ART BEAT: 6 FABULOUS ART FOUNDATIONS in New York City

The Brant Foundation, Basquiat exhibit (photo: Tom Powell Imaging; Courtesy The Brant Foundation)

By Jacquelin Carnegie

The Brant Foundation

In New York City, there are many wonderful places to see incredible art. While you may be familiar with all the great museums, there are also several, really special art foundations you might not have heard about, where the spaces they’re housed in are often as interesting as the art: 

Downtown
The Brant Foundation
421 East 6th St, (btw 1st Ave - Ave A); brantfoundation.org
(Fee or Free Admission depending on exhibit)

Successful businessman and philanthropist Peter Brant has many eclectic interests, but his main passion is contemporary art. He’s been an avid collector since his college days when his first acquisitions included two Andy Warhols and a Franz Kline! Lucky for us, Brant has put his impressive collection on display, first in Greenwich, Connecticut and now in a stunning new location in New York City. The building, a former ConEd substation, has been redesigned as an exhibit space which is as knockout as the artwork on display. [Enjoy a virtual tour of Brant’s extensive Jean-Michel Basquiat collection.] 

Judd Foundation
101 Spring St, www.juddfoundation.org; Tel: 212/219-2747
(Admission Fee; Guided tours only, book in advance) 

Judd bedroom, Dan Flavin light sculpture
(photo: James Ewing; Courtesy Judd Foundation)

You don’t have to be a fan of Donald Judd’s artwork to appreciate a visit to his former home and studio in Manhattan's SoHo district. First, the beautifully-restored, 19th-century, cast-iron building is one of the few remaining in the neighborhood. Next, Judd designed and built many of the everyday items in the home such as dining tables, chairs, desks, etc. And, the space is filled with works by some of Judd’s favorite artists such as Dan Flavin and Frank Stella. Judd bought the building in 1968; a visit provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a successful, modern artist.

Resnick-Passlof Foundation

The Milton Resnick & Pat Passlof Foundation
87 Eldridge St; resnickpasslof.org; Tel: 646/559-2513
(Open: Thurs-Sat, 11am-6pm; Free Admission; Closed in Aug.)

Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof were Abstract Expressionist painters who lived and worked on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in a building that was once a synagogue. Since their passing, the space has been renovated into a showplace for their signature paintings as well as for exhibits of work by other Abstract Expressionist artists. When not in the midst of COVID, the Foundation also presents lectures, readings, and musical programs in this magnificent space.

Chelsea
The FLAG Art Foundation
545 West 25th St, 9th Fl, (btw 10th-11th Ave); http://flagartfoundation.org; Tel: 212/206-0220 (Open: Wed-Sat, 11am-5pm; Free Admission)

Nicolas Party: Pastel, FLAG 
(photo: Steven Probert)

Financier, philanthropist, collector, and art patron Glenn Fuhrman launched The FLAG Art Foundation as a non-profit, exhibit space to encourage the appreciation of contemporary art. The marvelous, imaginative exhibits are meant to attract a diverse audience. FLAG generally presents four to six exhibits a year of both established and emerging artists. The Foundation also invites a creative group of individuals—artists, athletes, writers, historians, fashion designers, museum directors--to guest curate these fab exhibits.

Hill Art Foundation
239 Tenth Ave, at 24th St, 3rd Fl, https://hillartfoundation.org
(Open: Wed-Sat, 11am-5pm; Free Admission)

Hill Art Foundation

For forty years, former financier J. Tomilson Hill and his wife have been passionate art collectors. The Hill Art Foundation is a lovely way for them to share their collection with the public: allowing visitors to see how they think about art as well as how they juxtapose and display pieces. While the Foundation reflects the Hills’ personal taste, it’s also about sharing—encouraging the viewer to reflect on and engage with the pieces to find new interpretations of the works on view. The galley space itself is stunning, on the 3rd & 4th floors of the Getty building designed by famed architect Peter Marino.

Brooklyn
Faurschou New York
148 Green St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; faurschou.com
(Open: Wed-Sun, 12-6pm; Free Admission; Book time-slot online in advance)

Ai WeiWei "Two Figures"
(photo: Ed Gumuchian; Courtesy Faurschou Foundation)

Danish art dealer-turned-philanthropist Jens Faurschou has converted an industrial warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn into a magnificent exhibition space. The Foundation’s mission is to champion contemporary artists and foster East-West cultural exchanges, engaging Western audiences with important ideas from Asia. What’s especially striking about Faurschou’s collection is the size of the works: huge installations (some even room-sized) and many with political themes. Headquartered in Copenhagen with another exhibit space in Beijing, the goal for Faurschou New York is curating exhibitions that make you think.

Editor’s Note: Please keep in mind that during COVID, and for the foreseeable future, many places are operating on a reduced schedule & require reservations &/or tickets purchased in advance for a particular day/time-slot. Proof of vaccination & masks may be required.

ArtBeat#5: 10 Streetwise Artisans at New York's Nolita Market

By Jacquelin Carnegie - (New York, NY)

While museums and most galleries are still shut due to 

COVID19, you can show some "love" to a group of living artists at the Nolita Market in Manhattan. It's outdoors--along the wall of St Patrick's Old Cathedral on Prince Street. Here, a small group of selected artisans sets up stands to sell their wares each weekend. Their crafts are lovely, unique, and of a high quality--not the sort of crappy stuff you see at street fairs. Usually, there are 20 vendors but, due to COVID19, only 10 are currently allowed. Here's a few worth checking out: 

Nolita Market https://www.nolitaoutdoormarket.com
Prince St, btw Mulberry & Mott (March-Dec; Fri-Sat-Sun, 11am-6pm)
Joyous Jewelry
CoKo Jewelry https://www.cokojewelry.com 

Originally from Switzerland, artist Cornelia Koller got bored with painting on canvas and switched her passion to "wearable" art. Her earrings--and other pieces--are enamel, created with her special flair for color and design--each piece is a unique work of art. [Instagram: @coko_jewelry]

Mano https://manonewyork.com 

Using recycled sterling silver and salvaged exotic hardwoods, Ruben Ceballos handcrafts each beautiful piece--rings, necklaces and cuffs. (Rings: Macassar Ebony/Sterling Silver)

Snapshots of New York

Ciaran Tully Photography https://www.ciarantully.com 

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Ciaran Tully's love for his adopted home, New York City, comes through in his images--whether in sharp or soft focus. (photo: Grand Central Station)

Bird By Bird
Pigeon Be Pigeon https://pigeonbepigeon.com
What's more quintessential New York than a pigeon? It's practically NYC's official bird! Artist Simon finds these feathered friends to be quite whimsical and enjoys bringing smiles and laughter to people through his quirky cartoons as drawings or printed on tote bags and T-shirts. 

[Instagram: @pigeonbepigeon]

Last But Not Least
Need some colorful creations to liven up your life? Look no further than Nick Peate's bold artwork! [Instagram: @nickandthepeeps_nyc]

Due to COVID19, the lack of tourists, and much less street traffic, these lovely artisans are having a hard time. So, New Yorkers get out there and shop! Those in other places, can always buy online on the artists' websites. These lovely, handcrafted items make worthwhile gifts--and/or a nice treat for yourself during the pandemic!

ArtBeat#4: Must-See Art Exhibits in New York City

[After the COVID-19 shutdown, the WHITNEY opens Sept 3, 2020 & the Brooklyn Museum of Art on Sept 12, 2020. Several exhibits have been extended!]

Diego Rivera, Detroit Industry, North Wall-lower panel, 1932–33
(photo: Courtesy Whitney Museum)

Whitney
99 Gansevoort St; www.whitney.org
VIDA AMERICANA: MEXICAN MURALISTS REMAKE AMERICAN ART, 1925–1945  (Until Jan 31, 2021)

This is a stunning and important exhibit. Not only did Mexico’s three leading muralists—Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco--have a profound influence on art in general, they had a specific influence on American artists of the period, grappling with the Great Depression and the subsequent ravages of economic injustice. The Mexican artists created pieces portraying the working man's life and struggles that resonated with the public at large. They used the reality of social and political injustice to create masterpieces. The American artists were influenced not only by the subject matter of the Mexican painters, but also by their painting styles. (A fascinating factoid: Jackson Pollack, considered one of the major American artists of the 20th-century, learned his drip-painting style in a Siqueiros workshop!)

Frida Kahlo, Me and My Parrots, 1941 (photo: Courtesy Whitney Museum)

The artwork on display in Vida Americana is so exciting! In addition to the work by the famed Mexican muralists--Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco--"los tres grandes," other key Mexican artists featured include: Miguel Covarrubias, María Izquierdo, Frida Kahlo, Mardonio Magaña, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, and Rufino Tamayo.
Presented alongside is artwork by their American contemporaries, both well-known and under-recognized, including: Thomas Hart Benton, Elizabeth Catlett, Aaron Douglas, Marion Greenwood, William Gropper, Philip Guston, Eitarō Ishigaki, Jacob Lawrence, Harold Lehman, Fletcher Martin, Isamu Noguchi, Jackson Pollock, Ben Shahn, Thelma Johnson Streat, Charles White, and Hale Woodruff. 

Aaron Douglas, Aspiration, 1936
(photo: Courtesy Whitney Museum)

Vida Americana is a piñata of mind-blowing artwork: world-famous paintings, frescoes, sculptures, archival film clips &

photographs as well as you-are-there displays of the fabulous 1930s' murals in the Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market in Mexico City and the Rivera murals in the Detroit Institute of Arts. Go see it today! ¡Vamos!

***

Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801 & Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005 (photo: Courtesy RMN-GP & BMA)

Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn; www.brooklynmuseum.org
Most major museums are guilty of displaying artwork predominantly done by white males. BMA has consistently presented work from a wide variety of artists and these exhibits are excellent examples of that diversity:
Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley (Closed)
Kehinde Wiley (who did President Obama’s magnificent portrait) feels that the canon of important art pieces throughout history--stately portraits, public statues, bronze busts, etc.--have celebrated the achievements of white men, overlooking the Black cultural contribution. To address this inequity, Wiley started a series of artworks, Rumors of War. This exhibit features a few pieces from that series, spotlighting Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, Wiley's counterpoint to Jacques-Louis David's famous Napoleon Crossing the Alps. While Wiley's works can't right ever slight, they certainly get the conversation going!
Out of Place: A Feminist Look at the Collection 

(Reopens Oct 23, 2020)

Polly Apfelbaum, The Dwarves without Snow White
(photo: Courtesy BMA)

The title says it all: For too long, artwork by female artists has been considered "out of place" in museums and other cultural institutions. This exhibit features interesting--often whimsical--work by 44 female artists: including Louise Bourgeois, Beverly Buchanan, Chryssa, Thornton Dial, Helen Frankenthaler, Lourdes Grobet, Betye Saar, Judith Scott, Carolee Schneemann, Joan Snyder, and Emmi Whitehorse. Over half the works are on view for the first time, including key pieces from BMA's collection as well as new acquisitions.
Jeffrey Gibson: When Fire Is Applied to a Stone It Cracks
(Until Jan 10, 2021)

Jeffrey Gibson artwork & 

Charles Cary Rumsey, Dying Indian, 1900 

(photo: J. Carnegie)

 

Artist Jeffrey Gibson is of Choctaw and Cherokee descent. In this exhibit, Gibson questions long-held institutional categorizations and representations of Indigenous peoples and their art. Using objects from BMA's Native American art collection, along with examples of his recent work, Gibson creates a new narrative.
Climate in Crisis: Environmental Change in the Indigenous Americas (Until Jun 20, 2021)
This superb exhibit, featuring magnificent artifacts, explores the complex worldviews of Indigenous communities and how their beliefs, practices, and ways of living have been impacted by the ongoing threat of environmental destruction.
African Arts―Global Conversations
(Until Nov 15, 2020)
On view are 33 works, including 20 by African artists. Some are new acquisitions, other are never-before-exhibited objects. Presented in the 1st-floor gallery and in "parings" throughout the museum. By pairing diverse African works with pieces in BMA's collection, the idea is to get the viewer to reconsider the place of often-marginalized African art in the overall history of art.

Kuba artist, Mask, late 19th century & Gilbert Stuart, George Washington, 1796
(photo: Courtesy BMA)