Tags archives: Daniel Maldonado

  • "NYC based arts organization Art for Progress (AFP) teams up with local Miami artists to celebrate the link between Cuban and South Florida culture for Art Basel 2016." NYC based arts organization Art for Progress (AFP) teams up with local Miami artists to celebrate the link between Cuban and South Florida culture for Art Basel 2016.  The events will take place in South Beach with an art exhibit opening on Friday evening and a rooftop- fashion, music and performance art event titled, Cosa Rica is set for Saturday night. The art exhibition, “P.U.E.N.T.E.” which opens Friday evening (6:00pm – 9:00pm) December 2nd, will feature eleven artists (Nestor Arenas, Willie Avedano, Orestes De La Paz, Michael Gray, Catalina Jaramillo, Brandy Lynn, Guido Mena, Cristina Victor, Sterling Rock, Belaxis Buil)working in various mediums (paintings, sculpture, installation, textile and drawings). After many decades of frosty relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the recent positive developments have brought a feeling of excitement and hope to the Cuban people of both South Florida and Cuba. The exhibition observes the relationship of the artist to their environment- changing landscapes and ability to adapt-retreat, refuge  and escape. The show which will run through Sunday, December 5th and is curated by Belaxis Buil whose work has been exhibited in “Intersectionality” and “Taz” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, Art Shanghai, China, Tacheles Museum, Germany and Art Basel Miam[...]
  • Winner of Best Narrative Feature at the Queens World Film Festival last month, H.O.M.E. is a poignant, beautifully shot film about the importance of human connection. Its director and co-writer, Daniel Maldonado, a lifelong New Yorker, shows us aspects of the city we don’t always see via two interconnected stories: One features Jeremy Ray Valdez as Danny, a young runaway with Asperger’s Syndrome who is living in the subways. The other thread concerns a struggling Ecuadorian cab driver, Gabriel (acclaimed Mexican actor Jesús Ochoa), who helps a distraught Chinese mother (Angela Lin) get home to Chinatown. Maldonado’s first feature, H.O.M.E. has both a dreamlike, impressionistic quality and realistic characters and scenes, a testament to his unique artistic vision and desire to create something human and relatable. The New York subway system is also a major character in the film; through Danny’s eyes, it is a repository of complex beauty and sometimes overwhelming stimuli. The film will be screened at 10:45 pm on Friday, April 15, at Cinema Village, as part of the Manhattan Film Festival. Last week I spoke with Maldonado about the making and the meaning of H.O.M.E.: You studied film at the School of Visual Arts? I kind of went about it in a roundabout way; instead of trying to get into a 4-year program, I went to night school, because I was pretty much supporting myself. After two years of night classes, I completely fell in love, so I switched into the degree pro[...]
  • Haven: Saturday, July 25th at The Mothership, Brooklyn- 7pm - 1am It's summer and it's time to celebrate with great music and art!  AFP is co-hosting this rooftop soiree with our good pals over at NOoSPHERE Arts. Barry Komitor's (AFP's Art Education Manager) band Bad Faces is set to perform with solo music performances from Lesley Kernochan and Charles Davi.  Also, AFP's Executive Director Frank Jackson (aka DJ Gatto) is breaking out some select choices from his vast vinyl collection, and longtime friend DJ/Producer SR SERGE will be spinning a late set for your dancing pleasure.  To add to the flavor, we have AFP artists Daniel Maldonado (Gashouse Films) and Jeanne Wilkinson creating video installations, while Cat Del Buono will present her "Beauty Box" installation. Last but not least, the very talented performance artist Duckie L'Orange will intrigue us with her creativity. Check out the invite below, grab a six pack or a bottle of wine and let's celebrate!!
  • As we gear up for another school year, we've been hard at work applying for two new grants (Lily Auchincloss, Investors Bank Foundation), developing our new artist blog site, and planning events for the fall. In June, the Sansom Foundation awarded AFP another generous grant for the fourth consecutive year. The funds will help support an expanded effort to market AFP's Arts Education Programs to new schools and partner organizations. We developed a great new brochure and we have been reaching out to many new schools across NYC over the summer. If you're a teacher or school looking for dynamic artistic programming, let us know! We're equally excited about our new artist blog site which was launched in June. We have several great bloggers writing across various art genres. Hooking us up with fresh news, interviews and reviews in visual art, performance and such is Anni Irish. Anni's a Brooklyn based writer & editor and a graduate of NYU. You can check out her new posts in the middle of the month and the end of the month. Heading up our nightlife, parties, clubs blog is none other than former TONY's nightlife editor and all around great guy, Bruce Tantum. Bruce has DJ'ed at many AFP events through the years and when this opportunity came up I couldn't think of someone we would rather have on board. Bruce's blog titled, "We Learn Dances" posts on the first of each month. AFP's super duper, all around volunteer and fashion guru Allyson Jacobs heads up the fashion blog. A[...]
  • Definition of the word HOME- -n- the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered; adv-deep; to the heart ♥ ; v. to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes. H.O.M.E. - as an acronym it can be interpreted as wherever you call home. Some might say it’s "wherever you lay your head at night" and that definition may or may not be odds with the dictionary, but it may still be correct. The word HOME has many meanings to many people. Hence the title of our film, H.O.M.E., as an acronym home-print This is where the genesis began. To feature the themes of individuals in New York City who are experiencing urban alienation through an immigrant perspective.  Throughout this writing process we decided that eliminating one of the previously planned 3  stories would create a stronger body for the script that would allow the 2 stories to complement each other to still retain the idea that these are not stand alone accounts but a multitude that would convey the essence behind the themes of the film.  Hence the synopsis H.O.M.E. is a feature film about the human condition, comprised of 2 different but related stories involving characters who have intimate and meaningful encounters through the lens of a disconnected and alienating city. Set in New York City, the characters in these stories find themselves in an internal struggle with their environment and proceed to navigate through their path of understanding. The basis for th[...]
  • Many thanks to Art For Progress for creating this forum to allow it's artists/bloggers a platform to discuss their  multi -creative disciplines as well as specific works of art . I've been a member/artist of AFP for a long time and have happily witnessed their growth over their ten years! As a NYC independent filmmaker for 20 years, I'm glad they asked me to blog about film.  Being new to blogging, I was at first excited then nervous. This was due to the many different directions I could take. So I feel the best way to start is from my own experience in directing my first full length feature film entitled "H.O.M.E." Not to get into my filmography/resume too much but I've been writing, producing and directing short films for 20 years. I've worked in the industry on production crews for most of that span which also includes many various other roles I've played whether in post production, programming  or even assisting in running film festivals! Let's just say instead of getting the "ol feet wet" I jumped into the pool and have been swimming ever since. In recent years, I'd been focusing more on my own personal projects to cultivate that "dream career" of being an artist/filmmaker in NYC. Well everyone knows by now how difficult that can be and so you better know how to "hustle" in order to juggle your creative aspirations with the reality of living in the most  artistically competitive places on earth.  With the personal projects, i.e. short films, I was able to hone in [...]
  • 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 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 gatherin[...]
  • 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[...]
  • Ellis Ashbrook, Idgy Dean, Liquid Sound Lounge, Caridad Sola to Perform It's been a true pleasure bringing together so many great artists over the past few months for our Mixed Greens events at The Paper Box.  There really is an immense amount of talent in our city, and we're here to share it with you. With that said, to kick off the fall season, we're bringing you the biggest and best Mixed Greens party yet.  Ellis Ashbrook, Idgy Dean, and Heavy Birds are set to perform on the main stage while the garden will be in full dance party mode with LSL's Jeannie Hopper, TONY's Bruce Tantum, Sal Leone and AFP resident DJ Gatto.  And what will Caridad Sola come up with to engage, entice, or shock us with her latest performance piece? If that's not enough for you, Daniel Maldonado of Gashouse Films will be taking the night off from his feature film production to surprise us with some live video creations. Brooklyn based progressive, exploratory rock band Ellis Ashbrook will headline our live music performances on Saturday night.  We've had this date marked on our calendar for a while now as Ellis Ashbrook is known for amazing live performances. The bands latest album, Meridia, garnered an 8 out of 10 rating by Music Connection Magazine Check out some of their videos and music.  The super-talented Idgy Dean, the solo project of Brooklynite Lindsay Sandwald, will also take the stage on Saturday. Lindsay who was invited to perform her haunted rhythm-driven pop songs at The Deli's B.E.A[...]
  • Day 3 As some families started to arrive early Sunday afternoon, they were greeted with the sounds of John Coltrane and Joao Gilberto, but it wasn't long before Sindy Butz was ready for our first performance of the day. Sindy's piece titled "Moral Decay" was  an interpretation of how society's morals have deteriorated over time.  Sindy's strong use of   symbolism and association resulted in a gripping performance that left our guests with much to ponder. Our first musical performance of the day was from Jon Samson of CoCreative Music. Many of the kids joined Jon on stage as he sang his playful, yet educational songs for everyone to enjoy.  The kids were truly excited by Jon's performance, but as soon as they saw the organic mini-cupcakes from Francesca Cake they darted for the table filled with treats.  A few kids did stop on their way as they saw Allyson Jacobs interactive balloon dress, and they just had to add their own balloon to the growing skirt. Jewelry designer Paula Collins was also working on a very creative piece utilizing chains. Paula often works with metals in her line of beautiful accessories. Back on stage, blues singer/songwriter Inky Glass delivered the perfect Sunday afternoon of blues with a touch of soul. As Inky Glass finished her set, AFP's DJ Gatto dropped a classic house set to keep the energy flowing. The next performance art piece on Sunday featured White House entertainer and master of escape, Thomas Solomon.  Mr. Solomon challenged our guests wi[...]
  • Possessed of a scrappy, youthful verve lacking in its more prestigious neighbors… Fountain was distinguished by a vintage street/self-taught aesthetic… —ArtForum Mark your calendars! In less than a month, Art For Progress is going to be part of the highly anticipated Art Basel Miami participating in the Fountain Art Fair, "the installation-based exhibition of avant-garde galleries and art collectives," from December 1st-4th. Last year, the Fountain Art Fair celebrated it's 5th year anniversary featuring musicians No Age, G. Love, Ninjasonik, and many more amazing artists alongside. In closing to the art-packed weekend, AFP is hosting a party on December 4th at The Vagabond in Miami. The party will be a mash-up of art and music. With films curated by Daniel Maldonado, a fashion show featuring Lila Nikole's swimwear collection, and funky beats dropped by Gatto, this party is one not to miss! Keep up with AFP, as we will share more details about Miami Art Basel. -Heather Liggins