information – Page 4 – All The Best

10 years in support

If you live on the UES, come support our community at the 10th Anniversary Gala of PS109 El Barrio Artspace.

This milestone Gala brings together the artists, neighbors, and supporters who helped shape El Barrio’s Artspace into a vibrant hub of artistic expression. Like every milestone, 10 years down, is the beginning of the next 10 years.

At the Gala, you will experience a curated group exhibition that showcases standout works by standout artists from the past decade, live performances by our in-house talent, a one-of-a-kind art auction featuring original pieces, dinner, drinks and a festive after-party to close out the night.

The funds raised support the next generation of artists in El Barrio. If you’ve been here before, it’s a heartfelt tribute to our shared journey. If you’re just joining us it’s a toast to the creativity past, present and yet to come.

Welcome.

If you have any questions please email info@illustriousevent.com.

For single tickets or a table, click here.

July 30, 2025

Free

All the freebies in New York in the summer are great, aren’t they says my friend J. We’re on the way to see how Hidden Forest unfolds.

Elaine Summers was 82 when she designed this dance piece in 2007. It’s set to music wound around Dante’s and Italo Calvino’s words. The work is collaborative with Carman Moore and Ione, who wrote a poem she read to Pauline Oliveros’ accordian all making a contribution.

J has some familiarity with one of the artists involved, Moore. I am a blank slate. We encounter the dancers approaching the dance site, taking careful, measured steps across the Lincoln Center campus. This is oddly thrilling to me. Much of the work once we are seated is obscured by heads and trees. Outdoors doesn’t offer the best sight lines. Still fun. After there is audience participation, a bit overheated, like the evening.

Glad we went, J and I say to each other. Also, dinner, pre-theater as it were, at The Smith was truly excellent.

[For anyone wondering, it was not free.]

During our meal, we witnessed a puzzle that entertained; a family occupied the seats next to ours, and chatted, dropped a plate to the floor, then left without dining. Once would have seemed like an oddity, but it happened again, minus the plate drop. When a third group, children of similar magnitude, appeared, I wanted to take book. FYI, I woulda lost.

For the better vs the worst

What would you change about modern society?

Life without fascism, hatred, and bigotry would be a refreshing change, wouldn’t it?

I saw interviews with Americans who seemed not at all phased by losing the Constitution.

They would prefer a world with bigotry, hatred, and authoritarian rule.

Different strokes, doesn’t begin to cover it. No accounting, not even close.

I would like to keep the door open for everyone’s thinking. But I cannot. Stupid. Deplorable. Are the only adjectives that describe this MAGA bullsh*t. Shredding the Constitution, I heard the man say, was okay with him. Really.

MAGA represents only ⅓ of the American population.

⅓ of us are willing to shred the Constitution. That, I must point out, is the minority. The pivot to the right is dire but not fatal.

Elusive

Searching can be a pleasant way to pass your time.

Anyone with a smart phone has a feel for that experience.

We know that all conversations can lead to you pecking into the keyboard. Oh, yes, so-and-so is….

Wish that my search had been as simple as that. I was looking for a more elusive thing.

Something that I could not just see on my screen, but needed to have on my plate. I wanted a piece of the pie.

It’s strawberry rhubarb season, well it’s always strawberry time but rhubarb, well that’s short lived.

In fact, I was going to resort to boiling up my own; couldn’t find it at any green grocery.

That didn’t bode well for my pie quest!

I remember when, because it was its season, you could walk into most local area diners to enjoy a piece of my favorite pie.

My phone search told me that I could find a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie at JG Melon. I took this as encouraging, and intended to stop by for a slice.

Thwarted, again. Lines waiting for a table were discouragement enough.

Amazingly, there was a huge pie at Citarella. So, yes, this story of a pursuit has a happy ending.

Some of the strawberry rhubarb pie is now waiting in the freezer. Some has been digested, and yes, it was good.

The season is short. Hurry.

Unsolicited

For the love of Wonder! Love the concept of ordering from a food court with a gourmet inclination, but better yet, the food. It’s great.

Individual rating of my delivery follows:

Brussel sprouts are sweet and tangy even if only warm. They should be hot but they were delish anyway.

The lemon pepper were the best chicken wings I have gotten from Wing Trip to date.

Bankside has a very nice, low on the mayo, rendition of cole slaw.

Jota’s salmon is one of my faves, although I love all salmon. This has a bed of brocollini and a zucchini saute as a bonus.

I refer to this post as unsolicited but this is not strictly true in the sense that these were my answers to their survey.

I don’t want to give away any secrets…Museum Mile edition

We pro-democracy types need to exercise our own flood the zone tactics. There’s theatre– the great arena of diversity, equity/ equality, inclusion- for starters. There’s the streets. Aka, protesting, peaceful protesting. Be careful out there. It might get dicey. There’s writing to right the wrong. This category, lord knows, includes writing your elected representatives. That […]
I don’t want to give away any secrets…

Lucky are we, here, in New York, to have so many opportunities to be quietly pro-democracy, pro-dei – quietly, although we are pretty loud in our support.

Last night, it was a Museum Mile event. LM, EMcG, and a new pal met me in front of El Museo del Barrio to enjoy a night of distinct, divergent, all- embracing fun.

This old lady was wiped out by the walk, but blown away by the energy. BTW, check out El Barrio exhibit of Mestre Didi, an artist representing Candomblé, through his Spiritual Forms pieces. Also, there is a brilliant display of the works of Candida Alvarez. It will take your breath away; Circle, Point, Hoop spans her career to date.

My coffee trek goes on

Kook? As in oddball? Or as in a nook? It’s a tiny space, elongated with tables well-spaced, toward the back. It’s Fancy, all right.

The cappucino I ordered is very high-priced. It was brought on a wooden tray with the tiny lovely glass of orange juice and a grand little cookie on the side. Just very elegant and perfection.

Cappucino was firm, hard-core, as strong as you want it to be.