammany Hall Gang, as well as Rutanya Alda reading the words of Bella Abzug, a pioneering feminist who mobilized women into American politics. The Great Hall has been and continues to be a catalyst for change and can be experienced live in "Electoral Politics." A musical performance and a montage of Great Hall political figures will be integrated throughout the evening's festivities, concluding with footage of President Obama, then a Senator from Illinois, marking his presidential run for the White House with an illuminating speech in the Great Hall.

Great Evenings in The Great Hall is an eight-part series running from April 2009-February 2010. Each of the eight programs in the year-long series will focus on one area of protest, reform, or education to be reenacted by notable New York actors, writers and historians.

Fridays at the Rubin

2009-05-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

No, not reuben, but the Rubin Museum of Art's has free admission (with a $7 bar minimum) to their Friday Night Cabaret Cinema movie screenings. This week they're showing Vertigo.

Every Friday night - usually at 9:30, like tonight (but sometimes earlier so check the site)

Rubin Museum of Art · 150 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011 · 212.620.5000

MAD pay-what-you-wish Thursdays

2009-05-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't ever been, it's definitely worth checking out The Museum of Arts & Design located just southwest of Central Park at Columbus Circle. On Thursday evenings from 6 - 9 p.m., admission is "Pay-What-You-Wish", which we all know means you could pay 35 cents if you wanted to. Try not to be that cheap, and support our locals museums, as many museums are facing cutbacks and serious turmoil during these economic times.

Currently on display are five stellar shows, including Elegant Armor: The Art of Jewelry, and Totally Rad: Karim Rashid Does Radiators.

Museum of Arts & Design
2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
212.299.7777

Mother's Day weekend

2009-05-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been patiently watching the weather all week, and I have my fingers crossed for sun tomorrow. My little brother is coming to town and I may just die if it rains (ok not die, because we can go to a ton of museums, but I'll be really sad).

It's also Mother's Day this weekend! If you haven't sent anything to your mother figure, sister, wife, gf, or any woman who deserves a "thank you for having a child", then make sure you at least give them a phone call on Sunday (most cell-phone plans are free on the weekends, so you don't have an excuse)... if they have a wicked sense of humor, send them a card from someecards.com - by now it's too late for snail mail.

If your mom's in town, take her to Central Park for a free concert:

Mother's Day Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf

(image - Boris Karloff's narrated Peter and the Wolf)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

1:30 p.m.

For Mother's Day, we're presenting this free performance of Peter & the Wolf, conducted by George Stelluto and narrated by Isaac Mizrahi. Members of the Vienna Philharmonic will be performing in the orchestra. Bring your instruments and play along!

Location

Central Park

Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park
Manhattan

Cost

Free

happy cinco de mayo!

2009-05-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

There's something a little sad, something a little sexy about a rainy dreary Cinco de Mayo here in the city.

This week Zach Feuer Gallery is hosting a performance by Momus in collaboration with the performance artist Aki Sasamoto. Starting today, and running until May 16, you can see the action on Tuesday - Friday (2 - 6 p.m.) and on Saturdays (12 - 6 p.m.). Entitled Love is the End of Art, the piece explores the relationship between love and art, between "art critic and unrequited lover."

Zach Feuer is located at 530 W. 24th Sreet in Chelsea.

If you go see the performance today, hop on over afterwards to Elizabeth restaurant (265 Elizabeth between Prince and Houston). For $0.50 (fifty cents!), you can get a shot of tequila, a taco, or some tequila-flavored sorbet.

Jessica Stockholder at MadSqPk

2009-04-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Multimedia artist Jessica Stockholder debuts her latest project - a public art piece - at Madison Square Park, located at the intersection of Broadway, 5th Ave., and 23rd Street. The piece is in conjunction with the Madison Square Park Conservancy, and from the looks of the installation I've seen happening all week, it's going to be B-EEEE-autiful. The work will be up from May 1 - August 15. So head over there, go get a burger from the Shake Shack, and soak in the colors and splendor that Stockholder has created for us.

Tribeca Film Festival Street Fair

2009-04-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

If a.) you can't afford a ticket or b.) what you wanted to see sells out, then just head over to the Tribeca Film Festival's Family Street Fair.

From their website:

The Tribeca Family Festival once again invites you to the ultimate street fair and family celebration, in which a dazzling array of activities and performances unfold on Greenwich Street from Hubert to Chambers Street. Come meander through the heart of Tribeca as local schools, merchants, restaurants, and civic organizations join together for this all-day, family-friendly celebration.

Enjoy special performances on boulevard stages and throughout the neighborhood streets, along with surprise appearances by some of your favorite characters from movies, books, and television. The Festival Main Stage will feature professional acts of Broadway performers along with emerging talent from right here in Tribeca.

Greenwich Street will be transformed into a grand promenade of tents, where local restaurants and merchants will offer Tribeca's finest foods, refreshments, and merchandise. Local schools will sponsor a variety of fundraising activities, from hairspray painting to graffiti hats.

Fly a kite, create life-size bubbles in the Bubble Garden, get creative in the Arts & Crafts tent, dance to live music and put a smile on your face... It's a great time to take to the streets of the neighborhood, so join us for a special day of fun!

Saturday, May 2
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Greenwich Street between Hubert and Chambers Street

Affordable Art Fair

2009-04-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

May 7 - 10th at 7 West New York

The Affordable Art Fair will be setting up shop here next week. While not free, more than 60 international galleries will be selling items prices from $100 - $10,000. It could end up being a great place for you to pick up some inexpensive prints or the like from some emerging artists.

Trip to Brooklyn

2009-04-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend in New York is promising to be crazy beautiful. And although I must admit I'm a little peeved that it seems to have gone straight from Winter to Summer (in the 80s! already tomorrow), I'm going to suck it up and enjoy the sun and see some friends I've been neglecting.

While the items sold from their many vendors are not free, it costs nothing to walk around and look at all of the awesome stuff sold at the Brownstoner's Flea Marker in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. And as a little incentive, and for a fun game, they have some scavenger hunt items, that if you do find, you can take home without coughing up a single dime.

Brooklyn Flea Market
Saturdays from 10 am - 5 pm
On Lafayette, between Vanderbilt and Clermont
in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
_________________________

Also, whilst you're over there, you should check out some of the art galleries located in the area. You can visit SONYA (South Of the Navy Yard Artists) for some links, and come back for their Studio Stroll (open studios) May 16-17.

MoMA free Fridays

2009-04-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

You would have to be crazy to live in "the city that never sleeps" and to not take advantage of some of the best museums IN THE WORLD! Now that being said, sometimes admission can be a little steep, especially if you just want to stop in to see one exhibition. So how about going on one of the free or discounted days most museums offer the public.

This week I'm going to suggest that you all go to the MoMA. The "Target Free Friday Nights" program offers free admission every Friday night from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Make sure to get there early, as lots and lots of budget-concerned date-nighters and students pack the floors during those few precious free hours.

While you're there, please please check out the breathtaking show entitled "Paper: Pressed, Stained, Slashed, Folded" that is on display through June 22nd. Also currently on view is a major retrospective of Martin Kippenberger's work (also until June 22), as well as an insanely comprehensive photography show almost hidden in the back called "Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West" (through June 8).

2009-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Whew! Everyone knows the economy is seriously a downer right now, and that the artworld has seen it's fair share of misery in the last few weeks. But if you're a poor "starving artist" like me, an art enthusiast who likes to save some dough, or just cheap, there are some amazing opportunities to take advantage of here in New York - that will cost you very little or nothing at all.

The Starving Artist

Artists Needed for Software Jobs

"Art as Currency" : One Hospital's Unique Approach to Helping Artists Afford Medical Visits

Free Art Events around Manhattan

A Dancer Dodges the "Starving Artist" Cliche

Nava Lubelski's Guide to Creating Cheap Art

New Hampshire's "Starving Artist" Collective

From Starving Artist to Successful Entrepreneur

Starving Artist Gift Guide

"Money Makes Art"

The Vatican Commissions a Former Starving Artist

WarmUp at PS1

Central Park Art

Punch Up Your Life

Governor's Island for some art

Is Summer over yet???

Auuugust ideas

Bryant

Sale guide

Brokelyn

hot hot July

free music fridays in the city

Wednesday - MJ & a River Flick

Queens Guide

X - No Soul for Sale

let there be sun!

“Lincoln Center at Time Warner Center”

Today–Tomorrow 10am–9pm , Sun 11am–7pm

FIGMENT

Museum Mile

Renegade Craft Fair

Kaleidoscope at the American Folk Art Museum

Bushwick Open Studios

BAM!

Cooper Union - Great Hall Politics

Fridays at the Rubin

MAD pay-what-you-wish Thursdays

Mother's Day weekend

Mother's Day Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf

Location

Cost

happy cinco de mayo!

Jessica Stockholder at MadSqPk

Tribeca Film Festival Street Fair

If a.) you can't afford a ticket or b.) what you wanted to see sells out, then just head over to the Tribeca Film Festival's Family Street Fair.

Saturday, May 210:00 am to 6:00 pmGreenwich Street between Hubert and Chambers Street

Affordable Art Fair

Trip to Brooklyn

MoMA free Fridays

Saturday, May 2
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Greenwich Street between Hubert and Chambers Street