Liquid Lab: Flex your master mixologist muscles at the upcoming Liquid Lab classes at The Greens Indoor Bar on The Rooftop of Pier 17! Classes are 2-hours long and run from 6:30-8:30 pm. Tickets are available here and cost $100 each, which includes light bites and four cocktails. The Greens Indoor Bar on The Rooftop at Pier 17 at 89 South Street | Wednesday, March 9 & April 13 | 6:30-8:30 pm
Private Picasso Paint and Sip: Switch up your weekly routine and visit Pier 17 on Wednesday evenings to create a beautiful work of art, sip on signature cocktails, and take in some of the best views in NYC. Tickets are available here for $60, which includes all art supplies and one cocktail, wine or beer. Pier 17 at 89 South Street | Wednesday, March 9 at Malibu Farm, March 23, April 6 & April 20 at Pearl Alley | 7-8 pm
The Corner
Girl Scout Troop 6000 Cookie Sale: It’s that time of year again when stocking up on cookies has never felt better! Girl Scout Troop 6000, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, is popping-up at The Corner with their annual Girl Scout Cookie sale, offering an array of delicious and cult-favorite Girl Scout Cookies. All proceeds benefit their mission of ensuring that girls and women in the NYC Shelter System can experience and enjoy all the opportunities Girl Scouting has to offer. The Corner at 25 Fulton Street | Thursday, March 10 – Saturday, March 12 | Thursday & Friday, 4-8 pm & Saturday, 12-4 pm
Journaling Workshop: Join us for an afternoon of pen to paper! Journaling enthusiast Emily Chertow will lead two journaling classes—one for children and one for adults—at The Corner. During the 45-minute kids’ session, children will create and decorate their own journals before being guided through journaling prompts focused on mindfulness and goal setting! The adult’s workshop will be focused on gratitude, mindfulness and intention setting including journal decorating, mindful journaling prompts, and discussion with fellow attendees. Tickets cost $15 each and include all journaling materials. More information can be found here for March 20 class and here for April 9 class. The Corner at 25 Fulton Street | March 20 & April 9 | 2-3 pm (children) & 3:30-4 pm (adults)
Book Launch Events: Independent bookstore McNally Jackson is hosting a variety of in-person book launch events at their two-story Seaport location this Spring. For a full schedule of events and a link to RSVP (which is required), please visit here. McNally Jackson | 4 Fulton Street | Varying dates & times
Youth Boxing Classes: HIIT The Deck, a high intensity boxing inspired workout that combines boxing, core and conditioning, recently introduced Youth Boxing classes to its schedule! Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 4:30-5:30 pm, young adults ages 13-18 can build strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. No prior experience necessary. Guests must bring boxing gloves, hand wraps, a mat, water, towels and as well as any other PPE equipment. HIIT The Deck | 10 Fulton Street | Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30-5:30 pm
F I N E A R T Work by Heath Kane and Walter John Rodriguez
About “Power Play”
The inaugural exhibition of the new 4 Flavors Art Consultancy. Trailing the political turmoil of the 2020 United States presidential election, this collection focuses on the political and philosophical musings of two international artists, UK-based Australian artist Heath Kane, and Cuban-American Walter John Rodriguez.
4 Flavors
Each artist creates portraiture using iconic political figures, for Rodriguez, fathers of the American revolution in wild, expressionist brush strokes. For Kane, updated versions of Queen Elizabeth veiled as Batman or romantic-era portraits adorned by Blue Demon Lucha libre masks.
When viewed in concert with one another, Kane and Rodriguez create a cross-continental critique on the global rise of right-wing isolationist governments, wealth inequity, social narcissism. A host of other societal ills, all presented through the allure of a subtle, recognizable smile, dripped in bright colors and glitter.
Because Kane and Rodriguez address these underlying issues through characters associated with cultural ideals, rather than repeating the pervasive Trumpian or Boris Johnsonian caricature, their work goes beyond contemporary discourse and into the realm of the philosophical, re-examining the original intent of the political structures for which these figures are known.
A UK based artist, born in Australia, Heath has always been fascinated by the mix of creativity and art. Now turning his attention back to art, his collections of work draw inspiration from his commercial art backgroundand origins of pop-art – a blend of design and art. His approach follows the practice of poster making and design, with a focus on creating simple, iconic, and memorable pieces. Within the artwork, he tries to distillsubtle but often subversive themes.
Heath Kane
Work included in this exhibition pull from two series. His large-scale “Portrait of Heroes” paintings are inspired by master Romantic-era portraits that reveal how classical art was often a means for wealthy individuals to portray their ultra-ego. It playfully suggests that the classical portrait artist was the photoshop and Instagram filter of their time, leading the artist to question: “Today we all have the ability to take selfies and live our lives through social media. But how much of what we share is real and how much are we all trying to heroize ourlives?”
The original hand-detailed screen prints from his “Rich Enough to Be Batman” collection “raise questions about wealth and social justice, through the idea that with enough money anyone can be a superhero.”
Walter John Rodriguez
Born in Havana in 1981, Walter John Rodriguez holds a studio in New York City. His love for drawing and painting developed at an early age in Cuba where he made every effort to learn artistic skills despite having limited resources. After immigrating to the U.S. his continued interest in art motivated him to seek formal art training graduating in 2002 with a B.F.A. degree from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Walter John Rodriguez
Rodriguez’s “Power Isn’t Love” series dives into the raw nerves of political discussion in the United States today, re-inventing well-known portraits of the American founding fathers through an updated, contemporary lens. Through these portraits, the artist incorporates accents of reassurance in the binding nature of our constitutional roots for a better society, while questioning faith in the inherent permanence these principles hold in today’s political climate.
In that sense, Rodriguez’s work is provoking a movement to understand all sides of the political spectrum. With close observance, viewers may feel empowered that a democracy like America’shas lasted over 200 years, but also encounter anxiety about the future.
The artist was most recently chosen for collaborations with “Inter Miami CF”; Miami’s professional soccer team owned by David Beckham and by the “Arsht Performing Arts Center” for “Hamilton” the play. He has participated in various art fairs across the United States such as “Art New York”, “Superfine” in L.A., and “Red Dot” in Miami and also completed the Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation (ESKFF) residency program at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City.
His work has been included in multiple private collections and group exhibits in Florida, California, New York, and New Jersey. He is co-founder and director of Rexer Gallery in Hoboken, NJ.
As four women with incredibly different backgrounds and areas of expertise in the art world, together they form a comprehensive services network researching collections, curating exhibitions, handling framing and restoration, launching up and coming artists into major private and public collections, and training emerging art lovers how to acquire the perfect piece and install it beautifully on their walls.
Their dedicated exhibition space at 204 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair boasts museum-quality lighting, installation, and an outdoor courtyard, aiming to raise the bar for commercial art exhibition venues in New Jersey.
Heath Kane, Rich Enough to be Batman, 2020. 5 Color Screenprint on Somerset Satin 300gsm Paper, Neon Red and Diamond Dust glitter, edition of 10. 30 x 45”
Heath Kane, Come Speak To Me When It’s Over, 2019. Oil, acrylic on canvas, 49.6 x 62.2”
Walter John Rodriguez, Party Colors, 2020. Mixed media on canvas, 39.75 x 44”
Listing Information for the Exhibition
Gallery Director: Kathryn Waggener McGuire Artists: Heath Kane and Walter John Rodriguez Exhibition Dates: November 6–December 31, 2020 Gallery: Clerestory at MAXX, 204 Bellevue Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043, www.clerestoryfineart.com
Gallery Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 am–6 pm; by appointment
Raquel Cion in Me & Mr. Jones, photo by Steven Menendez
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie is writer/performer Raquel Cion’s homage to the music icon’s artistry and his humanity, and to her own lifelong Bowie “soul love.” In her 90-minute cabaret performance at Pangea (178 Second Ave., New York), Cion takes us through her highs and lows, bracketed by David Bowie’s music, his life, and his death, told with humor, emotion, and passion. She describes her youthful misadventures growing up in Connecticut, her relationships, and her battle with breast cancer, and connects all of those things through the words and mysticism of an artist who meant so much, to so many.
The New York Times described Cion as “half witch… half cabaret performer,” and she lives up to that accolade. She is not an impersonator, or a cover artist. She seems somehow to embody the very spirit of David Bowie, the ultimate shape-shifter, the master of multiple personas, and the creative genius who challenged every single idea in the world of art, performance, music, and beyond.
Raquel Cion channels David Bowie, photo by Deborah Martin
Cion weaves her own story into the Bowie timeline, finding parallels with wry humor, sharing her pain, and her joy. She quotes Bowie, “I’m a born librarian with a sex drive,” and reveals that she is, in fact, a librarian. After the artist’s untimely death from cancer in 2016, Cion was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while being treated with radiation, she discovers that her tech’s name is Aladdin, like the Bowie alter ego, Aladdin Sane. She notes that during treatment she was a block away when Bowie’s art collection was auctioned off by Sotheby’s. She delights in the fact that her home in Brooklyn is in the same zip code as the Brooklyn Museum’s massive David Bowie Is retrospective, and slyly reveals that she found an error in one of the displays. Naturally she sought out the curator to inform him.
Cion is a true Bowie fan but this show is so much more than just a true fan’s tribute to a great artist. Her experience will resonate with anyone who has ever taken solace in music, with anyone who has been considered “other” in any capacity. It is a tale of love, and of finding something meaningful in a world that can sometimes work hard to strip away the meaningful things. Cion’s performance is theatrical and unapologetically emotional, and while the show is seen through the mournful lens of the death of David Bowie, it is also delivered with a spirit of joy, and a lesson about cultivating and celebrating individuality.
Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie will return to Pangea on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, and again on March 13 and 14.
On January 14, Daredevil Tattoo Museum (141 Division Street) and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum will be paying homage to the godfather of modern tattooing, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, on what would have been his 109th birthday. From 12pm to 10pm, Daredevil Tattoo Museum will ink classic Sailor Jerry designs for $20 each. After getting inked, patrons can learn about the history of tattooing and Sailor Jerry’s work at the Museum. They can also continue to celebrate next door at Forgtmenot (138 Division Street), who will be serving Sailor Jerry Spiced rum and Ginger cocktails.
Sailor Jerry + Ginger Cocktails
Norman Collins joined the U.S. Navy in the 1930’s when he was 19 years old. He served in China and Japan, where he began to appreciate Asian-style art. But he learned how to tattoo before that, in Chicago. In 1942, after his tour of duty ended, he settled in Honolulu where he began to build his reputation as a talented tattoo artist in his now famous tattoo parlor on Hotel Street. He also played in a band, became a licensed skipper of a large three-mastered schooner, and hosted a radio show.
Collins pioneered innovations in tattooing such as inventing the color purple for ink, and promoting the use of sterile needles. He inspired future generations of tattoo artists, like Ed Hardy, Mike Malone, and Kazuo Oguri, with his distinctive artwork. When he passed away in 1973, he left his infamous shop to Ed Hardy and Mike Malone, with instructions that if they did not take over, everything was to be burned to the ground.
Sailor Jerry Rum
Daredevil Tattoo opened in 1997, when tattooing became legal in New York City. They feature artists working in different styles, and they are famous for their Friday the 13th tattoo days, where ink-aficionados line up for hours to get special designs for $13 and a “lucky $7 tip.” The museum attached to the shop features antiques and tattoo memorabilia that co-owner Brad Fink has collected over 27 years. The collection features items from the earliest days of tattooing history, like early tattoo machines, artwork, newspaper clippings, photos, and printed matter. The museum is now a 501(c)(3), NYC Tattoo History Inc, dedicated to the preservation of tattoo history, and to educating the public on this storied art form.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 27: (L-R) Tom Astor, Cristen Barker and Nigel Barker attend the Monkey 47 Gin Celebrates "Shaken And Stirred" Podcast Launch With Nigel Barker And Tom Astor At The Wild Monkey on April 27, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Monkey 47)
At my dear friend Nigel Barker’s 47th birthday, celebrated at Monkey 47 Gin’sgorgeous New York pop-up, I chatted with his best friend Tom Astor along with Nigel himself about their newest collaboration, a podcast called Shaken & Stirred that combines cocktails with interviews and some of the most interesting people they can find. See what they had to say below!
(L-R) Tom Astor, Cristen Barker and Nigel Barker. Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Monkey 47.
Grace A. Capobianco: Tom, will you share one thing about Nigel that has remained “status-quo” over the many years you’ve known each other?
Tom Astor: Nigel and I have managed to maintain the ability to remind the other that we are not as important as we think we are or might think we should be. Thus, humility has remained throughout our friendship. I would like to think that at the same time we have kept the same level of affection for each other and our families and have nothing to prove to the other. We are, after all, just long serving best friends who have hopefully enriched each other’s lives and will continue to do so. Even him having an affair with my ex-wife wasn’t enough to ruin our friendship!
GC: For Shaken & Stirred, is there a script with each guest or is it truly off the cuff?
TA: We emphatically do not script our interviews/podcasts. Each podcast is ‘off the cuff.’
Nigel and I research our guests’ lives and careers thoroughly, which is key to steering any conversation once it gets going. Scripting our interviews would ruin the point of allowing our guests the freedom to go wherever they want in an interview.
GA: How do you choose the type of cocktail for each episode? Does it have anything to do with the guest?
TA: The cocktails are chosen for each show for any number of reasons. A guest may have been asked for a preference, in which case we will happily oblige, or I might have arrived at the studio with a hangover and be trying out the ‘latest cure.’ What we look for in all of our cocktails is their history and backstory. The history almost always makes the drink more interesting than the actual drinking…almost.
GA: Who makes the cocktails?
TA: I make the cocktails. Nige is too lazy to get involved. He prefers to pretend to iron the flags behind the set with his state of the art steam iron whilst checking himself out in the mirror.
GA: Do you, Nigel, and your guests actually drink during the show?
TA: Of course we drink during the show. It loosens up the interviewers (and the guests sometimes).
GA: Where is the show produced?
TA: At the moment, the show is produced at Univision Studios in NYC. The joy of the podcast is that we can pretty much produce them anywhere from a bar and studio in any city in the world. Given the fact that not everyone we might be interviewing lives in New York we expect to be hitting the road in the future and have started researching some pretty amazing venues.
Nigel Barker and Tom Astor. Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Monkey 47.
GA: We know a lot about Nigel, tell us a bit more about your career and personal life.
TA: I live on my family’s farm in the Cotswolds in England with my three children. Merriscourt is a beautiful place to live, and I have converted some of the old barns into a wedding and events venue. My career has involved a stint in the art world, banking, buying and selling classic cars, and squeezing as much fun out of life as I possibly can for myself and kids!
I have always had a love for New York and have visited on too many occasions to count. I feel a strong family connection with the place which runs deeply through my veins. There really is not another place like it on the planet.
GA: Have you ever had a podcast before? What are some of the challenges you and Nigel experienced?
TA: I have never done a podcast before! Nigel had to initially explain what they were. I cannot say that I have found any of the process a challenge as such. It has been a fascinating journey and such a great way of finding out about so many things one would really never know about. I suppose the real challenge is making the guests open up which has so far worked well.
GA: How’s it going so far, any feedback from listeners or guests about the show, and what if anything would you do differently?
TA: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, both from our guests and listeners. I think the formula we have adopted/created works well and I cannot think of any reason to change things. Obviously we are open to criticism and should anyone feel we can improve our show we will sit down, listen, mix a drink. and either ridicule the suggestion or take it seriously…
I very much hope to continue to be able to do these podcasts with Nigel. There are so many interesting people out there whose views and feelings are worth listening to. I feel that we are at the beginning of doing something quite useful as well as fun. Useful in the sense of opening others (and our own) eyes to a raft of issues, fights, passions, experiences and life. I hope the listeners enjoy listening to the podcasts as much as we enjoy making them!
GC: Nigel, how and when did you meet Tom Astor?
Nigel Barker: Tom and I met when we were 13-years-old at Bryanston School, Dorset, England. It was a boarding school, and when you meet kids at that age and basically live with them force majeure, you quickly find the ones you really get on with and often times you grow up together like siblings, but ones you pick!
GC: When did you know you would be lifelong friends?
NB: I just turned 47, and looking at his answer to your first question we may not be friends for much longer!! Joking aside, Tom and I became close very early on and not because we had loads in common but because we both had a similar outlook on life. We both love to enjoy life, poke fun at each other, and are fascinated by a good stories, even when they are just rumors…
GC: Over the years, how have you and Tom kept in touch, and how did you two come back together to create your new podcast Shaken & Stirred?
NB: We were groomsmen and ushers at each others weddings, we made each other godparents to our first born, we take family vacations together every other year, rendezvousing at some exotic locale with our growing families en masse, and we realized that as our kids grow up we needed another reason to see each other hence Shaken & Stirred!
GC: I loved the bit about when you and Crissy had your first child Jack, was Tom really there 3 minutes after the birth? Can you give us a little more insight? it sounds like a interesting and humorous story.
NB: Timing is everything as they say, and there is another character we have not mentioned yet who is Dickie Dawson, the third musketeer. He is also a godparent to our children, and his family also vacations with us, and he was a groomsman/usher etc. We are all very competitive with one another and Tom wanted to make sure he saw his godson before Dickie and jumped on a plane when he heard Crissy was in labor arriving at the hospital 3 minutes after the birth…poor Dickie was an appalling two weeks late.
Nigel Barker and Bryan Greenberg. Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Monkey 47.
Nigel Barker and Bridget Moynahan. Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Monkey 47.
GC: You say the podcast came about from lots of boozy lunches and dinners, I’m sure that there’s more to its creation than that.
NB: Well there were brunches too! It really all culminated one weekend last year when Tom was visiting at our home upstate in Woodstock, NY. We were having a hilarious time, chatting, plotting, exaggerating, bragging, and joking as we do and thought what can we do to have a perfect excuse to do this more frequently and the podcast was born.
GC: It seems like it’s a little bit the male version of (formerly) Kathy Lee and Hoda, a morning show where alcohol is a prop. Alcohol sort of helps lift the boundary lines for you, Tom, and your guests, would you agree and give us an example?
NB: I have been on the Kathy Lee and Hoda show a few times and trust me, S&S is very different. We do indeed enjoy a cocktail or two on Shaken & Stirred, but as the name suggests the drink is a character throughout the show. Most of us have a story about the first time we had a drink, or what we were drinking when we met someone special, and every cocktail has a historical story of how it came about. For example, when I first met my wife Crissy, I took several girls to a bar in Milan, Italy and I asked Crissy if she would do a tequila body shot with me. Crissy being the good (clever) girl from Alabama declined but this other model from Canada piped up and said she would. So I applied the salt to her neck, placed a lime between her lips, then licked the salt from her neck, took the shot and bit the lime out of the girls lips…Crissy immediately changed her mind and said she would do one too. So I set Crissy up with salt on the neck and lime in the mouth but this time when I went to bite the lime out of Crissy’s lips she pulled the lime into her mouth and I had to give her a proper kiss to retrieve said lime. That tequila body shot was our official first kiss.
GC: What do you hope that your audience learns from Shaken & Stirred?
NB: We are fond of rumors, legends, and stories on Shaken & Stirred, but ultimately it’ss the truth and not the well rehearsed Hollywood publicist’s version.
GC: How do you and Tom choose your guests?
NB: So far (we have recorded 24 episodes) they have all been friends, but we designed it in a way that it really doesn’t matter what the guest is known for or what they are currently trying to promote. Rather, we think of topics we want to discuss and then our guests join the conversation. The only prerequisite is they need to be good raconteurs.
GC: Any exciting up and coming guests? And who would be your dream guest?
NB: Lot’s of great guests like Miss J, Coco Rocha, Michele Hicks, David Mixner, The Jauncey Brothers, Fern Mallis, Hugh Evans, and Hugh Jackman and Deborah Lee Furness are scheduled for our next taping.
GC: Many people attempt to become entrepreneurs, and those who are, know it’s certainly NOT easy. You shared with the audience that you have always a ton of balls up in the air, how do you juggle them, and when one drops, how do you handle it?
NB: I never really think of myself as an entrepreneur, I just liked to get involved in whatever interests me and don’t pigeon hole myself. Of course, not every idea or business is going to work perfectly, but if you don’t try you’ll never know. I look for opportunities that I am personally interested in and have some knowledge about already. I don’t need to be an expert but once I commit I am in 100% and try to become an authority on the subject for my own peace of mind. Just because I am a photographer doesn’t mean I can’t be a TV host, an author, movie producer and director, furniture designer, or gym owner!
Brookfield Properties and Convene, the leading partner to Class A landlords in providing premium places to work, meet, and host events, recently announced a partnership to create a 73,000-square-foot, multi-use, flagship venue at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. The full-service events space will be managed by Convene’s staff of hospitality professionals, further enhancing Brookfield Place as a destination for high-end cultural experiences and an increasingly amenitized office complex catering to today’s leading talent-driven companies. The events space will occupy the former Saks Fifth Avenue women’s store location within the complex.
Responding to the limited large-format event spaces in Lower Manhattan coupled with the increasing need for on-demand event space by corporate tenants, Brookfield tapped Convene to build and operate a large-scale, best-in-class corporate and cultural events hub. The venue will contain two large spaces with seating for up to 500 people each – one of the largest event space offerings in the Convene portfolio – as well as several other rooms to accommodate smaller meetings and events. The space will also include a retail café to enhance the food and beverage options at Brookfield Place.
“Brookfield Place is a destination of choice for commercial tenants and visitors thanks to its high-end design, grand public spaces, unparalleled amenities and year-round arts programming,” said Ben Brown, Executive Vice President, Brookfield Property Group. “We recognized that sophisticated event and flex meeting space was a component that would enhance the Brookfield Place experience for office tenants and visitors alike. Convene’s unique plans for this space, coupled with its exceptional hospitality services, will be a game-changer for Brookfield Place on all fronts.”
“Brookfield Properties has been an incredible partner to Convene for many years,” said Ryan Simonetti, CEO and Co-Founder, Convene. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Brookfield Place community and work closely with their impressive roster of office and retail tenants. Brookfield’s track-record in placemaking and creating integrated office and retail destinations goes hand-in-hand with Convene’s unmatched event and hospitality-focused experience. This new location will allow us to host an array of large-format events that reflect the dynamism happening at Brookfield Place and across the entire city.”
In addition to offering its award-winning suite of on-demand meeting and event services to Brookfield tenants and the local community, Convene will also offer its signature in-building vertical catering program of locally-sourced food and beverages, similar to hotel room service. Convene will also partner with Arts Brookfield on Brookfield Place programming, fostering community and cross-pollination among Lower Manhattan workers, residents and business owners.
Catering to the needs of top talent and the world’s most dynamic companies, Convene provides modern work and meeting spaces, as well as state-of-the-art amenities and services, to enable organizations of all sizes to connect, create, and collaborate. The Convene space at Brookfield Place marks Convene’s sixth location within Brookfield’s portfolio, and 30th location nationally. Last July, Convene announced it secured $152 million in a Series D funding round to fuel its global expansion and launch new service offerings to redefine the workplace, meetings and events experience. The funding round included backing from a distinguished set of real estate companies, including Brookfield Properties. Convene’s total equity funding to-date is $260 million, making it one of the world’s most capitalized flexible office companies.
