This past summer I was curious to attend the recent Broadway musical directed by David Byrne on the rise and fall of the infamous First Lady, Imelda Marcos of the Philippines, titled “Here Lies Love”. The musical steps away from the usual typical stage show as the entire theater is converted into a nightclub scene with the audience becoming part of the show. Here is my take on the show….
There has been a growing interest on the part of museums to curate fashion exhibitions as part of their programming. By chance, in 2023, I attended 4 fashion exhibitions among New York City museums. This prompted me to raise the question is fashion art? Not everyone thinks it is. Some have debated that the gallery space should be used for traditional forms of art. Yet attendance at these exhibitions have helped museums increase both traffic and admission fees. Both are good reasons to continue the trend. If you are planning to be in the city any time between now and November 2023, two of the four exhibitions are still on view. Here is my critique of each of them…..
As someone who loves both art and fashion, I didn’t want to miss seeing the Karl Lagerfeld exhibition even if the options were to go on the last day and in the rain. Karl Lagerfeld was both a controversial figure and a genius designer, although you would not know from viewing this exhibition, which focused on the latter. This brings to question what exactly should be the role of museums in storytelling. Do they not have a responsibility to present the entire profile of an artist? Does society not benefit from knowing both the art and the artist?….
The month of May is when the Big Apple is celebrating its Art Week, stretching it from May 5th through 22nd, where museums, galleries and art fairs come together to share the best of what the art world offers. For art lovers, this is a great time for a spring break or a weekend stay in NYC when the weather is generally at its best behavior. I managed to attend three art fairs on the last weekend of this extravaganza before it ended. Here’s what I like and didn’t much care for….
Having seen the trailer on Tom Hanks’ recent movie “A Man Called Otto”, it frankly did not pique my interest. I love Tom Hanks as an actor and a humanitarian, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to see a movie that reminded me of an older, grumpier Forrest Gump character. After 10 minutes of scrolling through movies to watch on Netflix and not finding anything that sparked my curiosity, I settled on what was familiar to me. Surprise, surprise, this movie is a gem and so inspiring as it touches on the complexity of human emotions and how it affects our humanity……
If I were planning to go see a Broadway musical, it most likely would not be about Michael Jackson. However, when somebody invites you as their guest, it’s hard to say no even if you do not have high expectations. Interestingly, the musical was quite exhilarating and enjoyable, although not as transparent. Not that it matters for most folks, the music and the early years of Michael’s life are nostalgic enough to go see the show….
This year the Harlem Fine Arts Show celebrated its 15th anniversary in New York City, bringing together black art gallery owners, art collectives and artists to celebrate 15 years of ensuring opportunities for Black Art to thrive. Buying Black Art or what is sometimes referred to as African Diaspora Art has become increasingly popular among both novice and seasoned collectors of all nationalities. Yet there is still a long road to inclusion…
The rise of immersive exhibitions are making their way through the US, offering us a new way of learning and exploring the arts competing with art fairs, galleries and museums for your eyes and money. More recently, I dragged my kid sister to see the King Tut immersive exhibition in NYC before it closed, now headed to its next major city. There are pros and cons to what this new entertainment media offers and its potential. This latest craze in interactive art and virtual reality stimulation so far is gaining traction. Here’s how?
This exhibition by Puerto Rican artists and curators at the Whitney Museum is a first step in helping to understand the complexity of Puerto Rico/US colonial status disguised as a commonwealth. The exhibition merges the long-term damage of US policies on the island’s sovereignty and its economy with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria followed by more disastrous policies and the recent earthquakes hence the phrase “no existe un mundo poshuracán.
More than a decade ago I came across an article (in one of those flight magazine) about this Spanish chef, an upcoming food entrepreneur who immigrated to the US known for his introduction of Spanish cuisine, tapas (shared small plates) and the art of molecular gastronomy. Besides noting Chef José Andrés’ many accomplishments, what mostly stuck in my head when reading this article, was his immediate commitment to volunteering at a Washington DC soup kitchen upon his arrival. Over the next 12+ years, with a growing portfolio of 30 enterprises, we get to experience in this newly Emmy nominated documentary how one person can make such an enormous difference. How a simple concept of ” we feed people” can create entirely new systems to combat what continues to be our indifference to climate change. Kudos to Ron Howard and the National Geographic for undertaking the filming of how movements are created by people when governments and institutions don’t quite “cut the mustard”….
