June 1

The artist Austin Thomas is having an opening for her new gallery space, called Pocket Utopia (site coming soon) just off the Morgan L Stop, featuring a site-specific installation by Jonathan VanDyke titled The Salon of the Covered Bride.

Friends Felicia Ballos and Michael Mahalchick are among the performers in the Movement Research Festival presentation of Populous by AUNTS at Judson Church at Washington Square:

Friday June 1, 7:30pm & 9pm, $8 suggested – Judson Memorial Church Gym
Like varieties of a species in a zoo, Populous is the controlled manage- ment of nine separate but simultaneous performances. The edges of the space are parceled off for each performance, delineated by markings on the floor, with a space in the center of the room for the audience. Each performance is allowed unlimited construction of movement, sound, light, and energy within its parcel. Visit: myspace.com/aunts. Ana Keilson. Liz Santoro. Juan Adley. Felicia Ballos. Jacqueline Fritz. Christine Elmo a.k.a. Andy’s MoM. Jennifer Rosenblit. Michael Mahalchick. Ede Thurrell.

June 2

Frankie Martin will be performing "frankfurter freakout" from 3-6pm at John Connelly Presents as part of the AVAF (Assume Vivid Astro Focus) installation.

Tomorrow is the last day to purchase special tickets for the NURTUREart benefit on June 4. Details:

• Combination ticket with gala entry and choice of one artwork for $200

• VIP Preview (early collecting at the champagne reception) includes choice of one
  artwork for $275.

Go here to buy tickets.

While I appreciate the fact that a lot of money is flowing into the art world right now, and a lot more artists (even ones I know) are making a living from their art, the idea that ones hires an art advisor to "save time" figuring out what one likes is revolting. Some selective quotes from today's New York Times:

As for the collectors themselves, there appear to be as many types as there are art styles. Most buy the art because they love it, and some buy it for investment reasons. As for others, “no doubt — it makes a banker look more colorful and erudite when he can discuss his art at a dinner party,” Ms. Wächter-Campbell said.

While some work with advisers to accumulate art piece by piece over a number of years, others buy a new vacation home and call to say, “Fill it with art.”

Some collectors are like Ronny Zinner of Boston, who could not imagine building her contemporary collection without Leslie Rankow, a consultant based in Manhattan. “I am extremely busy, and Leslie does an incredible amount of research and legwork to stay informed of what’s going on in the art world,” said Mrs. Zinner, who comes from a family of art collectors and owns works by artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Ms. Rankow organizes art walks with her client’s taste in mind, previewing each gallery and work to build an efficient itinerary. She prepares dossiers on artworks and artists that Mrs. Zinner and her husband, Dr. Michael Zinner, are considering adding to their collection.

...

Artnet also creates virtual showrooms for more than 1,700 galleries in more than 250 cities around the world, so that advisers and their clients can start a worldwide search for an artist or style without leaving their computers. There is good fortune in strolling through a gallery and falling in love with a particular work, said Ms. Rankow, but strolling takes time — and many clients have little of it.

Strange Eyes, 2005
mixed media

While we were traveling, ArtCat got its first artist outside of the U.S., David Kefford. The work I've seen so far looks quite interesting, so I'm excited about this!

His about page says:

David Kefford is an artist who uses low-tech craft processes to transform "redundant and un-loved" found and ordinary objects into surreal creations imbued with human characteristics and emotions.

Check out the site as he adds more info, or subscribe to the RSS Feed to follow along.