OUTPOST continued from p. 15
you walked in you were judged. We
want people to feel comfortable. There
is no hierarchy. It doesn’t matter if you
are an artist for four days or 40 years.”
The key criteria are passion and commitment
to the work. “We provide a
platform for emerging artists through
exhibitions, screenings, readings, performance
and more,” Frank added. “We
are also always open to new ideas.”
Not all of the artists are new to
exhibiting. On my recent visit, the walls
were covered with the black and white
acrylic work of mat eis, a neighborhood
inhabitant who was a semi-fi nalist for
a residency. “I was walking by and saw
this space, and inquired. I had never
shared this body of work with anyone.
I’d wanted to create a story of who I was
,but against a backdrop that felt empty
and without context,” he explained,
while making lemonade for visitors.
“The subject of all of my pieces is
the potential interplay between physical
matter of different types. A shampoo
bottle that tells the future… a fl ower
that breathes like an organ. My work is
part imagination and part observation
of the diverse matter that sits unnoticed
and waits patiently to be rattled into
its own mystical clairvoyant existence.”
Words and letters fl oat through the
paintings. In one piece, the word “help”
is repeated and appears to release the
letter “e” as if it could not be contained;
above that, water drops fall freely from
behind a faucet, which has the words
“keep moving” on the spigot.
Last December, East Villager Gina
Healy went three for three in keeping
with the vision of mounting new
platforms, experimenting with original
forms, and merging medias. Healy is a
STREET THEATER continued from p. 16
ing the audience with him. Among
the show’s most telling didactic elements
is a sequence in which a certain
evil TV reality show host (Alex
Bartenieff) is transformed into an
African American, a woman, and
a Middle Eastern immigrant and a
welfare recipient, in hopes that he
can learn a little empathy. And there
is also a nod to Therese Patricia
Okoumou, the activist who performed
that eye-catching protest at the Statue
of Liberty this past Independence
Day. In a third scene, the ghost of
Albert Einstein appears, and quotes
from a famous letter he wrote to his
daughter, in which he said that the
most important energy force in the
world is love.
An untitled work (acrylic paint on black paper, 20 x 20) by mat eis. “My process behind
the work,” the artist said, “is very much about building a language.”
singer/performer who, with her partner
Angello Olivieri, provided some of the
music at the gallery opening. She also
has a background in dance and costume
design, but had never curated a
show. Her idea was to provide a venue
for friends who she considered great
photographers, but who were known for
their expertise in other areas. She called
the show “The Artist Behind the Lens.”
“I likened this experience to creating
a set of costumes,” Healy said,
“and I chose photos that I liked, hoping
to make some money for everyone.”
“The street theater is very important
this year,” Marcante said, noting,
“We’ve got this bully, this narcissist,
turning the country into a Fascist
state, separating children from their
parents. It’s important that we get
people out to vote in the midterms, to
change this path we’re on.”
Marcante, who is celebrating his
34th year with the street theater, is
a veteran fighter who has lost none
of his enthusiasm for the fight. He
and the whole company will be giving
their all to inspire us all over
the city with performances through
Sept. 16.
Free and open to the public.
Manhattan performances, all shows
2pm, include Sat., Aug. 4 at TNC (E.
10th St. at 1st Ave.); Sat., Aug. 11 at
Tompkins Square Park (E. 7th St. &
Image courtesy of the artist
Included were musicians Luigi Scorcia,
Greg Holt, as well as this writer. Scorcia,
who is also an actor, goes as far back as
Max’s Kansas City with his band Luigi
and the Wise Guys, and traveled the
world as the late Johnny Thunders’
bassist. He remains active on the music
scene, and while his friends are familiar
with his photography skills, he had
never shown in a gallery. “Being in the
show brought back memories of how
it was in the late ’70s and early ’80s,
going to little pop-up shows and seeing
my friends’ work. It was how we hung,
Ave. A); Sun., Aug. 12 at the Central
Park Bandshell (72nd St. crosswalk);
Sat., Sept. 8, at Washington Square
Park; and Sun., Sept. 16 at St. Marks
huddled, and met new people, and
learned what was happening since there
was no Internet or Time Out New York.
The lovely curator Gina Healy hung two
pieces of my work… nice to have your
art bought, and to have memories of
‘Da Alphabet Jungle’ as it was.”
Holt, whose current band is “Fiddler
and the Crossroads,” was formerly
the fi ddle player for the Tampa Bay
Lightning and, in 2016, was inducted
into the International Blues Hall of
Fame. He’s also attracted many admirers
of his photographs and his use of
color. “I really enjoyed displaying my
artwork,” he said. “It’s a nice, clean
space that was big enough for all six of
us, plus a lot of local street traffi c added
to the charm (and sales!).”
On Sun., Aug. 12, 1-6pm, the fi rst
annual Living Arts Festival will mark
The Living Gallery Outpost’s fi rst anniversary.
Festivities include a BYO Art
show at the gallery and an open mic,
live performances, bands, face painting,
and workshops at the Sixth St.
and Ave. B Community Garden. More
details available at facebook.com/
events/271201630301694.
As co-founder Alexandria Hodgkins
wrote in the press release, “We’ve had a
year to experiment and see what people
respond to. We defi nitely want to offer
more opportunities for artists to show,
develop their careers, and network in
our space.” As per Nyssa Frank, “It’s
been such an honor to house our gallery
in a beautiful building, where the community
has been so welcoming! This
fi rst year has exceeded my dreams on
every level. I can’t wait for more!”
The Living Gallery Outpost is located
at 246 E. Fourth St. (btw. Aves. B & C).
Visit thelivinggalleryoutpost.com and
facebook.com/thelivinggalleryoutpost.
Church (E. 10th St. at 2nd Ave.).
For the full schedule, visit theaterforthenewcity.
net or call 212-254-
1109.
Theater for the New City • 155 1st Avenue at E. 10th St.
Reservations & Info (212) 254-1109
For more info, please visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net
TNC’s Street Theater Co.
Shame! or the
Doomsday Machine
book and Lyrics by Crystal Field
Music By Joseph Vernon Banks
all performances are
FREE! FREE! FREE!
Opens Sat. August 4th
Right here on 10th Street
TheVillager.com August 3, 2018 17
/thelivinggalleryoutpost
/facebook.com
/thelivinggalleryoutpost.com
/www.theaterforthenewcity.net
/www.theaterforthenewcity.net
/TheVillager.com