Tomorrow is a busy day at No Longer Empty’s exhibition at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, ‘When You Cut Into The Present The Future Leaks Out’ with two programs for all ages. Take a look at their descriptions below and make sure you RSVP for the programs you want to attend!
Image Courtesy David Kopstein
You Be The Judge
Thursday, May 21 2015 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm
What better setting than a courthouse to learn about the criminal justice system and how trials are conducted?
One of the many programs produced by the Bronx District Attorney’s Community Affairs Office, You Be The Judge presents a mock trial involving a real-life case, with the audience participating as the jury. After witness and defendant “testimony,” the audience will be given the opportunity to deliberate and hand down a verdict.
And, unlike the real thing, audience members will get to ask questions of the judge, the prosecutor and the defense attorney–all members of the Bronx D.A.’s staff playing the roles.
Cut Into The Past: Reclaiming Our Narratives [Multiple Dates]
Thursday, May 21 2015 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Together with the local New York Public Library’s Branch Community Oral Program, we are collecting oral histories of people who lived and worked in the neighborhood and near the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse. Join us for the kick-off of this exciting partnership with NYPL. Adult Programming Coordinator, Alexandra Kelly, will introduce basic interview methods to the community, and conduct live interviews with luminaries from the neighborhood, which will be archived at the New York Public Library for future generations.
Please visit oralhistory.nypl.org for more information about the New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project.
Kick-Off Event is May 14 at 6:30pm.
Training Sessions are
Saturday, May 16 10am -12pm.
Thursday, May 21 6:30pm – 8pm.
Personal Stories can be shared on
June 13, 2015 2pm to 5pm
July 2, 2015 4 to 7pm
July 3, 2015 4 to 7pm
July 9, 2015 4 to 7pm
Stories can be as short as 4 minutes or as long as 1.5hrs. Sign up slots will be posted shortly.
Gertrude Schimmel in 1971, when she became a captain. NEAL BOENZI / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Last week Monday, May 10th, just a few months after being honored by the NYPD during women’s history month, a Bronx trailblazer passed away at the ripe old age of 96 years.
Gertrude Schimmell, who was the first NYPD female police chief, was born and raised in The Bronx and attended Morris High School before heading on to Hunter College.
The New York Times wrote:
“Gertrude was a real trendsetter who not only broke a very significant glass ceiling in the department many years ago, but smashed through it,” Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said in a statement.
When Ms. Schimmel joined the department on June 5, 1940, female officers could not be promoted above the entry-level post of policewoman, and they were not allowed to go out on patrol.
In 1943, policewomen were issued a black shoulder bag with space for a holster but also a makeup kit. “Use the gun as you would your lipstick,” Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia said. “Don’t overdo either one.”
Like all female department members, Ms. Schimmel was assigned to the Bureau of Policewomen when she graduated from the Police Academy. In her early years with the department, her son said, she took part in undercover work breaking up gambling operations. She later joined the Youth Aid Division, which found temporary shelter for children whose parents were unable to care for them. It was the type of assignment given to women to keep them from confrontations with criminals.”
Born Gertrude Tannenbaum on Dec. 9, 1918, in the Bronx, she was the youngest of three children of immigrants from Austria. Her father, Asher, worked in a clothing factory, then owned a small egg business. Her mother, Ida, died when she was 16, leaving her with household responsibilities. She was an outstanding student at Morris High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hunter College.”
Gertrude Schimmel being honored earlier this year during Women’s History Month by the NYPD / Image Courtesy of NYPD News.
“Gertrude was a real trend-setter who not only broke a very significant glass ceiling in the department many years ago, but smashed through it,” Police Commissioner Bratton said.
In 1940 Gertrude Schimmel, along with 18 other women, joined 300 men in the NYPD Police Academy. In 1961, Ms. Schimmel and fellow pioneer Felicia Shpritzer sued the NYPD for the right to sit for promotional civil service exams. They won their fight, and in 1965 Ms. Schimmel became the Department’s first female sergeant, lieutenant in 1967 and captain in 1971.
Ms. Schimmel still stayed close to those in the NYPD, always attending the annual Women’s History Month Celebration held in Police Headquarters. This year she was honored by the Department’s Policewomen’s Endowment Association.”
Tis the season for rooftop and outdoor views. We’ve compiled a list of some rooftops and outdoor hangouts, whether it’s with a drink in hand for a date night or popcorn while watching a rooftop film with the kids in tow. Did we forget one of your favorite spots? Please leave a comment to share with others!
Head on over to BronxMama and check out the rest of the listings and be sure to add your favorites to the list if they didn’t make it!: Rooftops and Outdoor Hangouts in the Bronx |
Courtlandt Corners I & II (II is on the left and is now know as ‘The Upton’) on 161st Street between Courtlandt and Melrose Avenues.
Courtlandt Corners in Melrose, the development which comprises of Courtlandt Corners I & II and Courtlandt Crescent, has rebranded the phase II building on the northern side of 161st Street as ‘The Upton’ offering ‘affordable luxury living’ but at rents that are well above the neighborhood average and clearly are not affordable to the general area population.
According to Cecily Almanzar at the management office for Phipps Houses—who developed the 540 unit project—the apartments already have been occupied since it opened in November of 2010 but there are 2 apartments that have since been vacated and are being offered at market rates with income restrictions.
Studios are being rented at $1,263 (well above the neighborhood range of $1,050-$1,100) for an individual making anywhere from $43,152 – $66,220, 1 bedrooms ranging from $1,292-$1,584 (average for a 1 bedroom is $1,200) for 1-2 individuals making $44,288-$75,680 a year, and 2 bedrooms from $1,525-$1,906 (average 2 bedroom apartment in the neighborhood is $1,450) for a family of 1-4 individuals making $52,268-$94,490 a year.
Even though Phipps is marketing them as market rate apartments, they are still income restricted as you can see above and in the screenshot below but clearly they are not affordable rents as per neighborhood standards.
Rents as well well as income requirements for ‘The Upton’
These rents are in stark contrast to the low-income rents at Courtlandt Crescent, the 3rd and final phase of the development which is already occupied. There the rents range from $751 for a studio for an individual making $27,669-$34,860, 1 bedrooms for 1-2 individuals renting for $808 with incomes ranging from $29,692-$39,840, and 2 bedroom units for families of 2-4 individuals renting for $979 with incomes between $35,623 – $49,800.
Sure the property is located half a block from Metro North and a 10 minute walk to 3rd Avenue/149th Street on the 2/5 trains or a 10 minute walk West to the 161st Street/Yankee Stadium on the 4/D line but these rents are completely out of line for neighborhood affordability.
I’m all for having a decent mix of incomes in a neighborhood but these high rents will unfortunately cause a ripple effect on the rental market in the area as landlords will look to this as market acceptance of such rents.
Gentrification is real, folks, even under the guise of “affordable housing” it seems we are no longer protected.
Are you a middle-income family living in Melrose or the surrounding area? Do you think these rents are affordable to you as a middle-income resident?
Home to one of the largest African populations in New York City, The Bronx is replete with many residents hailing from many of the continent’s countries.
One particular individual—of Gambian descent and works in The Bronx—has written a children’s book with a strong lesson to be learned by both children and adults alike.
Meet Victoria Blain author and illustrator of ‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon‘, a new African folktale inspired by the ones she grew up with.
‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon‘ is about, you guessed it, a chameleon named Zahari who is searching to be extraordinary in what she perceives as leading an ordinary life.
The beautifully illustrated journeys Zahari goes through lead to her accepting herself for who she is and rather than chasing what she thinks is an ideal, to be happy with what she is.
And that’s quite simply, an extraordinary and unique chameleon.
It sounds like common sense but how many times do we, as adults, find ourselves questioning our self-worth and trying to fit into societal expectations of us? The book also reminds me of one of my favorites, ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein, because it too lends itself to that children and adult audience with a timeless message.
We had a lovely opportunity to chat with Mrs Victoria Blain and hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Why did you write this book?
I wrote and illustrated a book as a school project in third grade and really enjoyed the process.
I loved reading and drawing pictures as a kid and I think as long as I can remember I wanted to write a children’s book as an adult but it wasn’t until I was 29 and my first niece was born that I had this overwhelming feeling of immortality. The idea of having a story to pass on to her became real.
I knew I was going to write an African folktale about self discovery but I had writer’s block for about a year. Then right around 2009 when the economy crashed, I turned 30 and was laid off from my job and suddenly found myself with alot of time.
I still didn’t have a written story but for some reason the images were really clear to me.
I start off with a sketch and then began cutting up old african prints I had stored away in my closet. Using a chameleon as a muse, made sense because like african prints, they are so colorful. By the end of the year, most of the original artwork was completed. And then those sat around for a few more years…still no story.
What was your first book about?
This is my first children’s book. But I actually illustrated another book call “Down to the Knitty Gritty”. It’s illustrated using only knits and it’s all about woman warriors with quotes from famous woman I admire.
Do you have plans for another book?
Yes definitely. Now that I’m a mother and have read countless book to my son, I feel even more inspired to write a story for him. He currently loves rhythmic books like, “The Pout Pout Fish” and “The Gruffalo”, so creating book for him will be a very tall order!
Order your copy today!
Why a Children’s book?
A children’s book always felt manageable to me. The ability to write something short well, seems within my capabilities. I don’t think I have the attention span for an epic novel.
‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon’ has a wonderful message that can be interpreted different ways, what is the key message you are trying to get across?
It’s really interesting, I’ve had people read it and tell me what they think the message is and what’s nice is it’s always a reflection of their own personal experience that lends itself to a new interpretation. Between the ages of 29-32 I really struggled with loving and honoring myself.
I had come out of a 10 year college relationship that left me single and jaded in NYC. I was laid off from my what felt like the only thing I had going for me, which was my amazing textile job at Martha Stewart Living.
It occurred to me around 30 that my life may never shape up to what I had imagined for myself and the burden and fear made me severely depressed.
That time in my life was difficult but of course I view it now as the bravest, most transformative years of my life. Working through my problems with such optimism, forgiveness, and acceptance, I came into myself and then everything changed for the better.
The message of this story was meant for girls who particularly struggle with identity issues from physical to emotional. It is to; Love and Honor yourself from the inside and the universe will reflect this world back to you.
What was your inspiration for this story? Was it a folktale you grew up hearing or an original idea?
My grandmother on my mother’s side, was a great story teller. All the African folktales I remember were told by her. The stories were always very cryptic and dark and had content that would be viewed as too heavy for American children, like death or killings. However, thats exactly why they left such an impression on me.
The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon is an original folktale. Like all folktales, African folktales carry a moral message but what I noticed was that they are often fear driven. I wanted to keep the element of fear in the story without it being the basis of transformation.
In The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon, Zahari’s life transforms when she realizes she’s worth more than she thought.
I purposefully wrote “A New African Folktale” on the cover because in many ways it is different and yet very familiar to folktales you hear in West Africa.
I felt that a fear based mindset is outdated and could use an update. Eastern philosophy is so beautiful to me and it felt like a gift to infuse this philosophy with the old African proverb: “The universe doesn’t change to match the chameleon. The chameleon changes to match the universe”.
Once I had experience this to be true in my own life, the story wrote itself. I was 33. I had it adapted into an actual book on Blurb and Amazon last year.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in England. But I spent the majority of my childhood in Liberia, Pakistan and New York. My parents worked for the U.N. and I’m 37 now.
Tell me about the Illustration process, the book really grabs your attention not just because of its writings but the illustrations. Even your font seems to have been made just for the book!
In terms of the collage process of making the illustrations I get my biggest inspiration from the riveting African textile, called “Chuibe” in Wolof, my native language.
It is a handmade batik process that is unique to West Africa and most worn in Gambia and Senegal. I tend to tear fabric randomly rather than outline and cut, unless necessary. Imperfect cuts of fabric are the most interesting. The best pages in this book are filled with imperfections!
What’s your target audience? This book, although a children’s book, is a great read for teens and even adults.
The target audience is honestly varied. It’s the kind of book a parent would enjoy reading to an infant.
A toddler would enjoy looking and pointing out objects but lacks the attention span for the length. And a 5-8 year old would enjoy reading and understanding.
What’s your favorite place in The Bronx and why?
Like so many New Yorkers I knew nothing of the Bronx until I had a reason to visit.
One of the best parts of my commute is while the masses are shuffling into Manhattan, I’m quietly treading into the Bronx.
I love many aspects of my job but one of the best parts is working with the African female immigrant community. We help support them in owning there businesses through our wholesale program.
Wecome2TheBronx highly recommends this book children and adults for its positive message as well as beautiful illustrations making it a book you’ll treasure for years to come. You can purchase your copy here at Amazon.com.
Around 8PM, while Mayor Bill de Blasio was visiting La Morada, a local restaurant in Mott Haven in an unannounced visit, a local resident quickly alerted South Bronx Unite members who within 10 minutes had gathered and mobilized with over 25 people including their children to protest against FreshDirect and de Blasio’s promise to end a tale of two cities—something which allowing FreshDirect to move into South Bronx will continue to perpetuate.
With bullhorns, banners and chanting, de Blasio eventually emerged and spoke with Mychal Johnson and other community residents and leaders. In the video, Mayor de Blasio is caught saying, “…we really tried stopping them, we can’t stop them…there’s no more subsidies like this going forward.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio asked, “…but what else can we do?”
Johnson’s wife, Corrine Kohut replied, “We need to meet, we’ve asked for a meeting with you several times, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of people that have emailed you, that made phone calls to you.”
“We still got to continue to fight even if you feel you can’t do anything about it we know contracts are made to be broken.” added Johnson.
de Blasio asked “How can we get in touch with you,” and had already received contact information from several members of the group.
Mychal Johnson told us that within minutes 2 dozen police officers and several vans from the 40th precinct arrived but immediately backed off as Mayor de Blasio continued to speak with the crowd. “We are here peacefully protesting as guaranteed by the constitution and we’re here with our children,” Johnson told he said to de Blasio.
We’ll keep you posted on this breaking story as a meeting is officially set between the community and Mayor Bill de Blasio after 16 months since coming into office.
This is a battle that has been going on almost 3 1/2 years and will continue until justice is done by the community and the mayor we elected sticks to his promises and does the best fight that he can to squash this deal once and for all.
Mayor de Blasio had made ending FreshDirect deals and deals like it as part of his campaign promises during his 2013 campaign.
“People just don’t get it. I simply say that there are only three places that have a “the” in front of their name: the Vatican, the Hague — and the Bronx…” said Bronxite and world renowned author Mary Higgins Clark in Arlene Alda’s ‘Just Kids From The Bronx‘.
And apparently neither does MillerCoors’ marketing team.
A billboard ad for Coors Light was placed along I87 aka the Major Deegan Expressway across from Yankee Stadium—one of the most visible locations in New York City—proclaiming, “BORN IN THE ROCKIES, LIVES IN BRONX.”
Wait, what? What’s Bronx?
Clearly this was yet another lazy job by the folks at MillerCoors that disrespects the communities they sell their product in.
It’s pretty simple and easy to know that we’re The Bronx and not Bronx. I mean for better or worse, we’re always in the media and the globe pretty much knows it’s THE Bronx whether in Spanish “El Bronx” or even the French, “Le Bronx”!
Welcome2TheBronx reached out to the marketing department at MillerCoors but no comment on their most recent faux pas has been released.
For the 2011 Puerto Rican Day Parade, the company launched a campaign called ‘Emboricuate’ which loosely translated means become Puerto Rican and the campaign used the Puerto Rican flag and Coors beer cans. This campaign caused an outcry from the community rightfully offended by making it seem that to be Puerto Rican was to drink beer and not the rich cultural legacy of the island and its people.
Fast forward to 2013 and MillerCoors fumbles yet again by placing the Puerto Rican flag on Coors Light beer cans for the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
It’s quite clear that MillerCoors just wants to peddle its products without even having the slightest cultural sensitivity to the markets which they serve.
If they can’t take the time to do something right and research their target audiences then those that consume their products should just say NO to Coors Light or any MillerCoors product until they get their act together.
Come over to the Bronx Documentary Center today from 4-7PM to see the works of the Bronx Junior Photo League, a group of students from Immaculate Conception School in Melrose.
The 6th-8th grade students have been working hard all year-long with the BDC’s staff and volunteers in learning photography and how to document your own neighborhood in the hopes of creating future journalists from within our own communities.
BDC volunteers, Melissa Bunni Elian and Groana Melendez guide a Bronx Junior Photo League member as she edits her work.
Last year’s exhibition was quite impressive and we’re looking forward to see what this year’s class has developed (pun very much intended).
The exhibition is on view from today, Thursday, May 14th through Sunday, May 17th.
Check out our pictures from last year’s exhibition!
The BDC is located at 614 Courtlandt Avenue at the corner of E 151st Street:
Yesterday, we were treated to a special media preview for The New York Botanical Garden’s ‘Frida Kahlo: Art-Garden-Life’ exhibition—after 11 months of its announcement—and all that anticipation and build up was well worth the wait.
Immediately upon entering the main gates at Southern Boulevard aka Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff Boulevard, you see a row of tall palm trees in planters and traditional Mexican folk music playing through the speakers.
One of the first things you’ll notice is the addition of a cantina created just for the exhibition where you can purchase a tasty agua de jamaica or hibiscus punch or even an horchata (the Mexican version is made of rice milk with sometimes a hint of vanilla but always has cinnamon thrown in).
A video posted by Ed García Conde (@welcome2thebronx) on
As you walk towards the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where Kahlo’s reimagined studio at La Casa Azul aka the Blue House is on display, one is treated to poems (everything about this exhibition is bilingual in English and Spanish) as part of the Poetry For Every Season: Octavio Paz Poetry Walk. Octavio Paz, a Mexican Nobel Prize winning author and poet, wrote poems referencing many native plants and flowers hence their inclusion as part of this multidisciplinary artistic display on Kahlo’s life and influences as well as her art. The exhibition wing at the conservatory is an explosion of the native fauna of Mexico found at Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Casa Azul including typical pottery and planters (speaking of pottery and planters, don’t forget to check out the gift shop which is filled with Frida related items.) La Casa Azul was painstakingly recreated down to getting the right blue pigment. It was a project that was years in planning to get it just right and it is the first of its kind that examines Kahlo’s, “…interest in the botanical world” as the NYBG tells it. The New York Botanical Garden explains: “When we began to research Frida Kahlo, we wanted to delve into the story of the woman who has been examined through her pain and suffering and paint her in a different light. We wanted to learn more about the iconic face that is emblazoned on canvases, the strong and fierce-looking dark-haired, dark-eyed woman who used to be known as Diego Rivera’s wife and is now known simply as Frida. The more we researched, the more intrigued we became. To us, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird was an image of a woman immersed in tropical flora. Her still-life paintings, an important yet lesser-known portion of her work, are informative displays of the rich diversity of Mexico’s plant life. We were fascinated by the incredible detail of Kahlo’s curated life, as evidenced by her paintings, her letters, and archival photos of Kahlo and Rivera in their garden. Her story was ripe to be told by The New York Botanical Garden.
First and foremost, we surmised that Kahlo possessed a keen appreciation of the beauty and variety of Mexico’s flora and fauna, an interest evident in the garden and decoration of her home, the Casa Azul, as well as in the complex use of plant imagery in her painting. We aimed to achieve a new understanding of her paintings by looking at them through a horticultural lens. Kahlo’s nationalistic leanings seem to have contributed to her interest in tropical and desert plants, many native to Mexico. And the collector’s drive that fueled her stunning collections of toys and art seems to have extended to her garden, which evolved over time to include a wide array of plants.” After you’re done at the conservatory, make sure to head over to the 6th floor of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library—one of the most comprehensive and biggest botanical libraries in the globe— to continue the exhibition where 14 of Frida Kahlo’s works are on display including paintings and drawings.
“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, I am the person I know best.” — Frida Kahlo
Many of these are not as widely known as some of her other works but their importance isn’t diminished by that fact but in rather offer a greater insight into the Frida because of their relative obscurity due to many being borrowed from private collections.
Artist Humberto Spindola looks on as two male models pose wearing replicas of his paper dresses based on Frida’s ‘Las Dos Fridas/The Two Fridas’. The use of the male models is an allusion to Kahlo’s bisexuality and she often dressed in drag as even posing in family portraits as a man.Frida Kahlo in drag, with sisters Adriana and Christina and cousins Carmen and Carlos Verasa, photographed by Guillermo Kahlo, 1926.
On the 4th floor of the library, you will find a representation of one of Frida’s works, ‘Las dos Fridas’ (The Two Fridas) recreated as paper dresses in a traditional 17th and 18th century Mexican style that quite possibly dates back to the ancient Aztecs. Artist Humberto Spíndola of Mexico created these in 2009 and had two male models wear the dresses which he did once again for the preview yesterday. This is just a mere fraction of what to expect at Frida Kahlo: Art-Garden-Life as the exhibition runs through November and is chock full of programming from music concerts, dancing to lectures and film (See NYBG for more information on the following: Frida Kahlo |Evenings |Calendar |VisitGet Tickets | Ongoing Programs | Educational Events | Weekend Celebrations | For FamiliesFor Members | Calendar | Coming this Fall )
The exhibition opens to the general public this Saturday, May 16th, however, NYBG members get to enjoy the exhibition on Friday, May 15th and information is as follows: Friday, May 15; 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Members have exclusive access to this blockbuster exhibition and special programs before the public opening. Benefits on Members-Only Preview Day: • Free parking with a valid Member ID • 20% discount on all purchases at Shop in the Garden • 10% discount at the Café • Up to four half-price tickets for friends and family Guest passes are accepted with valid Member ID. Don’t forget to tag your pics on social media using #FridaNYBG and tag us #welcome2thebronx so we can see them!! Let us know what you think when you see it! Oh and don’t forget, you can take the mobile tour via your smartphone! The mobile website is a digital brochure and map of the exhibition right on your phone and you can even take a selfie and dress it up Frida style. The content is available in both English and Spanish!
Artist Humberto Spindola looks on as two male models pose wearing replicas of his paper dresses based on Frida’s ‘Las Dos Fridas/The Two Fridas’. The use of the male models is an allusion to Kahlo’s bisexuality and she often dressed in drag as even posing in family portraits as a man.
Artists in Residency, The Villalobos Brothers will be performing at the garden several times during the course of the exhibition.
Recreation of Frida’s desk inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
La Casa Azul
La Casa Azul Garden inside the conservatory.
“Frida and Diego lived in this house from 1929-1954”
Traditional beverages, both non-alcoholic and non-alcoholic are available at the newly built Cantina just for the exhibition.
The Cantina just inside the main Southern Boulevard Gate.
Artist Humberto Spindola looks on as two male models pose wearing replicas of his paper dresses based on Frida’s ‘Las Dos Fridas/The Two Fridas’. The use of the male models is an allusion to Kahlo’s bisexuality and she often dressed in drag as even posing in family portraits as a man.
Holly Block, Executive Director of The Bronx Museum, sent out a revised message this morning regarding The MAJOR art exchange between Cuba and The United States which will happen right here in The Bronx. It is the MOST extensive artistic experience of its kind between to the two countries in over 50 years and we couldn’t be happier that it’s happening right here in our own backyard.
Check out the full announcement:
Message from the Executive Director
Wild Noise: Artwork from The Bronx Museum of the Arts and El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA) will represent the most extensive visual arts exchange between Cuba and the United States in more than 50 years, and includes major exhibitions at MNBA and the Bronx Museum; an artist exchange; a teen exchange program; a series of educational and public programs; and the creation of a dual-language publication that extends the impact of Wild Noise beyond the audiences that participate directly in the initiative. The exhibition coincides with the 12th Havana Biennial, running from May 21 – August 16, 2015. We are delighted to share the opening of Wild Noise with over sixty Museum supporters that are traveling to Havana to see the show. The project continues when the works from MNBA will be showcased at the Bronx Museum in 2016.
The Bronx Museum Teen Exchange with United States and Cuba
The Bronx Museum of the Arts and El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes are collaborating on a teen art exchange as part of the Wild Noise exhibition. This program is inspired by the Venice Biennale 2013 teen exchange between the Bronx Museum Teen Council and a group of students working with the Guggenheim in Venice. This is a two year project whose purpose is to connect teens from the Bronx with teens in Havana using art, inquiry and dialogue. The finished products will be two collaborative zines and videos.
The Bronx Museum Artist Exchange with United States and Cuba
Each museum has chosen one artist to take part in an international artist exchange to be conducted over a four to six-week period leading up to opening of each exhibition. The artist exchange will begin in 2015 when U.S. artist Mary Mattingly and Cuban artist Humberto Díaz will travel to Havana and the Bronx, respectively, where they will create community-based public programs at each venue.
Saludos desde Cuba!
Holly Block
Executive Director
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Media Bronx Plans Art Exchange With Cuba By Randy Kennedy
January 21, 2015
“The collaboration is another feather in the cap of the relatively tiny Bronx Museum, which in 2013 commissioned the art for the United States pavilion at the Venice Biennale, a complex installation by Sarah Sze.”
As U.S. Reengages With Cuba, Art Museums Make a Trade
January 24, 2015
Interview with Bronx Museum curator Sergio Bessa
Bronx, Cuba Museums to Share Works of Art in Ambitious Program
Art Exchange Will Coincide With the 12th Havana Biennial January 23, 2015
“The Bronx Museum calls it the most ambitious art exchange between U.S. and Cuban museums in more than 50 years.”
Image credits top to bottom: Nina Chanel Abney, Your gig is up, 2009; Rigoberto Torres, Daze, 1998, Fiberglass and acrylic on plaster cast; Huma Bhabha, Clifton, 2010; Jamel Shabazz, A time of innocence, 1980; Willie Cole, How Do You Spell America? #2, 1993. Headshot photo taken by Peter Serling
The Old Bronx Courthouse when it was still open and functioning as the Third Avenue El passed by / Image Courtesy of David Kopstein
As part of programming surrounding No Longer Empty’s exhibition at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, ‘When You Cut Into The Present The Future Leaks Out’, The New York Public Library’s ‘Community Oral History Program’, local community residents are invited to collect the oral histories of our neighborhoods of Melrose and Morrisania.
Once local residents are trained in interviewing our fellow friends, family members, neighbors and local residents and the interviews are completed, the results will be archived at the Melrose Public Library on Morris Avenue and 162nd Street as well as online for future generations to come.
The program begins this Thursday at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse and the description is as follows:
“Cut Into the Past: Reclaiming Our Narratives” at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse
Presented by No Longer Empty and the NYPL Community Oral History Program as part of the art exhibition: “When You Cut Into the Present, the Future Leaks Out” (April 23 – July 19, 2015)
Date: Thursday, May 14 from 6:30-8:00pm
Address: 878 Brook Ave (at East 161 St and Third Ave)
Directions: 2 or 5 train to 3 Ave-149 St
Join No Longer Empty and the New York Public Library Community Oral History Program as we invite the Melrose and Morrisania communities back into the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse to collect diverse accounts about the historic landmark building, and surrounding neighborhoods.
NYPL Adult Programming Coordinator Alexandra Kelly will inaugurate this unique archive with an interview from Anthony Schepis, former Executive Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx DA’s Office, to be followed by information on how to participate by interviewing your own neighbors, family, and colleagues who lived and worked in and around the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse.
Community Oral History interviews will continue on an ongoing basis at 878 Brook Avenue through July 19, 2015 and will be collected and archived at the New York Public Library for use by future generations.
Thursday’s Kick-Off event will be followed by Interviewer Training Sessions on the following dates:
Saturday, May 16 10am -12pm.
Thursday, May 19 6:30pm – 8pm.
To RSVP please visit No Longer Empty’s event page at nolongerempty.org.
More information about the New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project can be found at oralhistory.nypl.org.
Charlie’s Bar and Kitchen started offering lunch this week due to popular demand and now, starting in June, Morris Perk will be popping up at Charlies during weekdays for breakfast in what the two businesses are calling CBK Perk!
Charlie’s has been a very popular destination for dinner, drinks, brunch, and happy hour among locals and Bronxites from all corners of our borough and now folks working in the area (or not!) have another reason to go to Charlie’s and much earlier too.
But that’s not even the best part. The wonderful part is how two small Bronx businesses are coming together to support each other, and with that, will introduce each other’s followers to one another.
Morris Perk has been popping up at local events and businesses across the borough for some time now establishing a loyal following, much like Charlie’s has in a brick and mortar setting.
CBK Perk will be providing a continental breakfast in the beginning along Morris Perk’s signature coffee blend, espresso drinks, juice of the day, and organic teas from Loose Leaf Tea Company.
Lovie Pignata, proprietor of Morris Perk said about CBK Perk, “To be a small business you have to be fluid and open to opportunities that others might deem too ‘out of the box’. We were thrilled to be invited to operate within a popular existing restaurant like Charlie’s.”
“When I began Morris Perk, I thought I’d open my storefront and business would just flow. Because of the delays with our primary location on Holland Avenue, I focused on working with community organizations and other small businesses. It’s been rewarding and the feedback has been so helpful in developing a small business.” added Pignata.
Personally, I love both businesses and the folks who run them so I think this is gonna be wonderful to have another spot for breakfast in the neighborhood.
Both businesses support the local community and that kind of giving back to the our neighborhoods is what makes The Bronx special.
Lovie is excited to be working on this side of the Bronx River. “Over the last year, we have popped up in every corner of the Bronx and we look forward to working with Charlie’s Bar and Kitchen and being part of the Port Morris and Mott Haven community.” she told us over some of her coffee blend.
Can’t wait for June to get here! In the meantime, if you have any requests, feel free to let them know!
Lunch at Charlie’s! Image courtesy of Charlie’s Bar and Kitchen
Oh and don’t forget, they’re now open for lunch Mon-Fri from 11:30AM – 3PM!
