Don’t be fooled by the mainstream media: Arts & Culture is alive in our borough and The Bronx has been at the forefront of arts and culture for decades and isn’t something new to the borough. We’ve been creating and exporting the arts in all its disciplines as long as our borough has been around. From the founding of Hip-hop to fashion designers and major entertainment artists along with the visual and literary arts, we’ve been doing it.
When the Bronx General Post Office was purchased by YoungWoo and Associates last year, one of the first things they announced they would work on would be the restoration of the landmarked interior murals—masterpieces from the New Deal Era by Ben Shahn created in 1939.
Earlier this year, after selecting Parma Conservation, LTD, the delicate work of restoring these important works of art treasures began.
“You’ve heard of American Idol. Now, get ready for Bronx Idol.
The Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District is sponsoring the musical contest, with the first round happening online through Aug. 15. The competition is opened to teens between ages of 12 and 19 and the Contestants are required to post a 2-3 minute video on YouTube showcasing their vocal talents.
Last year in August when Boogie on The Boulevard started with just 3 blocks closing off…
Out of the hundreds of “casitas” or little houses that dot community gardens across New York City, there is one that is known by folks all over—considered the oldest and largest one in NYC—and it is Rincon Criollo aka Casa de Chema named by locals for its founder, Jose “Chema” Soto who passed away Thursday at the age of 70.
When residents of the South Bronx were left to their own devices among rubble and ruin, Don Chema took it upon himself to clean up an abandoned lot on Brook Avenue and 158th Street 40 years ago back in 1975.
Today on one of our many excursions with The Bronx’s culinary ambassador, Baron Ambrosia, we…
I remember my first memories of watching television as a young child in the late 70s and early 80s. Each day I would sit down and watch Sesame Street which my mother diligently always made sure was on for me.
For me, it was an extension of school since I was already in Head Start at the age of 4 and Sesame Street, with Oscar, The Count, Big Bird, Burt and Ernie, and of course Maria (played by Bronxite and Emmy award-winning actress and writer, Sonia Manzano), were my after school teachers.
Tomorrow, when ‘Southpaw’ is released in theaters nationwide, a Bronx man will be gracing the silver screen in this sports flick that partially takes place in The Bronx (it’s mostly filmed Pittsburgh but some scenes were filmed in The Bronx).
Dominic Colón, a Bronx native still living in The Bronx, plays Billy Hope’s childhood chum, Mikey, who meet while growing up in a foster home. The role of Billy hope is portrayed by Oscar nominated Jake Gyllenhaal alongside the likes of Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams who also star in the movie.
After No Longer Empty’s residency and exhibition at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, ‘When You Cut Into The Preset The Future Leaks Out’, and over 6,000 visitors—over 75% from the area and not counting youth programs who graced the halls of this hallowed landmark—many have asked what now?
Well one possibility is that The Universal Hip Hop Museum—the only and official Hip-Hop museum chartered by the State of New York—may in fact call the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse Home. A fitting tribute given the fact that The Bronx is the birthplace of the global phenomenon that is Hip-Hop.
For 3 Sundays in August (August 2nd, 9th, & 16th) the center lanes of The Grand Concourse will be closed off to vehicular traffic from Noon to 4PM stretching from 161st Street all the way to 167th Street—doubling last year’s footprint of the event!
There will be tons of activities on these days for folks of all ages with free music, arts programs by local artists, and many more! Oh and speaking of art, The BxArts Factory will be on hand with art workshops in their outdoor gallery with DJs spinning music reflecting the borough’s diverse cultures as murals are painted by local artists!
The following is syndicated via The Bronx Documentary Center in response to criticism of Chris Arnade’s inclusion in their most recent exhibition, Altered Images, which explores 150 years of photographic manipulation whether by altering physical images themselves or setting up the scenes and passing it off as documentary journalism.
The images below may be disturbing and offensive to many. In fact, many people in The Bronx are offended at Arnade’s portrayal and exploitation of vulnerable women in Hunts Point and the depiction of a neighborhood that has already suffered from exploitation and outsiders controlling the narrative which is often not based on reality but often on fetishism.
After closing its doors in 1993, Fashion Moda still remains in the consciousness of many Bronxites and the art world. It was a place where The South Bronx (and The Bronx in general) collided with the downtown art scene when it opened its doors in 1980 in The Hub on 147th and 3rd Avenue.
It was a place where local artists mingled with legends like Keith Haring, who’s works also graced the walls of this iconic place.
In case you haven’t made it yet and have been meaning to do so, this…
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