Snowy Saturday!!!

While SJ spent the day relaxing and recuperating (it's almost been a ful 6 weeks since his surgery), I bopped down to Chelsea to meet with a few friends to view the Postcards From the Edge... Benefit for Visual AIDS Benefit Sale

Over 1,500 original postcard-sized works of art. $75 EACH. Buy 4 cards and get 1 free!
First-come, first served. Unfortunately what they mean by first come, first served is that once the postcard is bought it's removed... so I know next year I need to arrive when it opens!

"Postcards From the Edge is a Visual AIDS benefit show and sale of original, postcard-sized works on paper by established and emerging artists. All works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The works are signed on the back and exhibited so the artists' signatures cannot be seen. While buyers receive a list of all participating artists, they don't know who created which piece until purchased.

All proceeds support the work of Visual AIDS, utilizing contemporary art for AIDS advocacy and historicizing the work of HIV-positive artists while offering career support."

From here we popped across the street to a restaurant on the south east corner of 23rd and 10th avenue. No, I don't remember the name. I do recall the waiter being funny, the food being sparse and the cost being more than it should have though. Jo, as always, rode her bike. She's a total road warrior - snow and all!

A subway hop home, toss together some cheeses, sausages, crackers, dips and snacks, pop the wine and voila...time to hang out with SJ and his friend before we head to the show. What are we seeing?

Al Di Meola World Sinfonia '09: Fusion Jazz Guitar Legend at The Concert Hall (2 west 64th street). Happily my friend Lisa is back from her holidays at home with family in Italy and was able to join us. The space at the Concert Hall was wonder. Small, almost intimate with a feeling of a modern church (which I think it's used as more often than not.)

The international ensemble was wonderful.

Beautiful sound and well worth trudging out in the snow for!!

If Di Meola comes your way, run, don't walk, to get a ticket or two.

Art Day and Dinner Surprise!

As much as I often find it difficult to rise early in the morning, I do love NYC when it's peaceful and the streets are empty. Today was no exception. I couldn't resist taking this photo - it was so very beautiful in person. So hard to capture that beauty.
While waiting for Dan at the entrance of the Cooper Hewitt - National Design Museum (East 91st and Fifth Avenue) for the start of our Art Day. They are showing "Design Life Now - National Design Triennial 2006" right now.











GREAT!! It shows something for everyone!! It's showing through July 29, 2007. If you're in NYC, do take a swing through. They are also showing "Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces" through June 3, 2007. Beautiful model staircases from masters in France. As Dan arrived, Jo and Emanuel called and invited us for dinner!! YUM! We can't resist Jo's cooking or their fun company!!


It took a few hours to wander through the museum. Such interesting things they chose to include in the exhibit. Looking at art makes you HUNGRY! We popped into From here we wandered through some galleries around the east side before cabbing it over the the west side were we wove in and out of galleries all afternoon. Dan brought me to one he'd been to a few weeks prior while I was in NH -- the Sundaram Tagore Gallery -- to see the work they had by the artist shown in the front window. (Yes, I suddenly forget his name!) The work - beautiful!!! Just beautiful! If only I had the $K and tall enough ceilings!


My turn -- I brought him to the Morgan Lehman Gallery (317 10th Avenue between 28/29th streets) to see my friend Darlene's show. I am happy to say that Dan bought a piece of her work titled "Forrest of Indecision" (shown at right.) Yeah! Her show closes near to the end of January. Catch it if you can!!

Darlene will come back to town before her show closes to sign this piece, then it'll be picked up and possibly hung at my house.


I need to frame a whole bunch of pieces... sad to have them in tubes/between cardboard when they should be hung for all to see!!

Before we knew it the day had flown by and it was time for us to dash to my house to get some yarn options for Jo to choose from for her first knitting project ever, and a bottle of wine for dinner!
Although they live on my street, it's a number of long blocks across town, so we hustled the 15 minute walk there to be greeted by yummy smells!! Jo had made Mediterranean Pizzas!! Yum! And like me, olives don't like her (olive oil is OK) so there were none on the pizza! Oh happy day!!!

Dan plans to take a photography course at the ICP in midtown in a few weeks to learn more so he can take some amazing photos on his month-long journey through South Africa that's coming up. I wish I could meet him for part of it, but my schedule is bursting with my own travel plans. More on that later. All I'll say is that this spring I'll be in town for 3 weeks between Feb 1st and May 1st. Phew. Exhausting to think about - so lets not, yet.
Anyway - the boys spent a while exploring Emmanuel's camera that Dan was going to borrow for the class. Dan has a fab new digital camera, but this class would be using REAL FILM. I know, shocking!

After we'd played with cameras, listened to French Pop music while

watching Manu play air guitar... Jo brought out the treats! She's made individual Tiramisu for everyone!!! Otherwise known as YUM!!! She made it the way I apparently like it (I usually find it too liquory.) Jo's...Jo's was VERY VERY GOOD! How am I going to keep my 15lbs (yes, I've now lost 15lbs!!) at bay with such wonderful treats??
I decided to worry about that later and just enjoyed it!! Yummmy!

Before we knew it the Afro-Cuban music has us wiggling in our seats...which soon had Dan and I dancing round the room. Great Music (Orlando Cachaito Lopez) and wonderful company!

Look at that Smile...fun was had by all!

Number 2
What a day!

I met Dan for Dim Sum in Chinatown for the start of Date #2.

Yummy Dim Sum followed by a walk through Chinatown, a spot of shopping (bought a fun gunmetal silver dress) all on our way to 11 Spring Street.

11 Spring Street is the location of a building that has been filled with street art by artists that flew in from all parts of the globe. It was open free to the public Friday through today ONLY. Then the owner plans to convert it into condos and most all of the art will be covered up behind the new walls.

After waiting over 4 hours in line, we were in the last 12 people to gain entry! Wow! Dan had been the day before as well, so he has many more photos of it than I do (see them here).

I've scattered a few of my photos around this entry (for more see my flickr page).

It was... completely...wow! Even some floors and ceilings... everywhere you looked someone had created something beautiful, interesting... moving!










This was my favorite piece. As the crowd dispersed and folks left, I planted myself in front of this wall and just stared at it until I had to leave.


For more on 11 Spring Street, see their own Flickr page and check out the Wooster Collective.

The date ended with a lovely dinner in Little Italy at Benito's.
We both agreed that the Marinara there was some of the best we've ever had!!!

ART TIME
Yeah!!! Tonight was Darlene's opening at the Morgan Lehman Studio! Yeah!!! (Click on the underlined light blue text above to jump to her flickr page of photos from the gallery!)
It's been on my calander for weeks now and was it ever a fun night!! Michelle was free and joined the fun!
Not only is Darlene as sweet as ever - but her art! Wow! It's so shiny and happy.

I only wish I'd had the money to buy a piece!!!

It was so wonderful seeing so many folks that I haven't seen in years! Besides Darlene, chatting with Brent, Marc, Amber, Jeff Bunny and finally meeting Leslie.

Dinner afterwards was Michelle, Marc and I (photos to follow... I've misplaced the file???)

Seeing all of this bright and shiny art has inspired me...
...I need to pull out my pad and get creating again!

Thanks Darlene!!! Mwah!