. (From the Bed-Stuy Patch) Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation is breaking the silence on the taboo subject of sexual violence and exploitation within the black diaspora, with its bold introduction of “Sex Crimes Against Black Girls,” a multimedia art exhibit that opened Saturday, February 5th, at The Skylight Gallery.
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(nydn) After his only son was killed by a stray bullet last summer, legendary TATS CRU artist Hector(Nicer) Nazario began reflecting on his own childhood. He recalled playing freeze tag, using his imagination to transform bricks from abandoned buildings into toy cars, watching his sister sing into her hairbrush like it was a microphone. These memories of city life inspired the new art show "Like a Child at Play" opening today at The Aurora Gallery in Astoria. "I wanted bring people back to that childhood innocence even if it's just for a quick second," Nazario, 44, said, as he spraypainted the finishing touches on a canvas of a doe-eyed boy riding a Big Wheel tricycle at his studio in Hunts Point, the Bronx, where he grew up. He thinks young people today are becoming increasingly introverted.  More...

(nydn) The controversial exhibition about graffiti and street art at Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art, "Art in the Streets," won't be coming to the Brooklyn Museum next year, and it's a huge loss for New York City. Museum director Arnold Lehman cited "the current financial climate," but that hasn't stopped people from criticizing the show as a celebration of vandalism and expressing joy at its cancellation. "Art in the Streets," organized by Jeffrey Deitch (former owner of Deitch Projects, where I was a director), has been the most attended exhibition in the history of the MOCA - and it has surely broadened the institution's audience. This is art by and for the people; the people have responded. The artworks in the show, which range from Keith Haring's legendary subway drawings to Kenny Scharf's black-light "Cosmic Cavern"; paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat to Dash Snow's daring photography (whose posthumous contribution to the show I organized), are full of wild and wonderful energy; I can't fathom anyone walking through this fun-fest without being buoyed up by its optimism.  More...

(wapo) The funkiest UFO in the galaxy is about to land in Chocolate City. The Mothership — the iconic stage prop made famous by legendary funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic — has been acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture where it will help anchor a permanent music exhibition when the museum opens its doors in 2015. “I’m about to cry!” Parliament-Funkadelic frontman George Clinton said over the phone from his home in Tallahassee on Wednesday. “They’re taking the Mothership! They’re shipping it out! . .  More...

(nyt) A new exhibit at MoCADA is reacting to the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti by looking into the country’s past and present while imagining its future. “Re-Imagining Haiti: Le Projet Nouveau” features work ranging from photos of vodou ceremonies that take place at a Brooklyn temple to photo collages printed on transparencies that students at nearby M. S. 57 produced in collaboration with local sculptor Scott Johnson. Shante’ Cozier, one of the show’s curators, describes the collective work produced by M.  More...

(nyt) In the late 1970s, when Lonnie G. Bunch III had his first job at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black squadron, accused the museum of playing down their contributions during World War II. In response, the museum asked some of the African-Americans on staff to allow their faces to be used on mannequins, increasing the “black presence” in its exhibits. “I didn’t do it,” Mr. Bunch said recently, who was among those asked.  More...

Interesting look at Detroit and neglect. . . . .  More...

(nydn) Graffiti artist Michael (Iz the Wiz) Martin, a legendary figure who painted scores of subway trains during a prolific career, has died of an apparent heart attack, friends and blogs said yesterday. He was 49. Martin collapsed at his brother's Florida home early Wednesday, and later died. Known for his trademark "Iz" tag, Martin grew up in Queens and was a prominent figure among old-school graffiti artists and the hip-hop pioneers who hung out with them. Just last week, he appeared at a Bronx art gallery where he painted lifesize replicas of subway cars for fans.  More...

(bbc) The ancient city of Babylon - in modern-day Iraq - has engendered a rich legacy in art and thought, from great paintings to contemporary film and music. Next month, the British Museum brings together such works of imagination with archaeological treasures - to try to reveal the reality behind the legends. The exhibition will look at famous myths and stories - including the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens, and King Nebuchadnezzar's madness. (view source to see slideshow) . .  More...

(nyt) Jim Helman said he was skeptical 10 years ago when a city official suggested that residents of his racially divided neighborhood work together to paint a mural with the theme of racial unity. “I failed to see how some silly mural was going to create equality and justice,” said Mr. Helman, 62, a community organizer and retired nightclub owner. But in a series of community meetings, his doubts evaporated as black and white residents began to work together, first on the composition of the mural and then on a variety of neighborhood issues like trash collection and street repair. The mural, titled “The Peace Wall” and depicting a dozen hands of different ethnicities overlaying one another on a sky-blue background, is a product of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.  More...

(lat) From Soviet realism with a twist to portraits of American rap stars might seem something of a leap -- but not necessarily for Alexander Melamid. The Russian-born artist has often been interested in creating more than a bit of political havoc. Known for decades for work that was both bold commentary and incisive satire, Melamid and his creative partner, Vitaly Komar, were renowned as conceptual art rebels in Soviet Russia and were also considered to be the architects of the Soviet Realist Pop Art movement. But in 2003, Melamid parted ways not just with Komar but also, it seemed, with the international scene. As it happened, Melamid had simply turned another creative corner.  More...

This is just a newsflash that the stage play about Domestic Violence within the church and on the college campus is coming to Brown Memorial Baptist Church on 10/17/08 at 7pm. New Playwright Dana Burnett will debut Play and host premiere party that will feature secret celebrity guests, DV advocates and the cast. Premiere Tickets will be $20-Adults,$15-Seniors and $10-Children. Play will then be at the Producers Club Theater in Manhattan on 44th between 8th and 9th. Oct 24,25,26,Nov 1st and 2nd.  More...

(Orlando sent) U. S. citizens and residents of Latin American, Caribbean and Spanish descent have made huge contributions to American society and culture. It's proper to honor those achievements on the National Mall in Washington, D. C.  More...

(wapo) There's electricity in the air. Sarah Vaughan is in the room. So is Lionel Hampton, Bessie Smith and Ray Charles. Present is Willie Mays. So are Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jessie Owens and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.  More...