Confessions of a Fashionista Mom to be…

As my due date rapidly approaches I am haunted with this ongoing thought of my daughter coming an I lose my fashion sense or she grows up thinking I never had any.
I’ve temporarily relocated and while packing my things I started to go through clothes I could no longer fit, that’s when the thought crossed my mind what do I keep for Aria. What if she thinks my style is horrendous? What if I get comfortable walking around in soccer mom outfits? Will she view my style how I view my moms? I’ve always wished my mother had “flavor” so I could steal her stuff or she had like vintage Chanel I could fall in love with. I want to be the mom who’s daughter looks back at pictures of her and says “my mom was fly”. Or she’s baby pictures of herself an says “I was fly”.
These are the random thoughts that trickle through my head at 3am between bathroom runs and trying to getting comfortable.

Advertisement

Brandee Younger @ The Bunker Studio, 6/24/13

Very, very sad. It took 2 months for me to learn that a twitter buddy & awesome photographer Donald Agarrat, passed away back in September. One day he tweeted me asking to shoot my recording session, came & shot the session and made friends with everybody there! Musicians and engineers alike 🙂 Then, he came to the Harlem Arts Fest & shot us there…just because he wanted to and was a serious fan of the music. He brought a lot of light to some stressful moments and made everyone smile! ♥ ♥ Like, the nicest person, ever!

We’ve mainly kept in touch on twitter, and after not receiving a tweet from him in a while, I looked at his page to learn that he suddenly died, so young. He took these wonderful shots of us at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, which appears to be the last set of photos added to his flikr. Sending love. You will be missed, Donald!

Brandee Younger, HarpistaBrandee at workDezronFreddy snaps Antoine and ChelseaBrandee Younger @ The Bunker StudioIMG_1368
Dezron, Chelsea and Freddysynth historyChelsea BaratzJasonAntoineCheers!
Cheers!Hi! ProseccoThe Bunker Studio, Room AThe Bunker Studio, Room AThe Bunker Studio, Room AFreddy
EJStaceyAntoine and EJThe HarpBrandeeEJ Strickland

Jay Z Brings Hip Hop to the Gallery with ‘Picasso Baby’ short film

jay-z-picasso-baby-2

This past Friday, Jay Z(or the artist formerly known as Jay-Z) released a short film, which can be seen as a modern day version of a music video for his song “Picasso Baby”. The 11 minute short, made an unconventional debut on HBO and was aired after his appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher”. Shot by director Mark Romanek, the film documents Jay’s tight-lipped spur of the moment performance art piece of the song at Pace Gallery in the Chelsea section of NYC. If you’ve been listening to Jiggaman’s lyrics lately, you’ll hear he’s been making many references to fine art on the Magna Carta Holy Grail and Watch the Throne album. Some of the artists prevalent in his lyrics are Pop Art pioneer Andy Warhol and 80’s neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, both of which he and his wife Beyonce have original works of theirs  in their personal collection. However, if you’re familiar with Jay Z’s catalog, before he became “HOV”, you’ll know he’s been dropping art references as early as his first album Reasonable Doubt. On his brilliantly humorous and condescending “Friend or Foe” verse he says “If you draw/better be Picasso/you know the best/cuz if this is not so…ehhh.. god bless”. After all the references sprinkled throughout verses, Jay finally devotes an entire song to art and even more brings it into the consciousness of his fans. This time he went a step further and became a performance artist by performing “Picasso Baby” for 6 hours straight at the well respected Pace Gallery.

Invited to the performance were visual artists, dancers, gallerists, directors, and actors that Jay Z either knows personally or whose work he respects. Included in the bunch was visual artist George Condo who Jay references in the song and who was also commissioned to create the cover artwork for Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Also present was Fab 5 Freddy, filmmaker, artist and longtime close friend of Basquiat, artist Mickalene Thomas who had a major exhibition at Brooklyn Museum last year and the “Grandmother of Performance Art” herself, Marina Abramovic. An artist who I’ve recently discovered, Brooklyn based improv dancer Storyboard P, who did an amazing dance performance to Kanye’s Crack Music. Vogue did a great photo shoot with most of the artists with their comments about the experience of being at the filming.

One interesting point Jay made in an interview speaking on the song, is how back in the early 80’s the music and art worlds were very much interconnected. It was a time when artists and musicians hung out together. Where you might go in a club like The World and see both Prince and Keith Haring hanging out. Even Blondie’s Debbie Harry reached out to Fab 5 Freddy to learn more about the burgeoning culture of Hip-Hop which included graffiti artists. The result was the music video for “The Rapture” with a guest appearance by Basquiat. One thing I’ve always respected about Jay Z was his ability to bring awareness to other regions and movements within Hip-Hop. By collaborating with artists like Juvenile in the late 90’s he brought awareness to the scene in New Orleans which led to the successful careers of Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne. In the early 2000’s he collaborated with the Houston duo UGK, which brought their already legendary status at the time to a wider audience and the public’s eyes to the scene in Houston. Even his often criticized homages to the late rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Big L, who were his friends, may bring their music and legacies to a new generation. I see this as an extension of that. The art references, the invitation of established and emerging artists to his performance piece is an entryway into fine art. He’s laying the groundwork for his audience to have a greater appreciation of art on all levels. It’s a great use of power from someone who has significant influence on popular culture. Even if his attempts to break the barriers of the fine art world doesn’t work, he’ll still be waking up every morning next to Mona Lisa.

Online dating, if you dare…

Dating is hard, dating in NYC…harder, especially for women. We all know this, we’ve heard it and probably have some personal horror stories, but what do you do about it? I don’t have the answer, but the two people that raised me (bless them) either feel sorry for me and/or really want me to have a kid (A few birthdays ago, I was permitted by one of them to have a baby out of wedlock, so I’ll go with the latter) …anyway, they’ve made a few suggestions. (that’s me with the blue background, either of the parental units in white)

blackpeoplemeet

christian mingle

church

Sigh…

Well you know what, I’ve actually tried it. Paid sites and free ones, polished and ones I shouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole. I want a boyfriend, I want to get married, I want to have kids, so why not, right? Here’s a small sample of the fun I’ve had…

William

I’ll just say, be careful what you wish for, you might get purposed to.

I must admit though, it hasn’t been all bad…if I do end up with someone I met online, chances are, no one will ever know where I found him. I’m a creative, so I’ll come up with something 😉

Any fun online experiences you want to share?

America, we have to stick together.

It was Mamie Till, Emett Till’s mother years ago who made this profound statement:”Two months ago I had a nice apartment 
in Chicago. I had a good job. I had a son. When something happened to the Negroes in the South I said, ‘That’s their business, not mine.’ Now I know how wrong I was. The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all!!!”

Sophia Domeville talks Art Day Celebration and reconnecting with her Haitian culture

2nd love

Art Day Celebration was created to provide underprivileged and impoverished children with the tools to develop their creative and artistic abilities through art. The program aims to uplift children and help them find a purpose while simultaneously providing an outlet for self-expression.

Enter New York based artist Sophia Domeville. Born and raised in the United States, she identifies with her Haitian roots. She joined ADC last year which provided her an opportunity to visit Haiti for the first time.  This year’s celebration will take place July 18th-22nd in Haiti.

Your culture influences you on a great level — was this always the case or did it grow as you became more involved with your art?

I visited Haiti for the first time last year as a teaching artist and have never been the same since. My culture has always been a major part of my life growing up. It was a catch-22 growing up Haitian during the ’90s. Being from a different culture that was not popular — especially Haitian — was quite taboo when I was a child. I didn’t really embrace my Haitian culture until I was in college. There, through my discovery of my own voice as a female artist, I re-discovered a deeper love for my culture as a Haitian woman.

What does the Art Day Celebration mean to you on a personal and professional level?

On a personal level, Art Day Celebration (ADC) was a manifestation of a dream I had last year when I first decided to dive back into my career as an artist. I was looking for an opportunity to share my passion and vision of using art as a medium to change the world. I had this immense need to visit Haiti and connect to where my gifts as an artist were most influenced. Visiting Haiti through ADC as a teaching artist was my right of passage as a woman. I changed so much internally and spiritually that I can never be the same again.

On a professional level, I sharpened my skills as a teaching artist with the ability to teach over 150 orphans in one setting and working with an amazing staff. My art changed quite dramatically as I discovered my voice through richer colors and expression.

How did the experience of teaching those children affect you? 

My experience teaching the children affected me so deeply. I was in awe at how innately talented they were by just laying down canvas and paint on a table. I enjoyed seeing the eager minds as they immediately started to map out their work to be painted. I have two memorable moments, watching 150 children deeply engaged in art and the look of complete peace as they all painted. My second memorable moment was finally capturing the beauty of Haiti as we drove to WaMu Beach in the Northern Part of Haiti. Our drive was so breathtakingly stunning as if I was flipping through the pages of a travel magazine. This trip made me appreciate Haiti even more. We need to break the stereotypes we hear and see so much about in the media because Haiti is truly a beautiful country.

Why do you think it’s important that children have access to art and creative tools?

The importance of art in general is such a necessary tool for ALL children during their developmental stages of life. I feel it is very crucial to supply our children with tools to express their creativity whether it be through writing, music, dancing, acting, photography, drawing, paint and more. Art, I feel will continue to change the world, the perception of society and especially change one’s life.

923085_361110620657603_1382751729_n

ADC’s stated purpose is “bring healing, restore hope and nurture the creative abilities of underprivileged children.” How has art transformed your own life, and in what ways do you see art changing the lives of these children?

Art has saved my life from many issues I had while growing up in a strict and sheltered Haitian household. My art, allowed me to break free from stereotypes, find my own voice and understand my purpose as a woman. The ways I see art change the lives of the children I taught in Haiti, honestly just to let them see and understand their vision through the arts meant the world to me. I feel the bigger impact is showing the children that their work was seen across the country, made a difference in someone’s life and helped fund their art program.

What kinds of things are you looking forward to doing?

I will be traveling back to Haiti in July 18-22nd as Art Day Celebration’s lead teaching artist for our program “Art on Canvas”. There I will be in charge of creating the curriculum, leading the staff of fellow teaching artists and making sure all of the children participating are able to paint their own expression. I look forward to heading back to a place I call home, seeing the children again and creating more experiences with fellow artists.

What other nonprofits are you a part of and what makes Art Day Celebration so different?

 Halls That Inspire is a nonprofit organization that uses art as a means to encourage and uplift youth. Using a “hands-on” approach. This 4 week intensive program teaches youth leadership development along with the art techniques needed to beautify the halls of their schools and other facilities. By using positive messages that reflect academic excellence, self-pride, and anti-bullying as a focal point, youth are better able to resonate with who they are and how they are connected to their communities and schools. I am the current Vice President and will step down to transition as their new Executive Director this summer overseeing all art projects, working with numerous schools throughout the country and implementing our new programs.

My passion of giving back to the community also granted me an opportunity to become mentor/teaching artist and one of the founding members for herDIVASpot, a non-profit entity that promotes the value and self-development of school aged young ladies. As a teaching artist, my workshop within our organization is called DIVINE in which I teach art-integrated projects and lesson plans that teach students specific skills on one’s personal value, self- identity and analyze the impact that family genealogy can have on self-worth.

What makes Art Day Celebration different from these two organizations it is closely connected to my roots. As a Haitian woman and as a Haitian American artist, I get to give back to a place where I feel my gift originated from.

What made you become so passionate about giving back to these communities?

I have been a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc for the past 10 years and our motto is “Greater Service, Greater Progress”. I learned early on as a member of my organization about the power of nourishing our community though, “Sisterhood, Scholarship and Service.” I never forgot the tools I learned during my process, and I always enjoyed the experience of helping others within our community. It gives me great gain to see the impact of my work as a volunteer, as a teaching artist and as a mentor because I truly feel I can and will continue to change the world, one step at a time.

You have spoken of redefining culture as a measure of success. What do you mean by that and in what ways would you say you’ve done so? 

I think others have titled me as such, I learned success to me is not just about financial gain, it’s more about the impact I have made as a woman, artist and mentor within a community. I feel as an artist pursuing my passion, I am breaking ground on various levels and changing the perception of how a woman, in particular, a Haitian woman should live her life against what is “normal” to our society.

Though you’ve certainly already left your mark, what else would you like to do in the future as it relates to Haiti or in general?

What I would like to do in the future within regards to Haiti is to continue working as a teaching artist and possibly connect the large amount of art programs we have down there under one umbrella. I feel if we all gather together as ONE, we can truly change the face of Haiti and help cultivate the next generation through the power of art.

Artists and non artists can get involved with ADC by going to

http://www.artdaycelebration.com/volunteer-recruitment-form/ and filling out the volunteer form. They may have the opportunity to work with Art Day Celebration in Haiti or during one of our fundraisers this summer.

Photo with Art                art work

PRINCEDAY

Happy 55th Birthday to the genius, Prince!

Prince

I Would Die for You!

Prince, Michael Jackson & James Brown — this one has always made me laugh. LOVE IT!

 

Kevin Powell’s BK Nation & The Freedom Dance Party are hosting the first annual tribute party to this Master TONIGHT!

 View Facebook Invite!

We Love You Prince!

Sick of Fashion Magazines and Their Affordable Fashion!!

How many of you go in the store to buy or subscribe to fashion magazines to keep up with the latest trends? You look through the pages and see a bunch of cute outfits you can picture yourself in, then you look at the outlandish prices, like $80 for a top made of rayon and polyester, or a pair of regular gladiator sandals for $200. Now I don’t know about you but for once I’d love to see clothing that’s affordable to the average New Yorker. With rent for a studio starting at $1300 in some places who has an expendable cash flow to pay that and then spend $80 on a shirt! The thing that gets me the most is when the magazine boost about having a plethora of “affordable” outfits. For once I’d love to see a magazine dedicated to the average woman who loves fashion but has an average budget. I want these fashion editors and stylists to pull looks together that the LPN or school teacher can afford on her salary. But alas I digress and until then I guess I’ll just post my amazeball finds!