New Beginnings Animal Rescue Shelter beneft at Vivienne’s
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, F 50 EBRUARY 15-21, 2019 BTR
House of Ebony poster at BAAD! Bronx Academy
of Arts and Dance
A benefi t event for New Beginnings
Animal Rescue Shelter will be held
at Vivienne’s Cocktail Lounge, 3044
Westchester Avenue (in Pelham Bay) on
Saturday, March 9, from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Entertainment will be provided by rock
band Resurrection.
Admission is free. For further information
call Vivienne at (917) 468-5387 or Fran
at (718) 931-2438.
If you would like to adopt a pet in need,
email newbeginningsanimalrescue@gmail.
com.
* * *
BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and
Dance presents GET TOUGH, GET BAAD!,
an annual series of fi lms and events celebrating
queer power, diversity, defi ance,
strength and visibility. The series was initiated
in 2010 to take a stand against violence,
and to counter negative and victimized
images of queer people in the media
from homophobic attacks in the Bronx and
New York City.
GET TOUGH, GET BAAD! presents
narrative fi lms that are empowering to the
LGBTQ community that feature queer, people
of color as the protagonists, and also
offers events that celebrate queer strength
and value. This year’s installment presents
two empowering narrative fi lms, the fi rstever
screening of Felix Rodriguez’s fi lming
of a 1993 House of Ebony Ball along with
his short fi lm on the late Hector Xtravaganza,
father of the House of Xtravaganza,
and the series ends with a showing of Seyi
Adebanjo’s fi lm and performance project,
Afromystic.
GET TOUGH! GET BAAD! runs from
Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February
24, at BAAD!, 2474 Westchester Avenue.
All events are free.
For reservations, directions and further
information call (718) 918-2110 or visit www.
BAADBronx.org.
The events are as follows:Thursday,
February 21 at 7 p.m., free: Akron: In this
lush, refl ective love story, with the beauty of
rural Ohio as its backdrop, Benny Cruz travels
an emotional journey that examines both
his own feelings for Christopher, a teammate
with whom he shares a deep love,
and his family’s ability to come to terms with
a past tragedy. Filmmaker Brian O’Donnell
will lead a Q&A after the screening of the
award-winning fi lm that EdgeMedia.com
called, “A wonderfully refreshing coming-ofage
story that captures all the passion and
excitement of two very fresh-faced, wholesome
kids in the glow of fi rst love.”
Friday, February 22, 8 p.m., free: 20th
anniversary restored edition Watermelon
Woman And Greetings From Africa: Set in
Philadelphia, The Watermelon Woman is the
story of Cheryl (played by the fi lm’s director
Cheryl Dunye), a twenty-something black
lesbian struggling to make a documentary
about Fae Richards, a beautiful and elusive
1930s black fi lm actress popularly known
as “The Watermelon Woman.” Uncovering
the meaning of Richards’ life, Cheryl
evokes a fl urry of new questions about herself
and her future as she interacts with gay
and black communities. Also screening is
Dunye’s short fi lm, Greetings From Africa,
which the New York Press described as “A
winsome comic confessional... Dunye is so
endearing that I felt privileged to spend 8
minutes in her company.”
Saturday, February 23 at 8 p.m. (Happy
Hour begins at 7 p.m., free: The Legendary
Iconic House Of Ebony Ball (1993) and
exclusive Hector Xtravaganza docudrama:
Bronx-based fi lmmaker, Felix Rodriguez,
captures and screens for the fi rst time the
legendary House of Ebony Ball from 1993.
Founded by Larry Ebony, the Legendary
Iconic House of Ebony prides itself in being
a leader in the ballroom scene for nearly 40
years. Swerv Magazine said of the House
of Ebony, “All balls are not created equal…”
and Ebony knows how to serve a ball. The
evening will also include the full screening
of a Rodriguez’s 20-minute short fi lm on the
late Hector Xtravaganza, the grandfather
and a pioneer of the ballroom scene who
passed on December 30, 2018. The evening
begins with a Happy Hour at 7 p.m.
and snack food throughout the evening with
an open stage at intermission.
Sunday, February 24, 6 p.m., free: Afromystic:
Artist, fi lmmaker and scholar, Seyi
Adebanjo, leads the Afromystic experimental
performance & writing workshops which
discuss mythology exploring Queer aspects
of the Òrìṣà’s and uses the stories to create
gestures/movements. This showing will be
a culmination of the performance and fi lm
work created in the workshop.
BAAD!/AATT receive support from the
Ford Foundation, the NYC Department of
Cultural Affairs, the SHS Foundation, the
Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Howard Gilman
Foundation, the Lincoln Center Cultural
Innovation Fund, the New York State
Council on the Arts, Councilmembers Mark
Gjonaj and Ruben Diaz, the Jerome Foundation,
the Emma A. Sheafer Charitable
Trust, the New York State Regional Economic
Development Corporation, the Yankee
Community Benefi t Fund, the Rubin
Foundation, the Harkness Foundation for
Dance, and private donations.
* * *
The New York Botanical Garden,
Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) at Fordham
Road, will offer the following programs:
#plantlove: The Weekend: Saturday,
February 16 to Monday, February 18: Exploring
the root of our love for plants
The root of our love for plants is an innate
force of nature known as biophilia. Explore
this fundamental attraction through
an all-new exhibition in the Enid A. Haupt
Conservatory, curated viewings of the vast
collections of the William and Lynda Steere
Herbarium and LuEsther T. Mertz Library,
informative tours, a propagation demo, and
a #plantlove Happy Hour co-hosted by The
Sill, ihavethisthingwithurbanjungles, and
ApartmentBotanist—each designed to help
foster a deeper connection with the natural
world.
Biophilia: Sharing Our #plantlove, ongoing:
Discover the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s
permanent collections anew—
palms, cycads, Monstera, ferns, cacti, and
so many more—through the lens of the curators
and gardeners who care for them.
Explore their love for plants and the stories
they reveal about nature, adaptation, and
human culture.
Collect the Love: Steere Herbarium
Open House, Saturday to Monday, noon to
3 p.m.: Delve into the remarkable scientifi c
history of our love affair with plants during
a behind-the-scenes look into the William
and Lynda Steere Herbarium.
The Herbarium is the second largest
collection of dried plant specimens from
around the world and throughout time. Here
you will learn about the evolutionary origins
of your favorite houseplants and see collections
of their wild relatives. Immerse yourself
in stories of professional and amateur
plant hunters, whose dedication and love
for plants have infl uenced culture, art, and
conservation. Craft your own paper plantain
lily to take home as a memento.
Read the Love: LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Open House, Saturday, noon to 3
p.m.: What does a fl oral bouquet really say?
Uncover the “language of fl owers” and literary
fl oral lore throughout the ages.
The staff has selected rare book and
exquisite plant illustrations that express every
emotion, from Victorian plant mania to
contemporary romance. See unusual treasures
such as pressed plant albums, handcolored
folios, and gold-stamped bindings,
and take home a #ColorOurCollections coloring
book as a souvenir of the Mertz Library.
Hear the Love: Angélica Negrón Performance,
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Palm Dome, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.:
Angélica Negrón debuts as the year-long
composer in residency at NYBG.
Saturday, February 16: Panorama:
Amanda Gookin and Eleonore Oppenheim
perform works by Angélica Negrón and
other contemporary composers who were
inspired by their love of plants and nature.
Sunday, February 17: Paisaje: Angélica
Negrón performs her original sonic landscapes
scored for voice, percussion, and
plants.
Toast the Love: Happy Hour in the Pine
Tree Café, Saturday, 3:30 to 5 p.m.: Cohosted
by The Sill, ihavethisthingwithurbanjungles,
and ApartmentBotanist: Meet
up with fellow plant lovers for botanically inspired
drinks and crafts.
Recycle the Love: Crazy for Composting
Workshop in the Watson Education
Building, Saturday, 10 a.m. noon and 1 to
3 p.m.: Are you passionate about composting
but want more from your bin? Join the
NYC Compost Project Hosted by NYBG for
a workshop fi lled with the practical tips, advice,
and encouragement you need to take
your composting to the next level, whether
you are just starting out or have been digging
in for years. RSVP at nybg.org.
‘Gram the Love: Rain Forest Tour in
the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Saturday
to Monday, 2:30 p.m.: Tour the Haupt Conservatory’s
Rain Forest Galleries to fi nd the
most “Instagrammable” plants and spots—
from a wall of climbing Monstera deliciosa
to the Vanilla orchid and Theobroma cacao.
Grow the Love: Propagation Workshop
and Q&A, in the NYBG Shop, Saturday, 3
p.m.: Want to grow your own plant babies?
Join experts Marc Hachadourian, Director
of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator
of Orchids at NYBG, and The Sill, to
learn the basics of how to cultivate plants
from cuttings. See how sometimes it takes
as little as a single leaf from a plant you’ve
been admiring to establish a thriving new
specimen of your own.
Grow the Love: Propagation Bar in the
NYBG Shop, Saturday to Monday, 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m.: All weekend long, stop by NYBG
Shop for the debut of the new propagation
bar, featuring favorites such as neon pothos,
rex begonias, and more. Purchase
rooted cuttings taken from mature plants to
pot and grow to their full potential at home.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
All-Day Exploration, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:
Children of all ages can explore the wonders
of science and nature in our outdoor
12-acre garden. Climb the boulders and
view the landscape below from your high
perch, dash through Beth’s Maze, and
check out the cattails and lily pads at Habitat
Hub.
Putting Down Roots: Celebrating 30
Years of Bronx Green-Up through April 28:
NYBG is commemorating the 30th Anniversary
of its community gardening outreach
program with a photo exhibit including 36
photographs from 15 of the gardens and urban
farms where NYBG’s Bronx Green-Up
works.
Bronx Green-Up supports more than
200 local greening groups, schools, and
community organizations in their missions
to improve their neighborhoods through
greening projects. In honor of this anniversary,
four teen photographers from the
Bronx Documentary Center’s Bronx Junior
Photo League—18-year-old Tony Baizan-
Garcia, 19-year-old Kayla Beltran, 18-yearold
Mitchell Harris-Dennis, and 16-year-old
Tianna Maldonado—spent the summer visiting
Bronx Green-Up community gardens
and urban farms, documenting the activity
of these organizations, from planting,
weeding, and composting to harvest and
celebration. Their dynamic photos will be
on view showcasing community-building
and activism taking place all across the
borough.
Bird Walk, Saturday, February 16, 11
a.m.: Bring your binoculars and walk the
Garden grounds with a bird expert. You’ll
search for our feathered friends and learn
more about bird-friendly habitats, passage
birds, and those that make a permanent
home at the Garden.
Winter Wonderland Tree Tour, Sunday,
February 17, 2:30 p.m.: Embark on an invigorating
45-minute walk to view the Garden’s
stately conifer collection and old growth forest
in the beauty of winter. Even in cold
weather there’s plenty of interest in our gardens
and collections.
For more information, call (718) 817-
8700 or visit nybg.org.
/EdgeMedia.com
/www.BAADBronx.org
/BAADBronx.org
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