ISAAC AND MARCUS TALK "YES, CHEF" AT POWERHOUSE ARENA

Photo courtesy of Wendy Todd at Cocoa Popps

Wow, is top chef Marcus Samuelsson ever making the rounds to promote his new book Yes, Chef. I didn't want to miss out on all the excitement, so I went with Mike Sorgatz (of the blog Art in Brooklyn) and Wendy Todd (chief pop culture writer over at Cocoa Popps) to hear fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi interview Mr. Samuelsson at PowerHouse Arena in DUMBO.

For starters, I loved the way Wendy went right up to Mr. Samuelsson to ask for a video interview (which he granted!) and also asked Mr. Mizrahi for a mini interview and photo opp. at the end of the formal part of the evening.  Love her courage and forthrightness when it comes to approaching the celebs! 

Wendy, Mike and I sat in the front row, just a few feet away from where Isaac and Marcus were sitting in comfy living-room style chairs with a lamp in between them.  Close enough, in fact, to admire Isaac's glitter-polished toenails and Marcus' uber-fly gold and black Basquiat high tops.(!)

Right off the bat, Isaac addressed the lonely tone of the book and Marcus' life story, commenting to the effect of "You've chosen to devote your life to food at the exclusion of almost everything else."  Marcus did not deny this fact. 

"What would your advice to young, coming-up chefs be?" Isaac asked of Marcus a bit later in the dialogue.

"Love the craft, love the craft, love the craft," was Marcus' response.  And: "Work 18 months in each place and travel for exposure."

Recalling some his own adventures in travel, Marcus shared the time that he went to an underground source for purchasing blow fish with the only cash he had.  Underground, he explained, because when you eat blow fish you run the risk of ingesting poison. "It was a beautiful [kind of] broke", reflected Mr. Samuelsson.

"What inspires you?" asked Isaac of Marcus, to which Marcus replied: "My neighbors, artists, the photographer Gordon Parks, and young people's energy - the kind you see in the people who ride their skateboards to work."

"What are the main components of being a chef?" asked Isaac.

Marcus: "Craftsmanship. Artistry. Authorship.  Manual labor.

Isaac: "What motivates you?"

Marcus:  "There is always more to add to the food conversation."

JASON SAMUELS SMITH AND A WALK DOWN TAP DANCE MEMORY LANE

I was excited to hear that tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith was going to appear at The Joyce Theater.  I had seen him on stage  during the 90s when he was a teenager - eons ago it seems - in Broadway's Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk.

I was pretty much obsessed with tap in those days.  I saw Bring in 'Da Noise/Funk umpteen times, and I also traveled to Manhattan  jazz venue Swing 46 in the days when tap legend Buster Brown hosted tap jam sessions.  There was a live jazz band and anyone who wanted to - from young children to elderly folks - could put on their tap shoes, tell the band what song to play, and hit the dance floor.  Sometimes, cast from Bring in 'Da Noise would show up, and that's when things would get really exciting.

Coming off of choreographing and starring in Bring in 'Da Noise, tap pioneer Savion Glover performed in both solo shows and with his troupe - NYOT (Not Your Ordinary Tappers), of which  Jason was a member.

After the 90s, I did not track the tap scene as carefully.  So it was great to have this opportunity to be pulled back into the tap world vis-a-vis a  tap production choreographed by Mr. Smith.  I liked that he included three women lead dancers, plus another former Bring in' Da Noise/Funk cast member, Bakari Wilder.

Mr. Smith formulated the idea for the show back in 2006 when he performed in the world premiere production of Imagine Tap! At that time, he developed the idea to "transpose the music of Charlie Parker into tap dance" (Program Note).  Out of this idea, he choreographed Charlie's Angels: A Tribute to Charlie Parker and Chasing the Bird, both of which were showcased at the recent evening at The Joyce.

For more information about the extremely accomplished Jason Samuels Smith, click HERE.

COME ON OVER THIS SATURDAY 6/23 TO A GO INFORMATION SESSION IN CARROLL GARDENS!

Want to gain more visibility for your art? Want to be part of an epic, borough-wide open studio project of The Brooklyn Museum? Come On Over This Saturday, June 23rd at Brooklyn Workshop Gallery from 4 – 7 pm for a GO Meet and Greet Information Session sponsored by Workshop Gallery Artists Foundation 393 Hoyt Street (Between 3rd and 4th Streets)     Meet Eleanor Traubman, a Neighborhood Coordinator for GO, to learn how you can be part of a new, much-publicized community-curated open studio project.   Artists can register at www.gobrooklynart.org until June 29.   Community members registered as voters will visit studios and nominate artists for inclusion in a group exhibition to open at The Brooklyn Museum on *Target First Saturday*, December 1, 2012. RSVP to at martinebisagni@gmail.com or 718.797.9427

THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND IS..........WHO IS THE MOB?

Step Up Revolution comes out this July!

HISTORICAL TRIBUTE TO JIM HENSON'S MUSICAL WORLD AT CARNEGIE HALL

Host John Tartaglia sings with some of the Fraggles.
Photo Credit: Richard Termine

Earlier this year, when I first got wind of the news that there would be a tribute to the musical world of Jim Henson, I knew I had to be there.  If you've watched  any of Jim Henson's films and television shows, you know that MUSIC played an integral role to his productions. Plus, how often does a person get to see the whole lot of the Muppets perform alongside of the New York Pops and singing group Essential Voices USA? 

As the big day of Jim Henson's Musical World approached, the excitement ramped up.  Since the original posting of the event, Carnegie had added a long list of special guests and performers, including comic Rachel Dratch;  Avenue Q performer John Tartaglia (who hosted the event); Elmo's Muppeteer and Sesame Street Co-Producer Kevin Clash; singer/songwriter Paul Williams; past and present cast of Sesame.

Carnegie Hall, here I come!

On the way over to the show, my husband and I both recognized Tau Bennett, the boy who appeared in Being Elmo because he had been mentored by master Muppeteer Kevin Clash. Tau was walking toward Carnegie Hall with his family.  Something about seeing Tau, and knowing he had traveled from Atlanta to be here for this occasion, caused a wave of emotion to wash over me.  Seeing him made me think about the way the branches of Henson's legacy continue to reach out and out and out into multiple generations, into so many homes, hearts, and lives, into hundreds of countries around the globe.

After spotting Tau, Mike and I walked into a small cafe for a pre-show snack.  There, we saw two children and their mom talking excitedly about all the Muppets they would be seeing.  Also eavesdropping on the family were two young men, who, judging by their matching all-black outfits, would be singing in the show.  I approached them and struck up a conversation.  "It really didn't hit us what we were going to be part of until we saw them [the Muppets] coming onto the stage today," they said.  "Yeah," Mike and I replied,"You should see the huge crowd of people waiting in the lobby!"

Once seated in Carnegie Hall,  I could see some of the folks from the Jim Henson Legacy milling around, including the show's writer, Craig Shemin.  I imagined he might be kind of nervous, seeing as how this was a never-been-done before kind of performance with lots of people waiting to see what would happen.

What did happen was absolutely magnificent.

Jim Henson's Musical World  began with footage of Muppet Rowlf the Dog's appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1965.  Then, good old Rowlf appeared in the flesh (or should I say in the fur), saying how he was glad to be back after 47 years.

Other folks eventually joined Rowlf, including Maestro Steven Raneke and the show's host, John Tartaglia.

Muppets Statler and Waldorf made an early appearance from their seats in the balcony, doing what they do best - heckling folks on the stage!

Here are some of the highlights from the rest of the show:

• The theme song from The Muppet Show, performed by Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem.
• Footage of Jim Henson
• The Fraggles singing Pass It On
• Cookie Monster Singing C is for Cookie
• Ernie and friends crooning Rubber Duckie (with Elmo providing the "Squeak! Squeak" sound of the duck)
• Muppets & humans singing Just One Person  (a song sung at Jim Henson's funeral)

The real tear-jerker came when a whole bunch of people and Muppets sang Rainbow Connection.  There were few dry eyes in the audience.

I was elated to be at this monumental event where Muppets and people from all arms of Jim Henson's legacy came together to carry his message forward through music.

I have a feeling this is only just the beginning of more great things to come.

For more coverage of Jim Henson's Musical World, check out these articles:

Muppet Wiki: Jim Henson's Musical World
Entire Muppet clan reunites for "Jim Henson's Musical World" concerts at Carnegie Hall
Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to Carnegie Hall?

MIKE SORGATZ PAINTINGS IN HBO'S GIRLS

Speak Clearly * 24 x 36 * Acrylic on Canvas * mikesorgatz.com



Brooklyn artist Mike Sorgatz's paintings appear in the new HBO series Girls, in Welcome to the Set.  For more of Mike's artwork, http://www.mikesorgatz.com/

Mike also promotes other Brooklyn artists on http://www.artinbrooklyn.com/

Congrats, Mike! 



AHMIR (QUESTLOVE) THOMPSON & GUESTS PERFORMING AT BAM APRIL 19 & 20

Shuffle Culture

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Produced by BAM

Apr 19, 2012 at 8pm (Best availability)
Apr 20, 2012 at 8pm

“Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson just might be the closest thing we have to a hip-hop Zelig... expanding the assumed limits of hip-hop...” —Pitchfork

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the charismatic drummer and producer of the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group The Roots, comes to BAM with an immersive musical experience. Enlisting a stellar lineup of artists, Questlove and musicians perform a free-flowing playlist—a kinetic mix of songs and sounds from unexpected musical bedfellows—that celebrates and
reflects our current shuffle culture.

Conceived and curated by Questlove

Directed by Annie Dorsen
Conducted by Andrew Cyr

Featured Artists:
Questlove
Jeremy Ellis
Sasha Grey
D.D. Jackson
Reggie Watts
Rahzel
Kenny Muhammad
Deerhoof
Willis Earl Beal (Friday show only)
Gray (Friday show only)
Metropolis Ensemble:
Conductor: Andrew Cyr; Violin: Kristin Lee, Annaliesa Place, Elly Suh, Emma Sutton; Viola: Juan Miguel Hernandez, Danny Kim; Cello: Ashley Bathgate, Hiro Matsuo.

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Tickets start at $25

Stage Design by Samantha Sleeper
Sound Design by Jon Smeltz
Lighting Design by Joe Levasseur

A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THE SET OF A SESAME STREET PHOTO SHOOT

Me, Elmo, and Devora Reiss Hanging Out at a Sesame Photo Shoot

My journey down Sesame Street began with a wish to meet and interview Kevin Clash, the Muppeteer of the show's wildly-popular Elmo and the co-author of Being Elmo: My Life as a Furry Red Monster. The wish became reality and I found myself sitting across from Kevin at Sesame Workshop, listening to him talk about his amazing life story.  At Kevin's suggestion, I went on to interview longtime Sesame cameraman Frank Biondo. Having worked on set since the show's inception, Frank had endless and wonderful stories to tell.

From Mr. Biondo, also called The Mayor of Sesame Street, I moved on to interview a bunch of other folks who have been integral to the success of Sesame - Carroll Spinney, Fran Brill, Bonnie Erickson, Martin Robinson, and Annie Evans.  Through various visits to the set of the show out in Astoria, I developed an immense appreciation for the amount of physical labor, teamwork, and attention to detail that goes into each of the episodes we see on television.  Quite astounding is how the Muppeteers perform in awkward and often tedious positions, pretzeling their bodies into impossible shapes and configurations. They do so with grace, humor, respect for one another, and complete adherence to the highest professional and production standards imaginable.  

Recently, in yet another chapter of my Sesame adventures, I developed a new level of admiration for the people who work behind the scenes to create this global juggernaut. (Sesame is broadcast in more than 140 different countries.)  When last on the set (in Mr. Hooper's store!) I had the pleasure of meeting Louis Henry Mitchell, Associate Design Director of Special Projects.  When Louis invited me to visit an all-day Sesame Street photo shoot, I was thrilled, and viewed it as an opportunity to see another wing of the work that makes Sesame Street all that it is.

When I arrived at the studio, a friendly Australian shepherd named Betsy greeted me at the door.  I followed her back two rooms and found a group of people, including Louis, who were setting up and taking still shots of various Sesame Muppets sans their Muppeteers.  I immediately saw a familiar face - Lara MacLean - who had demonstrated puppetry for television at the recent Jim Henson exhibit at MOMI.  We exchanged hellos and she briefed me a bit on her history with the show.

 

Lara and Louis were part of the team that worked together to create flawless photos of the characters that are watched daily on television.  Similar to the filming of Sesame Street episodes, it took a village to create the final product.  There were folks who expertly set up the shot, literally splitting, brushing, combing, and arranging hair and fur to make the Muppets look their absolute best.  Another set of people sat behind computer screens, looking at the shots and making suggestions on how to improve them. They would request that a Muppet's head be moved forward or back, or a gaze raised or lowered.  There was a lot of conversing, a lot of give and take.  Lots of minds and hands and eyes working in conjunction.  The results were always gorgeous.

An hour into the shoot, another guest walked in and the day got even brighter. Devora Reiss, a student at F.I.T., showed me photos of a whole line of puppets, mostly marionettes, which she had designed and built.  Devora and I had a great conversation about religion, family, puppetry, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who back you in going after your dreams.

During the lunch break and some relaxed late-afternoon moments, I got to chat with individual members of the crew and find out about their lives and their connection to this work. (Ask someone on a set "How did you find your way to Sesame Street?" and you will inevitably get a memorable answer.)  Folks who are part of this show come from different walks of life, but they are all firmly invested in Sesame's mission. 

At one point, one of the crew came over and gave me a Rowlf the Dog keychain, a great memento. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot.  Every time I look at it, I will think of how much fun I had that day, and how I walked away with an even deeper understanding and appreciation of the hard work, teamwork, creativity, and attention to detail it takes to keep the magic of this show alive.

ORGANIZING TIP FROM PINK MONKEY: USE "RAFT" TO KEEP YOUR DESK FREE OF CLUTTER

 Here's an acronym to keep your desk functioning as a work space, not a storage space.

Go through mail daily. This prevents paper pile-up.

Use the RAFT acronym for dealing with incoming paper.

R = Refer it to someone else (your spouse, your co-worker, etc.).

A= Take action on it. Pay the bill, make the phone call.

F = File it.

T = Toss/Recycle it.

Want A Hand Getting Organized? When you hear the the words "Professional Organizer," do you picture a stern-faced woman named Bertha barking out instructions to throw out everything you own?
If you'd like some help from someone who is more easy going than Bertha, but also professional

Contact Eleanor:  917-499-7395 or  ETraubman@aol.com

Eleanor will help you to:
• Kick clutter’s A** !!!
• Streamline desks and closets
• Implement simple routines and systems to deal with mail and school/work papers
• Spend less time looking for stuff and more time hanging out with family & friends
• Live the motto “A place for everything and everything in its place”

A professional organizer since 1999, Eleanor helps busy New York women de-clutter and make better use of desks, closets, filing systems, and more. She has been featured in The New York Times; Time Out New York; The Brooklyn Paper; Park Slope Parents; Family Circle; The Sun Times Chronicle; and Fitness. Eleanor is also a  Editor-In-Chief of Creative Times.

MARIA MORALES-PRIETO SPEAKS AT SOCIAL MEDIA CONFERENCE IN BROOKLYN

On Thursday, March 22, The Local Development Corporation of East New York held the 9th Annual Total Woman Business Conference.  This year, the focus was on the topic of social media.

One of the keynote speakers was Maria Morales-Prieto, President and CEO of The Hispanic Network.  A no-nonsense presenter who also showed a lot of humor and compassion, Ms. Morales-Prieto included these points in her talk:

• Use half of your budget for public relations and marketing
• Go to at least two networking functions a week (She runs a networking group on Long Island)
• Logos should be both simple and original
• Establish one Facebook account for your personal life and connections, and a separate one for your business venture and business connections.

Ms. Morales-Prieto's bulleted list of her own personal philosophy of life included these points:

• Pity bullies
• See your face in everyone's face
• Vengeance isn't sweet; it's sour
• Have compassion: when you see someone asking for money, it's because life has beaten the heck out of them
• Let setbacks propel you to move forward
• Criticism is born of jealousy
• Be considerate
• You can fill your jar with water, sand, pebbles and rocks.  Rocks represent the big important tasks that move you forward.  Begin by filling your jar with the rocks first!  In other words: prioritize!
• You are the author of your life. Make it a comedy, not a tragedy!

About Eleanor Traubman 

Eleanor is a seasoned literacy tutor, community-builder, and arts and culture writer. An alumna of the Bank Street College of Education, Eleanor has spent the last 25 years working with young people and families in private and public schools, nonprofit education organizations, and museum settings including P.S. 29, The Brooklyn Museum, and The Brooklyn Children's Museum.  As Editor-In-Chief of the arts blog Creative Times, Eleanor has interviewed world-loved children's book author/illustrators, as well as original cast and crew members of Sesame Street. 

Eleanor fosters young people's literacy development by providing creative, project-based opportunities for them to read and write for a real-world audience about topics and for purposes which hold personal meaning for them.  

For More information:

Eleanor Traubman
tutor.eleanortraubman.com/

Facebook.com/brooklyntutor

Creativetimes.blogspot.com
ETraubman@gmail.com

929-224-4849

OH, MAN, THIS TRAILER FOR "I AM BIG BIRD" HAS ME IN TEARS

I AM BIG BIRD Trailer from Copper Pot Pictures on Vimeo.

More information available about this film-in-progress HERE.

ALL-STAR LINEUP OF GUESTS TO APPEAR AT JIM HENSON'S MUSICAL WORLD AT CARNEGIE HALL ON APRIL 14

On Sunday, April 14th, Carnegie Hall will host JIM HENSON'S MUSICAL WORLD.  The performance is a family concert and performed by The New York Pops.
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To purchase tickets to this special event, click HERE
.

Here is an overview of the evening as it appears on the Carnegie Website:

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The magic of the Muppets comes alive as The New York Pops pays a musical tribute to Jim Henson's great legacy through song and puppetry.

In collaboration with The Jim Henson Legacy

With special thanks to Disney, The Jim Henson Company, and Sesame Workshop.

Performers

The New York Pops
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor

John Tartaglia, Host

Essential Voices USA
Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor
Craig Shemin, Writer

Daniel Seth, Associate Director

Special Guest Appearances by:
Pam Arciero
Alison Bartlett
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
Kevin Clash
Stephanie D'Abruzzo
Rachel Dratch
Dave Goelz
Eric Jacobson
Rollie Krewson
Lara MacLean
Dr. Loretta Long
Sonia Manzano
Bob McGrath
Alan Muraoka
Roscoe Orman
Karen Prell
David Rudman
Nitya Vidyasagar
Matt Vogel
and
Paul Williams

A NEW GAME TEACHES MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO BE HISTORY DETECTIVES

Sandhya Nankani of Literary Safari,
A Panelist from "Teaching Students to Become History Detectives"

There's an annual gathering of 10,000 educators right here in New York City, and yet I had never heard of it prior to several weeks back. A sister alumna of mine at Bank Street College of Education tipped me off to A Celebration of Teaching and Learning. Why hadn't I heard about this before?

The Celebration, sponsored by THIRTEEN AND WLIW21 - describes itself as "[...] a premier professional development conference that brings together the world’s best thinkers, practitioners, and more than 10,000 educators to share their passion for teaching and learning. [...] Our seventh anniversary will bring experts and content from the areas of the Arts, English Language Arts, Global Awareness, Health & Wellness, Instructional Technology, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Social Studies, Special Education and Whole School Issues."

At The Celebration, I attended the panel entitled "Teaching Students to Become History Detectives," featuring speakers Sandhya Nankani and Elyse Luray  kicked off the panel by describing in fascinating detail her experiences as one of the five hosts of the PBS' American History series History Detectives. Once a top appraiser at Christie's auction house, Elyse has spent her years on the show using objects ranging from canons to horse saddles as the jumping off point to make amazing discoveries about U.S. history. At one point, Elyse found a piece of Amelia Earhart's airplane. At another juncture, she helped find the S.S. Portland, a sunken ship in Alaska which was the first ship that found gold there!

Elyse conveyed the importance of primary sources as well as public institutions like libraries and historical societies as the keys to solving historical puzzles, and to "linking family, city, and commmunity folklore to a bigger story." Some specific skills which Elyse utilizes on the show, and which teachers can pass on to students, include appraisal, forensic science, geology, geneloglody, patent and property searches, and textile analysis. "What can a type of cotton or wool tell you about an object," asked Elyse. "What does beeswax tell you about a certain kind of bees that were in our country at a certain time?"

Elyse was excited to announce that History Detectives is launching a focus on the history of music. In the show's investigation of The Star Spangled Banner, Elyse had the honor of hearing a private playing of different versions of the song by President Obama's band.

Following Elyse, editorial producer Sandhya Nankani described the interactive online game based on History Detectives which she and her colleague Sari Wilson created for students. She preceded her description of the game by sharing that American students are less proficient in their nation's history than in any other subject.

The purpose of the game it to help middle school students understand themselves better through objects around them through investigating object-based mysteries as well as engaging in open investigations where they record their own research findings. The game is designed to teach the skills it takes to be a history detective, namely the ability to see, act, and think like one. Students beef up their capacity to make observations and inferences, to find and evaluate historical evidence, and to draw conclusions based on that evidence.

Through playing History Detectives Lab, students can gain a sense of what it's like to be active researchers out in the real world. "The game gives them a sense of agency, but with limited choices," explained Sandhya.

Some of the feedback from students who have field tested the game is that they enjoyed using technology, and that the game made history relevant and real. In terms of learning about history, they learn not only about what events happened, but why events happened.

Good for teachers to know: The History Detectives Lab game matches with state standards and also supports Common Core and 21st Century Key Skills. Also: most of the mysteries take one to two class periods for students to solve.

BEING ELMO IS COMING TO INDEPENDENT LENSE IN APRIL

BITTERSWEET END TO JIM HENSON'S FANTASTIC WORLD AT MOMI......MORE TO COME?



Special commemorative bookmark
distributed at closing day of
Jim Henson's Fantastic World exhibit

Last Sunday, Jim Henson's Fantastic World celebrated its last day at its last stop at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York.

Starting in 2007, this national touring exhibit had come through twelve other venues before making its final appearance in Queens.   From Little Rock to Mesa to Baton Rouge, from Atlanta to Doylestown, to Peoria, this astounding collection of artifacts from Henson's entire body of work brought education and inspiration alike to one million people across the country.

The closing ceremonies for the exhibit at MOMI consisted of various speakers, a film compilation of Jim's work as well as work inspired by him, plus some sweet suprises.

Carl Goodman, MOMI's Executive Director, assured the audience "You have not seen the last of Henson here."  Additional mentions were made throughout the program that the Henson-MOMI relationship would continue on.  (Good news for folks who wanted to get to the exhibit and didn't make it!)

Bonnie Erickson, Executive Director of The Jim Henson Legacy, shared a moving quotation about Jim from deceased Muppet writer Jerry Juhl.  As well, she thanked Jim Henson Legacy staff Nathaniel Wharton and Rhoda Cosme for their behind-the-scenes work.

Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy, mentioned that the MOMI exhibit, which featured more than 100 programs (film screening, lectures, demonstrations, etc.) had been visited by more than 20,000 people.

To acknowledge their incredible patience, hard work, and cooperative spirit in running the projectors for the many films shown throughout the exhibit's run, Craig called employees of MOMI down to the front to hand over some Muppet mementos.

Cheryl Henson, President of The Jim Henson Foundation, acknowledged the hard work and dedication of her siblings, Heather, Lisa, and Brian, in forwarding the work of their father.  She also mentioned the success of the international productions of Sesame Street.

Karen Falk, Henson archivist, introduced the film compilation, explaining that it was composed of Henson and Henson-inspired material from the last 20 years.  The audience got some good laughs out of watching snippets of everything from Muppets Tonight to Hot Dog TV. (My personal favorite was a clip of Sid Knishes and his Mosh Pit-atoes.)

If you'd like to learn more about the programs and events of the MOMI Jim Henson exhibit, you are welcome to read these additional posts:

• Jim Henson's Fantastic World Now at The Museum of the Moving Image
• All Kindsa Crazy Cool Stuff at Jim Henson's Fantastic World
• Free Limited Edition Cookie for First 1,000 Visitors at Jim Henson Celebration this Saturday!
• Report Back from MOMI's Jim Henson: Friends and Family
• The Wonderful World of Frank Oz
• Run, Don't Walk, to Jim Henson's Fantastic World
• Come Chillax on Colorful Beanbags at MOMI and Watch a Great Film About Jim Henson

MAIMONIDE OF BROOKLYN CELEBRATES ITS GRAND OPENING!




Cyril Aouizerate, owner of Maimonide of Brooklyn, shows off his Brooklyn Bridge necklace


If you need a fun place to hang out with friends or to host an event without breaking your New Year's resolution to stay healthy, look no further than Maimonide of Brooklyn.

For months, I walked by a storefront on Atlantic avenue whose windows were covered with the image of a cartoon character. I always assumed it was going to be a graphic design office or a comicbook store.

About a month ago, I entered a gorgeous loft-like space filled with wooden communal tables.  Turned out that Maimonide is a restaurant.  And looking around, I was already visualizing this as an amazing space to host an event.

I brought a few friends by to experience Maimonide and this week had an opportunity to connect with it and the folks who work hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.

Tuesday, a bunch of us writers gathered around the big tables for a press preview luncheon.  It was so much fun to experience this place with other writers, including folks from The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine's Grub Street, and Daily Candy. The food was delicious and the staff incredibly welcoming and friendly.

Before leaving the lunch, I got to sit down with Maimonide owner and French restaurateur and hotelier Cyril Aouizerate and get to know him a bit better.  A father of four children, Cyril flies back and forth between here and his home in France, spending a week out of every month in NY.  He is a former professor of philosophy, and named Maimonide after a famous Jewish philosopher.

Wednesday night was the Grand Opening bash for Maimonide, and it was PACKED with all kinds of folks from all different scenes.  What an awesome surprise to hear on the day of the event that the Grandaddy of Hip Hop Afrika Bambaataa would be doing a DJ set!  Louis C.K. was there, along with tons of other folks.

Had great conversations with Patrick Kwan of SuperVegan. and with Ouigi Theodore of The Brooklyn Circus.

What I most love about this place is that it embodies Brooklyn's creative, communal, and collaborative spirit.  Hope to see Maimonide live a long life here!

PAMMY SALMON IS TEACHING A COURSE ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN'S TELEVISION, STARTING MAY 2

Pammy Salmon is teaching a course on Writing for Children's Television through The Writer's Voice at the 63rd Street YMCA in Manhattan.

The 8-week class starts Wednesday, May 2.

Registration begins on April 9 for members of the YMCA.
Registration for non-members begings April 16.

Here's the official course description:

WRITING FOR CHILDREN’S TV | The "Spec" Script

Children’s television writing requires special skill to seamlessly implement educational curriculum while telling an engaging, developmentally-appropriate story. In this class, students will learn how to write a "spec" a script based on an existing show to gain an understanding of the genre as well as have a writing sample necessary for the industry. Maximum enrollment is 10 students. Pre-registration requirement(s): All levels of writers welcome.

Pammy Salmon
Wednesday 6:45 - 8:45 PM
Fees: $195 Member $330 Non-Member

Here's a bit of information about Pammy Salmon:

After majoring in Film Production at Boston University, Pammy prepared for life in Tinsel Town. She made it as far west as New York City, where she got a job at an animation company. There, she not only learned the animation process but got her break writing scripts for Disney’s Stanley. Since then, she’s written for super fun curriculum-based shows Disney’s JoJo’s Circus, Pinky Dinky Doo, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Super Why!, Martha Speaks, and development projects for several animation companies.

Pammy’s put her sketch comedy skills to work, penning short interstitials and bumpers for the PBS Kids Programming Block, promos for The Electric Company and Martha Speaks, and segments for Sesame Street English’s DVD series.

If you would like to reach Pammy for any additional information about her course, you may reach her at  pammysps@gmail.com


 

WHAT WOULD MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS?

It's Women's History Month! 

Over at the blog Newvine Growing's Blogversation 2012, I posted a series of questions about being female and making the world a better place for females.

I invite you to weigh in with your own thoughts.

What's great about being female?

It's March, Women's History Month, and I'm incredibly proud to be part of a long line of people - other females - who have taken charge of seeing that things go well on so many levels of life - in the home, in workplaces outside the home, in neighborhoods and other kids of communities, in the world at large.

I'm pleased to be part of a group of people who have figured out to make relationships a primary focus in life, and who see to it that relationships around them go well so that everything else in life goes well.

As a group, we've done and continue to do a kick-a** job of leading work for social change, including work around eliminating key forms of oppression, including racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia.  We've voiced our opinions and spoken our minds even when we've received both subtle and blatant messages to be quiet, be nice, and preserve the status quo.

We also make fantastic artists, manual laborers, athletes, comics, politicians, and community-builders.  

When I think about al the women who have come before me and the women who are living now, I beam with huge amounts of pride.

What's hard about being female?

It's been tricky growing up in a time period in our culture where there's this huge pretense that sexism does not exist any longer in the Western world. There is an accepted notion that all the sexism exists over there in the non-Western world. 

The effects of that pretense are huge. First, it justifies the oppression of peoples in these countries and the wars we wage and prop up abroad. Second, it sends a message to Western women that our fight to end sexism is over.  Our "liberation" is presented to us as endless choices, mostly consumer choices.  We're "free" because we can "choose" what we look like, different ways of augmenting our appearance, what career we can have.  

The other result of this pretense that sexism is over is that it has left us women and girls feeling like any struggles we have are purely personal and individual.  It's like any place we have a rough time - be it in our personal and intimate relationships, in our efforts to build community, in our ability to trust our own thinking, in our quest to stay on top of our health and well-being, to raise children, to balance the demands of work in the home with work outside of a home, to make a decent living - is due to some personal shortcoming, some failure to "figure it out."  Women's magazines and self-help books offer endless tips and tricks to make things more manageable, somehow implying that if we just take this course of action or that one, we should be able to work out the ways our lives are hard.

With sexism and its effects on women hidden, trivialized, and denied, it's difficult to place any of our struggles into some larger context; in turn, it's been hard to team up with other women (and men!) to challenge sexism and also where women have internalized its messages.

What would make the world a better place for women and girls to live in?

• Ending racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia would hugely improve things in the lives of girls and women. These systematic forms of mistreatment wreck the fabric of our lives and keep us separate from each other.

• Any adult who plays a role in the life of a young female (including girls, teens, young adults) needs to treat what they say and do as important and significant.  This means listening without interrupting or giving advice.

• Adults can also back young females to take risks in areas where they’ve been excluded or discouraged from participating - e.g. in math, science, and athletics.  As a preschool teacher, I've  make it a point to spend time with girls who are building things with blocks and other materials at choice time, and ask them questions about what they are doing.

• I'd love to see another identity besides (or at least in addition to) the one of "princess" that young girls can latch onto and explore. 

• When females have conflicts with each other, the people around them need to step in and lend a hand.  One of the big reasons women and girls lash out at one another is because we've internalized the ways we've been belittled or invalidated. Without tools to heal from that mistreatment, we take it out on each other.  (What's crazy to me is that popular culture, especially reality shows, capitalizes on the struggles between females and makes it into a spectator sport.)

• I want all guys to know that they can be awesome allies in ending sexism in all its forms, and that their lives, also, are better without it.

• So much of the work that women do, especially domestic work, is unpaid or underpaid.  That needs to be changed!

MUPPET ALPHABET



Muppet Alphabet.  Source: Society6



CHECK OUT THE BOX THAT ROCKS AT BROOKLYN'S MoCADA

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) is proud to present THE BOX THAT ROCKS: 30 Years of Video Music Box and the Rise of Hip Hop Music & Culture

Guest Curated by Dexter Wimberly

On View: March 10 – May 28, 2012

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 10, 2012 6pm - 9pm

Location: MoCADA | 80 Hanson Place | Brooklyn, New York 11217

MoCADA announces THE BOX THAT ROCKS: 30 Years of Video Music Box and the Rise of Hip Hop Music & Culture, an exhibition of contemporary art that celebrates the global influence of Video Music Box, and the show’s historic contribution to urban music and culture.

In 1983, Ralph McDaniels launched Video Music Box, a groundbreaking television program that ushered in the popularity and innovation of music videos. As the show’s creator and host, and the producer and/or director of over 400 music videos, Ralph McDaniels is a pioneer whose influence is still felt throughout the music industry.

It is safe to say that hundreds of Hip Hop, R&B and Dancehall artists owe their street credibility, record sales, and a great deal of their commercial success to Video Music Box. At its inception, Video Music Box broadcasted videos from all genres of music. However, it was one of the first television programs ever to feature Hip Hop videos primarily. In the early 1980’s, networks such as MTV did not play the music videos of black recording artists. Video Music Box ushered in a new era of cultural identity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Ralph McDaniels also recognized the show’s power to speak directly to inner city youth in a way that no one else was doing at the time. Each day, McDaniels used the show as a platform to spread messages of unity, non-violence, anti-drug abuse, anti-crime, political activism and self-respect. “I have continued to produce Video Music Box independently for over 30 years as a testament to the art form. Video Music Box is the place where classic visuals have been documented and new music continues to flourish on a television program produced by someone who controls their own content and vision,” states Video Music Box creator, Ralph McDaniels. “The show represents hope for those in the African-American and Latino community who want to express themselves freely without the chains of corporate America. The fact is that Video Music Box has always been an important outlet for those creating Hip Hop or any other genre of music. I believe that people from any race or background can learn from the show’s message of positivity and contribute to the culture.”

MoCADA’s Founder and Executive Director, Laurie Cumbo remarks, “Ralph McDaniels is a Brooklyn icon and he has played a foundational role in the development of Hip Hop culture. We are honored to celebrate his contributions through THE BOX THAT ROCKS exhibition here at MoCADA.”

THE BOX THAT ROCKS is guest curated by Dexter Wimberly, and is on view from March 10 through May 28, 2012 in the museum’s main gallery at the James E. Davis 80 Arts Building in Brooklyn, New York.

The show features photography, painting, mixed-media, video installation, and interactive digital art.

 The opening reception will take place at MoCADA on Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 6-9pm.

The reception is free and open to the public.

Featured artists include: Amy Andrieux * Malik Y. Cumbo * LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs * Delphine Fawundu * Bobbito Garcia * Tahir Hemphill * Jonathan Mannion * Tim Okamura * M. Tony Peralta * Fab 5 Freddy * Ali Santana * Jamel Shabazz * Daniel Amazu Wasser "