Father’s Day is just a couple days away and Sandra Guibord of Sandra’s Wine Life offers a few best pairings to enjoy alongside the barbecue with dad.
Sandra believes that when the weather warms up it’s the ideal time for lighter cheeses and chilled wines. She explains that white wines pair best with cheese because of wine’s acidity paired with the creaminess of the cheese ‘brightens up’ your mouth. Below are a list of suggestions for the ultimate wine and cheese pairings to enjoy as you celebrate this weekend!
SPARKLING WINE (Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Prosecco, etc.): The bubbles in these sparklers refresh your palate between each creamy bite of soft creamy cheeses such as Burrata Mozzarella, Brie, Chèvre.
LIGHT AROMATIC WHITE WINES (Savignon Blanc, Albariño, Vermentino, Riesling, etc.): All of these bright fresh wines have notes of citrus and mouthwatering acidity that compliment cheese such as Feta, Goat Cheese, Havarti or Mozzarella.
FULL FRUITY WHITE WINES (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, etc.): From peachy, nutty Chardonnays, Fruity Pinot Grigio and the beautiful floral notes of Viognier. These full-bodied whites will carry the heavier cheeses such as Camembert, Gouda, Manchego.
COOL SUMMER REDS (Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese, etc.): Be certain to serve these delicious reds nicely chilled in the summer. Don’t leave them out on a table in the hot sun. When they are chilled, not only are they refreshing in the heat, but you’ll notice all of the bright berry and spice that comes alive with the cooler temperature. The tannins in these reds will best pair with Gruyere, Cambozola, Smoked Gouda, Pecorino.
At YUCO, diners will experience inventive Yucatan flavor combinations, delivering visually striking food that reimagines traditional Yucatan cuisine. Restaurateur, financier, wine collector, and entrepreneur, Trent Walker and long-time friend and collaborator, co-owner Chef Christian Ortiz have developed a new concept for New York City. This up-and-coming young chef is one to watch; Chef Ortiz employs a variety of methods, including classic French technique, molecular gastronomy, traditions of Meso-America, as well as painstaking culinary and scientific experimentation. Walker and Chef Ortiz were inspired to open YUCO by their shared love of cooking and flavors of the Yucatan Peninsula.
YUCO’s wine program has been designed to be the most aggressive quality-to-price program in the country. Walker’s personal cellar is the source of some of the finest, rare wines, some that can only be bought at auction. The wine and beverage program is an integral part of the YUCO experience—all at approximately half the price of a conventional fine dining restaurant.
The team at YUCO intends to offer a customer-focused approach to fine dining, operating with lower prices and smaller margins than comparable restaurants to enhance the dining experience. Extending this philosophy to their staff, YUCO will be contributing 15-percent of their first year’s profits to the salaried and back-of-house staff.
Ceviche
Chef/Co-Owner: Christian Ortiz, a native New Yorker, trained at Le Cordon Bleu, but was greatly influenced by his experience cooking in kitchens from New York to Florida including Sous Chef at Time Warner’s Landmarc and Prime House. After a decade studying the culinary arts, this is Ortiz’s first opportunity to give true expression to his vision and showcase his talents. He spent six months brainstorming with Walker, cooking, and experimenting to create the elevated cuisine of the Yucatan for YUCO. A chef this talented, cerebral and creative does not often come along. His food must be experienced, repeatedly, if possible, to get a true sense of his talent. From March 2013-17, Ortiz was chef and co-founder of C.C.O. Consulting Group, where he built restaurants from concept to operations. Training staff and designing kitchens. Clients included Wine Bar, The Taco Project, Millennial Trains Projects and Sincerely Burger.
Menu: Ortiz has created five menus that allow you to experience YUCO in different ways. A bar menu, an a la carte menu, a short-form tasting menu and a long-form tasting menu. The a la carte menu and bar menu features Snake River Farm Ribeye tacos, squash blossom tacos, and braised oxtail empanadas. The short-form tasting menu begins with a first course of beautifully composed Ceviche, that includes sushi-quality, sustainable kampachi, tender octopus, cucumber, apricot and citrus; second course of Flor en Nogadas, lightly tempura-fried squash blossom, sweet plantain, red prickly pear spheres, on walnut cream sauce with poblano powder, a take on the traditional red, white and green poblanos en nogadas, that pay homage to Mexican independence with the colors of the Mexican flag. The third course is the highest quality Wagyu Ribeye Steak, served with smoked chayote puree, pearl onion, and chili pepper demi-glace. The fourth and final course is a dessert, called Corn Texture, it combines sweet corn crème patisserie, aguachilies sorbet, corn shortbread and carbon powder for a touch of smoky, bitter contrast. Wine pairings can be arranged to go with any of the menus.
Walker and Ortiz have recruited a passionate and talented team of creative professionals:
General Manager Michael Pacheco was previously GM at Black Barn and worked at Michelin and James Beard Award winning chef properties (Tom Colicchio and Jose Andres). He’s a problem solver with a genuine love for creating the perfect guest experience. Michael also specializes in restaurant and hotel F&B openings, including the Beekman Hotel as well as Mondrian Park Ave.
Wine:
Derek Engles has built a career as a sommelier and hospitality professional through various positions with celebrity chefs and high-end restaurants from New York to the Las Vegas strip including properties in the portfolios of Chef Tom Colicchio; Chef Charlie Trotter; Chef Charlie Palmer; MGM Resorts International; Wynn Resort; BR Guest Hospitality and Four Seasons Hotels. Education and certifications include: Advanced Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers; Advanced Certificate, Wine & Spirits Education Trust; Certified Wine Specialist, Society of Wine Educator; Certified Sake Specialist, Sake Education Council; B.A. in Social Science and Organizational Leadership. For more information on the wine program, please click here for a partial wine list.
Ben Wald, head of the bar program, worked at Zuma in New York and the Lyan Company, where he helped execute the Lyaness x Mastercard New York Residency. Ben was on the opening team of Silver Lyan at Riggs DC (Best New American Cocktail Bar 2020) and earned his Level 2 Spirits Certification with merit from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Cocktails: Some of our favorite cocktails are the Spicy Margarita: Lunazul El Humoso Tequila, agave nectar and spice and the Not Dirty Not Dry Martini built with Porter’s Modern Classic Gin, Lustau Blanc Vermouth, Yerba Buena (a Mexican herb), salt and olives; and Pulp Fiction, beef-fat washed Ten to One Dark Rum and Feijolas. The cocktail program is an integral part of the YUCO experience, including both in the front room and as a complement to the cuisine. The extensive bar contains close to 100 Agave-based spirits. Please click here for the cocktail menu.
Divided into two main spaces, YUCO offers fine casual cuisine with high end cocktails in the front room and a choice of tasting menus and a la carte service in the dining room, flanked by an open kitchen. Clean lines, and targeted lighting, puts the focus on the beautifully composed plates. The bar area contains ancient artifacts almost 2000 years old and mural designed by Broadway set artists.
Flor en Nogada
YUCO is located at33 W 8th Street, New York, NY 10011
Tim Mainka, Wisconsinite (American), the rock pop musical sensation known as Sonic Freedom, songwrites, performs all music, plus produces all recordings. The only studio process not done by him is mastering.
All Four (4) Sonic Freedom collectible EPs have been mastered by Ty Tabor of the legendary rock band King’s X.
Since Sonic Freedom’s debut EP, Just Give Me Some Time (CD) sold out, Tim Mainka put out Three (3) other collectible EPs CDs available exclusively at SonicFreedom.com:
Sonic Freedom – EP#2 – For The Hell of It
Sonic Freedom – EP#3 – Once In a Life
Sonic Freedom – EP#4 – I Like It
Once In a Life, attained Rock Songwriting Award by SongOfTheYear.com judges, Lenny Kravitz, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, U2’s guitarist The Edge, and Nirvana/Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl.
EP#4 I Like It
EP#3 Once In a Life
Tim Mainka, can be seen drumming, playing guitar, singing background vocals for Wisconsin based emerging, alternative rock band, Inbound. Tim Mainka is amidst producing Sonic Freedom EP#5 now!
You are cordially urged to learn and listen for yourself to be among the first to know breaking news for the growing Sonic Freedom international community.
Spoke Art NYC is pleased to present Anemoia, a solo exhibition by Lexington, KY-based artist Kelsey Beckett. Anemoia will be Beckett’s second solo exhibition at Spoke Art, in which she will be exhibiting a series of fifteen new paintings. The feminine figures in the artists work capture a feeling of serenity and tranquility, creating a longing for a place or time which the viewer is not, and can never be a part of.
Kelsey Beckett, Blood Orange, 2021
The ambiguous environments depicted in Anemoia bring to mind questions of time and place, where the hazy, dream-like settings draw the viewer in. As if peering through a window, one is able to take in the scenes unnoticed, while the unencumbered figures peacefully exist. The figures are dressed in fluid and billowy fabrics embellished with bows, while oversized, larger-than-life florals adorn their hair and surroundings. Many of the characters appear as if to be floating in space, perhaps on the precipice of being gently carried away by a soft breeze, adding further to the mystery of their surreal universe.
Kelsey Beckett, Goldenrod, 2021
About the figures depicted in her work, Beckett states, “They live in a dreamlike refuge. They escape outside burdens, violence, and are not restricted within the confines of gaze. This is an unrealistic, impossible world that can only be captured or felt as an echo.”
Kelsey Beckett, Daydreamer, 2021
The gallery will be open by appointment only. In order to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff, please note that masks are legally required for entry. To schedule an appointment, please click HERE.
The gallery will be releasing a new limited edition archival pigment print with the artist in conjunction with the exhibition. For details please email info@spoke-art.com
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kelsey Beckett is a Michigan native and an Illustration graduate of College for Creative Studies. She is a freelance illustrator and fine artist who has shown work in numerous galleries across the country. Beckett works mainly in acrylic and oil. Her work has been featured by Juxtapoz and Supersonic Art, as well as published in “Spectrum #20” and “Women of Wonder: Celebrating Women Creators of Fantastic Art.”
Spoke Art is an art space specializing in new contemporary painting, sculpture and illustration with an emphasis in accessible programming. Started in 2010, the gallery now houses two locations, one in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill neighborhood and one in New York City’s Lower East Side. Each space rotates monthly exhibits that feature a wide variety of solo and group shows, many of which feature an international roster of represented artists.
NEW YORK, NY – April 22, 2021 – Opera Gallery will celebrate famous painter and sculptor Manolo Valdés with an unprecedented solo exhibition simply titled Manolo Valdés at their New York location (791 Madison Avenue), opening on May 20th and running through June 20th.
Known as one of the major artists on the Contemporary art scene, Manolo Valdés has been exploring for almost 60 years the great classics of History of Art, inscribing his œuvre in the path of great masters that preceded him.
Internationally acclaimed both as a painter and as a sculptor, Valdés is a pioneering and adventurous explorer of image, form and materials, instantly recognizable with his unique and innovative style.
Fascinated by matter and its properties, the artist gives it life in an unparalleled way. Aluminum, bronze, resin, stainless-steel, burlap, wood, oil, mirror, alabaster… all these materials gather to reveal the classical theme of the female portrait under a new light.
The exhibition in New York will present a selection of the newest works coming directly from the artist’s studio.
Valdés has developed a particularly acute awareness of the importance of the image and its iconic value. His œuvre is a stunning interpretation of the History of Art, and a glorious tribute to the Classics as well as the Masterpieces of the greats of yore, such as El Greco, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Constantin Brancusi. Using a broad range of raw materials Valdés subverts, reinvents or reinvigorates these familiar images and their established contexts.
The Menina, emblematic figure of his work and reminiscing of Diego Velázquez, will be featured in this exhibition in a variety of bright resins: orange, violet, black and blue. This very blue is a signature hue for the artist, known among connoisseurs as the “Valdés blue”.
His paintings’ titles, such as Matisse como Pretexto, come from an interplay between Valdés and his peers. Hence, he pays tribute to them utilizing their influence as a pretext: with Picasso, he plays with cubist portraits’ geometry and with Matisse he pays tribute to the first Fauvist painting La femme au chapeau.
According to Valdés, “Art of each era always gathers elements from the past; Art is a succession and an eternal addition”. The consistency of his passion for Classical and Modern Masters makes Manolo Valdés an artist whose Contemporary pieces are a bridge between history and our present.
Valdés also creates his Muses from looking at the world around him. He revealed that his Mariposas series is inspired by an extraordinary scene he caught at Central Park one spring afternoon: he met a woman surrounded by a swirl of butterflies and felt the urge to capture this moment.
His busts and portraits with delicate and soft features always allude to women, caught in a moment of absolute serenity. Their ataraxia does not refer to specific people, rather idealized portraits in the tradition of Antic Egyptian, Buddhist or Roman statues. Besides, what is promoted in Valdés’ imagery of women is not their erotic potential, as it is often the case, but rather their strength, their ability to interact with their environment, and be part of the public space.
Valdés encourages the viewers to engage with his pieces of art and feel them with their own, individual sensibility.
Receiving wide public recognition and acclaim, Valdés’ works have been exhibited in many of the world’s most important museums including the Met (New York), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice and Bilbao). His sculptures have also been exhibited in many public spaces such as Berkeley Square in London, the Avenue Georges V in Paris and the Piazza del Duomo in Pietrasanta, among others.
Opera Gallery is located at 791 Madison Avenue. Exhibition hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm and by appointment. If you are interested in checking out the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to call 646-707-3299 or email nyc@opergallery.com to schedule an exclusive tour. Visit https://www.operagallery.com/ for further details.
New York, New York, May 5, 2021 — Spirits Network, a community of engaging spirits experts and enthusiasts creating meaningful connections through original, shoppable video programming, has announced they will be adding AMC’s “Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s” produced by NBTV Studios complete first and second seasons to Spirits Network’s ongoing programming, in addition to premiering all Season 3 episodes.
Forging his passions for both the entertainment and hospitality industries, “The Walking Dead” star Colman Domingo launched the show in 2020, produced by NBTV Studios for AMC, and has continuously kept viewers eagerly anticipating the next episode due to his flawless choice of guest stars and highly engaging content. Whether he’s having deep conversations about empowering women or simply keeping up with his fellow colleagues and friends— Colman always keeps the conversations lively, making it clear that he has the natural gift of bringing people together—even during challenging times such as the pandemic.
Kicking off on Spirits Network this Cinco de Mayo, each episode of “Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s” features brunch cocktails and outlandish ‘culinary’ selections from Jesse Williams’ extra crunchy vegan bacon to Brett Gelman’s ‘Postmated’ breakfast burrito. There are always highly entertaining conversations with his Hollywood friends via Zoom—and, as Colman always likes to say, pants are optional. (We digress.)
Peek below for the complete list of Season 3 episodes featuring megastars like Golden Globe winner Regina King and Grey’s Anatomy’s Kelly McCreary, in addition to truly amazing cocktail recipes.
Cocktail: Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker “Cool Jane”
Theme / Timing: Women’s History Month
Episode 303
Guests: Raul Castillo and Gabriel Luna Cocktail: Don Julio Blanco “Agave Drop” Theme / Timing: Cinco de Mayo
Episode 304
Guests: J. August Richards, Kate Moennig, Lea DeLaria Cocktail: Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka “Classic Smirnoff Martini” Theme / Timing: LGBTQ+ Pride
Episode 305
Guest: Regina King Cocktail: “Ciroc Summer Citrus Sunrise” Theme / Timing: Juneteenth
Episode 306
Guests: Patti LaBelle, DJ Jazzy Jeff
Cocktail: Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, “Rum Punch”
Theme / Timing: 4th of July / Philly Love
You can sign up free for Spirits Network’s shopping streaming content today to receive unlimited access to all their programming, including all “Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s” episodes.
Spirits Network members get access to hours of spirits entertainment on any device featuring insights from world-famous masters such as the famed ‘mad scientist of Scotch,’ Dr. Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie in Meet the Master’s and numerous other spirits experts and celebrities from around the world. Members can even order the bottles they see on the screen for home delivery, and in more than 50 cities, delivery is available within two hours.
Viewers can stream their favorite Spirits Network shows at any time, from any location, at home or on-the-go. Compatible devices include Apple TV, Apple iOS, and Android, as well as Smart TVs.
With a mission to watch, buy, and taste from virtually any location, the Spirits Network provides members with an exclusive look behind the bottle at the stories and craftsmanship of this unique spirits community.
Spirits Network is a community of engaging spirits experts and enthusiasts, creating meaningful connections through original, shoppable video programming. Through the platform, members can engage with and purchase from the top players defining the spirits business, as well as access exclusive products, gifts, and experiences. Launched in 2019, Spirits Network offers shoppable streaming video programming on any device.
Spirits Network LLC is the newest venture from NBTV Channels. NBTV Channels builds unique content for brands and direct-to-consumer businesses, transforming marketing from a cost to a revenue center by offering in-platform ‘click to buy’ opportunities.
This April 2021, the Sindhi Foundation launched The Long Walk for Freedom, Nature, and Love, a 350-mile march starting just steps away from the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to the iconic Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. The objectives of the Long Walk are to spread awareness of the human rights and environmental injustices occurring regularly in Sindh, Pakistan, while also building bridges between the Sindhi people and other disenfranchised communities.
On their first event for the walk, Sindhi human rights activists met with American activists, politicians, and others to speak on the human rights violations happening in Sindh, and around the world. Sindhi Foundation member, Andrea Salas, kicked off the event, introducing the issues happening in Sindh; “The Sindhi people have suffered from grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, forced conversions, enforced disappearances, censorship and torture. Sindhi activists, writers, teachers, and artists are silenced for speaking out against these atrocities… For the sake of the Sindhi people, we must not be silent.”
Sindhi-American Human Rights Activist, Fatima Gul, explored these issues in her speech, spotlighting the story of Sindhi school teacher, Notan Lal who was accused of blasphemy after reprimanding a student who told his father that the teacher had insulted the Prophet. “Notan Lal is just about to complete two years in prison for blasphemy. His family is struggling to understand what he did wrong. When children are sexually abused, the perpetrators are not brought to justice. But when there is an accusation of blasphemy, everyone has something to say.” Gul also said “this whole process of making the Long Walk a reality was brutal, but still not as brutal as all the atrocities against Sindhi people – not as brutal as the atrocities against children in Pakistan and Sindhi Hindu girls. Having that kind of perspective kept me going.”
Also commenting on the forced conversions of girls in Sindh, speaker Shankar Lakhawani stated, “It is an honor to speak for the voiceless Sindhi Hindu girls who are kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam by Muslim men in Sindh. The kidnapping and conversion of Hindu and Sikh girls have been going on for decades.” Lakhawani also commented on the unfair treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan, which has led many to flee to India. “Hindus in Pakistan, in Sindh, are killed, for the non-payment of rents… or by people who are in search of their properties. Many of these Hindus have been moving, migrating, to India… They live in refugee camps in India, without the ability to claim asylum because India does not grant asylum like the U.S. does.”
Activist Anthony, “Tony,” Wright also attended the event and spoke about his own experience being wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime that he did not commit. It took twenty-three years for Tony to prove that he was not guilty of the murder and rape of an elderly woman, and another three years to be completely exonerated and released. He called out the importance of the Sindhi Foundation’s event, thanking Fatima Gul for inviting him. ” Thank you for helping inform myself and the world as a community of the atrocities happening not just here, where I’m from, but also in Pakistan, with the abductions of young girls and women in general. With a vision, we can do anything. Together, we can make it happen. We must unite our voices; we must emphasize our rights and we must stand up against injustice. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.”
Fatima Gul and Anthony Wright_Credit: Johnny Nunez
Candidate for mayor of New York City, Art Chang also attended the event, showing great support for the Long Walk movement. “Yours is a caravan of hope, founded on the strength of centuries of Sindhi culture, a culture founded on peace and inclusiveness of different religions, sects, and customs.” Chang also highlighted the significance of the walk during a time when hate crimes against Asian people have risen, stating “The Sindhi people are Asians, too. We share the experience of a diaspora. We have left our homelands in search of a better life, to belong. But these hate crimes try to tell us that we don’t belong… whoever needs to hear this, let me tell you: you belong here.”
Art Chang _ Credit: Johnny Nunez
Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff in her video contribution, added”I’ve learned about how unsafe it is to be pushed to be a minority in one’s homeland, especially a female one, in today’s Sindh. We need to speak up for vulnerable Sindhi and people in all places. “
Political strategist, J Bradford, continued the message of shared experiences, stating “The Sindhi Foundation is here to start their march to call out these issues that are not just relevant to the Sindhi people but are universal. How does humanity relate to the planet? This is something that is obviously of critical importance to the people of Sindh. It is also something that globally we all need to think about. It’s remarkable what the Sindhi Foundation has done to raise these issues.”
Former intern of the Sindhi-American Political Action Committee, Billy Hackett, commented on the significance of holding the first Long Walk event in front of the United Nations Headquarters. “The vision of the United Nations is that which we ask for today, and for the next three weeks… We see posters saying that we want equal leadership, we want a sustainable planet. We want a stop to violence. We want an end to poverty and a place that welcomes all women. These are the asks of the Sindhi Foundation. For a world of peace; a world free of injustice. These wants are not only wants, they are also things that all human beings deserve… They are attainable. They are real. We shall create that world working together.”
The final speaker of the event was Sufi Laghari, the executive director of the Sindhi Foundation. A survivor of enforced disappearance and torture, Laghari spoke of his passion for defending human rights. “Twenty-seven years ago, I came to the United States of America, and I came here, to New York City…I walked every day here, thinking of my mother and father, and brother and also my Sindhi people, and I promised to myself; One day I will represent my people of Sindhi in the United Nations of America.” He ended the event with a statement of positivity that will follow the group on their 350-mile journey; “Most people don’t know about Sindh and the Sindhi people. What is their strength? What is their philosophy – their strength and philosophy is a message of love. Sindhi people carry the word love; they carry and spread this message from the Sindhi people to the world.”
Sufi Laghari and Fatima Gul _Credit: Johnny Nunez
In the coming days, the Sindhi Foundation will cross through New Jersey and Pennsylvania, hosting events in both states. These include:
Since the Long Walk for Freedom started, the Sindhi Foundation and their supporters have marched across New Jersey, meeting with local officials and concerned parties.
The Long Walk has visited these locations on these recent dates:
April 17, 2021 – Wilmington, Delaware
April 25, 2021 – 3:00pm – 5:00pm, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
April 28, 2021 – University of Maryland
April 29, 2011 – Washington, DC, The Lincoln Memorial
MvVO ART, creator of AD ART SHOW, announced that AD ART SHOW 2021 with Chad Smith—Red Hot Chili Peppers, Grammy Award-winning drummer and fine artist—as the featured guest artist and host of the show’s virtual opening on May 3, 2021 at 4pm EST on MvVO ART.com during Frieze week, RSVP here and follow MvVO ART Instagram for daily updates. Artworks by Chad Smith will be exhibited on the monumental screens of the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center the final weekend of the show (May 29 & 30, 2021).
“Ladies and gents… boys and girls. Coming this May there is going to be a whole gang of colorful art at the oculus in NYC and I’m so happy and excited to be a small part of AD ART SHOW 2021. See you there!” – Chad Smith
“Chad Smith’s North American fine art tour, presented by Road Show Company, has been extraordinary and we’re honored to feature him as a guest artist of MvVO ART’s AD ART SHOW 2021 at the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center, and opening event host on May 3rd in partnership with NBCUniversal, our returning presenting sponsor. We are also excited that Chad supports AD ART SHOW and look forward to presenting his art alongside our talented artists” – Maria van Vlodrop, MvVO ART Founder & CEO.
Chad SmithChad Smith Fine Tuning a Painting
“As a creative spirit Chad is quite supportive of events that celebrate artistry and creative innovation and foster recognition of emerging artists. He’s looking forward to AD ART SHOW 2021. ” says Nim Vaswani, CEO, Road Show Company, “And we are delighted to be presenting his works in a NYC Exhibition May 27th – May 29th to compliment the AD ART SHOW.” – The Chad Smith Collection Exhibition location will be announced 4/1/2021. – Road Show Company
The unique AD ART SHOW experience brings ART directly to people—transforming an advertising platform into a gallery space in the middle of a major NYC transit hub, iconic architectural achievement (the Oculus by Santiago Calatrava) and shopping destination, all while revolutionizing the route that leads artists from underground buzz to recognition. The show launched in 2018 at Sotheby’s New York and moved to the all-digital platform at the Oculus in 2019. Now in its fourth year, AD ART SHOW continues to innovate and expand opportunities for artists.
The artists of AD ART SHOW have a background in advertising/design and related fields. They are following in the footsteps of famous artists like Andy Warhol, Rene Magritte, Keith Haring who also had a commercial practice. Historically some artists have made the leap, but the barriers persist; and AD ART SHOW throws the doors open for these talented artists with direct connections to the art world. Additionally, AD ART SHOW provides organizations with an Art platform to discover and celebrate their artists.
MvVO ART’s —selection committee (https://www.mvvoart.com/our-selection-committee) who’s who of contemporary art experts and globally recognized creative pioneers—vets all the artists included in the show. A jury of well-known Art collectors selects the show winners, with top honors including a Specialty Clio Award for Contemporary Art and a Creative Immersion Day at NBCUniversal. While most of New York’s famous arts institutions are reopening with limited capacity and timed ticketing, AD ART SHOW at the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center offers art lovers a spacious and FREE art destination, with shops and dining open Mon – Sat, 11am – 7pm, and Sunday, 12am – 6pm. During the month of May, visitors of AD ART SHOW are offered a free sweet and a coffee from show partner, Eataly (located on the third floor).
Growing list of partners and Sponsors include: NBCUniversal (returning presenting sponsor), Westfield World Trade Center, The Clio Awards, Eataly, SVA (The School for Visual Arts), WPP, Artsy (e-gallery partner), The One Club For Creativity, The Alliance for Downtown New York, NYCxDESIGN, GroupM, Lawlor Media Group, Six Hundred & Rising, Team Michael Daly at Douglas Elliman, Corea Creative and Gameday Creative, Joe & The Juice, and Artistic Dreams International.
MvVO ART is dedicated to creating innovative opportunities for artists to get discovered by the Art world, the general public and within their own organization. AD ART SHOW by MvVO ART, is the Art platform for artists from advertising designed to discover great talent and bridge the gap between the Ad World and the Art world in celebration of creativity. For more information about MvVO ART visit www.MvVOART.com
About MvVO ART
MvVO ART is a New York based innovative art venture comprised of a team of art, advertising & marketing professionals, dedicated to creating new opportunities for artists, art lovers & brands to discover each other and form powerful partnerships. In 2018, MvVO ART’s Founder & CEO, Maria van Vlodrop, global business executive created AD ART SHOW to celebrate creativity and the artists from advertising who create Art outside their day jobs. AD ART SHOW debuted successfully at Sotheby’s in New York in 2018 with 100 artists and is now at the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center for a second year. MvVO ART is poised to reimagine & redefine the relationship between Art & Commerce. In 2020, Maria van Vlodrop was listed in Adweek’s 100 Creative list as top ten cultural shaper in the pandemic and beyond.
Road Show Company is the industry-leader in the presentation of traveling exhibition in the genre of Fine Art. As the recognized global leader in Celebrity Artist in-gallery appearances, we are committed to initiating, managing and promoting art exhibition and acquisition opportunities in identified galleries throughout the world, thus promoting cultural exchange and partnership and bringing top-tier traveling exhibitions to a broad and diverse audience. Road Show has a long history of cultural partnership and impactful philanthropy in support of these exhibitions, and is well-known and highly respected for its’ curatorial staff.
Artist Don Hershman is set to exhibit his latest collection of original pieces, as part of a retrospective series inspired by the late Victor Arimondi. In the spring show, Donald and Victor: Under The Influence, the inventive artist will embody his visceral need to pursue interests and creative expressions as he pays loving tribute to his former partner who succumbed to AIDS in 2001. Hershman’s paintings will recognize the unique attributes of Arimondi’s work, featuring a display that is compassionate and reflective of our modern times, as we emerge from yet another pandemic. An opening reception will take place at Salomon Arts Gallery in Tribeca on May 13, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Space is limited, and the event will be carried out in strict adherence to all NY State COVID protocols. The exhibit runs through May 14 – June 3, 2021, viewing on Wednesdays through Saturdays 2pm – 6pm or by appointment.
Arimondi was a famed Italian American model and art photographer whose unique eye and sensuous style captivated the world. At the time of his death, Hershman inherited his estate, including his vast collection of photography and art.
“During our 17 years together Victor steadfastly guided and molded me, and after his sudden death in 2001 I became solidly dedicated to my art, his presence more powerful than ever – a driving force to create something that is no longer a choice for me, but a necessity,” says Hershman. “Today, I’m an active part of the art community in San Francisco, a patron of ART SPAN and mission artists.” In 2020 one of Hershman’s paintings won a jury selection at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. “This show at the Salomon Gallery brings mine and Victor’s work full circle with 20 new selected paintings from 2019 to 2021, along with a carefully curated selection of 38 photographs, taken between 1972 and 2001, four of which I interpreted into my own paintings, called the D & V Series.”
The upcoming exhibit will serve as a love letter to a luminary who graced the pages of fashion magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire, and appeared on the runway for many top designers, predominantly Valentino and Cerruti. Arimondi’s determination to turn the camera lens from his face onto the world he saw before him led to famously shooting the likes of Grace Jones, Liv Ullman, and Norman Mailer as well as several portraits of male nudes captured during the pre-AIDS culture of the early 1980s. He also notably focused imagery of the plight of the homeless of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood suffering during the height of the AIDS epidemic. In his words, “Since I posed in front of the camera for so many years, my experience with talented photographers made me realize a way to express my inner world.”
In addition, on May 22, 2021 at 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, there will be an Art Talk with guest speaker Adam Stoltman, a former New York Times and Time, Inc., photography editor, will be in conversation with Hershman and share remarks on the legacy of Arimondi’s work.
“I first met Don around 2005 or 2006, a few years after Victor’s passing. One of the things which struck me the most was the degree to which Don was motivated, as if carrying a sacred trust, to preserve Victor’s work and legacy, a challenge for any surviving spouse of an artist, and also how tender the wound still was from losing a companion, life partner, and creative force,” states Stoltman. “It is fitting that Don and Victor are showing their work together through this exhibit. United as artists, continuing to hold that space, special energy and love.”
Titles in the collection will display photographs: Male Nude, Archival Print, 12″x9″; Still Life, Archival Print, 8″x8″; Male Nude, Archival Print, 12″x9″; and Self Portrait, Archival Print, 12″x9″.
Victor Arimondi, Male Nude, Archival Print, 12”x9″
Paintings will include: Red Vase with Flower – Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30″x24″; Quarantine – Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30″x24″; Tulips – Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30″x24″; and Epidemiology – Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30″x24″.
Red Vase with Flower – Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30”x24″
About Don Hershman:
Driven by a desire to continually improve the state of the world, Don Hershman lives out a fascinating dual life in grand succession that inspires his own artwork. He holds unique combined positions as both an illustrious artist and a renowned podiatric surgeon. Equal satisfaction is found when he paints and produces photos, as well as when he performs surgery on patients.
With a keen sensibility to interpret any subject into a more vibrant dimension, Hershman draws inspiration from other creators like David Hockney and photographer Victor Arimondi. Processing references of photographic images he creates freestyle pencil drawings. Then applications of several layers of color help finalize the process. While these become the fundamental building blocks of his work, the final vision always remains a mystery until completion. Hershman’s artwork ranges from stylized portraits of people he knows, to still life paintings with flowers, to animal portraits and occasional abstract work.
Born in 1954 and raised in New York City, he received his BA in Pre-Med with Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo, and trained in Podiatry at the College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco before establishing his own private practice there in the early 1980s. As the painter was building his medical practice, he was also evolving a body of artwork, exploring various media in the form of drawings and paintings, and finding his voice as an artist.
In 1992, Hershman was personally invited by the Spectrum Gallery in San Francisco to participate in a group show. Selling all of his displayed collection, confidence was gained and sequentially inspired his future creative endeavors. He went on to great accolades including the accomplishment of having a painting win in competition at the 2019 Jury Selection at the DeYoung Museum.
About Victor Arimondi
Vittorio Maria Arimondi was born in a convent in Bologna, Italy in November of 1942. Later in life while in art school, Arimondi was discovered by an ambitious modeling agent, began fashion modeling to make a living, and soon became a notable member of the international fashion world – first in front of the camera, then behind it.
He modeled for the likes of Esquire and other high profile magazines, and would eventually produce photography for titles such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. For Victor, it was the discovery of the means of his life’s work. As a truly gifted artist with so much experience on both sides of the lens, fashion photography was natural.
Arimondi was a genuine artist and ahead of his time. It is impossible to look at many of his photographs and know when they were made. His artistic integrity remained evident throughout his commercial work, and although he occasionally reverted to modeling for a living, he did so only out of financial necessity. More important to Victor than the fame acquired throughout his modeling career was recognition for the singularity of his vision. From a tumultuous childhood haunted by war and abandonment, growing up in the sexual revolution, and experience of the ravages of the AIDS epidemic, Arimondi distilled graceful images reflecting his art, his life, his passions and aspects of the society of which he was a part.
While living in Stockholm during the mid 1970’s, Victor and his photography, keenly exploring the male form, were discovered and utilized by Editor Bill Cuomo, who was creating a new genre of magazines as After Dark arrived on the scene. Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine, to which Victor often contributed photography, quickly followed. Subsequently, Victor relocated to New York, and in 1979 he was commissioned to provide images for a book of male nudes reflecting the emancipation of America’s sexual revolution – “The Look of Men,” published by Color Library Int., in 1980. Victor had arrived in San Francisco to shoot the book during a time of new growth and exploration in the gay community, and he became well known, both in his community and worldwide. This prompted increased demand for his photography from magazines, such as ongoing contributions and covers for The Advocate.
After devoting much of his creative energy to the male figure, Victor shifted his focus to the streets, where he photographed workers, homeless and other struggling people in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, and his approach to this work belied his inherent gift for social commentary.
About Salomon Arts Gallery
In 2003, Salomon Arts Gallery was created to showcase the works of emerging artists. The center hosts talented artists in many fields including painting, sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. They also serve as a venue for dance, music, poetry, and film. Salomon Arts Gallery has supported the creative arts industry and those who have been living and working in Tribeca for over 40 years (since 1975). Instagram: @salomonartsgallery, Facebook: salomonartsgallery
NEW YORK CITY – Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present State of Mind, our debut solo exhibition with Los Angeles-based artist Augustine Kofie. Made over a period of nine months under quarantine, the collection of Kofie’s ongoing industrial approach to fine art, which incorporates techniques such as overspray, tape blocking, detailed handwork, deconstruction, and draftsmanship drawn from architecture, graffiti and California car culture.
The particularities of quarantine shaped the process and thus the work itself. Unlike the usual linear development of paintings from start to finish, the State of Mind collection took a much more circuitous route.
“Some of these works were very frustrating to manifest. On the one hand, I had all this extra time, but on the other, it took much longer than usual for things to take shape. Emotionally and tonally, the works run the gamut from angst to harmony. My feelings are in the brushstrokes, the movements, the process of repeatedly adding and taking away, the layers of time it took to complete these paintings,” stated the artist.
The circular form, always prominent in Kofie’s earlier work, appears here to be breaking down.
“Where your eyes want to continue to complete the circle, you are stopped. With painting, I am in control. The pandemic was a stop, an interruption, a loss of control. So these interrupted circles, which break off and take new paths, are life interrupted,” Kofie elaborated.
With art supply stores and estate sales—Kofie’s two primary sources of tools and materials—shut down, a new technique emerged. Three of the works in the collection have a textural wood support, created by collaging found materials from the artist’s archive onto hand-made wood panels. This underlying structure, painted over entirely, comes through nonetheless, adding a hidden layer of meaning, a pentimento that also speaks to our varying, overlapping states of mind this year.
For every solo exhibition, Kofie creates a soundtrack. The music is assembled as part of the work process, which is both sonic and pictorial. This mix blends experimental hip hop with chill wave, including extended, up-cycled sophistso-pop saxophone, 80s synths, new wave breaks, lo-fi telefilm intermissions and poignant dialogue relevant to the exhibition theme and tone.
The gallery will be open by appointment only. In order to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff. Please note that masks are legally required for entry. To schedule an appointment, please click HERE.
ABOUT THE GALLERY Hashimoto Contemporary is located in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY. Our roster consists of an eclectic blend of new contemporary artists. With monthly rotating exhibitions, our programming focuses on a range of painting, sculpture and installation-based work. You can also visit us at a variety of international art fairs in Miami, New York, London, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
ABOUT THE ARTIST Born and based in Los Angeles and active in the Southern California graffiti scene since the midnineties, BIPOC artist Augustine Kofie (b. 1973) works in painting, collage and mural interventions. Kofie’s fine art practice draws together the languages of graffiti’s deconstructive lettering, mechanical drafting, architecture, and plunderphonics, creating a unique take on constructivist abstraction.
