Author: Kelly M. Coffey

Long Island has a groovy list of exhibits this summer, including Heavy Metal: Photographs by Jan Staller at the Heckscher Museum of Art running through the end of July. The Jazz Age exhibit comes to an end July 8th at the Nassau County Museum of Art, but no fret my pets, you will always be able to find something amazing to gaze upon on their grounds. A Mirror to Nature, a new sculpture by Marko Remec has been integrated. David Filderman Gallery at the Hofstra University Museum is wrapping up its current exhibit at end of July. The second installation…

Last Spring my mom moved back to Ridgewood after living in Puerto Rico for 27 years. A woman born and raised in Brooklyn, she hadn’t seen it as we know it to be today. When I was growing up on Menahan Street in the 80’s, we spent our summertime at Grover Cleveland & Juniper Valley Parks playing softball, riding my bike, and eating pizza afterward. Mom hadn’t visited the neighborhood except for once in the three decades she was gone and was looking at it from a whole new perspective. It was exciting and strange to give her a tour…

Marilyn, as she has several exciting new initiatives coming up including: A group show at Robert Mann gallery that opens on June 14, 2018. The exhibition is about current female icons who are symbols of empowerment, coming together, caring, and lifting each other up as opposed to historically male systems of power that focus on force, domination, division and destruction. In this case, Marilyn’s work will be a tribute to Connie Johnson who is running for Governor of Oklahoma. She is a progressive fighting for budget reform, funding education, legalizing marijuana, criminal justice reform and more. She really stands out in…

There is no greater joy than to see the sun pop out in May and watch people immediately convert to wearing tanks on their runs even though it’s still 50°F. Late spring is all about planning the celebration to a short, wonderful, warm, sunny season! Here are some ideas before spring is all over. June has some extraordinary events full of collaboration and engagement throughout. Here are just a few for you to check out! End your spring with Big aLICe in Long Island City, Queens! They are celebrating their 5th Anniversary this Sunday, June 10th brewed just for you!…

The life of a creative is a whole lot of fun, even if it doesn’t pay a single bill. There are exciting gallery exhibits rich with networks of aspiring creatives, enthusiastic directors, engaged educators; and passionate spectators everywhere! We chat endlessly about what is trending; the histories behind the images, the theories and philosophies, and plan many, many trips to various museums, concerts, qi gong classes, and shows. The joy I feel when I see people’s visions materialize into something tangible never ceases to invade my soul, I’m always left in awe of the works which are presented. Julie Cousens,…

I enrolled in an Art History class when I was in college a million years ago. I think I went to two classes and dropped out because it was painfully boring. The professor stood in a dark class and talked about slides she showed. She just droned on and on which simply wasn’t engaging for me. I should’ve known better – I’ve never been a fan of history, in general, and need to be able to participate in things I want to learn. These days I can’t even imagine what schools are teaching students about art (if anything at all)…

We’ve all seen that hashtag on stupid memes and as captions for the rich, famous, and spoiled, but not so much on the humblest and hardest working people. It often seems they’re the ones who suffer quietly and simply get things done while their achievements go overlooked. While I totally understand how it’s easy with all the ugly things going on in the world to want to lighten up the mood with jokes (hey, we all got ‘em), it makes me sad to realize how many of us are suffering on the inside. If we look long enough at history’s…

Fun things all over Long Island, Five Boroughs, and Westchester County to keep you busy for the month of May. Long Island: Art Market Hamptons Arts Alive Long Island (and their incredible, extensive list of LI art communities) The Bridgehampton Musum Great South Bay Brewery 2018 Bay Fest Hamptons Art Hub The Heckscher Museum of Art Islip Art Museum Long Island Beer Events Long Island Children’s Museum Long Island Craft Beer Week The Long Island Museum Events Long Island Wine Country Events Nassau Museum of Art The Parrish Art Museum Steinberg Museum of Art Zachys Summer BBQ Series NYC:  212…

A Woman to Revere: Anna Walinska Expectations are such a funny thing. They really can influence which path we choose when we’re trying to make decisions, big and small. I never expected to find myself embarking on a new adventure when I received a press release from an art publicist about the Nassau County Museum of Art which premiered an exhibit titled, Anything Goes: The Jazz Age in Art, Music and Literature, curated by the Museum Director Dr. Charles Riley. Here I learned of an artist named Anna Walinska, a woman to be revered for her free spirit as she…

www.publicartfund.org Doris C. Freedman: First Director of Cultural Affairs for New York City, President of The Public Art Fund, and Host of WNYC’s Artists in the City. The influence for public art has in one way or another been in demand in this city for as long as I can recall. Central Park, for example, has been the home for the Alice in Wonderland statue and Strawberry Fields, the memorial for the late John Lennon. I feel fortunate to have grown up with these landmarks as a playground and to see their effects on other city dwellers today. These places…