It’s been thirty-one years since John Lennon was shot dead outside the Dakota Hotel in Central Park West. Since then, fans from around the world meet at the Strawberry Fields sign on December 8th to express their love to the fallen working class hero.
Sound By Patricia Rey Mallén
Hyungsub Shin’s artwork has most often been described as “beautiful.” Whether his sculptures are an 8-foot-long wall hanging of entangled grass roots or a giant corn cob, the viewer is compelled to approach closely and examine every detail.
In an art culture defined by what is most shocking and politically-minded, Shin has focused on creating contemporary art that is both well crafted, conceptual and visually pleasing.
Shin’s sculptures are mostly inspired by grassroots, ivy roots, or Bonsai trees but sometimes he draws from the patterns he finds on roads and maps.
Patrick Regan, executive director of Crossing Art in Flushing, Queens, said Shin’s work is a departure from the approach of many Asian contemporary artists.
“Unfortunately contemporary art is almost a dirty word,” Regan said. “For so many years people were looking for something that is edgy or almost discordant or very jarring colors with controversial subjects, and you wonder, how can beautiful work be appreciated?”
Shin said that it is difficult for a lot of popular Korean artists to come to New York, not only because the lifestyle is more expensive but because Korean art that is appreciated in Seoul is not necessarily bought in America.
“With Americans it’s not a consideration of well-finished work, it’s more considered for its philosophical issues,” Shin explained. “It’s considered more for what it’s saying than how it looks.”
Shin said artists are struggling now more than ever and he is not an exception. Since the financial crisis began he has found that people who used to stop by the studio from time to time to shop won’t make a visit at all. Shin rents the studio space for $450 as one of three artists who share it. Now that one of the artists is moving out Shin is struggling to find an artist to take her place so that he won’t have to make up the difference.
“$50,000 after tax would be a great amount to make,” Shin said. “Then I can pay for my studio and home bills and material and maybe even an assistant.”
Shin said he does not regret the decision to become an artist. “This is what I love to do. I can’t go back now.”
A circle, or roda, forms around two Capoeira players as they move to the drum beat, their fast fluid movements and swift kicks blurring the line between fighting and dance. The players are members of Omulu Capoeira Guanabara, a New York City based Capoeira group that meets regularly to train and teach others about the art of Capoeira.
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The next time you go into a Starbucks, take a look around. Can you find a place to sit? Or is space at a premium because the seating area has turned into an Internet cafe of sorts? Every morning in this location on Christopher Columbus Drive in Jersey City, NJ, patrons buy their five-dollar lattes and then jockey for position to snag a highly-coveted spot to settle in with their laptops and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.
Even though one could find heroes and villains in Zuccotti Park, Occupy Wall Street is far from a fairy tale. However, several kids have been seen in Occupy Wall Street headquarter. In fact, many teachers and parents find it important for the young to go down there and understand the movement against corporate greed and economic inequality.
That is why Jessica Foard, a teacher in a community high school in the Bronx, brought her students to Zuccotti Park. As for Dave Crawford, he crossed the country from Colorado to visit New York City with his sons and said the famous encampment was an essential spot.
Two months ago a contingent of disgruntled citizens established themselves in a small park in New York’s Financial District to “Occupy” Wall Street. Their inchoate movement has turned a leaf since that fateful day in September and garnered support from cities around the world; offshoot “occupy” movements have sprouted up in myriad American cities, from Dallas to Portland to Denver. Continue reading
Nancy Keller’s 74-foot Norway Spruce arrived at Rockefeller Center Plaza on Nov. 11. The 210-ton tree will become the 79th Christmas tree to stand over the skating plaza.
In March, the head gardener for the plaza spotted the spruce on Keller’s property in Mifflinville, PA. The tree travelled overnight by tractor trailer and a crane was used to lift into its stand.
On Nov. 30, thousands of lights and a Swarovski-made crystal star will be lit at the annual lighting ceremony in the plaza.
Song: Last Christmas by the Eaters
At this time of year, families start to get nervous about their high school senior’s college application status. Many choose to improve their chances at being admitted by applying Early Decision, but another reason is to avoid having to pay so many other fees and costs that come with applying to more than 7 or 8 schools. Along with the financial costs that come with applying to college, there is high pressure to fulfill expectations- the family’s, and the applicant’s.
Doing anything on the cheap can be difficult in a city like New York, and dining out is no exception. There is inexpensive food, of course, but when one wants quality, usually they expect to pay for it.
However, various New York Travel Guides want to dispute this claim, offering insight on how to find good meals on the cheap. Time Out New York even offers walking tours of neighborhoods where one can get any food for one dollar – including Jackson Heights and Sunset Park.
Since the 1980’s, Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park has attracted many Chinese immigrants, earning the area the title of Brooklyn Chinatown. Like the similarly named neighborhood in Manhattan, Brooklyn Chinatown has many stores and restaurants selling goods and foods from home.
Walking along Eighth Avenue one can easily find a number of eateries offering food for only one dollar. Bakeries, cafeteria-style diners, and dumpling restaurants all have food available for a mere buck.
But what exactly can one get for one dollar? And how good is it? Check out the audio slideshow below to see the different foods one can get for a single dollar in Brooklyn Chinatown.
Crystal Field wants to renovate her theater, but progress is slow. Field, owner of the Theater for the New City, one of the oldest and best-known community theaters in New York, is trying to raise money to update the theater’s extremely outdated HVAC system. Currently, the largest performance hall, the Johnson Theater, is warmed only by a noisy garage heater. Continue reading