Walter’s World: Weekend Picks Art, Dance and Music

By Walter Rutledge

With the weather promising to be unseasonably warm this weekend, there is no excuse not to get out and experience and explore the art scene. There is art and wine uptown, music Harlem style at the Apollo, and icons are celebrated uptown and downtown. Here are a few of the events happening around the city and in our community.

I was first introduced to the Art In Flux at the December 15^th Harlem ArtCrawl. The concept of a mobile gallery that “pops up” in empty spaces throughout the community, showcasing Harlem based artist is not only novel it is uptown radical. For those individuals who are looking for a unique cultural experience Art In Flux will present LOOK LIKE A COLLECTOR, DRINK LIKE A CONNOISSEUR on Saturday, January 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at 1961 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.

A panel of art and wine experts examine these two industries and their relationship to the new Harlem consciousness. The panel will include Ebony.com  art advisor Jenna Bond-Louden, co-founder of Modern Class Design and interior designer Antone Barnes, Mouton Noir Wines founder Andre Mack and The Winery manager Eric White. This event will also include wine tastings courtesy of Simone International/Papi and Mouton Noir wines and an artist meet-and-greet.

The Men Dancers: From the Horse’s Mouth will feature a cast of 30 extraordinary male dancers of all ages and styles, including former New York City Ballet principal dancers Charles Askegard and Jock Soto, master choreographer Lar Lubovitch, Trent Kowalik star of Billy Elliot, Tony award-winning creator of “Fosse” Chet Walker, and choreographer, educator and dance innovator Gus Solomons jr.  These elder icons of the dance world share personal stories with the audience and perform original choreography alongside a remarkable group of young performers at the top of their dance game.

Performances continue Friday January 11, and Saturday January 12 at 8:00pm; and Sunday, January 13 at 3:00pm. The performance will take place at The Theater at the 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $20 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased online at http://themendancers.brownpapertickets.com, at the box office or by calling 800-838-3006 ext.#1.

Target Free Sundays at The Studio Museum in Harlem will present a tour of the exhibition Gordon Parks: A Harlem Family 1967. It honors the legacy and the work of late iconic artist and photojournalist Gordon Parks, who would have turned 100 on November 30, 2012. The exhibition, organized by Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden and Assistant Curator Lauren Haynes, will feature approximately thirty black and white photographs of the Fontenelle family, whose lives Parks documented as part of a 1968 Life magazine photo essay.

The essay is a searing portrait of poverty in the United States, the Fontenelle photographs provide a view of Harlem through the narrative of a specific family at a particular moment in time. This intimate exhibition will include all images from the original essay as well as several unpublished images—some which have never been displayed publicly. The tour is offered this Sunday January 13 from 1 to 2pm and is free to the public. Reservations can be made online at http://www.studiomuseum.org.

The Apollo Music Cafe 
will present music artist Martin Luther on Saturday, January 12 at 10 p.m. in the intimate sound stage upstairs in the world-renowned theater. The doors open at 9pm for pre-performance mingling food and bar service are available prior to showtime. Tickets are $20 and
 the A-LIST advance price $15 until midnight the day before performance. Tickets can be purchased at the Apollo Theater box office, by phone at Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000, or
Online at Ticketmaster.com.

Billed as the “Bay Area extraterrestrial soul brother” Martin Luther is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, actor, musician and producer. His sultry old school brand of artistry makes today’s techno driven, neo-soul sound tepid in comparison.  A former member of the touring ensemble for legendary hip-hop band The Roots, Luther returns to NYC after a long hiatus  he is flanked by a group of gifted musicians performing classics and tracks from his recent studio release, Love Is The Hero.

As always, thank you for letting me share my world with you.

In Photo: 1) Untitled (Harlem 1967) 2) Gus Solomon jr. 3) untitled (Harlem 1967) 4) Apollo Marquee 5) Martin Luther

Photo Credit: 1&3) Courtesy and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation 2) Christopher Duggan 4&5) Courtesy Apollo Theater

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