ON THE TOWNS: Apollo Theater Gives Prince a Place of Honor; Northside Festival and the Next Big Things; in 'Hooligan Sparrow,' a Good Deed Does Not Go Unpunished; Lens on Danny Lyon

Prince will be inducted posthumously into the Apollo Theater's Walk of Fame in a ceremony on 13 June. Photo from Prince fan Facebook page.

JUNE 2016

A list of goings-on, from a place on the Apollo Theater Walk of Fame for Prince to Eva Longoria getting down with "Lowriders" and all manner of cattiness at CatCon LA 2016.

1-7 June

ART. Through 26 June. Intrude. Four-city tour of public art installation by Amanda Parer of Australia continues. Presented by Arts Brookfield, “Intrude” depicts white nylon-inflated rabbits illuminated from within. New York, 17-30 April; Houston, 9 May-14 May; Los Angeles, 5 June-11 June; Denver, 17-19 June, 24-26 June. Brookfield properties. Free. New York. Houston. Los Angeles. Denver. http://www.brookfieldplaceny.com/events/intrude/

FILM. 1-9 June. LA Film Festival. Festival opens with Ricardo de Montreuil’s “Lowriders,” starring Eva Longoria and others. The closing film is “Desierto” from Jonás Cuarón. Various Locations. Los Angeles. http:// www.filmindependent.org/la-film-festival/

ART, MUSIC, FILM, BUSINESS, etc. 6-12 June. Northside. Festival convenes trendsetters and stakeholders across various artistic and business disciplines. Concerts, films, popup shops, speakers content creators. Various locations. Brooklyn. http:// www.northsidefestival.com/

8-14 June

FOOD, TECHNOLOGY. 10-12 June. Food Loves Tech. Hosted by Edible Manhattan and VaynerMedia, the expo explores the intersection of food and technology. On the table: sustainability and healthy eating, panels, chefs and tastings. The Waterfront, 241 11th Avenue. New York. http:// www.foodlovestech.com/

FILM. 10-19 June. 2016 Human Rights Watch Film Festival (New York). Festival presents 18 films and three interactive programs. Opens with “Hooligan Sparrow” from Nanfu Wang. The subject of the film is Chinese activist Ye Haiyan (aka Hooligan Sparrow) whose efforts to expose the sexual abuse
of young girls by a school headmaster lead to unwanted government attention. Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) Walter Reade Theater and IFC Center. New York. 6-20 June, Chicago. 14 June, Sydney. http:// www.bit.ly/21cHmCO

LIFESTYLE, MUSIC. 11 June. Shikuri Project Charitable Trust Fundraiser. Drumming group, Denbaya, performs during the benefit at Mist Harlem. Founded by Gail Sealy, the Shikuri Project is dedicated to providing medical care to needy children in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa. Mist Harlem. New York. http:// www.shikuriproject.com

FASHION. 11 June. St James’s London Hosts Jermyn Street Catwalk Show. For the second year during men’s fashion week (London Collections Mens), Jermym Street will be shut to traffic and turned into a catwalk. St James’s hosts the fashion shows and invites the public, too.
Jermyn Street, West End. London. http:// www.stjameslondon.co.uk/

MUSIC. 4 p.m. 13 June. Apollo Theater Prince Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony and 11th Annual Spring Gala. Before its 11th Annual Spring Gala and its largest fundraiser of the year – emceed by LL Cool J and with performances by The O’Jays and others – the Apollo Theater inducts Prince into its Walk of Fame. The Artist joins some splendid company under the venue’s marquee, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard and Stevie Wonder. Apollo Theater, 253 W. 125th St. New York. http:// www.apollotheater.org/event/apollo-gala-2016/

FILM. 13 June. Kino & Vino Series: FLYTRAP. Monthly industry screening party sponsored by the Chelsea Film Festival and Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea. Screening of “Flytrap.” Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea, 260 W. 23rd St. New York. http:// www.chelseafilm.org/kinoandvino

15-21 June

"Pumpkin Reneé, Galveston, Texas, 1967. Vintage gelatin silver print from the Whitney Museum retrospective, "Danny Lyon: Message to the Future." Photo by Danny Lyon, courtesy Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

FILM. 16-19 June. Oak Cliff Film Festival. The 5th edition opens with a restored version of Eagle Pennelli’s “Last Night at the Alamo. Music performances also on the bill. Closes with “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” from Taika Waititi. Various locations.Dallas. http:// /www.oakclifffilmfestival.com

ART. 17 June-25 Sept. 2016. Danny Lyon: Message to the Future. The retrospective of the photographer’s work includes nearly 200 photos and is billed as the first to consider his work as a filmmaker. On opening night, DL participates in a program. Whitney Museum of American Art. 99 Gansevoort. New York. http:// www.whitney.org/Exhibitions/DannyLyonMessageToTheFuture

Vegans expected at the Rose Bowl. Photo from Photo from Los Angeles Vegan Beer and Food Festival website.

FOOD. 18 June. Los Angeles Vegan Beer and Food Festival. Depending on ticket tier, unlimited pours of beer, wine, kombucha, craft soda and cold brew as well as access to more than 70 vegan restaurants and the pop up marketplace. A portion of all proceeds goes toward The Gentle Barn which works to provide a place of healing and safety for at-risk youth and animals. Rose Bowl. 1001 Rose Bowl Dr. Pasadena, CA. http://www.veganbeerfest.com/

22 June and Beyond

Calling all cat people to CatConLA. Photo from CatConLA Facebook page.

FILM. 22 June-9 July. 2016. The 15th New York Asian Film Festival (presented by Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema. The festival attracts some of the most edgy work, featuring some of the most popular stars of the moment in Asian cinema. Also awards and talks. Walter Reade Theater and SVA Theatre. New York. http://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/new-york-asian-film-festival/

Harvind Raj as Appoy in Shanjhey Kumar Perumal debut film, "Brutal." Photo from festival website.
LIFESTYLE. 25 and 26 June. CatConLA. Convention for cat people, that is individuals who like cats. Products, panels, furniture, food, ideas and experts. At the Reef, 1933 S. Broadway. Los Angeles. http:// www.catconla.com/

ON THE TOWNS: Beats at High Altitudes in Austria; Hatitude in Harlem; 90 Years of Martha; Lapping Up Chunky Monkey & Cherry Garcia; Dancing With Horses; On Film Fest Circuit

Jungle plays the Snowbombing festival for the first time. Photo from Snowbombing Web site.
The time has come. Welcome to the debut of On the Towns, our humble events calendar. We have received numerous requests over the last few years to publish such a chronicle. It makes sense. There are many festivals, concerts and other entertainments and gatherings that we wish to bring to your attention. Heretofore, it has not been possible, owing to limitations of space and staff. On the Towns, which will appear the first week of each month and will be updated throughout each month, is one small way that we can meet this challenge. We hope that you will find some things each month to engage you.

APRIL 2016

A list of goings-on around the world, from Snowbombing in Austria, to both the Great American Hat Show. and LOOT at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York. And Free Cone Day at Ben&Jerry’s Scoop Shops in various countries, including Brazil and Singapore.

1-7 April

MUSIC. 1-4 April. Desert Hearts. Cutting-edge house and techno music festival. Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. Warner Springs, Calif. http://www.deserthearts.us/

FILM. 1-5 April. Focus on French Cinema Festival. Festival is dedicated to showcasing the best French-language films from around the world . French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). 55 East 59th St. New York. http://www.focusonfrenchcinema.com/

FILM. 7 p.m. 4 April. Kino & Vino Series. Monthly industry screening party sponsored by the Chelsea Film Festival and Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea. Screening of “Semper Fidel.” Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea. 260 W. 23rd St., New York. http://www.chelseafilm.org/semper-fidel/

MUSIC. 4-8 April. Snowbombing. The world’s No. 1 music festival on snow. Mayrhofen ski area. Mayrhofen, Austria. http://www.snowbombing.com/

MUSIC. 7 p.m. 5 April. Nashville Pussy. The hard rock band in concert. Magasin 4. Avenue du port 51 B, Brussels, Belgium. http://www.bit.ly/1UFKxU1

MUSIC. 6 p.m. 6 April. RED HOT GALA. Benefits the Glimmerglass Festival’s Young Artists and Summer Internship Programs. The Metropolitan Club. 1 East 60th Street, New York. https://www.glimmerglass.org/support/gala/

MEETING. 7-9 April. Black Girl Movement Conference. Organized by Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University (IRAAS). Issues related to cis, queer and transgender Black girls (18 and under) in the United States. Columbia University. New York. http://www.bit.ly/1TJl36a

The Black Girl Movement Conference aims to empower select groups black females 18 and younger. Photo from IRAAS Web site.

FILM. 7-15 April. 17th Havana Film Festival New York. Celebrates Latin American cinema. Various locations. New York. http://www.hffny.com/2016/

ART. Through 14 April. Anima. Installation explores the concept of soul and the divide between man and animal. Combines art, magic and anthropology. The Invisible Dog Art Center. 51 Bergen St., Brooklyn. http://www.theinvisibledog.org/

8-14 April

Attendees to The Great American Hat Show can leave with their very own fascinator. Photo from Harriet Rosebud Hats Website.

FASHION. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 9 April. Great American Hat Show Skincare and makeup master classes. Also “The Fabulous Fascinators” master class: students take home their own fascinator. Dance performance. Fashion show. Shopping. The Harlem Commonwealth. 361 W. 125th St. New York. http://www.harrietrosebudhats.com/

Free ice cream cones on Free Cone Day at Ben&Jerry's Scoop Shops. Photo from Ben&Jerry's Website.


FASHION. 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. 11 April. LOOT 2016 Opening Benefit. Patrons of the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) meet LOOT 2016 jewelry artists and can purchase their designs before the show opens to the general public. Cocktail hour. Reception. Also a dinner honoring LOOT 2016 Award recipients Joan Hornig and Kay Unger. LOOT opens to the general public 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on 12-16 April. MAD. 2 Columbus Circle. New York. http://www.MadMuseum.org/

A necklace from LOOT 2016 artist Pawel Kaczyński. Some of his pieces are refined until they resemble things found in nature such as flowers. Photo from MAD Website.


FOOD. 12 April. Free Cone Day. Ben&Jerry’s shows its appreciation to customers by offering an ice cream cone at its scoop shops around the world. Ben&Jerry’s Scoop Shop. Various countries. http://www.benjerrys.co/1RyuvEp


FILM. 13-24 April. 15th Tribeca Film Festival. Films from 32 countries and more than 70 world premieres. Various locations. New York. http://www.tribecafilm.com/

Hannah Overton in "Until Proven Innocent," which makes its world premiere at the Tenth Annual Dallas International Film Festival. Photo from DIFF Website.


FILM. 14-24 April. Tenth Annual Dallas International Film Festival. More than 160 films, panels and events. Various locations. Dallas. http://www.bit.ly/1PGkvrt

15-21 April

PieJu Chien-Pott in Martha Graham's "Lamentation." Photo by Christopher Jones.


ART. 15-24 April. Open Plan: Cecil Taylor. Fifth of six in Whitney’s series of exhibitions in its open-plan fifth floor. The Taylor retrospective is to feature recorded and live performances, including a sold-out concert by the iconic musician on 14 April. Also video and audio installations, photos, poetry and recollections by various artists who have been inspired by the man. Whitney Museum of American Art. 99 Gansevoort St. New York. http://www.whitney.org/Exhibitions/OpenPlanCecilTaylor

Wendell Pierce and Kerry Washington in "Confirmation." Photo from HBO Website.


FILM. 8 p.m. (EDT). 16 April. Confirmation. Starring Kerry Washington as Anita Hill and Wendell Pierce as Clarence Thomas. The film is based on the latter’s 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearings. HBO. http://www.hbo.com/movies/confirmation

ART. 17 April-26 June. Intrude. Four-city tour of public art installation by Amanda Parer of Australia. Presented by Arts Brookfield, “Intrude” depicts white nylon-inflated rabbits illuminated from within. New York, 17-30 April; Houston, 9 May-14 May; Los Angeles, 5 June-11 June; Denver, 17-19 June, 24-26 June. Brookfield properties. Free. New York. Houston. Los Angeles. Denver. http://www.brookfieldplaceny.com/events/intrude/

Cecil Taylor, rehearsing at the Whitney Museum of American Art, will perform a soldout concert the day before his retrospective, "Open Plan: Cecil Taylor," opens at the museum. Photo from Whitney Website.

DANCE. 7 p.m. 18 April. Martha Graham Dance Company 90th Anniversary Gala. A special program to celebrate the 90th year of the venerable dance company includes performances of classic pieces. Dinner. Dancing. The gala culminates the season, which opens on 14 April. New York City Center and The University Club of New York. New York. http://www.marthagraham.org/tickets-events/

22-28 April

Courant Splash brings together math-minded high schoolers.

DANCE. Noon. 23 April. Inter-species Encounters. A performance of humans and horses will be the featured showcase at the Dressage Nationals. Centenary Equestrian Center, Centenary College. Long Valley, New Jersey. http://www.equus-onsite.org/#!news/c1wnl

MEETING. Noon. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 23 April. Courant Splash. Annual one-day lecture series at the Courant Institute of New York University for mathematically gifted high school students in the New York metropolitan area. Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. 251 Mercer St. New York. http://www.csplash.org/


DANCE. 27-29 April. YAGP Finals Week and YAGP 2016 Gala Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow. Final rounds performances and gala of YAGP, the world’s largest student ballet scholarship audition. BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Howard Gilman Opera House. Brooklyn. http://www.yagp.org/

Humans and horses will dance together during the Dressage Nationals at the Centenary Equestrian Center. Photo from The Equus Project Website.

ART. 27 April-12 Feb. 2017. Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection. Exploration of the changing face of portraiture from 1900 to 2016. Whitney Museum of American Art. 99 Gansevoort St. New York. http://www.whitney.org/Exhibitions/HumanInterest

At 'Outsider Art Fair,' Variety Galore, Enticements Many and Sensuality Aplenty

Painted stones by Daniel Bernardinelli. At the Galerie Bourbon-Lally in Pitionville, Haiti. Photos by Joel Simpson.

BY JOEL SIMPSON

IT seems that the unifying characteristic of these artists is that they follow their own private inspiration, mostly undirected by pedagogy, tradition and the call of galleries looking to sell to sophisticated (or corporate) tastes.

These are astonishing examples of self-taught art under the general rubric of “outsider art.”

If you like gallery-hopping and want to view art that fascinates you, moves you – even teaches you something about connections in the world you might not have noticed ... Then take yourself to the "Outsider Art Fair" this weekend (through Sunday, 1 Feb.) at Center 548 in the Chelsea section of New York City.

Plan to spend at least two hours in this milieu, especially if you engage with gallery personnel who are more than happy to discuss the artists and their often bizarre stories. Fifty galleries and museums are represented.

The "Outsider Art Fair" includes such categories as folk, visionary, naïve, intuitive and art brut (“raw art”). Throughout this report, note observations of a few works that caught my eye.

This 1975 boxed assemblage by Mike Goodlett is titled Dollhouse Asylum. It extends the concept of the dollhouse
into obvious but heretofore unchartered territory. At Institute 193, a gallery based in Lexington, Ken.

Ironically, outsider art, owing to its vitality and originality, has become so sought after in the past 30 years that many galleries specialize in it. This genre has developed a devoted following and specialized periodicals, including the UK-based Raw Vision, which has a booth at the show. (http://www.rawvision.com). The world's other "Outsider Art Fair," in Paris, is scheduled for October.

In possibly a gallery-based trend, works of a religious nature are largely absent from this year's show.

Still, the range of work in this iteration of the "Outsider Art Fair" is vast. The delights are many, and there is a strong erotic component to much of it.

Visit http://www.outsiderartfair.com to learn more about the "Outsider Art Fair."

Artist John Brill, a school bus driver by trade, at his mostly photographic installation (with three fish bowls). His dreamy, evocative, archaic-looking photographs contrast with his blue-collar self-presentation and friendly manner. Exactly the kind of combination one expects to find at the "Outsider Art Fair." At the Kent Fine Art gallery in New York City.

This untitled painting by Carlo Zinelli comes closer to what most think of as outsider art: a vision with naively drawn figures that eschews perspective, includes text and has a personal religious theme. It is at New York City’s Cavin-Morris Gallery, one of the city's major outsider art galleries.


One of a series of exhibitionistic watercolors, left, from 1937–45 discovered recently in Budapest and sent to New Haven, Conn. gallery owner, Fred Giampietro. The artist is unknown, but this is the kind of work that typically turns up at the "Outsider Art Fair": “closet” art discovered after the death of the artist whose identity may be unknown. At right, 5-inch painted metal and clay androgynous figure by Frederick Hastings. It was discovered in a drawer by his daughter after his death. Presumably, it was created some time during the 1980s. Recently discovered, this is the first time this work has been publicly shown. At New York City's American Primitive Gallery.

This large, over-the-top sexual dance fantasy painting, Okokuroko Brass Band, is by Ghanaian artist Isaac Azay. The painting is at least 5-feet long, though its dimensions are not given. It is at the Los Angeles-based Ernie Wolfe Gallery. Dressed as a true Californian in print short-sleeved shirt and shorts, the genial Ernie Wolfe knows a lot about the "Kenyan movie poster tradition." He has several examples in his booth, where the art oscillates between stereotypical and caricature.

Art is Alive, Beautiful and Walking Around

Zac Posen with buy at I ♥ Gen Art benefit. (Photo by Hal Horowitz.)

IT is not the art on the walls (or celebs i.e., Zac Posen above) that first grabs the attention of Yours Truly at the I ♥ Gen Art: 15th Anniversary Benefit (the party arm of the Gen Art Foundation)tonight. (It is the mission of the foundation(www.genart.org) to make the world a better place by throwing money and other resources at promising painters, photographers, filmmakers and designers so that they can bring a bit of beauty and culture to our dreary lives. Tonight, there are creations by more than 60 artisans for direct sale and through auction.

No, I am struck by the sight of so many handsome men in one place outside of a casting (I have reason to attend castings because in the last year I have been doing … er … a bit of modeling and acting). These stylish Adonises appear to be of every sexual persuasion, height, color, creed and slim body type. Living art, including the duo Ebony (Alain) and Ivory (Micheal). An acquaintance drags me over to meet them. Alain who is no doubt the spawn of an Egyptian/Roman/Ethiopian god is also a mortal and CEO of a Paris-based mobile phone marketing company. He’s in the New World to raise awareness and money for his concern. Michael who walked off the cover of a romance novel is a “leisurepreneur.” He gives me to know that a leisurepreneur is someone who carves out a lot of time to have fun while simultaneously making his millions. And he would have thrown some of his millions at one of the pieces on the wall if some other Moneybags had not gotten there first.

And then there’s Duncan Quinn. I clap eyes on him while my acquaintance and I are standing at the bar trough (where there is no wine – still or sparkling). I raise my hand in hello and he waves back. I know he’s wondering, “Who is that?”

DQ is a Brit who has made a name for himself designing men’s suits with a nod to both Rock ‘n’ Roll and Saville Row. DQ is also a huckster. Last year he threw what, on the surface, was a party at the Classic Car Club in Soho (owned by a DQ friend/associate). There was a deejay (DQ friend) rocking the house. And shutterbugs (DQ friends) whose cameras were ever ready. Even the people behind the bar and hor d’oeuvres were DQ friends. The joint was jumpin’, and commerce was taking place: In a corner of the showroom that is home to some exotic and classic sports cars, he’d set up a haberdashery shop (men could be measured for suits on demand). A few weeks ago his Soho joint and the adjoining sidewalk were jumpin’ when he announced the bits of pink in his new collection. Pink was the dress code at the Rosé Party. “No pink. No drink.,” threatened the words on the invitation. The drink: an fabulous and endless Rosé d'Anjou. It costs a lot less than a DQ suit.

OK. Enough about men. Back to the art. One piece in particular draws me in. It’s a huge photo of Fidel’s face, an over-the-shoulder shot. Haunting, mysterious, intimidating, resolute – all enhanced by the graininess in the image. I move in closer. Still closer to see who snapped it and what they’re asking. At $5,000, it is one of the most expensive pieces hanging. And it’s not Fidel. It’s DeNiro. Men!

The I ♥ Gen Art: 15th Anniversary Benefit was 24 June.