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  • Special Guest Presenter Jeremy Danneman Shares Experiences with Students

  • 11 years ago
  • 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 wi[...]

  • Michael Alan Benefit/Exhibition, January 19th at NOoSPHERE Gallery

  • 11 years ago
  • HOSTED by: NOoSPHERE Arts, Art for Progress, Amber De Vos, Mike Kronenberg, D'stroy And Rebuild, Joseph Meloy, Moody and many more invite you to a be a part of a positive cause. Michael Alan will be showing over 20 new and old works, drawings, paintings and prints for Auction in the project space of NOoSPHERE Arts On Saturday, January 19th at 7pm. The goal of the exhibition is to raise funds to help Alan who has been struggling physically with 2 major injuries in the last year. One of those injuries occurred as a result of a serious car accident in June 2012. Sales on works and donations from friends, family and all attending will be a good starting point to help Alan move on from these hard troubles, and get him the help he needs. It's been an uphill battle after unsuccessful spinal surgery, dealing with permanent nerve damage and a serious brain injury. This benefit will hopefully allow some relief for Alan by raising money towards his outrageous medical bills, and getting better medical attention than what he has received. We hope to see you on January 19th. You can help make 2013 a better year for the New York-born and raised, wild child artist Michael Alan. This show is made possible by the help of NOoSPHERE Arts, a fun non-profit artist space in the Lower East Side. Special Thanks to Klemmens Gasser and Tanja Grunert for their support and concern. Special Thanks to Frames and Framers of Short Hills and Printmor for their help and donations. This show w[...]

  • Michael Alan's "Living Installation," an Extraordinary Experience

  • 11 years ago
  • We had the opportunity to work with Michael Alan and attend the show on November 9th. It was a great experience to work with Michael and his crew. They really put their hearts and souls into this production, and there is a great sense of community among them.  We also used this opportunity to help some of the people in Staten Island who are having a really difficult time. Guests brought food and made donations throughout the evening, and Michael personally delivered the goods to his hometown people in need. The show itself tells a lot about the man. Given his physical state and the demands of the show, it's clear Michael is a giver and a fighter. The show on November 9th was 8 hours long with a short break after a 4 hour stint. As people came to the door and were greeted by the lovely Caridad Sola, they were asked to pay $20 if they were not on the guest list. There were very few names on the guest list for this show.  Many who might have expected to be on the guest list responded, "I'll pay the $20 to support Michael." To our surprise, Michael contacted us a few days after the show and said he wants to do another show on November 24th. He was so pleased and energized by the last show that he wants to do it again. We're proud to be part of the show again. Below are some great shot's from the show and you can view a fantastic video that captures the essence of the performances. photos courtesy of Joseph Meloy

  • Art Education Update

  • 12 years ago
  • Art for Progress hosted a student recording project incorporating participants from the 2011-12 Bronxdale High School after school music program, which was open to students from all of the Schools housed in the Christopher Columbus High School campus. The students had written and prepared a song in the weeks before the recording dates, and on August 28th, 29th, and Sept 1, met teaching artist Barry Komitor at Zen Archer Studio in Chinatown. Bassist Jason McFarlane and Guitarist Raymond Moreta were joined by guitarist Randy Rivas, Drummer Jacob Roberts, and vocalists Celeste Pasian and Queen Manson. The group learned about the process of setting up microphones to record all of the instruments, as well as the process of recording a live band. The group learned firsthand about the level of intensity involved in committing work to a permanent medium. Most importantly, the project focused on the cooperation involved in working as a group with a common goal, including taking initiative and making compromises, and overcoming doubts and fears. The project was a great success and the students each received a CD of a mixed recording of the song to take home and enjoy.

  • Art for Progress to host Michael Alan's Living Installation

  • 12 years ago
  • New York City Non Profit to host Michael Alan’s “Living Installation” Friday, November 9th at ABC NORIO Art for Progress (AFP), a NYC 501C (3) nonprofit, is proud to announce its hosting artist Michael Alan’s “Living Installation, Family Misfit Healing” on Friday, November 9th   at ABC NORIO in NYC’s Lower East Side. The epic art performance piece which has been featured in The Huffington Post, Marie Claire, Gothamist, Hyperallergic and many others, is the creative genius of artist Michael Alan. As described by Alan, The Living Installation Project is a human activist art mission. The main goal is reinforcing that humans are living installations by creating a space for people to open up, come together and are all equal through the process of creating art. After 8 years of creating performance art, Michael Alan was recently severely injured and suffered major spinal damage as well as a concussion. His injuries have affected his ability to walk and perform. Despite his physical challenges, the Living Installation Project will return November 9th @ ABC NORIO for a special 8 hour healing show. Family Misfit Healing: No matter how different and odd we all might be we all have the power to heal. Alan while healing after intense spinal surgery will team up with 7 performers to create a world based on acceptance and growth. A strong dynamic family portrait will be born, created from scratch. The 8 hour mega show, a true experience/happening, will be an escape where guests can d[...]

  • "Mixed Greens" returns to The Paper Box, Saturday, August 25th

  • 12 years ago
  • Mixed Greens returns this month with a new date, but you can expect the same fresh, diverse music, brilliant performance art and thought-provoking video installations you've come to expect at AFP events.  Plus,  The Paper Box is in the coolest neighborhood in Brooklyn and the tacos can't be beat! What more can you ask for on a Saturday night? Our original opening band for the evening, The Disappointment have another commitment, but El Pueblo has been added to the ticket.  They're a fantastic reggae, dub band (latin and jazz influences) who are known for their powerful performances.  We are sure El Pueblo will get the night started properly. Not walking the line between na trapeze, epic-symphonica, and electropunk, the music duo Muj is a mish-mash of musical styles.  In their performances, they are known for playful improvisations and unexpected intense instrumentations. Muj segues seamlessly from ferocious, soaring guitar jams to moving melodic departures. They are now working on a feature-length documentary including an original soundtrack. When The Coffin Daggers take the stage, get ready for an all out assault on your senses. A staple on the New York live music scene,  The Coffin Daggers forge a new sound that will both overwhelm and delight the senses. The NY based surf-punk, instrumental rock band has released a full length album  and two singles to critical acclaim. The super-talented, creative, architect, performance artist Caridad Sola has rightfully become the r[...]

  • "Mixed Greens" Debuts Saturday Night at The Paper Box

  • 12 years ago
  • Saturdays late press and artist information.. Morning Fuzz: In 2011, the Brooklyn based band released their second EP titled, "Shadows in the Rearview" to rave reviews.  They recently performed at Spike Hill and have some dates coming up next month in the midwest. Thunda Vida: With four original albums released since the band formed in 2006, Thunda Vida has been bringing roots reggae to the masses across NYC for over 5 years. Mariami: She's been featured by Indie Music Universe and recognized by Skope Magazine as an "Artist to Watch."  The Georgian born soul, R&B, jazz artist Mariami, immigrated to NYC with her family when she was 7 years old. Caridad Sola: The Cuban-American multi-media visual artist has performed at several AFP events over the past year including Fountain Art Fair, Miami and New York as well as the "Brooklyn Beat Festival" in June.  Although you never quite know what to expect, Caridad always leaves you wanting more. Sindy Butz:  Sindy is a Berlin based visual and performance artist currently residing in New York City. Sindy likes to create discourse between fashion, science and technology in her conceptual work. Cat Del Buono: The daughter of Italian immigrants, Cat is a video installation artist  whose work focuses on how society defines beauty. She incorporates performance, interactive video, and humor as a way to engage her viewers. Andy Slate: Andy is a highly praised DJ/Producer currently residing in Miami Beach, Florida. His recent product[...]

  • Art for Progress Art Education Update

  • 12 years ago
  • Another exciting school year has ended and AFP's impact and our programs continue to grow. The Sansom Foundation recently awarded Art for Progress a $20,000 grant which was a thirty percent increase over last year's grant! We are ecstatic that the foundation has increased their support for the program.  Though the funds are very important we believe the vote of confidence from the Sansom Foundation is even more important as we focus on applying for more funds to expand our important work in the NYC Public Schools. A special thank you goes out to Barry Komitor who has been instrumental in the development of the program in many ways. His passion and dedication to the organization and the students is unwavering.  If we just had a few more Barry Komitors, we can do so much more! In the following video, Barry and some of our students at Bronxdale High School offer some insight into AFP's Music Program. Thanks to our intern Fred Hua for doing such a great job working on this video. http://youtu.be/8I7Drhip1JM