Don Coqui restaurant in New Rochelle opens tomorrow

In addition to the fine boricua-style dining and entertainment at Don Coqui, make sure to check out the Puerto Rican-themed photos on the wall. They are the photos of the members of the NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society, a group I administer.

Participating photographers and artists in the Don Coqui photo show are:

Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero

Jonathan C. Perea

David Camacho

Joseph Dominick

Luis Cordero

Katherine Barbosa 

Clarisel Gonzalez (moi)

I am the curator for this exhibit with input from Jimmy Rodriguez of Don Coqui.

For more information on Don Coqui, visit www.doncoqui.com.

The restaurant opens from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stop by. It's the grand opening. Several of the participating photographers plan to attend.

Bangin', Tree Museum, Summer Lit in the Park, Obama and plenty more in July trolley

There is still some time to view the "Obama! Reflections" exhibit at the Bruckner Bar & Grill. I am among the lineup of artists.

The Obama exhibit has been extended to be part of July's South Bronx Culture Trolley. Admission is free for the trolley and the attractions.

Here's the lineup for Wednesday night's trolley:

July 1st TROLLEY STOPS & FEATURED ATTRACTIONS 

 

BCA’s LONGWOOD ART GALLERY @ HOSTOS (450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street / 718-518-6728) 

• Bangin’ – Drawings, paintings, photographs, sculpture and video by nine emerging women artists (Main Gallery) 

• Linger – An installation of video, sculpture and performance by Bronx artist Melissa Calderon (Project Room). 

Both shows are curated by Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. 

 

 

BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS (1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street / 718-681-6000) 

• Artist in the Marketplace 29: Living and Dreaming features the works of 36 emerging artists from the New York metropolitan area. 

• Intersections: The Grand Concourse at 100 – A celebration of the Grand Concourse examining its past, present, and future. 

• Book Signing – This month’s featured author is Jackie Battenfield who will sign and speak about her book The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living 

Doing What You Love. 

 

 

THE TREE MUSEUM (Grand Concourse from 138th St to Mosholu Parkway / 212-729-1457) 

• The Tree Museum -- 100 trees run the length of the Grand Concourse and those with stories to tell can be identified by their sidewalk markers. 

Visitors can listen in on local stories and the intimate lives of trees offered by current and former area residents.  

 

 

ALEXANDER AVENUE ART & ANTIQUES DISTRICT: Books, Notes & News (137 Alexander Ave, 646-496-6178), Custom Design Studio (49 

Bruckner Blvd, 718-993-8370), Thrift World Antiques (122 Alexander Ave, 718-665-5619).  

 

 

LDR  STUDIO GALLERY (137 Alexander Avenue (#10, 4th floor) / 917-558-2389) 

• Five Points – A multi-media exhibition of five emerging Puerto Rican-American artists living and working in New York City. 

 

 

ST. MARY'S PARK (147th Street and St. Ann's Avenue) 

• Open City's Park Lit Reading Series – An outdoor summer reading series in New York City Parks. 

 

 

SYNTHETIC ZERO ART SPACE (305 East 140th Street #1A / 718-772-4961) 

• Interaction – Curated by artist Carey Clark, Interaction emphasizes the theater in art and how it actively engages the viewer. 

 

BRUCKNER GALLERY AT THE BRUCKNER BAR & GRILL (1 Bruckner Blvd. / 718-665-2001) 

• OBAMA! Reflections – A collection of work inspired by the campaign, election and inauguration of President Barack Obama. 

• Karaoke Night hosted by Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. 

For more info., visit www.bronxarts.org. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez of a caller participating in the Tree Museum public art installation at Joyce Kilmer Park. By the way, I'm one of the audio guides in the Tree Museum outdoor project. I'm #59. Go to www.treemuseum.org for more info. on this project along the Grand Concourse.)

@ the parade

For more of my photos from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, go to http://flickr.com/photos/clarisel

Click on my PR in NYC '09 events photo set. I shot a bunch of photos, largely focusing on the cultural part of the parade.

You are invited to artist dialogue and closing reception for Obama! Reflections exhibit

An artist dialogue and closing reception will take place on Sunday, June 28th from 5-8 p.m. at the Bruckner Bar & Grill at 1 Bruckner Blvd, Bronx. (I'm among the participating artists and am planning to attend the closing reception.)

 

 

Art Belongs to Everyone would like to invite you to the closing reception for OBAMA! Reflections; a collection of work inspired by the campaign, election and inauguration ofPresident Barack Obama. A screening of the video poem Obama Time Will Be Our Time will kick off the reception, followed by an artist dialogue with featured artists. Refreshments will be served.

 

The works on view, drawn from an open call for submissions, reflect the multiplicity of experience and emotion surrounding this historical moment. The variety of media and subject matter, ranging from snapshot photographs to assemblage art to pen and ink, cartoon-style drawings, attests to this experiential spectrum, while collectively celebrating the impulse for creative expression in light of this significant event.

 

 

The juxtaposition of works by established and emerging artists speaks not only to the ways in which the vast, seemingly disparate nation was united by the 2008 presidential election, but also to the curatorial mission of Art Belongs To Everyone. This program, facilitated by Art for Change, strives to encourage artistic production at all levels as well as to make such work available to communities in non-traditional settings.

 

 

Art for Change (AfC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing civic participationthrough art programs  and performances that provide equal access to information; inspiringreflection, discussion, collaboration and action. By merging art and community, AfC provides a space to explore social issues and celebrate the richness of cultural diversity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the The Village Voice’s review on OBAMA!reflections please click the link:http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/05/lizza.php

 

 

See photographs of the opening reception here:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25280&id=1144541663&l=034b888029

source: Art for Change

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez of artwork at the exhibit)

 

About the 'Shooting the Bronx' photo exhibit today

For Bronx Week, Puerto Rico Sun Communications, which publishes the Bronx Latino lifestyle blog at www.bronxlatino.blogspot.com, joined forces with the NetWorks Organization to curate a Bronx-themed photo exhibit, showcasing the work of photographers with Bronx ties.

 

Participating photographers are:

David Greene

Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero

Mario Burger

Joseph Dominick

Eileen McNamee

Jonathan C. Perea

Clarisel Gonzalez (curator)

 

Participating photographers are members of the Bronx Latino photo group, the Bronx photo group or the NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society.

Most of the participating photographers regularly document the Bronx, capturing the diversity of our borough from our people to our places to our events. The Bronx plays a role in their art of photography. The Bronx is a subject, setting, backdrop, or an inspiration.

Puerto Rico Sun Communications is a community-minded independent multimedia social entrepreneurship aimed at informing, empowering and building community. Bronx Latino is a project of Puerto Rico Sun Communications.

For more information about today's event, go to www.thenetworks.org.

My photos featured at us-puertoricans.org

Hi, some of my Flag series photos are now featured at www.us-puertoricans.org, a multimedia community dedicated to the Puerto Rican Diaspora - a place for discussion and learning, for stimulating imagination, and promoting solidarity.

Enjoy.

My new exhibit: Visions of Puerto Rico

Exhibition: Visions of Puerto Rico & Puerto Rican Pride

June 12th – 28th – Opening Show 7-10 p.m. on June 12th

Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc.

107 Suffolk Street, Manhattan

Contact: Mia Roman Hernandez - artbymamamia@yahoo.com / 646-361-6448

About the show:

“Visions of Puerto Rico & Puerto Rican Pride” Celebrates Puerto Rican culture through Photography. The show will include more than fifty works by emerging and established artists from Puerto Rico, Miami Fl. and New York City. Each artist brings a unique style and vision. These artists have discovered the beauty, tales and the history to their culture in which has been incorporated into their craft of photography. Some of the pieces will depict Community, Urban settings, Music, Nature, Family, Politics and Spirituality. The photos will embrace the cultural empowerment of the Puerto Ricans and their pride. The photos will evoke emotion, feeling and discussion. We have bridged a gap between the Puerto Ricans on the Island and the Puerto Ricans out side of the island and this exhibit is the result of that connection.


Art is an expression of the unconscious and is dedicated to the free expression of feeling.


About CSV/ Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc.:

The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, Inc. (CSV), a 501 (C) 3 not-for-profit, was founded in 1993. The CSV Cultural Center is a Puerto Rican/Latino cultural institution that has demonstrated a broad-minded cultural vision and a collaborative philosophy. While CSV's mission is focused on the cultivation, presentation and preservation of Puerto Rican and Latino culture, it is equally determined to operate in a multi-cultural and inclusive manner, housing and promoting artists and performance events that fully reflect the cultural diversity of the Lower East Side and the city as a whole.


Artists include:

Clarisel Gonzalez, Mia Roman Hernandez, Elena Marrero, Vivien Perez, Carissa Hernandez, Christopher Lopez, Susan Alvarez, Marcelino Pagan, Luis Cordero, Pepper Negron, Marie Paola Martinez, Gamalier Martinez, Gerardo Javier Melendez Silvagnoli, Marielly Martinez, Ismael Nunez, Pablo Colon, Eliud Martinez

source: Art by Mia press release

Support Artworks

ArtWorks
A benefit for Art for Change

OPEN BAR and Complimentary Refreshments sponsored by
The Bowery Wine Company & Brooklyn Brewery
8 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, May 30

The Brecht Forum 451 West Street (at the corner of Bank St)
Tickets in advance $30, At the door $40
To purchase tickets online, go to www.artforchange.org for details.

WHY ATTEND YOU ASK....
The art work sold during the silent auction will benefit Art for Change. You don't have to be wealthy to be an art collector. You, too, can buy art at very affordable prices. Here is what people are saying about our Art Auctions --
"Every year, I look forward to Art for Change's silent art auction. I have found provocative art at incredibly low prices. I never thought of myself as an art collector but every time my friends come to visit, they remind me that I actually have quite a collection" - Jessica Smithline, Senior Account Development, Acer Company
Come take part in celebration for those things that bring real change...AND to buy affordable and great pieces of art at a time when our art organizations and artist need help!
AND most importantly to have FUN and DRINK at our OPEN BAR!!

ArtWorks will feature the work of AfC affilated artists including Joe Zuccarini, Rachel Crouch, Rebecca Crouch, Charles Jean-Pierre, Clarisel Gonzalez (me), David Weiner, Marilyn Johnson, Jeff Faerber, Elena "Mamarazzi" Marrero, Leticia Perelstein, Junior Manon, Claudia Plaza, Yasmin Hernandez and many many more..

If you have any questions or would like to pick up tickets, please contact our fabulous events team at benefit@artforchange.org or 212.348.7044

source: Art for Change

@ the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade

Photos of today's Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade are posted at my photo page at http://flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade photo set.

'Tommy the Cat' at the New York Photo Festival

I am taking part in the worldwide "We are All Photographers Now" online exhibit, which is being shown at the New York Photo Festival. One of my photos "Tommy the Cat" was shown yesterday at the festival, which ends Sunday.

Here's a copy of an e-mail I received tonight.

Dear Photographer,

Congratulations! Your image was shown at the NYPH ’09 festival yesterday. Enclosed you will find an installation view of your image as it appeared on the festival’s screen.
The festival is enjoying great crowds. The organisers are all grateful for your participation in this global project. Thank you again for enriching the visual experience of festival goers.
Sincerely,

William A. Ewing
Curator
New York Photo Festival ‘09
Director, Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne

Here's the photo as shown during the festival:



Here's my original photo:



How cool.

Short and Sweet NYC: NYPH 2009- New York Photo Festival

Short and Sweet NYC: NYPH 2009- New York Photo Festival

I'm happy

I was just informed that one of my photos will be used as art in the invitation for the Puerto Rican Day Parade Reception in June at Gracie Mansion in NYC. This is a by invitation fiesta.

I'm not going to say which photo will be used to not spoil the surprise, but it's an honor.

I am participating in

This is a worldwide online exhibit being shown at the New York Photo Festival between May 13 to 17.

@ Obama! Reflections

My friend Cecil Harris and moi @ the "Obama! Reflections" exhibit on opening night. This group art exhibit runs until June 28 at the Bruckner Gallery, Bruckner Bar & Grill, the Bronx.

For more photos, visit my photo site at www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the About Me photo set.

(photo by Milagros Gonzalez)

Bronx PR Parade royalty

For more photos of the Bronx Puerto Rican Parade events, go to my photo page at http://flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade photo set.

OBAMA! Reflections in the South Bronx

I am among the artists participating in this upcoming exhibit. I will showcase some of my Obama-related photos. I plan to attend the opening reception, so I hope to see you there. Support local art.

Here's the press release from Art for Change:

Art Belongs to Everyone is thrilled to present OBAMA! Reflections; a collection of work inspired by the campaign, election and inauguration of President Barack Obama, to be exhibited at the Bruckner Bar & Grill from May 13-June 28. The works on view, drawn from an open call for submissions, reflect the multiplicity of experience and emotion surrounding this historical moment. The variety of media and subject matter, ranging from snapshot photographs to assemblage art to pen and ink, cartoon-style drawings, attests to this experiential spectrum, while collectively celebrating the impulse for creative expression in light of this significant event.
The juxtaposition of works by established and emerging artists speaks not only to the ways in which the vast, seemingly disparate nation was united by the 2008 presidential election, but also to the curatorial mission of Art Belongs To Everyone. This program, facilitated by Art for Change, strives to encourage artistic production at all levels as well as to make such work available to communities in non-traditional settings.
Art for Change (AfC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing civic participation through art programs and performances that provide equal access to information; inspiring reflection, discussion, collaboration and action. By merging art and community, AfC provides a space to explore social issues and celebrate the richness of cultural diversity.
An opening reception will take place on
Wednesday, May 13th from 6-9pm at the Bruckner Bar & Grill at 1 Bruckner Blvd. Closing reception 5-8 p.m. Sunday, June 28.

La muerte...

La muerte/death is this way. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Make...

Inspiring message on a New York City wall

My Annie at Easter

For more cat photos, go to http://flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on "The cats in my life" series.

Holy Thursday @ St. Jerome's Church

in the South Bronx

I just posted photos I took last night at St. Jerome's. To view more photos, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on my Holy Week '09 photo set.

I shot Good Friday photos today at the outdoor processions at St. Pius V and St. Thomas Aquinas churches in the Bronx. I will post them soon.

Spring in NYC

@ the Conservatory garden

For more of my photos of my visit to the garden, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the NYC '09 photo set.

The Conservatory is one of my favorite places in the city.

I grew bored of taking a photo a day...

I have decided to discontinue my Clarisel's Photo a Day project. I honestly am not inspired to shoot a photo a day. I grew bored.

I will continue to shoot photos regularly, but I don't want it to feel like a chore.

It was fun while it lasted. I have eliminated my Clarisel's Photo a Day group at flickr too. I'm not interested in pursuing this photo project anymore.

Thank you.

JUST IN: Catch me at the NoMAA Artists' Salon Tonight

I am taking part in NoMAA Artists' Salon from 6-8 p.m. TONIGHT at the Workspace Offices.Studios, 5030 Broadway @ 213th
Street (Entrance on 10th Avenue), northern Manhattan. I will showcase a few pieces of my photography. The NoMAA Artists' Salon series continues with an event where artists of all disciplines exhibit their work, perform, network, and create partnerships with each other.
This Salon is presented in partnership with Workspace Offices.Studios and offers artists the opportunity to
see office spaces that could be turned into artists spaces, painters studios, rehearsal rooms, etc. NoMAA will also present the finalists for the Uptown Arts Stroll 2009 Poster Contest where the winning image will be selected by community vote at this event!
There will also be an open mic. For more information, www.nomaanyc.org.

The NYC Collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society to meet in El Barrio

We are still organizing a local photo collective of the Puerto Rican Photographic Society, a global group especially aimed at highlighting the work of boricua photographers.

Our next meeting in NYC is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, Cemi Underground, 1799 Lexington Ave. @ E. 112th Street, East Harlem.

You are invited to join us if you are interested in being part of the photo collective.

We are a grassroots group.

It's time to change

It's time to get another Puerto Rican flag.
This flag decorates a community garden in NYC's El Barrio.
(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Me, a rose and Latinas En Foco

The group photo exhibit highlighting the work of Latina photographers runs until the end of the month. If you are in NYC, stop by. (photo by Steven Maginnis)

For more of Steven's photo coverage of Latinas En Foco, go to his photo site's Latinas En Foco photo set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70626467@N00/sets/72157615344320417/.

My wall @ Latinas En Foco

Thanks to everyone who attended last night's opening reception of Latinas En Foco Celebrating Women in Photography. There's still time to view exhibit, which runs until the end of the month at the Clemente Soto center in NYC's Lower East Side.

This is an inspiring and empowering photo exhibit. Stop by.