September 14, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 9/14

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This weekend’s picks for free and cheap things to do in New York. Affordable cultural events in art, music, dance, theater, food and general fun.

1. Art/Photography/Talks- Momenta Art presents Occupy Your BFF.Occupy Museums (Occupy Wall Street) will use the gallery’s resources to activate critical dialogue about the relationship between art and the market. Opening Reception, Friday 9/14, 6pm to 9pm. Exhibit runs through 10/28. FREE

2. Art– Randy Polumbo: Love Stream at Steven Kasher Gallery. Fun light sculpture exhibit partly in an Airstream trailer. Friday 9/14 and Saturday 9/15. Through September 29th. FREE

Also in Art: Johan Freeman and Justin Lowe’s Stray Light Grey multi-room installation at Marlborough Gallery. (See post) Friday 9/14 and Saturday 9/15. Through October 27th. FREE

3. Art/Performance – Steven & William Ladd: Shaboygen at The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn. Opening Reception, Saturday 9/15, 6pm to 10pm. Performances 7 & 9pm. Through November 3rd. FREE

4. Film – Solar Powered Film Series, at Stuyvesant Cove Park. Friday 9/14 and Saturday 9/15, 7pm to 10:30pm. FREE

5. Music – FIAF Opening Concert with Bill Frisell, guitarist at FIAF Florence Gould Hall Friday 9/14, 8pm. Advanced $30. At door $35.

6. Fashion/Performance– Williamsburg Fashion Weekend at Windmill Studios, Williamsburg. Friday 9/14 and Saturday 9/15 Doors: 8pm, Show: 9pm. $15 in advance. $20 at door.

7. Art Installation/Party – House Party: Andrew Ohanesian at The Boiler. Faithfully creating a spatially accurate, quintessentially American suburban home, which he displaces from its native suburban landscape by reconstructing it within the walls of the Boiler, a repurposed urban-industrial space currently functioning as a contemporary art gallery. Opening reception (House Party) Friday 9/14 7pm to 10pm. The Boiler, 191 N. 14th St. Brooklyn. Exhibit up through 11/18. FREE

8. Music/Light Show – The Joshua Light Show. live, colorful, psychedelic projections behind various musicians and bands including John Zorn and Lou Reed, at NYU Skirball Center. All weekend. Check listing for showtimes and bands. Tickets start at $20.

9. Architecture Walking Tour – Lost Streams of NYC, with photographer/historian Steve Duncan (see post). 2- to 3-hour tour (above ground). Saturday 9/15, 2pm to 5pm. $25

10. Architecture Talk – Andrew Moore: Images of Governors Island The renowned photographer gives an illustrated talk on the abandoned buildings of Governors Island. Saturday 9/15. 2pm to 3pm. FREE (the event is sold out, but it has been our experience with other talks, that not everyone who signs up, shows up.)

11. Architecture – Imagining the Lowline at the Essex Street Warehouse. A first glimpse at what the park might look like (see post). Starting Saturday 9/15 and Sunday 9/16 12pm to 6pm. Through September 27th. FREE

12. Music –Jim Lauderdale & The Honeycutters at Madison Square Park. Saturday 9/15, 3-5pm. FREE

13. Contest/Food– Chef One Dumpling Eating Contest, at Williamsburg Smorgasburg. Saturday 9/15 at 1 to 4pm. FREE

14. Food – Pig Roast at The Farm on Adderley in Prospect Park South, Brooklyn. Saturday 9/15 . 2pm to 8pm. $25/plate (including sides).

15. Dance – DanceNow at Joe’s Pub. Featuring the Top Ten Works from the 2012 DANCENOW Festival. Saturday 9/15, 7pm. $15 in advance; $20 at the door.

**UPDATES: Film – LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up and Play the Hits at The Well, Brooklyn. Saturday 9/15, 7-11pm, 18+ to enter. FREE

Food – Unsold Supper in Union Square. Farmers contribute unsold produce that gets cooked and shared in exchange for creating a gift for the farmers. Barter of craft for food. Saturday 9/15, 4 to 6pm. FREE

Fun – NerdNYC’s RECESS a day full of tabletop games, from cards to Trivia and more at 440 Lafayette St. 18+ with ID. Saturday 9/15, 11am to 10:30pm. $20.

Check back for possible updates and take a look at our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for additional ideas. Enjoy!

September 7, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 9/7

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This weekend’s picks for free and cheap things to do in New York. From art exhibits, to music, dance, theater, food festivals and more, free or affordable September 7, 8, and 9, 2012.)

1. Theater- 20at20 Beginning Tuesday, September 4th, and running through Sunday, September 23rd, tickets for all 20at20 shows are only $20, 20 minutes before the Off-Broadway shows. Check listing. All weekend

2. Spectator Sport/Food/Art– US Open Live 2012 at Madison Square Park. Sit back, lounge, and watch biggest names in tennis on the big-screen, live as it happens. Food & Beverages will be available and this is the last weekend to check out Charles Long’s drippy Pet Sound sculptures. All weekend. FREE

3. Art – Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s exhibit Voice Array at Bitforms Gallery, 529 W. 20th. Friday 9/7 and Saturday 9/8. FREE

4. Art/Experience/Tour – Chance Procedures in Motion, with Maria Chavez. Friday 9/7, 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Maria Chavez invites participants to join her in navigating the city by chasing subways in available directions. $20.

5. Dance – Eclipse Dance by Jonah Bokaer x Anthony McCall at the new Fischer BAM. All weekend (check for times & tickets). Friday 9/7 performance has a Pre-show talk with choreographer and artist. $20.

6. Music– Rafiq Bhatia, PEPEPIANO, & icewater at Cameo Gallery, 93 North 6th Street, Williamsburg. Ages 21+ Friday 9/7, 8pm. $8.

7. Animation/Film – Saturday Morning Cartoons with Augenblick Studios. WEIRDO CARTOONS from the past 100 years. At Bellweather, 594 Union Ave., Williamsburg. Saturday 9/8. Noon to 2pm. $10 includes homemade cereal, milk and mimosa or modelo.

8. Performance Art – Flux Factory’s Public Trust. Series of art and performance art events. Two events on Saturday 9/8, Physical Audit and Le Grand Slam Guignol. Check listing for details. FREE

9. Art/Design – Stephen Powers Murals: A Word is Worth A Thousand Pictures. Joshua Liner Gallery, 548 W. 28th St., Friday 9/7 and Saturday 9/8, 11am to 6pm. Through 9/29. FREE

10. Art/Music/Food – ArtOnBrighton at the NY Aquarium in Coney Island/Brighton Beach. Art installations, Music, and Eats celebrating the creative post-Soviet Immigrants of Brighton Beach and beyond. Saturday 9/8, Doors at 7pm. $10 advance, $15 at the door.

11. Art – Chris Ware exhibit: Building Stories at Adam Baumgold Gallery Saturday 9/8. FREE (through October 27th)

12. Art/Music/Food –SculptureCenter’s LIC Block Party. Artist Market, Food Court, Stage with Live Music. Jackson Ave & 43rd Ave, LIC. Saturday 9/8, 12-5pm. FREE

13. StreetArt/Art/Salon Party– Pearly’s Beauty Shop Pop-Up, Exhibition Space, 25-25 44th Drive LIC. The artist Swoon hosts a pop-up salon/party of ecstatic aesthetic embellishments to support the creation of a community activated arts center. Saturday 9/8 at 7pm $20 entry. $5 and Up for Salon services.

14. Music/Literature/Comedy – John Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders at City Winery. A night of music, readings, and laughs with an array of guests. Saturday 9/8 . Doors 6pm. Show: 8pm. $25 to $35.

15. Theater – The Zebra Shirt of Lonely Children (part of the Fringe Encores Series, best of the Fringe Festival) at the Huron Club, 15 Vandam St., Saturday 9/8, 8pm. $18.

16. Art/Crafts/Food – UrbanSpace Meatpacking. Arts and Crafts and food Marketplace. Under the High Line across from the Standard Hotel. All weekend. FREE

17. Dance – Fall for Dance tickets go on sale Sunday 9/9, 11am for performances between Sep 27 to Oct 13. All tickets $15 but they go fast!

18. Talks/Design/Film – The Public Open offers tickets to FREE events such as talks by Interactive Artist Ben Rubin (see our post) and Pentagram Partner Paula Scher on their contributions to the new Public Theater, and films of some of the Public’s previous shows. Events are in October but you must RSVP for tickets and they are available now.

UPDATES:

Art: GO: Brooklyn Community-Curated Open Studio Project – Saturday 9/8 and Sunday 9/9, 11am to 7pm. FREE

Dance: DANCENOW Festival at Joe’s Pub tonight, Saturday 9/8. Doors open at 6pm; Show 7pm. $15 in advance; $20 at door.

Food: Smorgasburg Sundays starting Sunday 9/9 at the cool Tobacco Factory in Dumbo near Brooklyn Bridge Park. Over 75 food vendors. 11am to 6pm through 11/18. FREE

Check back in over the weekend for possible updates or check our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for additional ideas. Most of all, have a great weekend!

August 30, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 8/31

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Here are our free and cheap suggestions for things to do this Labor Day weekend 2012 (August 31 to September 3) in NYC. We’ve included some staycation ideas as well as fun and easy day trips within an hour or two from New York via public transportation.

1. Music- AM & Shawn Lee at the Knitting Factory. Friday 8/31. Doors 7pm. Show 8pm. $10 to $12.

2. Art – Avery McCarthy‘s Destination: Unknown. Includes a large, vast canvas framed by LED lights, allowing itself to be both an optical trick and aesthetic object: a modern day vanity mirror of total blackness. At Orchard Windows Gallery. 37 Orchard St. Fri, Sat, Sun 8/31 to 9/2. FREE

3. Day Trip/Food/Culture – Mitsuwa Marketplace A little taste of Tokyo only a bus ride away. In Edgewater, NJ, this shopping center immerses you in Japanese culture with a food court, books, magazines, toys and a supermarket filled with Japanese products. Take the shuttle bus from Port Authority. $3 each way. All weekend.

4. Music/Party – Swimming with Sharks at The Standard’s Le Bain. Saturday 9/1, 3pm-9pm. FREE with RSVP.

5. Architecture – Vertical Tour at the Cathedral St. John the Divine. No need to go to Europe to tour a spectacular church. This tour takes you up to parts of the Cathedral you never knew existed! Saturday 9/1, 12pm still available. $15 Get tickets here.

6. Day Trip/Art – DIA:Beacon in Beacon, NY. Beautiful galleries filled with spectacular installations and all your favorite contemporary artists. MetroNorth from Grand Central or 125th Street gets you within steps of the building, 80-minute train ride. Train and admission package: $31.50 for Adults. All weekend.

7. Food/Views – La Marina in Inwood. It’s a waterfront resort in Manhattan. Beautiful views of the Hudson and GW Bridge. Take the A-train.

Alternatively in Food/Views: Brooklyn Crab in Red Hook on the waterfront. Free Shuttle Bus or the IKEA Water Taxi from Pier 11. All weekend.

8. Architecture Tour – Before Brooklyn Bridge Park. Learn about the history of Brooklyn’s waterfront with architectural historian and author, Matt Postal Saturday 9/1, 11am.$20. Tickets.

9. Music – Troublemakers; Midnight at Arlene’s Grocery. Saturday 9/1, 12am. $10

10. Fun/Leisure – Unicycle Fest on Governors Island. World-famous riders will display their skills, and members of the public will have the opportunity to try one-wheel riding. Saturday 9/1 and Sunday 9/2, 12pm to 5pm. FREE.

11. Day Trip/Relaxation/Food/Fun – Spa Castle. Okay, maybe not so free or cheap but if you consider what a spa trip costs…this looks pretty good. We’ve yet to try, but have heard good things. A sort of “Disneyland” of spas, in Queens no less! Weekdays $35; weekends $45.

12. Fun/Music/Food/Culture – West Indian Day Parade and Festival, Eastern Parkway near Brooklyn Bridge Museum. Labor Day, Monday 9/3 starts at 11am.

Also, in Comedy/Improv: The Friday Night Sh*w at the Magnet Theater in Chelsea. Friday 8/31, 11:30pm $5.

Also, in Food/Music/Beach: Caracas Rockaway at Rockaway Beach at 106th St. has music events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4pm. (Though, lately, we’re partial to the beautifully wide unpopulated beach at 67th, if you’re okay with limited food and bathrooms…shhh.)

UPDATES:

Art/Music/Design/Experiment: Stranded V: Laboratory, a night of eureka moments, bold experiments and a Nobel-worthy science fair built by King’s County’s creative catalysts. Saturday 9/1, 10pm-5am, at the Pfizer plant in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Near the JMZ and G trains. 21+. $26 Tickets here.

Music/Food: Mister Sunday Labor Day Weekend Special; Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter at Gowanus Grove. Sunday 9/2, 3pm-9pm. $10 advance; $12 door.

Performance: The Moth StorySLAM, Monday 9/3 at The Bell House, Brooklyn. 7:30 doors; 8pm starts. $8 at door; $16 advance. 21+

Or check our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for links to Free Met Opera HD, PS1’s WarmUp, and ongoing museum exhibits that we recommend. Have a great weekend and check back for possible updates!

August 27, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Tu Wei-Cheng: Happy Valentines Day

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Taiwanese artist Tu Wei-Cheng likes to create illusions and hoaxes with his art. One such work is his large-scale installation titled Happy Valentine’s Day: a chocolate shop complete with hearts, ribbons and pink walls, except that the chocolate boxes are filled with tiny chocolate tanks, guns, hand grenades and other arms and artillery.

All images courtesy of White Rabbit Gallery.

August 27, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Dough Portraits: Soren Dahlgaard

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These cracked me up when I saw them on Junkculture the other day. Danish artist/photographer Soren Dahlgaard uses dough in much of his artwork, including this series of Dough Portraits along with large installations that use 100 to 300kg of dough with extra yeast…imagine the possibilities!

Dahlgaard has traveled to different cities photographing his Dough Portraits, allowing his subjects to play with the roughly 20lb pieces of dough before placing it over their heads. Dough and bread may be things that everyone relates to, but when seen over people’s heads it definitely takes on a different quality.

This Fall the exhibit will be going from South Korea to Israel and Helsinki. Below is a video of the photographer at work last year at the Vancouver Biennale.

If you like these you might also enjoy Julia Kissina’s photographs.

Photos courtesy the artist, National Art Gallery, and Vancouver Biennale.

via junkculture

August 24, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 8/24

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This weekend’s picks for free and cheap cultural things to do in New York. From art exhibits, to films, music, theater, food festivals and more, free or affordable August 24, 25, and 26, 2012.)

1. Art/Performance- Studio on the Street:Liz Magic Laser at Forever & Today, 141 Division St. Liz Magic Laser transforms the storefront into a newsroom and acts as anchorwoman. Reception: Friday, 8/24 6-8pm. Open Studio Weekend: Saturday 8/25 & Sunday 8/26, 12-6pm FREE

2. Film– Sleepwalk with Me, at the IFC with Mike Birbiglia and Ira Glass doing Q&A’s in person all showtimes on Friday 8/24 and Saturday 8/25. The monologue/play a few years back was excellent! $13

3. Theater – Summer Shorts the acclaimed series of new American one-act plays from some of the country’s top playwrights at 59E59. All weekend. Check website for varying times. $25.

4. Film – Clerks part of the Central Park Film Festival, just north of Sheep Meadow. Saturday 8/25. 8:30pm FREE.

5. Art – Detournement: Sign of the Times. Ends Saturday. Friday 8/24 and Saturday 8/25 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea. FREE. (See related post)

6. Theater – TJ & Dave at the Barrow Street Theater. Late night improvisation from two second city veterans. All weekend at 10:30pm. Use Code TJDAUG for $15 tickets, otherwise: $20.

7. Music/Food – 13th Annual Blue BBQ Festival.Blues bands and food from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Brother Jimmy’s BBQ. Pier 84 on the Hudson. Saturday 8/25. 2pm to 9pm. FREE

Also in Performance with BBQ: Catch 52 at The Bushwick Starr. Super summer show with rooftop BBQ. Saturday 8/25, 7pm. $15.

8. Beach/Walk/Art – Long Walks on the Beach: a public project that randomly pairs people to take a long walk on the beach at Rockaway together. This is an experience-based artwork that uses walking as its medium. Saturday 8/25 and Sunday 8/26. First call, first served. Call (917) 300-9521 to make an appointment. FREE

9. Music/Food – Surfed Out Session; music, Roberta’s pizza and $3 beers, Saturday 8/25, 4pm to midnight. Beach 87 at Rockaway. FREE

10. Art/Design – America’s Most-Wanted Eco Posters on Governors Island. Moderator Edward Morris leads panelists that include Ellen Lupton, Diego Gutierrez and Debbie Millman in discussing the current state of the environmental movement and the efficacy of art and design as well as designing a related poster in real time. Saturday 8/25 , 2pm to 4pm. FREE. (this event is sold out online, but organizers suspect that not all who registered will show up…)

11. Food/Art – Family Dinner at Culturefix on the LES. Restaurant employees sit down to “family meal”. This meal is usually a one pot meal that is good. At CULTUREfix, they take family meal and offer it to everyone. “Always changing and always delicious” the meal will be served from 6pm to 7:30pm on Saturday 8/25. FREE

12. Art/Photography – ICP Occupies Governors Island: Exhibiting Powerful Images from the 99%. All weekend, through 9/30. On Governors Island. FREE

13. Music – 10 operas on the Lincoln Center Plaza projected in HD, starting Saturday 8/25 with The Enchanted Island, and Sunday 8/26 Don Giovanni. 7:30pm to 10:30pm. FREE

14. Theater/Music – Jason and the Argonauts an avant garde rock concert at the East River Amphitheater. Saturday 8/25 and Sunday 8/26 at 8pm. FREE.

15. Food – New Amsterdam Market Tomato Festival Uncook-off: 10 Chefs will compete head-to-head to transform heirloom tomatoes into tantalizing tomato dishes meant to be prepared simply and served “un-hot.” Sunday 8/26, 12pm to 4pm at the Old Fulton Fish Market. $20 Register here.

16. Music – Janelle Monae performs as part of the Afro-Punk Fest at Commodore Barry Park. Festival is both Saturday 8/25 and Sunday 8/26, from 12pm to 9pm. Janelle Monae performs on Sunday at 7:30pm. Check site for rest of schedule.FREE

17. Music/Dance – Found Rooftop Party, Dance and Hip Hop musicat The DL, 95 Delancey St. Sunday 8/26, 6pm on. FREE with RSVP before 9pm. $10 after 9pm with RSVP. 21+

18. Comedy/Performance/Music – Reggie Watts performs as part of the Afro-Punk Fest at Commodore Barry Park. Festival is both Saturday 8/25 and Sunday 8/26, from 12pm to 9pm. Watts performs Sunday at 5:45. FREE

For more ongoing summer weekend suggestions see our previous Culture on the Cheap posts here, here, and here. Also: check back throughout the weekend for possible updates.

August 17, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 8/17

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Our picks for free and cheap art, music, performance, and food events this weekend (August 17 through 19, 2012) in New York City:

1. Music/Dance/Food– Lunch Break lunchtime dance party; DJ Michna at Le Poisson Rouge with free lunch and vodka. Friday 8/17 at 1 to 2pm. FREE 21+ RSVP

2. Food/Music/Sport – Jaguar Chill, Life-size snow globe at the High Line housing a skating rink including free skates, demos from professional skaters, and some Jaguars. Plus treats that (at least when we were there yesterday evening) included People’s Pops, Van Leeuwen ice cream, pulled pork sliders and more, as well as beverages, all free. 10th Ave and 17th St. Friday 8/17 12pm- 8pm, Saturday 8/18 12pm-5pm. FREE

3. Art/Beach – Rockaway Beach Sandcastle Competition Watch artists Ryan McNamara, Tom Sachs, Snarkitecture and more battle it out with their sand creations. Friday 8/17 at 3pm. 86th Street Beach. FREE.

4. Music/Art – Dumbo Summer Friday. An evening of music, art and technology underneath the DUMBO Archway with bands Bosco Delrey, Zambri, Prince Rama, and Javelin. Friday 8/17, 2pm-9pm. FREE.

5. Film/Party – Love Story by Florian Habicht. A funny meta-fictional romance. Rooftop films. 350 Grand Street. Friday 8/17, 8pm – 1am (film at 9pm).$12

6. Music – Though not exactly NYC, the Lackawaana Music Festival is just a Path ride away in Hoboken. Tokyo Police Club, Vacationer, and many more. Pier A, Hoboken. Saturday 8/18, 12pm to 1 am. FREE

7. Theater – Mormon in Chief. Unassuming Mormon, Connor Jorgensen, becomes the center of national media frenzy when his tweets about a Mormon presidential candidate go viral. Play by Matthew Greene. Saturday 8/18 at noon, Sunday 8/19 at 7pm. $15 in advance, $18 at door. Much more theater at FringeNYC.

8. Art/Photography – Lunch Hour NYC at the NY Public Library, Friday 8/17 and Saturday 8/18, 10am-6pm. Continues through February 17, 2013. FREE

9. Music – The Kills; Hudson River Park Pier 63, Saturday 8/18, 5pm. FREE

10. Music/Dance/Food – Jazz-Age Lawn Party on Governors Island. “One of the most memorable parties of 2009 and 2010” says the New York Times. Dress up in your best vintage clothing and head on over. Saturday 8/18 and Sunday 8/19, 11am to 5pm. $15.

Also, similar but totally different – Improv Everywhere’s zany Black Tie Beach. Saturday 8/18. Location to be disclosed Friday (today). FREE

11. Comedy/Performance – Upright Citizens Brigade All-Stars of Improv. East River Park Band Shell, Cherry St. and FDR. Sunday 8/19, 7pm to 8:30pm. FREE

12. Drink/Fun/Views – One of NYC’s best kept secrets: The WillyWall, Manhattan Sailing Club’s floating clubhouse sits in the Hudson River with a bar atop and beautiful views of Manhattan, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Reserve Admiral’s Launch boat service to WillyWall which departs every half hour from North Cove Dock in Battery Park City. Fridays 5:30pm to 10pm. Saturdays 3pm to 10pm. $10.

Also in Film: Cosmopolis, directed by David Cronenberg opens. The director will be speaking at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center at two screenings. Friday 8/17, 6:30pm and 9:15pm.$13.

Also in Food/Music/Beach: Back to the Beach in Staten Island. Music, food and activities plus fireworks. Saturday 8/18 and Sunday 8/19. Noon to 9pm. FREE

Also in Art: Quay Brothers at MoMA. Great show. Through January 7th. FREE Fridays from 4pm to 8pm.

UPDATES…

Also in Comedy/Music: Heart of Darkness at Union Hall in Park Slope. Comedian Kate Berlant, music by The Bowery Riots and The Forgiveness. Saturday 8/18 at 8pm. $8 advance, $10 at the door.

Also in Film: Festival Express screening (documentary on Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead and The Band’s train ride together) at City Winery on Varick St. Sunday 8/19, doors opne 6pm. Film at 7:30. FREE

For more ongoing summer weekend suggestions see our previous Culture on the Cheap posts here, here, here and here. Also: check back throughout the weekend for possible updates.

August 3, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 8/3

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Our picks for free and cheap art, music, performance, and food events this weekend (August 3 through 5, 2012) in New York City:

1. Architecture – The Grand Tour each and every Friday throughout the year at 12:30 pm in the sculpture court at 120 Park Avenue, located at the southwest corner of E. 42nd Street and Park Ave. directly across from Grand Central Terminal. No reservations are necessary. Friday 8/3 at 12:30 pm. FREE

2. Video/Music – John Cage, One¹¹ and 103,at the High Line, 14th St. Passage. Black and white video and sound, 94 min, in celebration of the John Cage Centennial. Part of the new High Line Channel 14, outdoor video program. 1pm – 11pm, Daily (all weekend) through September 13. FREE

3. Film – King Corn Screening at the Culture Project 45 Bleecker St. Friday 8/3 at 6pm FREE. Reserve seats here.

4. Interactive Performance/Music – Phil Kline’s DreamCityNine performed by Talujon. World premiere. To take part in this event, download the stories as one file from the Artist Links — upload them to your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or MP3 player, and bring them with you along with your battery powered speakers, or blast Q2 Music through WQXR’s mobile app. Friday 8/3; 6:30 pm at Lincoln Center’s Hearst Plaza. FREE.

5. Art Event/Walking Tour – Telettrofono by Justin Bennett and Matthea Harvey, part of Guggenheim’s Stillspotting NYC. An audio walking tour that braids history with fantasy along and around the Staten Island waterfront. Starts at the stillspotting kiosk at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in St. George. 1.5 hrs, Saturday 8/4 and Sunday 8/5, from 12 to 7 pm. $12 adults and $10 for members.

6. Fun! – Summer Streets nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets are opened for people to play, walk, bike, and zip(!) from 7am to 1pm on the next three Saturdays 8/4 (and 8/11, 8/18) from 7am to 1pm. Check site for route and activities. There will be a zip line in Foley Square as well as free bike rentals. FREE

7. Food – Parked! A Food Truck Festival at South Street Seaport. Saturday 8/4 from 10am to 9pm. FREE

Also in Food: Hester Street Fair Olympics. Corn-on-the-cob and BBQ Ribs eating contests plus burlap sack races. Lomography Photo Tour of Fair here as well. Saturday 8/4 and 8/11. FREE

8. Art– Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940 at the Jewish Museum, (saw this last weekend…lovely exhibit!) through September 23rd. Saturdays FREE all day.

Also in Art/Design: Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900–2000 at MoMA through November 5th, 2012. Fridays FREE from 4pm to 8pm.

9. Music – 54/10 Music Marathon; Alice Lee, The Henry Millers, Night Fevers play at Ars Nova Theater
511 West 54th St. Saturday 8/4, 8 pm. Tickets $10 online; $15 at the door.

Also in Music: Amadou & Mariam / Theophilus London / and Just a Band at Central Park’s Summer Stage. Saturday 8/4, 3pm to 7pm. FREE

10. Performance/Installation – The Murders of Crows at the Park Avenue Armory. The largest sound installation to date by artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, a compelling “sound play” that envelops the audience in an unexpected physical and aural environment. Through September 9th, but this Saturday, 8/4, from 12pm to 7pm, FREE

11. Talk/Film Presentation – Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell and David Frankel talk about their new film Hope Springs at the Soho Apple Store. Sunday 8/5, 4pm. FREE

12. Music – Mad Decent Block Party at Williamsburg Park, with Major Lazer, Erol Alkan, Bonde Do Role and more. Sunday 8/5, 12pm to 10pm. RSVP required. FREE.

Dance – The Wind of Colorful Guizhou, Guizhou, China, Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe at Skirball Center, Saturday 8/4, 7pm. FREE (Tickets distributed first-come-first-served basis – call 973-917-3005 or bethb.sunels@yahoo.com)

Also in Film: If Yes Men Fix the World, screening at the Culture Project, Saturday 8/4, 8pm. Reserve tickets here. FREE

For more ongoing summer weekend suggestions (i.e. Rineke Dijkstra Retrospective at the Guggenheim [see post], PS1’s WarmUp and Street Art Walking Tours in Williamsburg) see our previous Culture on the Cheap posts here, here and here. Also: check back throughout the weekend for possible updates.

July 27, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 7/27

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Some free and cheap (affordable) cultural events that look interesting to us for this weekend in New York City:

1. Street Art – Williamsburg Street Art Walking Tour 2-hour tour, Saturdays at 2:30 pm. Meets at N7th Street but email hello@streetartwalk.com to reserve a spot and confirm details. $20 per person.

Alternatively: Historic Harlem Walking Tour, Saturday 7/28 at 11 am. $18.

2. Art – Joseph Albers in America at the Morgan Library, through 10/14. Admission:$12 Student/Senior $8. Fridays 7-9 pm FREE.

3. Music – The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series. Friday 7/27 at Brooklyn Bridge Park; 7-9 pm; FREE.

4. Film – Ai Weiwei Never Sorryis the first feature-length film about the internationally renowned Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei. At IFC Center starting Friday 7/27; Adults $13; Seniors $9. Check link for showtimes and tickets.

5. Art/Food – Check out Big Kastenmann sculpture by Erwin Wurm at The Standard Hotel. Then head upstairs to Le Bain on the roof top from 2 pm on (21 and over) and have a crepe ($5 to $8) while sitting on a waterbed with a great view of the High Line and the Hudson. And of course there’s always a walk on the High Line post-crepe! All weekend.

6. Music – Antipop Consortium at the New Museum. Alternative hip hop ensemble described as fragmented rhythms of contemporary electronic music with the confrontational, interrogative stance of rap. Friday 7/27 at 7 pm. Members $10, General Admission $12

7. Music – Breakout Sessions Music Fest sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery at 1031 Grand St., Williamsburg. Saturday 7/28 from 3pm to 11pm. 10 bands, 9+ hours of music, 4 hours of open bar. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Tickets here.

8. Music – Mostly Mozart Festival Preview Concert at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center. Saturday, 7/28, 7:30 pm. FREE

9. Theater – Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim Delacorte Theater, Central Park through 8/25, 8 pm. Tickets same day in the park (line up early) or same day virtual ticketing here. All weekend.

10. Leisure/Food – One of our favorite summer things to do is hop on the East River Ferry from Long Island City after WarmUp at PS1 or Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg and ride down under all three bridges with lovely views of Manhattan getting off at Pier 11 at Wall Street (approximately 1 hour from the LIC/Hunters Point; $4 per person.) From there Adrienne’s Pizza on Stone Street for a delicious old style pizza pie and a little feel of Europe in NYC. All weekend.

11. Music/Film –Muppet Movie Sing-a-long with the Loser’s Lounge in Prospect Park Bandshell. Saturday, 7/28, 7:30 pm (doors open 6:30) FREE

12. Theater – Oxygen presented by B-Floor Theatre Company (Bangkok) at Flamboyan Theater, CSV Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk St. Oxygen is a visual, movement and multimedia exploration of Thailand’s tumultuous political situation from 2010 to the present. Friday, 7/27 through Sunday, 7/29. Check for showtimes and tickets here. $20. All weekend.

Also in Music: The Head And The Heart / Lost in the Trees, at Prospect Park Bandshell, Brooklyn. Friday 7/27, 7:30 (doors open 6:30)

Also in Film: NewFest 2012 at Lincoln Center. NY’s premier LGBT Film Festival. Check for showtimes and tickets. Tickets $12 for members; $14 General Admission. All weekend.

Olympics 2012: Okay, so it’s more of a sports event than a cultural one, but you can watch the opening ceremonies surrounded by others at Big Screen Plaza, at the Eventi Hotel, (851 Sixth Avenue at 30th St) tonight Friday 7/27, 7-11:30 pm. FREE.

For more ongoing summer weekend suggestions (i.e. The Clock at Lincoln Center, Yayoi Kusama Retrospective at the Whitney and more) see our previous Culture on the Cheap posts here and here. Also: check back throughout the weekend for possible updates. Also, also: feel free to leave suggestions in the comments.

July 23, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

It’s Not Paper! Plates

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Strolling around the village this weekend we came upon this very fun faux paper plate platter at Mxyplyzyk. We were familiar with the porcelain crumpled paper cups from a few years back, and the more recent I am Not a Paper Cup porcelain coffee cup, but the It’s Not Paper! Paper Plate Platter and Plate sets were totally new to us and a must-have for Daniela, who will be returning shortly to purchase a set of the plates.

July 20, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 7/20

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Here are some of our suggestions for free and cheap cultural events in New York City this weekend:

1. Theater – Slowgirl by Greg Pierce, with Sarah Steele and Zeljko Ivanek, at Lincoln Center’s new Claire Two Theater. All tickets $20. Extended through August 5, 2012.

2. Art – Ghosts in the Machine at the New Museum. The new exhibit spans fifty years and traces the complex historical passage from the mechanical to the optical to the virtual. FREE Saturday (7/21/2012) 12-5pm with a visit to the museum’s block party. Otherwise $14 General Admission/$10 Student. FREE every Thursday 7pm-9pm. Through September 30, 2012.

3. Music – B.o.B FREE Secret Show at the Highline Ballroom; Sunday, July 22 at 9pm. Doors open 7:30pm. FREE with Ticket. Tickets available at the box office.

Also: Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra at the Brooklyn Bowl, Sunday, July 22, at 8pm. Doors open 6pm. $5.00

4. Comedy/Performance – D’FunQT: Stand Up or Die at Dixon Place (LES) Fri and Sat, July 20 & 21 at 9:30 pm. Tickets: $15 advance, $20 at the door, $15 students / seniors
Written and performed Leguizamo-style, this one-person show celebrates the joy of survival in a world often intolerant of difference. As a queer boy/stud/trans person, D’Lo unapologetically takes center stage and uses his fluidly morphing form and spot-on timing to bring the fierce with the funny.

5. Architecture – New Practices New York 2012 exhibit at the Center for Architecture. Mon-Fri: 9am to 8pm Sat: 11am to 5pm, through September 8th. FREE

6. Design/Performance – GlassLab Glassmakers from Corning Museum of Glass create pieces with contemporary designers. Glass blowing and all. Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 6:30 through July 29th. This weekend designers include Peter Buchanana-Smith and Paul Sahre. On Governors Island. FREE.

7. Art – Rineke Dijkstra: A Retrospective at the Guggenheim. Large-scale color photographs. Portraiture with a twist. Through October 8, 2012. Pay-what-you-Wish Saturdays from 5:45 to 7:45.

8. Theater – Uncle Vanya at the Soho Rep in Tribeca, through August 26th. 99¢ Sundays same day at the door. Line forms one hour before show. Limit 2 tickets per person. 7:30 pm. 99¢.

9. Dance – Pilobolus at the Joyce Theater. Through August 11, 2012. A limited amount of tickets available for $10 by calling the box office (212-242-0800). At the time of posting, only 1 ticket was left for this weekend, so best to try in advance. Showtimes and programs vary.

Also in Music: Bebel Gilberto/Criolo/Flavio Renegado/Beco Dranoff Saturday, July 21, 3-7 pm, Summerstage at Central Park. FREE

Also in Food: Les Salonnieres Country Blues Potluck Under the Stars. Dinner and Wine tasting. Bring a country-themed dish. Saturday, July 21, 7pm – 1am. Williamsburg Private Residence. Tickets $10.

More Food: 3rd Ward’s 5th Annual Pig Roast. Saturday July 21, 4pm to midnight. 195 Morgan Ave, Bushwick. FREE with RSVP

Also in Film: Coming Home: Short Films. Friday, July 20, 8pm. Rooftop Films at Metrotech Commons. FREE

Art on the Beach: Coney Island Annual Sand Sculpting Contest and Unity Day. (Here’s a video on last year’s event) Saturday, July 21, 12-5 pm. FREE.

Check last week’s Culture on the Cheap for additional (ongoing) events.

July 19, 2012 by collabcubed - 7 Comments

Molecule: East Village Water Café

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A unique kind of café has just opened a few avenues over from us: Molecule – A Water Café. The idea behind this new shop is to serve filtered (“purified”) NYC tap water using their $25,000 filtration system; a seven-stage processing treatment to create what the owners call “pure H2O.” There’s the to-go option, in a nicely designed glass bottle for $2.50 which you can have plain or with vitamin supplements and/or herbal infusions at an additional cost. If you bring your own container, water refills are provided at a range of $1 for a canteen to $10 for 5 gallons. A delivery service is in the works as well as “water blessing” events.

Being a big fan of unfiltered NYC tap water, I’m not sure I’ll be consuming Molecule’s water for now. The whole concept makes me chuckle a bit (I guess a Brita filter doesn’t cut it anymore) but I do like their branding.

Here’s co-owner Adam Ruhf discussing Molecule in a WSJ Video.

Photos: scoboco’s flickr; DNAinfo; and EV Grieve

via gothamist

July 13, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 7/13

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If you’re in New York City this summer weekend, there are more free and cheap things to do than time to do them. Here are just a few that look especially interesting to us…too bad we can’t be in more than one place at a time.

1. Art – The Yayoi Kusama Retrospective opens at the Whitney Museum. Friday nights from 6-9pm admission is pay-what-you-wish, otherwise general admission is $18. Can’t make it this weekend? Don’t fret, the exhibit runs through September 30th. And if you’re downtown be sure to check out the lawn installation at Pier 45, Hudson River Park.

2. Art/Film – Christian Marclay’s The Clock opens July 13 through August 1 at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. FREE. Prepare for long lines. 24-hour video collage.

3. Music – Eleanor Friedberger with Ex Cops. Friday, July 13th at 7pm; Pier 17 at The Seaport. FREE.
Also: for a more Latin evening: Calle 13/Ana Tijoux/Ritmo Machine at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn. Friday, July 13 at 7pm. FREE.

4. Theater – Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot – “The Merry Wives of Windsor” July 12 to 28. Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Ludlow and Broome. Thursday – Saturdays at 8pm. FREE.
Also: Twelfth Night presented by New York Classical Theatre at Castle Clinton, Tues through Sun, till July 22th at 7pm. FREE.

5. Art/Architecture/Music – Warm Up at PS1, Saturday July 14 at 3pm with Terrence Parker, D3, Ron Morelli, Jeremie Delon, and Steve Summers. Check out Wendy, see Lara Favaretto’s exhibit Just Knocked Out, and dance the evening away. $15. Free for MoMA members.

6. Graphic Design – Now in Production is Cooper-Hewitt and Walker Art Center’s exciting exhibit exploring some of the most vibrant sectors and genres of graphic design today. Open weekends through September 3, 2012 in Building 110 on Governors Island. FREE.

7. Art – Tomas Saraceno’s Cloud City on the roof of the Met. (See our previous post) Through November 4, 2012.

8. Food – Paper Magazine’s Super Duper Market. July 13-15. Pop-up super-store bringing the coolest food artisans and innovators under one roof. 410 West 16th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues.

9. Film – Persepolis on Pier 1 (Riverside Park near 70th Street), Friday, July 13, 8:30-10:30pm. FREE.

And you might be interested in contributing to Bike-In-Theater’s Kickstarter so that they can get their events going this summer as well.

July 5, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Super (Duper) Market: Pop-Up Shop

There’s a bit of pop-up mania lately, at least in New York. I’ve just been to two events in the past week that involved pop-ups (the Herman Miller Pop Up Shop Finale with House Industries and Bing’s For Humankind Pop-Up Expo at Openhouse Gallery full of innovative projects combining technology and design) and there seem to be plenty more on the horizon.

Next week, starting Friday July 13th through the weekend, Paper Magazine is presenting the Super (Duper) Market. Apparently not just a pop-up shop but a pop-up super store. This one revolves around cool food and innovation. Could be interesting. Artist Maira Kalman is participating as well!

If you’re in NYC and looking for things to do, might be worth popping by.

June 19, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

CupNoodles Museum

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Just back a few days from their amazing trip to Japan, Em and Dan had lots to report. High on their list in terms of cool fun was the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama, about 30 minutes from Tokyo. Opened last fall, the interactive museum chronicles the history of the instant ramen noodle created by Momofuku Ando in 1958. Included in the museum is a Design-your-Own Cup Noodle from content to package design, a replica of the shed where the instant ramen was invented, A Noodles Bazaar Food Court, and a theme park. Oh, and of course, a gift shop selling all things ramen, including the lovely set of chopsticks that they brought back for me, which I might just have to frame instead of actually use. When I questioned the relevance of the fun graphic logo, Em and Dan immediately responded with “No, it’s perfect. That’s exactly the feeling you experience the minute you step through the door.” ’Nough said.

Update: I just noticed that the exclamation points refer to the decorative border on the CupNoodle cup, so there’s that too…

All photos by collabcubed except second from top and second from bottom by Yuriko Nakao/Reuters.

June 6, 2012 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Christopher Boffoli: Big Appetites

Greta and her pals enjoyed the smooth ride so much that they vowed to never again attempt a ride over the pineapples.

Gary always uses too much mustard but no one can say anything. It’s a union thing.

Even though he knew the likelihood of shark encounters was low, Eric still had anxiety about the dive.

Seattle-based photographer Christopher Boffoli photographs miniature figurines performing varied tasks such as mowing an orange peel or excavating a berry pie in his Disparity Series, a humorous commentary on labor, portion size and American consumption. Part of his Big Appetites photographs include his latest series Edible Worlds which will be exhibited at the Winston Wächter Gallery in Chelsea, starting on June 21, 2012. Not only are the photos humorous, but so are the titles (Canoe au Lait… Deep Tea Diver…) and the captions, see above for a sampling.

You can buy greeting cards with some of Boffoli’s photos here.

If you like Boffoli’s photographs, you might also enjoy Liliana Porter’s work here.

via Winston Wächter Gallery

May 25, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Typographied Objects IV

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It’s been a while but here is the latest roundup of typography objects.

From left to right, starting at the top working down
Number Mugs from SuckUK; Floor of the Romanian National Library: Typographic Chessboard; Type Tote (front and back); Vitamin Packaging; Proposed Milk Carton Packaging; Sascha Grewe Letter Stools; Full House by J. Mayer H. for Bisazza SPA with dataprotection patterns; Handwritten Typeface by Lucas Neumann de Antonio; Edible Gelatin Type; Quotation Mark Plate; Typographic Sliding Puzzles; Bathroom Signage Student Project by Daniyil Onufrishyn; Alphatots Potatoes; TarGetBooks Shelf by Mebrure Oral; Dynamo Typocolate; Linus Dean Rugs; Typographic Dress; Urban Dinnerware; Love Your Fellow As Yourself T-shirt; Pablo Lehmann Bookcase; Ouch Quote Quips Bandages; and Anita Shelving by Ricard Mollon

See our previous posts Typographied Objects I, II, and III.

May 14, 2012 by collabcubed - 3 Comments

Qzina’s World’s Largest Chocolate Sculpture

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Weighing in at 18,239 pounds (!!), Qzina Specialty Foods’ chocolate model of an ancient Mayan temple has broken the Guinness World Record for largest chocolate sculpture.

Corporate Pastry Chef Francois Mellet and MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France or Best Craftsman in France) Stephane Treand led their team in building the winning work. With a 10ft x 10ft square base, and measuring 6 feet high, the chocolate sculpture—which pays homage to the Mayans’ role in the origins of chocolate—accurately recreates the details of a Mayan temple.

The sculpture will be on display at the Irvine-based Qzina Institute of Chocolate & Pastry from June 4 to December 21, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar year, when it will be destroyed.

If you like this, you might also like Sonja Alhauser’s work.