We’re hard at work creating the new AFP site and we’re planning to launch it very soon. The new site will be a blog based website with each artist also having a personal blog and many new features. Everyone is super excited to experience the new site and you won’t have to wait much longer.
We hope you’re enjoying the summer! Stay tuned!
On Sunday, we have another spectacular line-up of music & art, and the festivities get started just around the time the parade ends. Sunday’s DJs & performers will take us on a bit of a different trip with a little more electro, a hip hop beat, or two and of course that big pop remix, but we’re not trying to categorize Mr. Tedd Patterson. That would be impossible.
When Tedd steps to the decks a true musical journey will begin. Those who are familiar with his sets understand what to expect- a perfectly selected fusion of many dance music genres, and even a little bit of the unexpected. Tedd’s long running residency at NYC’s Cielo is a mainstay in the dance music community and a place where dance music aficionados gather every month to experience Tedd’s creative, dynamic sets. On the other hand, if you like the more popular vibe in today’s dance music sound, we have plenty of that as well.
We’re pleased to have Ms. Chaisley Lussier playing with us for the first time, Chaisley will be joining us from Philadelphia where she’s been creating a name for herself with her many talents. Though she hales from the city of brotherly love , NYC has a lot of love for Chaisley too. You can find her playing at some of the cooler spots around town quite regularly.
Next to take the stage will be AFP favorite Kevin Graves. When Kevin’s not remixing the latest pop chart buster, he’s traveling internationally spinning at top spots, creating major buzz and doing what he does best. Kevin is very active in the gay community and we know this is a special weekend for him and we’re happy to be sharing it with him.
Stepping on stage next to takeover on the ones and twos is another AFP veteran spinner, Bass Control (aka Dennis Sebayan). When Dennis is not spinning around town he’s hosting his UMF Radio Show on Sirius and helping Ultra plan for its next big festival. With much experience gigging at Ultra each year in Miami, we’re excited to hear his track selections for Artists4Equality!
Tunacola, our only scheduled live act on Sunday will take the stage at 8pm and we are jacked to have this popular, electro-pop hop group from Santiago Chile perform at the festival. The band is currently touring the U.S. with a high energy, infectious performance that’s not to be missed. Tunacola’s style and flavor will be the perfect set up for our next performer, Roxy Cottontail.
Roxy has been making a name for herself over the past several years with her unique flair and style. Her ascending career is highlighted by features on popular television shows and important industry magazines, invitations to perform at national festivals and production opportunities with some of the biggest names in the biz. We’re thrilled to have her perform at AFP’s Artists4Equality Festival!
When Tedd Patterson takes the stage for his closing set, the party will be in full swing with high energy and a park full of smiling faces. Our celebration in support of equality and education will be coming to an end, but we will continue to fight for these same causes as a group and as individuals.
After an inspiring night of live music, DJs will takeover the spotlight Saturday and they will set the tone for a night of dancing under the stars in the greatest city in the world. While many of the performers are veterans of the underground NYC scene, we do have a long time NYC favorite who’s at the top of his game right now, and that DJ is Hector Romero.
Hector, once known as “Baby Hec” in his early years in the biz, is a taste-maker, a so-called DJs DJ, who always delivers for the masses. Currently, you can find him tantalizing crowds from Italy to Tokyo with his eclectic sets that cross dance music genres. We’re fortunate to have him for this special night in support of equality and art education in NYC. But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we’d like to introduce our other talent on hand for the evening.
Brooklyn’s Sal Leone is stepping back into the scene after a short hiatus and we’re sure Sal will bring his best Saturday. Sal formerly part of the Deepa crew, who have thrown raucous deep house parties around these United States for many years, knows how to rock a party and he’s not just spinning deep house anymore!
Next up is Atilla Da Hun who’s the ever-present Saturday resident at his East Village mainstay Key Bar. Atilla has a keen sense of knowing what his guests want to hear and on any given Saturday you can catch him playing extended sets of great house music to a dedicated crowd that knows who they came to see.
AFP’s own, DJ Gatto brings a certain flavor to the dance floor with creative sets that stretch the dance music landscape. From the deepest bombastic sounds to the tribal hard house classic, you’re never quite sure what you will hear, but you know people will be shaking their asses. Whether its opening for Derrick Carter, Charles Webster or Scumfrog, one things for certain, quality underground house music is on the menu.
Just back from LA, DJ/Producer Andy Slate will spin the last set before Hector takes over to close out the evening. Andy has quite a resume going back to his days when he organized the first Hungarian float in 1997 for Berlin’s Loveparade. Since that time, his productions have become frequent selections of dance music heavyweights such as Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin and many others. Currently, Andy’s track “Shake It” is getting huge play from many of the top players in the business.
As Hector takes over to a packed dance floor on the east river, the level of excitement and energy will be off the charts. It’s not Ibiza folks, but it will be pretty damn close. Don’t miss this special night!
Art for Progress will feature a special night of live music performances on Friday, June 29th from 4pm – 11pm at Solar One Park (East 23rd Street & East River) as part of the “Artists4Equality” Festival. We are so pleased to present such an exciting line-up of gifted bands, musicians, singers and song writers at Solar One Park on Friday night. Some are still a bit underground, while others have produced multiple albums and play regularly at the best live music venues in NYC, but all will be equally impressive. There’s no doubt that Solar One Park will be the place to hear live music on Friday night.
Opening up the festival (5pm) will be AFP’s long time member, teacher and board member Barry Komitor. Barry’s an accomplished performer who will have a full back up band in tow to perform his soon to be completed album and some other favorites. It will be the perfect beginning to a spectacular night.
Next to take the stage at 6pm will be the multi-talented Lachi and her band. Lachi, who’s music is most described as jazz-influenced, piano driven alternative rock, performs regularly at SXSW and CMJ in NYC. Lachi is known for her high energy, mesmerizing performances and exceptional song writing.
The newly formed electro pop duo Bonesugar will take the stage at 7pm and from what we’re hearing their sound is influenced by Kanye West and Timbaland. Expect hip hop beats, live drums with indie vocals.
The next performer to take the stage, Idgy Dean, is the solo act of Brooklyn based Lindsay Sanwald. Experimenting with accumulative sound, percussion and choral arrangement, Idgy Dean builds haunted rhythm-driven songs, recorded and produced alone at home and looped live on stage. She’s about to release her second record, “Ominous Hominus” and we’re thrilled that the festival is on her busy schedule of gigs this summer.
Comandante Zero is no stranger to AFP events as we’ve featured them many times through the years and most recently at last year’s festival in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The electro-funk duo, consisting of bassist/producer CØm1x (Dan Freeman) and hip hop drummer Jibrail Nor, mix the heavy live groove of bygone dance bands like Chic, a modern electro sound and baritone Leonard Cohen-esque English and Spanish vocals. Always the crowd pleaser, Comandante Zero will have you dancing nonstop.
Headlining this excellent night of high quality music is another Brooklyn-based band Ellis Ashbrook. We were first introduced to the band when they played at AFP’s Mixed Greens event at The Paper Box in Brooklyn. In the words of the owner of the venue, they are a “kick ass band!” What’s most impressive about Ellis Ashbrook is their ability to transcend trend with a genre bending style that will leave you breathless.
In between sets we have the very talented DJ Jago throwing down some tracks to keep the party rocking. Every time we hear him play we are so impressed with his skills on the decks. Jago is a regular on the Noise212 show and his eclectic taste in music is sure to impress.
We are proud to present such an impressive line-up to open the festival. Don’t miss this exciting night of live music!
We are gearing up for an incredible festival next weekend, and look forward to experiencing art and music in all their glory. With some of NYC’s most innovative artists on board for installations, look no further than the East River.
For AFP’s “Artists4Equality,” Michael Alan will be drawing his life long love Michele Grannis who will be donned in a hand made painted dress and custom designed accessories created by Alan. In a 5 hour act of love, devotion and romance, witness Alan, the line maestro, will create many drawings live while celebrating their love in a piece titled, “Love is the Only.”
“Even the reclining male figure of Prostitution looks restless- the angular, attenuated limbs and their busy surfaces bring to mind one of Egon Schiele’s more anxious self portraits.” – Robert Shuster, The Villiage Voice, Best in Show
Kim Holleman is best known for her seminal work, “Trailer Park: A Mobile Public Park,” which has been featured in the NY Times and shown at several different sites in the city.
In Holleman’s words, her installation at Solar One Park is an enormous Festival Flag which will fly in Stuyvesant Park. The fabric flag is huge, brightly colored and has metallic elements, so it acts as a terrific visual marker and color-pops against the sky. I designed to have some dimensionality too, so when it catches the wind, it fills out creating some interesting 3D shapes as it flows.
I had the idea that the patchwork in the flag was the perfect symbol for the gathering together of peoples to create a community structure that’s vibrant, flexible and represents all types of characteristics including equality.
Berette Macaulay is a talented multidisciplinary artist, whose artistic expression ranges from award-winning photography to dance, and of course installations. Berette’s created a special interactive installation for the festival titled, “Embrace Difference.” This project is a multicolored interractive installation quilting process conceived by Berette Macaulay, and created for and by all participating festival attendees. The quilt is designed to show that though we are not the same, we are equally valid parts of a whole.
The painted canvas pieces will represent each color band in the Pride Flag signifying:
Life (red), Healing (orange), Sun (yellow), Nature (green), Serenity/Harmony (blue), and Spirit (violet).
The quilt will build with each person’s canvas wish square and attached to the whole with hemp twine until it’s finished.
Anyone can do this. We create ‘equality wishes’ on provided canvas pieces by drawing an outline of our hands, writing a wish or a statement about equality inside our ‘hands’, and then adding it to the quilt. The full size quilt measuring 6 x 7 feet will be on display til the end of the Festival.
For those who become friends of Art For Progress or follow SeBiArt on Facebook, they can look for us to tag themselves in the quilt-photo online.
Daniel Maldonado is a well respected, award winning filmmaker who always gets your attention. Maldonado’s installation for the festival will feature his film “Spectacle of Death” which is a film/video examination on the active perception of observing death and its various presentations, forms and meanings that struggle through projected light.
Cat Del Buono is an artist who always brings innovation and humor to the art world, with thought-provoking pieces that incorporate both film and performance. Her work has been featured during Miami Art Basel among other noted venues, and is always surprisingly light while broaching heavy subject matter.
Cat’s piece to be featured at the festival is titled “Swimming Upstream.” The video installation is inspired by Brooklyn’s East River and the fact that pollution keeps people and wildlife from being able to swim freely and safely in the waters surrounding New York City. Since it can’t happen in reality, it happens in a projection.
We’re thrilled to be featuring three days of interactive, thought-provoking performance art at Solar One Park for our upcoming “Artists4Equality” Festival. Artists Caridad Sola, Sindy Butz, and Cocoon NYC will perform original pieces on all three days. We are so pleased to have these talented artists on board, and their performances are not to be missed!
Caridad Sola is known for pushing boundaries and creating emotional, thought-provoking art. If you have been fortunate enough to see one of her performances, you know that it is always fresh and exciting. Broaching topics from romantic relationships to politics, Caridad is sure to bring us performance art filled with energy and emotion.
We were fortunate to work with artist Sindy Butz during our “Mixed Greens” series last year. Through an artistic form of experimental dance called “Butoh,” Sindy creates edgy, ethereal performances. As an artist, Sindy Butz is not afraid to touch on human experiences that are common to us all, and cross racial and sexual boundaries. This time she will have us thinking of marriage and getting married.
Cocoon NYC, curated and led by artist Sherry Aliberti, is a project that revolves around multiple persons and experimental dance in a very special “cocoon.” Interactive and symbolic of life, their performances breathe energy and newness to the air.
Art for Progress is pleased to present its 2nd annual music and arts festival, Artists4Equality which will take place on Friday, June 28th through Sunday 30th at Solar One Park on NYC’s East River (East 23rd Street). Artists4Equality will feature three incredible days of music, performance and installation art from exciting emerging artists and more established headline acts.
Solar One Park is the perfect outdoor summer venue for the festival which will kick off on Friday evening June 28th. The opening night will feature live music performances from some of the most exciting emerging talent in NYC including the super talented Ellis Ashbrook, while Saturday’s focus will shift to DJ and electronic music culture with DJ Hector Romero headlining the evening. On Sunday, NYC Cielo resident DJ Tedd Patterson will headline the night as both live music and DJ’s share the stage.
Cutting edge performance and installation art will be featured all three days as we turn the park into a virtual adult playground of art & music.
Confirmed Artists: Hector Romero, Tedd Patterson, Ellis Ashbrook, Kim Holleman, Idgy Dean, Andy Slate, Gatto, Roxy Cottontail, Kevin Graves, Daniel Maldonado, Cat Del Buono, Berette Macaulay, Dennis Sebayan, Comandante Zero, Sindy Butz, Bonesugar, Atilla the Hun, Sal Leone, Sherri Aliberti, Barry Komito, Chaisley Lussier, Caridad Sola and many more TBA..
Artists4Equality will take place on gay pride weekend in NYC and will feature many artists from the LGBT community.
The festival doors will open at 4pm each day and close at 11pm. Limited tickets will be $10 in advance and $25 for all three days. Special early bird tickets will go on sale next week for $8. Stay tuned for more details!
On Tuesday March 12, the AFP music program at Humanities Preparatory Academy was fortunate to host Jeremy Danneman of ParadeOfOne for a special multimedia presentation to students. Mr. Danneman is a truly unique artist with a poignant social message that made a palpable impact on the students and their perspective on art, music and world events. The presentation involved showing students slides, playing both live and recorded music, and discussing his experiences having visited Rwanda and Cambodia, two countries that have been recently ravaged by genocide. He shared stories about and recordings of musicians he was fortunate to encounter in these locales, and collaborations he performed with them, despite having possessed no other means of communication with them save for an interpreter. His enthusiastic explanations of his motives for doing this type of work and colorful retelling of his experiences illustrated beautifully the potency of music and arts to bridge social divides, and to introduce a new, living meaning to cultural exchange and painful, but important world events. The presentations culminated with live performances by Mr. Danneman on saxophone and clarinet, and in one case included myself playing guitar in an impromptu musical improvisation that tied together the power of all the skills that students have been learning in class for the past semester. AFP would like to thank Mr. Danneman for visiting our classes, and look forward to hosting him again soon along with a musician from Cambodia, whom, coincidentally, has his picture and story on a public service poster in the hallway of the school!
