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Artists ‘IN’ the Bronx bring energy of the borough to their art By Adam Wisnieski awisnieski@riverdalepress.com
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CLOCKWISE from top: Artist Melissa Calderon inhabits her piece, Ecotone 2013, as she chats with Betty Simmons; Daniel Hauben’s Urban Texture II; Illumination by Marisol Díaz; Patricia Cazorla and Nancy Saleme collaborated on a painted walkway.
ost of the trees out front are still bare, but it’s already spring at the Andrew Freedman Home. Bright orange, green, purple and blue flowers painted on the concrete pathway lead visitors to the historic villa in Concourse Village. The colorful installation by Nancy Saleme and Patrcicia Cazorla, titled “Joyful Path,” is symbolic of how this historic palace on the Grand Concourse has flourished in its second life. After opening its wrought iron gates to the public last April (for decades it was restricted to housing elderly, formerly rich residents), the Andrew Freedman Home has been at times an art gallery, a performance space, a day care and even a place for culinary arts — sometimes all at once. This week the home is celebrating a year of boosting culture in the Boogie Down. Dozens of Bronx artists, as well as 20 Bronx-based arts organizations under the supervision of the Bronx Arts Alliance, are hosting an art show on the main floor of the Freedman Home. “We Are Still Here: Art IN the Bronx” — on display through Sunday, March 17 — is one of the most comprehensive and diverse collections of living and breathing Bronx artists ever. “The energy is something I’ve never felt before. It’s re‘We Are Still ally down deep. It’s in Here: Art IN your soul,”said curathe Bronx’ will tor Jeanine Alfieri, who also has sculpbe open at tures in the show. the Andrew Ms. Alfieri said Freedman about 85 percent of Home, at the 60-piece show is 1125 Grand made by Bronx artConcourse, ists. And some pieces through Sunday, created outside the March 17. To Bronx were submitted learn more, visit by Bronx-based orgaarmoryartsweek. nizations, like Wave Hill and the Derfner com. Judaica Musesum at the Hebrew Home. This is the second year the Bronx has hosted a satellite show for the larger “Armory Show,” but this year is bigger, with more artists and organizations. The show was scheduled to run for a few days last week, but organizers were able to extend it through this weekend. A highlight of the exhibit is the work of Kingsbridge Heights resident Daniel Hauben. Unlike the oil paintings of city scenes he’s famous for, his three textured oil relief works from the late 80s and early 90s make you want to reach out and touch them. From graffiti-inspired work by Lady K Fever or members of Tats Cru to Melissa Calderon’s tissue sculpture or photographs by Danny Peralta and Press photo editor Marisol Díaz, the collection can be viewed as a sampling of the borough’s various elements. It’s not often an image of an egg coming out of a cracked open spraypaint can by Nicer from Tats Cru can be seen in the same room as a watercolor of Wave Hill, but the variety represents the diversity of the mainland. Ms. Alfieri, who moved to the Bronx after running a gallery in Manhattan for 20 years, said the energy and the openness, as well as the desire to work together to accomplish great things, separates the Bronx from other boroughs. “As artists, we need to work together to help each other … if we manage to take the individual energy that all of us are putting towards our work, harness it together, imagine what we could do?” Ms. Alfieri said.
Photos by Marisol Díaz
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