Piano-jazz master and composer with solo performances at a legendary NYC club on October 31 – November 2, 2017

piano jazz NYC Village Vanguard Fred Hersch — Fred Hersch / Photo credit Jim Wilkie

It’s a well known fact that every jazz musician is dreaming about performing at the Village Vanguard, a celebrated New York jazz spot. Going there is part of a sacred ritual for music fans, and for the musicians, it’s a recognition of their mastery and acceptance in the world of jazz. Pianist and composer Fred Hersch is a regular presence on the club schedule and will be performing there October 31 – November 2, 2017.

Fred Hersch is a celebrated figure on the international jazz scene. He came to fame in 1984 when he debuted with Horizons. His very sophisticated style of introspective and emotionally rich music is gaining in its depth with each appearance and recording. Hersch plays with his highly acclaimed trio, in solo concerts and in collaboration with other musicians. One such collaboration with another remarkable pianist Sullivan Fortner has taken place early in October 2017 at Bard College organized by the Catskill Jazz Factory.
An established pianist and a bandleader, Hersch is also a well-known composer and jazz educator. Being nominated for ten Grammy awards, the last two in 2017, and named a 2016 Doris Duke Artist puts Hersch at the top of the list of contemporary jazz musicians. His very personal story of near-death health crisis, a remarkable come-back and an openness about his experiences all contribute to his very distinct status among the musicians. A profile in the WallStreetJournal by Ted Gioia calls this return to life “a miracle” which brought Hersch music to the level “that doesn’t get any better than this”. Hirsch’s latest album Open Book was released in September 2017.

While jazz remains Hersch’s passion and major preoccupation, he is also a talented storyteller, with a lot to share with his readers. His new memoir “Good Things Happen Slowly” was released in September 2017. NPR’s Terry Gross interviewing Hersch had described the story in the book as what “it was like to be closeted in the jazz world, and then come out as gay and as having AIDS”.

Hersch talent is clearly reaching new highs with each new show, and the upcoming appearances at the Vanguard will surely be no exception.

Book your tickets here.

Venue: Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue, NY

Dates: October 31 – November 2, 2017

Art in NYC: Robert Motherwell Exhibition at Paul Kasmin Gallery

September 15, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY 1 Comment

Art in NYC: Robert Motherwell Exhibition at Paul Kasmin Gallery

Early Paintings

Chelsea Art Gallery NYC exhibition Robert Motherwell paintings — Robert Motherwell, La Belle Mexicaine, 1941;
©Dedalus Foundation, Inc./ Licensed by VAGA / Image courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

This well-researched exhibition at Paul Kasmin gallery in Chelsea presents the early works by an American abstract expressionist artist Robert Motherwell . The show includes 18 works from 1941 to 1951 when the artist was actively searching for his style and its meaning. In 1941 he started studying studio art at Columbia University after pursuing a PhD degree in philosophy at Harvard. Building up on his interest in modernist writings and poetry, he turned to the visual arts while traveling to Europe in the late 1930s. His other influences were from the exiled surrealists leaving in New York City at that time such as Max Ernst, Duchamp, Masson. In particular, an idea of letting out the unconscious through the process of “automatic” drawing made a considerable effect on Motherwell and was further developed in his later works alternating between figurative and abstract images.

His travels to Mexico City in 1941 brought him in contact with a Chilean painter Roberto Matta, another promoter of abstract expressionism. The works made at the time of that trip, La Belle Mexicane (Maria) and Three Figures are included in the exhibition and are on public view for the first time.

Another strong influence apparent in the selection of works on view is by Piet Mondrian, the founder of De Stijl movement who had his first exhibition in New York in 1942. The minimalism of De Stijl style adapted to convey the sorrows from the Spanish Civil War can be seen in The Sentinel (1942), Recuerdo de Coyoacán (1942) and The Spanish Prison (Window) (1943-1944). It is well documented that the Spanish Civil War made a huge impact on Motherwell. His cycle of paintings Elegy to the Spanish Republic is now at the Guggenheim museum. Robert Motherwell’s book with the same title gives more ground to the subject of the cycle.

The works from the later years in the current show are turning more to abstract with an idea of automatic painting getting into action. At that time the artist also started experimenting with collages on paper and became known for his innovative style in the medium. An expose Robert Motherwell: Early Collages covers 60 works from that period.

The gallery is open Tue – Sat, 10am – 6pm

Venue: 293 Tenth Avenue, NY Dates: September 07 – October 28, 2017

The Met Fifth Avenue Roof Top Garden: The Theatre of Disappearance by Adrian Villar Rojas, April 14 – October 29, 2017

May 25, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY

Adrián Villar Rojas: The Theatre of Disappearance at The Met Fifth Avenue Roof Top Garden

On view April 14 – October 29, 2017

The Roof Top Garden of the Met Fifth Avenue Museum is hosting a fascinating exhibition titled “The Theater of Disappearance” by Argentinean artist Adrian Villar Rojas. The exhibition, which includes 16 large sculptures by Villar Rojas, is intertwined with multiple other events under the same umbrella title this year including film series at Berlin Film Festival and visual art shows in Greece, Austria and Los Angeles. This overarching theme seems timely today as our accelerated pace of life with at times endless pileup of stuff leads to its opposite, a void or disappearance.

Villar Rojas came to fame when at the age 32 he was selected to represent Argentina at the 2011 Venice Biennial. His next big engagement on the international art scene was at the Documenta 2013 and Istanbul Biennial 2015. Villa Rojas is known for making life-size sculptures from large animals caring heavy loads as at the Istanbul Biennial to the ruins of tumbled staircase at MoMA PS1 “LA INOCENCIA DE LOS ANIMALES” in 2013.

For current installation at the Met the artist used spectrometry and 3D scans of the artifacts from the Met collection mixing up the time periods, places, ideas and facts. Ideally the viewers have to visit this installation after seeing the originals on the floors below. The FT review notes that at times it seems that the artists is “undoing all of art history”. The ArtNews reports about Rojas’s laborious study of the Met Museum collection encompassing its all 17 departments as well as interviews with the staff as part of the creation process.

The photos from Art Summary blog lets you get a taste of the exhibition:

Photographs by Corrado Serra. Artist’s Statement The Met’s history as an institution is a testimony to America’s path as a nation. Its doors opened in 1870 with a large collection of plaster casts of sculptural masterpieces. By the mid-twentieth century, genuine artifacts had displaced the copies. Departments quickly emerged, dividing the cultural endowment into regions […]

via The Roof Garden Commission: Adrián Villar Rojas, The Theatre of Disappearance at The Met Fifth Avenue, April 14 – October 29, 2017 — Arts Summary

The Roof Top floors had to be redone with the tiles created by the artists for this installation . The particularly designed greenery were added as well as the bar. The effect of the spectacular Manhattan skyline in the background accentuates the bacchanal in the garden. Come and see it yourself.

For museum hours and more click here.

Enjoy your free visit to the Met museum with NewYorkPass!

Venue: The Met Museum on Fifth Avenue Time: till October 29, 2017

April – October 2017 Fall Art in NYC: CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden

April 26, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY 1 Comment

April – October 2017 Fall Art in NYC: CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden

Open from April 22 – October 29, 2017

World-renowned glass sculpture artist Dale Chihuly returns to New York Botanical Garden with his new installation CHIHULY. The exhibition includes 20 works combining early drawings and the latest creations.

“CHIHULY, a major new exhibition at The New York Botanical Garden spotlights world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s bold innovation in a variety of media throughout his celebrated career. Chihuly’s first major garden exhibition in New York in more than ten years features more than 20 installations and includes drawings and early works that reveal the evolution and development of his […]

via CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden, April 22 – October 29, 2017 — Arts Summary

Dale Chihuly’s art blends easily with the nature, so this year installation at the NYBG is not the first experiment in that regard. The New Botanical Garden gives these innovative art works a genuine environment. In an interview with the ArtNet Todd Forrest, the NYBG’s vice president for horticulture and living collections stressed that “the combination of art and nature that exemplifies Dale Chihuly’s art is something that is very close to our hearts at the New York Botanical Garden.”

Chihuly came a long way in reaching the level of expression he is presenting to the public today. After years of studies and work at the top art schools in the US, he studied glass blowing at the Venini factory on the island of Murano off Venice, Italy. There and elsewhere in Europe he was able to experiment with the techniques, colors and materials that now make integral parts of his installations.

The exhibition at the NYBG is highlighting the interplay not only between the glass creations and the nature but also between daylight and nighttime illumination. The garden will open late for the visitors to experience this magic. Check the hours here.

Enjoy your free visit to New Botanical Garden with your NewYorkPass!

In addition to the art and nature there will be summer concerts in the garden. The opening concert in the series on Friday June 16, 2017, the French Connection, is featuring vocal sensation Camille Bertault and Alphonso Horne on trumpet.

Venue: New York Botanical Garden, NY

Date: April 22 – October 29, 2017

March – January 2018: Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History

April 12, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY

March 2017 – January 2018: Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History

Reach history of the mummies from pre-Columbian Peru to ancient Egypt

The custom of preserving the bodies of dead humans and animals was practiced by people from ancient times. The most well-preserved objects are usually found in dry and hot climates where nature provides the most suitable environment for the mummification. Due to their geography both Egypt and Peru had very elaborate embalming traditions and associated religious rituals. The exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History brings on view the mummies from these two countries located on opposite sides of the globe.

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

via Mummies at American Museum of Natural History, through January 7, 2018 — Arts Summary

While many think that the oldest mummies came from Egypt, its actually Peru where the oldest mummies were found. The ancient people living in hot and dry areas of nowadays Peru, started making mummies 7,000 years ago. While Egypt’s mummies are better known, its oldest is 3,500 years old.

The show at the American Museum of Natural History comes from the Fields museum in Chicago. Some of the objects on view were not exhibited from 1893 when the World’s Columbian Exposition took place in Chicago.

Current exhibition goes into history, techniques and practices of mummifications with many interactive tables to learn and explore. Even a CT scanner is prominently on view as its a staple of modern exploration of the artifacts. The New York Times review explores various method used by archeologists to glean inside and reconstruct the objects and how they lived.

Find out more about the exhibition here.

John Lindberg book Ancient Egypt and National Geographic documentary Inca Mummies:Secrets of the Lost World are absolutely fascinating journeys into the history, traditions and art of these rich cultures.

Enjoy your free visit to American Museum of Natural History with your NewYorkPass!

Venue: American Museum of Natural History, NY

Dates: March 20, 2017 – January 7, 2018

Category: Past event

Jazz in NYC: Fred Hersch Solo Piano at Village Vanguard

Jazz in NYC: Fred Hersch Solo Piano at Village Vanguard

Piano-jazz master and composer with solo performances at a legendary NYC club on October 31 – November 2, 2017

Art in NYC: Robert Motherwell Exhibition at Paul Kasmin Gallery