Weekend Art Events: February 1-3 (Soul Of A Nation, New World, Lazer Eyes, The Female Gaze & More)
This weekend is packed with fun things to check out, including Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum celebrating Black History Month and the closing days of the exhibit Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power. The Brooklyn Public Library is hosting the third annual “A Night of Philosophy & Ideas” featuring 12-hours of philosophical debate, performances, screenings, readings, music, and chocolate.
Check the Bklyner Calendar for more events happening around town or to list one of your own.
Swan Lake (Sponsored)
When: Thursday, January 31, 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm)
Where: Kings Theatre, 1027 Flatbush Avenue, Flatbush
What: This full-scale production, set to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and based on Russian folklore and German legend, follows a heroic young prince as he works to free the beautiful swan maiden from an evil spell. The first visit to The United States of America of the legendary National Ballet Theatre of Odessa with 55 talented and brightest ballet stars will bring this romantic tale of true love to glorious life!
How Much: Tickets start at $45
Opera On Tap New Brew Presents: Dirty Sexy Jazzy 2019 (Sponsored)
When: Friday, February 1, 8pm
Where: Barbés, 376 9th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues), Park Slope
What: Opera on Tap’s New Brewers engage jazzers in a naughty crossover dance doused with high-octane cocktails. Featuring never-before-heard jazzy arrangements of opera tunes by Drew Fleming, Ezra Gale, Jeff Hudgins, Mitch Marcus and Kamala Sankaram. And a few often-heard ditties that live in the jazzy/opera crossover universe already.
How Much: Suggested donation $10, register here
Bach & Gira
When: Thursday, January 31 through Saturday, February 2
Where: BAM, Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene
What: The 21-member Brazilian dance troupe Grupo Corpo presents two works by choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras blending ballet, modern, and Afro-Brazilian dance. First, dancers dressed in gold, black, and blue drop from enormous organ pipes as Marco Antônio Guimarães’ score reimagines Bach’s compositions. Then, the performers transport the audience to Brazil with Gira, inspired by the rites of Umbanda, one of the most widely practiced religions in that country.
How Much: Tickets start at $24
DEAD BLOOM || Solo Art Exhibition by K-NOR
When: Exhibition on view Thursday January 31 through Tuesday, February 5 (opening reception Thursday, Jan. 31, 7pm to 11pm)
Where: 3rd Ethos Gallery, 154 Knickerbocker Avenue, Bushwick
What: This series of surreal pen and watercolor on paper illustrations examines “the nature of human wickedness and its enduring effects. From acts of cruelty against the earth to the fear and violence we inflict upon each other. ” The Brooklyn-based artist/designer K-Nor creates a “fantasy of our own annihilation and presents an ominous vision of what we may leave behind to haunt the earth.”
Brooklyn Art Song Society Presents American Iconoclasts IV: Aaron Copland
When: Friday, February 1, 7:30pm
Where: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights
What: Brooklyn Art Song Society presents the fourth installment of American Iconoclasts— an all-Copland program—featuring twelve poems by Emily Dickinson paired with his music performed by soprano Kristina Bachrach, tenor Dominic Armstrong, and baritone Jorell Williams, accompanied by pianists Michael Brofman and Brent Funderburk. CUNY professor and art historian Patricia Mainardi will give a pre-concert lecture at 7pm.
How Much: Tickets $25, $15 students/seniors
Four Seasons
When: Friday, February 1, 8pm to 10pm
Where: Triskelion Arts, 106 Calyer Street (between Banker Street & Clifford Place), Greenpoint
What: Evening Crane Theatre presents this “heightened language play in four acts” written and directed by Michael Seebold.
How Much: Tickets $7
Fresh Squeezed Opera: The Female Gaze
When: Friday, February 1, 8pm (doors open at 7pm)
Where: Roulette, 509 Atlantic Avenue (at 3rd Avenue), Boerum Hill
What: Fresh Squeezed Opera premieres works by composers Whitney George, Gabi Herbst, and Gemma Peacocke as part of The Female Gaze, a feminist take on the concept of the male gaze. The project’s creators, vocalists, and characters are women, and the works are intended for a female audience.
How Much: Tickets $18 in advance, $25 at door
N+1 Issue 33 Launch
When: Friday, February 1, 8pm to 1am
Where: 53 Scott Avenue (between Randolph Street & Johnson Avenue), East Williamsburg
What: This Brooklyn-based non-profit culture and politics magazine celebrates the launch of its latest issue with music, art, and beer.
How Much: Free for subscribers; $10 for non-subscribers (includes a copy of the new issue at the door)
Lazer Eyes
When: Friday, February 1, 10pm (doors open at 9:15pm)
Where: National Sawdust, 80 N 6th Street, Williamsburg
What: Originally produced as a concept album by New York–based creative collaborative Van Broh, this electronic dance-opera follows classical form while using a variety of EDM styles. Amanda + James adapted the album into a multidisciplinary satire of the digital era, telling the story of a coal miner who strikes a magic meteor whose sparks leave him with lasers for eyes. The performance follows him as he becomes a hero, defending the world against a savvy media mastermind bent on enslaving the world one digital screen at a time.
How Much: Tickets $30 seated (in advance), $20 standing (in advance)
Alida and the Hummingbird
When: Saturday, February 2, 4pm
Where: Brooklyn Music School, 126 Saint Felix Street, Fort Greene
What: Based on a Puerto Rican myth The Legend of the Hummingbird, this original production by Brooklyn Music School’s Musical Theater and Performance Program celebrates the indigenous and Latin cultural heritage of America. Alida and the Hummingbird tells the story of true love that inspires compassion for all beings and builds bridges in times of conflict.
How Much: Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at door; $10 in advance, $12 at door (for BMS students and parents)
Enrico Riley: New World
When: Exhibition on view Saturday, February 2 through Saturday, March 23 (opening reception Saturday, Feb. 2, 5pm to 8pm. Artist Talk with writer/critic Antwaun Sargent at 6pm)
Where: Jenkins Johnson Projects, 207 Ocean Avenue (between Parkside Avenue & Lincoln Road), Prospect-Lefferts Garden
What: The paintings in Riley’s solo exhibit are part of an evolving cycle that investigates themes of historical and contemporary violence, martyrdom, and grief. The recent media reports of reflexive violence perpetrated on African-Americans has blurred the boundaries between the historical record and the problems still facing contemporary culture. Riley’s paintings can be used for remembering and reflecting on grief, but also to investigate the links between the old and new worlds.
Target First Saturday: Soul Of A Nation
When: Saturday, February 2, 5pm to 10pm
Where: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights
What: Celebrate Black History Month and the closing weekend of the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power. Highlights include music by percussionist Winard Harper, singer/songwriter/guitarist Toshi Reagon, and multi-genre vocalist YahZarah performing a set dedicated to female artists and ideas of reclamation in the age of Black Power. There will also be Black Gotham Experience, a visual storytelling project; a screening of Mr. Soul, about the first Black talk-variety show nationally broadcast on public television; and artist talks with Kameelah Janan Rasheed and Kamoinge Collective.
A Night of Philosophy & Ideas
When: Saturday, February 2, 7pm through Sunday, February 3, 7am
Where: Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Heights
What: Brooklyn Public Library and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy present the third annual A Night of Philosophy & Ideas. This 12-hour event brings philosophers, musicians, artists, and authors from around the world to the Central Library from sundown to sunrise for philosophical debate, performances, screenings, readings, and music. Click here for the full schedule. The event will also feature a Golden Ticket Contest—Trader Joe’s will distribute free chocolate bars containing a number during the twelve-hour event. A pop-up Ask the Philosopher booth set up at the City Point (445 Albee Square) Trader Joe’s will announce five winning numbers on Saturday, February 9 at 12pm, awarding the lucky ticket holders with a $500 gift certificate to either Trade Joe’s, DeKalb Market, Century 21, Joybird, or Alamo Drafthouse Cinema!
How Much: Free
HER-ICANE: All Femail-Identifying Stand Up Comedy For Disaster Relief
When: Saturday, February 2, 10pm (doors open at 9:30pm)
Where: Union Hall, 702 Union Street (at 5th Avenue), Park Slope
What: Hosted by Kate Villa (The Break With Michelle Wolf) and Jenny Gorelick (Jenny’s Birthday Show at Union Hall), this monthly showcase of all female-identifying comics supports disaster relief—because women are funny and the planet is in crisis. This edition features comedians Carmen Lynch, Marcia Belsky, Rebecca O’Neal, and Hanna Dickinson.
How Much: Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at door
Concerts On The Slope Presents: Sounds of the 80’s
When: Sunday, February 3, 3pm
Where: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 139 St. John’s Place (at 7th Avenue), Park Slope
What: Lucy Warner promotes her book, Zap! Boom! Pow! Superheroes of Music with violinist Eriko Sato, violist Kaya Katarzyna, cellist Benjamin Larsen, and pianist David Oei performing Saint Saens: The Swan (1886); Charles Villiers Stanford: Piano Quartet no 2, Op 133 (1913); Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: String Trio (1982); and Antonin Dvorak: Piano Quartet no 2, Op 87 (1889).
How Much: Suggested donation $20
Looking ahead…
BRIC Biennial: Volume III, South Brooklyn Edition
When: Exhibition on view from Thursday, February 7 through Sunday, April 7 (opening reception Wednesday, February 6, 7pm to 9pm at BRIC House)
Where: BRIC House, 647 Fulton Street, Fort Greene and various satellite locations
What: The third edition of BRIC’s Biennial will showcase the work of 19 emerging and mid-career artists in South Brooklyn (Park Slope, Gowanus, Sunset Park, and Bay Ridge) at BRIC House as well as at five satellite locations including Green-Wood Cemetery, La Bodega, NARS Foundation, Ortega Y Gasset Projects, and Trestle Gallery. With this year’s “The Impossible Possible” theme “rather than reflecting our current state of affairs, their work looks inward, whether reflecting the sphere of the personal or some alternate reality.”
Disney’s DCappella (Sponsored)
When: Saturday, February 16, 8pm (doors open at 7pm)
Where: Kings Theatre, 1027 Flatbush Avenue, Flatbush
What: DCappella, Disney Music Group’s new a cappella group featuring 7 world class vocalists, will embark on its first North American tour in January 2019. Created by Disney and contemporary a cappella legend Deke Sharon (Pitch Perfect, The Sing Off, and much more), the tour will appeal to fans of both Disney and a cappella with their modern a cappella versions of Disney hits.
How Much: Tickets start at $39.50
Oscar @ The Crown
When: Friday, January 18 through Saturday, February 2
Where: 3 Dollar Bill, 260 Meserole Street (at Bushwick Place), East Williamsburg
What: Sequins, reality television, and the complete works of Oscar Wilde: not much else survives in a secret bunker far in the fascist future. Presented by The Neon Coven, this immersive nightclub musical details the rise and fall of one of history’s most flamboyant characters. And it’s about the Real Housewives and a minor character from The O.C.
How Much: Tickets $25
Trish Townes: “Let This Be America”
When: Exhibition on view Thursday, January 3 through Sunday, February 3
Where: 440 Gallery, 440 6th Avenue, Park Slope
What: Artist Trish Townes‘ first exhibition at 440 Gallery features abstract paintings based on designs from Islamic, Chinese, Tibetan, East Indian, Nigerian, and Malian cultures created on transparent mylar sheets. The sheets are painted on both sides, with one side displaying the colors of the American flag. Townes hopes “that showing harmonious composition of the different designs may inspire people to work and live peacefully together.”
Tom Bennett: Paintings and Master Prints
When:Exhibition on view Sunday, December 9 through Saturday, February 9, 2019
Where: Tabla Rasa Gallery, 224 48th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues), Sunset Park
What: Bennett’s artwork features “impassioned brushwork, bold compositions, and rich subject matter” including bucking horses and classical nudes.
Processing
When: Exhibition on view Saturday, October 20 through Friday, February 15, 2019 (Fridays 3pm to 6pm, or by appointment)
Where: The Old Stone House, 336 3rd Street (between 4th & 5th Avenues), Park Slope
What: The Old Stone House presents an exhibition of current work by the members of the Gowanus Swim Society artist collective. The eight artists manipulated their art materials through “intentional, systematic procedures that sometimes incorporate[d] chance,” producing work that borders on representation and abstraction while showing “the evolution of most artists’ work processes.”
Faces Of Downtown Scene By Maria Baranova
When: Exhibition on view Friday, January 4 through Saturday, February 16
Where: The Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen Street, Boerum Hill
What: Maria Baranova‘s two-year “Faces of Downtown” project is dedicated to NYC’s experimental performance community. The photographer has shot more than 200 portraits of off-Broadway dancers, choreographers, actors, producers, playwrights, designers, and directors at her Gowanus studio, including Ivy Baldwin, Yanira Castro, Meg Harper, Bobbi Jene Smith, and more.
Styles of Resistance: From the Corner to the Catwalk
When: Exhibition on view Friday, January 18 through Sunday, February 24
Where: MoCADA Museum, 80 Hanson Place, Fort Greene
What: MoCADA kicks off its 20th anniversary with this fashion-focused exhibit that examines the origins of streetwear and urban fashion, and its evolution from the 1970s to today.
How Much: Admission $16
Lost Angelino: An Immigrant’s Tale
When: Exhibition on view Friday, January 11 through Friday, March 1
Where: South Slope Local/Uptown Roasters, 355 7th Avenue (between 10th & 11th Streets), Park Slope
What: Park Slope artist Gabriel Rivera presents artwork documenting his life’s journey, from emigrating to the United States from Mexico, serving in the Vietnam War, and becoming a business owner, family man, and activist. Read more about Rivera here.
Scoring The Stacks
When: Exhibition on view Friday, January 11 through Sunday, April 7
Where: Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Heights
What: Brooklyn-based artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed presents this participatory public art exhibition and workshop series at BPL’s Central Library. Visitors are introduced to the exhibit by a 120-foot site-specific photomural on the balcony of the Library’s Grand Lobby. At the heart of Scoring the Stacks are a series of scores, artworks based on musical notations, that invite participants to interpret/follow instructions that take them throughout the library. A series of public programs will also invite attendees to collaborate in creating lyrics, choreography, and flash fiction using scores contributed by the public.
