East Village Art Gallery Tour

You are cordially invited to attend a guided tour of some of the most interesting art galleries situated in the eclectic and evolving Lower East Side of New York City.

Available Dates: 

• Saturday, December 10, 2011 

• Sunday, December 11, 2011 

(Numbers strictly limited to 20 persons on each day, so RSVP now! Due to the opening times of some galleries, the Saturday & Sunday tours will be slightly different. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis) 

Time: Meet at The National Restaurant (8 Rivington Street, NYC, Between Bowery & Christie St.) at 11:30 am. Tours of the Galleries will be completed by 4:00 pm. 

Cost: $100 for members of Friends of the Bridge Art Program and $125 for non-members. The fee will cover lunch and your tour. Funds raised will go towards art supplies, and transportation costs for The Bridge Group Artists to visit area Galleries. Payments can be accepted online. If you are paying online, please fax or email the reservation form below and include which day you want to participate and your contact information.

Please email, fax or mail this RSVP FORM to Ann Hyatt at ahyatt@thebridgeny.org or call 212-663-3000 ext. 379, Fax: 212-663-3181

In the last ten years, the Lower East Side’s buds of gentrification have opened and continued to blossom. Where once were rundown boarded-up businesses, there are now fledgling boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. Woven through its tight network of streets, alongside forceful reminders of past history, are a myriad of places to find new and exciting collectibles. Over the last five years a number of new contemporary art galleries have opened establishing the area as the go-to place to find work by emerging artists. This tour, lead by curator Stephen Hepworth with collector and Bridge Board Member Alice Kosmin, will weave a path through the Lower East Side to introduce some of the more interesting galleries and the artists they exhibit.

The afternoon will begin with brunch at The National, where you will meet your guides and representatives of The Bridge. The tour will head off at 1:00 pm moving east and south visiting a number of galleries, seeing their current exhibitions, additional works  by some of the artists they show and meeting their owners. It will end at around 4:00 pm at 47 Canal Street, (between Orchard and Ludlow Street), from where a car service can be ordered, or taxis hailed at the nearby intersection with Allen Street, and the subway can be taken from the nearby East Broadway Station (F line).

You will be given a pack containing a route map, press releases from the galleries we will visit and a printed guide to more galleries in the area for you to discover at a later date. We strongly recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes. The guides will be present throughout to introduce the galleries and the work they show, answer your questions, and point out places of interest along the way!

           

Stephen Hepworth was born and brought up in central London and studied Fine Art at Brighton Polytechnic and Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. He moved to the US in 2007 where he was the curator of the University Art Gallery at the University of California San Diego until 2009, when he moved to New York.                                                                      

Previously he was a curator at Bloomberg Space in London (2002-07), director of the Jerwood Gallery (1998-2001) and The Tannery (1995-97). Independent projects include Into My World: Recent British Sculpture at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut (2004) and the touring exhibition Tailsliding (2001-03) for the British Council.

                                                                                               

Alice Kosmin is a New Yorker through and through who has collected contemporary art since the 1980’s, a passion she shared with her late husband. Initially visiting the fledgling galleries of the East  Village, she has followed the New York art world’s migration to Soho, Chelsea and now to the Lower East Side, in addition to making many trips to Europe and beyond in search of the exciting and the new. Alice Kosmin is also a longtime Board Member of The Bridge. 

Hope to see you there!

Bridge MoMA Show in New York Nonprofit Press

Last week, our Bridge Group Artists show at MoMA was written up in the New York Nonprofit Press (NYNP)! The show will run at The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA (4 West 54th Street) until October 30st. Then, starting November 15th, the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108th Street, Gallery 300) with the opening reception at 1:15pm that day, and an additional reception at 7:00 pm. The exhibition will be on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011 at The Bridge and all pieces will be for sale.

Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION

Michael Blamo with his works

The Bridge Groups Artists show "IMAGINATION" at MoMA was an amazing success with a record turnout of over 150 people. We had distinguished guests including Bridge Board members, donors, staff and clients, and of course The Bridge Group Artists themselves. For all the photos from the event, visit our Flickr album. The show will run at The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA (4 West 54th Street) until October 30st. Then, starting Tuesday, November 15th, the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108th Street, Gallery 300) with the opening reception at 1:15pm that day, and an additional reception at 7:00 pm. The exhibition will be on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011 at The Bridge and all pieces will be for sale.


Thank you again to Carrie McGee, Gordon Sasaki, and Francesca Rosenberg, head of the Community and Access Program at The Museum of Modern Art, the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, and Judith Raskin Rosenthal, founder of The Bridge Group Artists. Please enjoy these short videos of a couple of The Bridge Group Artists describing their journey to create their amazing works of art. 








If you didn't get a booklet of all the amazing art at our MoMA show this week, download it here free!

The Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION at MoMa

View more documents from The Bridge.

Join The Friends of The Bridge Art Program

We invite you to join The Friends of The Bridge Art Program. This is a diverse group of people working together in support of The Bridge and the close to 2,000 New Yorkers it helps each year. The Friend’s mission is to promote The Bridge Art Program to new audiences. 

Members will blend their talents to raise awareness and funds for The Bridge by hosting and participating in fun, unique and festive social/networking events, in relation to the Art Program, especially the MoMA Exhibit and the Art Exhibit at The Bridge headquarters each Fall. Activities may include art tours, studio visits, lectures and other events that the Committee sponsors. The Committee is composed of people from all walks of life and a variety of backgrounds. All share the basic desire to make a tangible difference in the life of Bridge clients through the arts.

 

To Join: A donation to The Bridge of $25 will provide a one year "Friends" membership. You will be contacted shortly after joining with more information. You can mail in a check made out to "The Bridge" or donate electronically. Please contact Ann Hyatt, Director of Development and External Relations, with any inquiries at t:212.663.3000 ext.379 or ahyatt@thebridgeny.org

248 West 108th Street

Attn: Ann Hyatt

New York, NY 10025

Bridge Artists Exhibit at MoMA

You're invited to the opening reception of The Bridge Groups Artists show IMAGINATION on October 4th from 5-7pm at MoMA! Please Click Here To RSVP.

The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education & Research Building at MoMA

4 West 54th Street

Exhibition on display from October 4 – 31, 2011

Starting Tuesday, November 15, 2011 the show will move to The Bridge (248 West 108^th Street, Gallery 300) Opening Reception: 1:15 to 8:00 pm, Remarks at 1:30 and 7pm. Please come by!

Exhibition on display from November 15 – December 15, 2011

“I close my eyes in order to see.”

-Paul Gauguin

The Bridge Group Artists began twenty-three years ago under the direction of Judith Raskin Rosenthal, ATR. Many of the artists began with very little or no formal training. Eventually the group attracted individuals with some art education or experience. All have come to understand that the desire to create is in itself an expression of mental wellness and that—as artists—there is always room for growth.

Over the past year, MoMA's Department of Education and The Bridge’s Art Department participated in their sixth annual extended partnership. Through this unique collaboration, artists from The Bridge and their art therapist met with MoMA educators to explore new ideas and approaches to art at the Museum. Through guided tours and independent visits, the Group learned about the perspectives and techniques of a variety of artists. Back at their studio at The Bridge, the artists created a new body of work informed by their experiences.

IMAGINATION was chosen as the theme of this year’s partnership. Imagination can be defined as “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality.” Putting these images on paper, on canvas or in clay provides a way for artists to understand and express themselves. At MoMA, we began by looking at some of the earliest works in the Collection to see how artists were championing imagination over reality and depicting their individual experiences of the world. Through two special exhibitions, German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse and Impressions from South Africa: 1965 to Now, we explored the ways in which artists from different countries—and different centuries—commented on their social, political and private worlds through their art. In Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914, we examined and discussed Picasso’s material and structural experimentation.

Inspired by the techniques and approaches of the artists whose work they viewed at the Museum, the Bridge artists pushed themselves into new territory. They were encouraged to take their best work and push it further, to mine their imaginations and try new techniques. Their subject matter ranged from New York City to India to an imagined aerial view of Springfield—home of The Simpsons—and beyond, to animals and abstractions. Some began using color in a non-representational manner. Leaves were purple, lips were green and eyes red. Materials and tools were used imaginatively as well. One artist began repeatedly tracing the rim of a paper cup in order to form shells, snakes and abstract compositions. Another spoke of overcoming fears and being inspired by the newfound freedom that came with being aesthetically daring. Everyone explored new ground.

We admire and would like to thank them, for it is their talent and dedication that make this collaboration a success. We are grateful to the Educational Foundation of America and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation for their generous funding of the Bridge Art Program.

Thank You: Carrie McGee, and Gordon Sasaki, The Museum of Modern Art

Judith Raskin Rosenthal, The Bridge

Partner in Caring Awards 2011

The 57th Anniversary Partners in Caring Awards Dinner 2011 last week was a great success. In the beautiful setting of the Central Park Boathouse, supporters of The Bridge took in the theme of “A Night in Venice” while mingling amongst Venetian stilt-walkers, a robust silent auction, and a Venetian mask-maker. This year’s event raised more money than last year, with the proceeds going to support The Bridge’s broad range of services, including homeless housing initiatives for recent veterans, as well as the horticultural training program and urban farms.

The three honorees of the night who have made significant contributions that have positively impacted the lives of many Bridge clients, gave truly inspiring speeches throughout the night. Ron Garfunkel, President & CEO of Service Directions, Inc. received the Caring Award presented to him by Albert E. Mayas. Then NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, was honored as the 2011 Government Partner, and G. Oliver Koppell, Council Member, the New York City Council accepted the award on her behalf. And finally, George Ball, Chairman & CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and the Burpee Foundation, was presented the Individual Partner Award by Mel P. Barkan for being the founding supporter of The Bridge Horticultural Training Program and Urban Farms. Take a look at the event pictures on our Flickr.

But perhaps the highlight of the entire evening was when Robert Kaplan, Bridge client of 3 years, member of The Bridge Group Artists, and painter of the event invitation cover art, gave a moving and memorable speech about his life’s journey and how art and The Bridge have changed his life for the better. 



Thank you again to our honorees and all the supporters of The Bridge for helping us continue to innovate.

The Bridge Poetry Workshop

Bridge Poets from The Bridge Poetry Workshop meet twice a week to read, critique, and write poems. One of their discussion topics, that is timely for the holiday season, was the exploration of wants and desires as they pertained to their own lives. Their discussions grew into the poem, "I Want! I Want!" The Bridge Poetry Workshop now has a bound copy of "I Want! I Want!" in the museum collection at The Philadelphia Museum of Art as well as the Poets House.

A limited edition of "I Want I Want" has now been beautifully hand-printed. They are available for a donation of $50 or more per copy (while supplies last) as a meaningful holiday gift. To make your donation click here. In the “Dedication” section make sure to write in “I Want I Want”. Billing address must be the same as the shipping address for delivery. To give a different shipping address please contact Ms. Denise Gutierrez at DGutierrez@thebridgeny.org, or T:212-663-3000, ext. 373.

The Bridge Group Artists

STUFF if the newest art exhibition by The Bridge Group Artists. The annual display from The Bridge Group Artists is related to the art therapy program, which has been a powerful tool for recovery. This latest exhibit is part of the innovative approach The Bridge takes toward cultivating the success of clients.

This remarkable art exhibit and display of talent recently debuted at MoMA, and has now moved to Gallery 300. Please join us for the Grand Opening on Nov. 16, 2010 from 1:30pm to 8pm. The entire exhibit will run until Dec. 14^th, 2010.

The Bridge
248 West 108th Street


3rd Floor - Gallery 300


New York, NY 10025