I flew up to NYC last week with Yuri Tuma for Armory Art week. Yuri's a featured artist along with one of my represented artist, Zheng Tianming at the Butter Gallery booth at Scope Art Fair in New York.
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| Zheng Tianming, Nurse Series at Scope NYC |
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| Yuri Tuma, Garden Series at Scope NYC |
We landed Wednesday morning and Gregory DeLaHaba was generous to pick us up at JFK airport and take us out to lunch at a cute restaurant at Lorimer and Bedford (still can't figure out the name of the restaurant, but it was so yummy!) Gregory also invited me to the Armory Art Show on his VIP pass, but I had to regretfully decline, b/c Yuri and I bolted directly for Scope where we met Paco at the Butter booth for a bit of an art emergency. (Never fear! Tape Princess is here! - sorry, inside joke - just know that i'm crafty with tape) After the sticky situation, we went to Ear Inn for a bit of beer and mussels and then back to Scope for Press preview/Opening. As always, Scope is best at throwing parties. Phyllis Chen, toy pianist, paid me a visit and showed me her CD's (UnCaged Toy Piano and Mesmers). Met up with Arianna and Daisy and went out to a lovely meal at Cafe Mogador in the LES (still dreaming about that leg of lamb) What happened after consisted of going to a barber shop with a secret bar. At that point, I was so over it. I was glad when we left for my beautiful friend Miss Chichi's house, who happens to be in Paris and generous enough to lend me her apartment....with a gym...not that I ever went, but it seems so fancy!
Thursday started at 830 with breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien with Karen. Though painfully early and then only thing I REALLY wanted to talk to her about was her recent engagement to my college friend, Kyle Olmon - pop-up book extrodinaire. I was good and Karen was patient. She shared her wonderful insight on nonprofit and board formation. Then at 1030, I went to my 2nd breakfast with 2 graduate students (Angie and Tam) at the Milano, the New School for Urban Policy and their (and my) professor, Scott Gassman. We talked about ICFAC and how we can make it a bigger and better nonprofit. Scott and I met up with Yuri at the Pulse Art Fair. In contrast to Scope, it was a much more clean and professional fair (both literally and figuratively) But, like I said, Scope throws the better party, so after a quick lunch, Yuri and I ended back at Scope. Chin Chih Yang, multi-displinary-media artist who recently showed 123SolutionPolution at Butter Gallery, stopped in for a visit. Poor Paco, NYC cold has gotten the better of him, we dragged him out for a bowl of Ramen at Menkui Tei and called it an early night.
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| Repent, Rent, Repeat |
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| View from of Hudson from the West Side across the street from Scope Art Fair NY. |
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After a long commute Friday morning, I had lunch with Philip Liu of the Taipie Cultural Center in New York. He brought along 2 lovey artist from Taiwan who currently work in Brooklyn, Wan Jin Tsai and Lin MinChu. After my belly was full of noodles from a tasty popular Japanese spot around the corner for the TECO office in Time Square, I met up with Yuri and Bruce Stiglich, my dear friend and mentor for a our own little Gallery Walk in Chelsea. Some things worth noting in Chelsea includes the Independent Art Fair, an amazing installation by Tara Donovan at the Pace Gallery and also the beloved Jerry Mischak at Jim Kempner Fine Art whose art this Tape Princess approves! ;) After a romp in Chelsea, we ended up again, you guessed it! At Scope where I revealed to Mr. Stiglich of his recent acquisition of a drawing of the balloon boy from Tawnie Silva. We half shopped our way from the West Side through soho to the east side, where we had a delicious meal at Cafe Gitane. Then we made our way to the Bowery Hotel for the "Celebration for Globaal Ukulele". From there, we were exhausted, said good bye to Bruce and the night fizzled out, had a nightcap with Yuri at Niagara in the E. Village.
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| Love: Ari & Tahir |
Saturday started at the Verge Art Fair in Brooklyn and a nice visit to Chin Chih's booth. Like everything else in Dumbo, it's geared towards Brooklynites who love to get lost in Dumbo. The fair was very spread out and most people wandered around aimlessly. We walked around Dumbo and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and headed to LES to meet with Arianna. Met Karelle at the Wine Bar, mani and pedi at Top A and then off to Indian food at New Calcutta. It's so nice to catch up with friends.
Sunday rained and rained. Still after a delicious breakfast of eggs and sweet potato home fries (Ari's Kitchen), we trekked with half broken umbrellas to some galleries in the LES (it's what friends are for). Tried to visit Isaac at White Box, but he was not there but did get to meet Lesley at Lesley Heller Workspace. Then off to Trader Joe's for wine (miss that place) and tea and snacks at cute Japanese place upstairs in the E. Village. Finally met up with Yuri again at Scope and packed it all up! We then retreated to an undisclosed friend's place where he made us dinner and we were able to finally get some real R&R after a long full week.
Monday, I met my new friend Kazuko for lunch at yet another cute Japanese spot, Sakagura in Tudor City. We had the best time chatting it up and went to her apt where we had tea and yummy red bean/sticky rice dessert. Kazuko's the one who inspired me to blog again. I find the whole blogging process exhausting, then she told me that she only blogs once a week and at a certain time. Somehow, this made me over come my blog block...and here I am! Then off to Edie Nadelhaft's studio where I saw her new flesh painting. And wait till she comes out with her new series... We trotted over to Bread where I had the most amazing potato leek soup and then some galleries on the way back to her studio. I have to say, there are SO MANY new little galleries in the LES that I had a hard time telling them apart. One in particular stood out, Tellybeck Contemporary who partnered up with Island 6 art collective based in Shanghai. The show is called Plugged In - LED Artwork.
It felt so good to be back in a place where I know what's what and where's what and who's who. It's my first time back since officially moving away to Miami last August. I realized that my trips up to NYC must be more frequent and longer.
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