The Best in Brooklyn Art This Weekend
LAUNCH F18—FLAGS DOWN: TYLER LAFRENIERE
Launch F18 is in Manhattan, but Tyler Lafreniere is a Greenpoint boy (except for his unending devotion to Maspeth, Queens, where he runs Mrs. Gallery with Sara Maria Salamone). Previous installations by Lafreniere, all painstakingly casual, involved hand-sewn jock straps (Comfort and Support), a La-Z-Boy, and Ballantine (Tap the Rockies). Low-key, old-school bro stylings all around. It looks like this new one, his third solo show with the gallery since 2012, has sardines and OSB (oh sorry, is that obvious?). Could it be a bait shop? Fish house? Weird garage? I can’t wait to see it.
Exhibition opens Tuesday, February 28 6:00PM — 8:00PM. On view through April 23.
BROOKLYN MUSEUM—POETIC JUSTICE: SPEAKING THEIR NAMES
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (badass ladies) celebrates the legacy of Maya Angelou and presents Art Girl Army with an award at this poetry-meets-art-meets-social-justice event. Readings and performances from Toni Blackman (pictured above), Barbara Bethea, Sheikia Norris (“Purple Haze”), and Christine Gilliam (“Phya Startah”) honor women and men who have suffered police brutality and domestic violence; Valerie Bell, mother of Sean Bell (a 23-year-old shot on the day of his wedding in Queens) is a special guest.
Event takes place Thursday, February 23, 7:00PM.
http://www.instagram.com/p/BQ0NMGRD7uu/?taken-by=showyourindie
KEN ALLEN STUDIOS — SHOW YOU’RE INDIE
Tonight! A collection of photographers—many of them known for their music photography—join forces in this show to raise money for music education in schools (and Planned Parenthood, of course). Our own Nicole Fara Silver will be showing, as well as Ebru Yildiz, Drew Reynolds (pictured above), and seven others.
One night only, 6:00PM — 11:00PM at 51 South 1st Street.
UNDERDONK—HAPTIC WHITTLES: DANIEL DENNETT
Curated by Nicholas Cueva, this show features a dozen or so small hand-carved tricks. They’re little pieces of finger magic (both in creation and after, in play) made by philosopher Daniel Dennett. One is a wooden screw, another a hollow apple with core (see above) and another features a marigold-like flower that grows. Cueva had been reading Dennett for years when he found out the philosopher made these in his spare time: They’re warm, and invite touch (though right now, at Dennett’s request, they’re under glass). As Cueva writes, the work lacks pretense—it was made for friends and family—and “are a form of play, as all good art is.”
Exhibition open through March 26.
GROUND FLOOR—MARKED URGENT: AN EXHIBITION IN DEFENSE OF FREE PRESS
Ah, the free press! I’m partial to it. This show, the result of an open call for works at Park Slope’s Ground Floor Gallery, supports the idea that news is important. The gallery supports this idea not only with their content choices, but money-wise, too: a portion of proceeds goes to the Committee to Protect Journalists. All works are $75, and everything is made on paper that suggests correspondence or communication, like the one pictured above by Allan Bealy.
Exhibition opens Friday, February 24 6:00PM — 8:30PM. Ends Sunday, February 26.
321 GALLERY—RACHEL’S WARDROBE: AM SCHMIDT
Despite my name, I was always more of a Monica—but if clothes were the only method of measuring, I would be (aspirationally) one hundred percent Rachel. I am also one hundred percent (sexually) attracted to this show, Rachel’s Wardrobe, at 321 Gallery. Am Schmidt put together three garment racks full of selected looks from Jennifer Anniston’s appearances on friends from 1994-2004. (Does look but don’t touch apply here?!). Feels like the perfect gratuitous-obsessive representation of love from someone born in New Jersey in 1986, which, as an ’86 baby myself, I say with utmost respect.
Exhibition opens Saturday, February 25 6:00PM — 9:00PM. On view through March 25.
