Manducati’s Rustica in LIC
May 12th, 2012 | 
Author: A new painting in my upcoming exhibit at Ten10 Studios
“Manducati’s Rustica”
Oil on canvas
14 x 11 inches
My paintings are packed up and I’m ready to go. This painting is of a lively LIC restaurant on Vernon Blvd. The Manducati family has been in Long Island City since the 1970′s with their restaurant Manducati’s just down the block from my studio. Several years ago, daughter “Mamma Gianna” opened her own restaurant on Vernon Blvd. and it has become a very popular place. I decided to do a painting when I knew I would be having an exhibit in the neighborhood as I felt it would be a timely addition to my LIC-themed body of work.
The LIC Arts Open Festival kicks off tomorrow and I’m looking forward to not only my own exhibit opening on Thursday, May 17th and running through May 20th at Ten10 Studios, but also visiting several of the events and exhibits that will be on view. Of special interest is an exhibit of photographs of LIC artists in their studios taken by Orestes Gonzalez, on view at the Reis Studios, Experimental Space. Orestes is a terrific photographer who has been working on this project for several years.
For more info on the festival here is a link.
Plans for Moscow’s “Garage” Revealed by Zhukova
Dasha Zhukova, art collector and socialite, has revealed some of the plans for the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. Rem Koolhaas, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect, will convert an abandoned Moscow restaurant into the new, highly anticipated art space.
Zhukova founded the project as a contemporary art nonprofit organization there in 2008. This article further explains that "earlier this year, Garage left its base in the Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage for Moscow’s Gorky Park, where the ruined 1960s restaurant" is located.
Koolhaas intends to retain some of the traces of recent Russian history while modernizing the space.
[This entry was drafted with the assistance of Nicole Dornbusch].
Munch “Scream” Offered at Sotheby’s for $80 million
Sotheby’s will auction Edvard Munch’s "The Scream," one of four versions of the work, on May 1.
According to this article, the work has been parodied and referenced many times since its creation, making it a cultural icon, like the Mona Lisa, and is correspondingly estimated at over million.
[This entry was drafted with the assistance of Nicole Dornbusch].
Nicola Formichetti Ready To Expand His Brand: Formichetti
For Italian and Japanese designer Nicola Formichetti there are no boundaries in the fashion world. If one design represents his unconventionality the most, it is Lady Gaga’s meat dress. His experience as fashion director at Haus of Gaga, Uniqlo, Vogue Hommes Japan and Mulger, has inspired him to work on his own brand, which should make its appearance mid-2013.
PinkMemo New York – The Front Row
Piperlime opens first permanent retail store in Soho
Online clothing purveyor Piperlime is making another foray into brick-and-mortar retailing, but this time it’s permanent, according to a statement from the company today. The new 4,000-square-foot store in Soho will open this fall at 121 Wooster Street, at Prince Street, the statement said. The store will offer brands like Milly, Frye and Citizens of Humanity, as well as less-known brands. The online boutique has offered fashion advice from celebrities such as stylist Rachel Zoe [more]
Posted in New York News | 
Tags: First, Opens, permanent, Piperlime, retail, soho, Store | 
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First NY Frieze Begins This Week
Frieze, the art fair already popular in London, will host its first New York show this week on Randalls Island.
This article reveals that the founders and directors of Frieze wanted the fair to be "for and of its host city" and chose this location for that fact. The park located in the East River is at the juncture of three boroughs, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. They liked that it was easy to reach, yet "a bit of an adventure for New York residents."
170 contemporary art dealers will be showing there from May 3-6. Of note, the show will feature a special Frame section, similar to the one at the London show, which features galleries less than six years old and present solo exhibitions.
[This entry was drafted with the assistance of Nicole Dornbusch].
Upcoming Week of Big Ticket Auctions
This week, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury will take turns selling blue chip Contemporary Art at their respective May sales. After Sotheby’s success at its Impressionist and Modern sale last week, what should we expect from these auctions?
According to ArtInfo, a Rothko titled "Orange, Red, Yellow" (1961) at an estimate of -45 million and an Yves Klein work, "FC1 (Fire Color 1) (1962) at an estimated -40 million are among the works for sale at Christie’s on May 8.
Sotheby’s will be offering each of three works for over million – a Lichtenstein, a Warhol, and a Bacon on May 9.
Phillips follows May 10 with its sale, with headliners closer to million – such as a Basquiat painting and a Warhol "Mao" (1973).
Each evening sale will be followed by a corresponding day sale on the following day.
[This entry was drafted with the assistance of Nicole Dornbusch].
Natalie Massenet Celebrates Frieze New York
My two favorite subjects fashion and art coalesced into sublime artistry this weekend as NET-A-PORTER.com celebrated Frieze New York’s Chelsea Gallery Night. Hosted by NET-A-PORTER.com Founder Natalie Massenet at the Hotel Americano, guests enjoyed cocktails on the rooftop with sounds from London DJ Bip Ling.
Jenna Lyons, Arianna Huffington, Erik Torstensson, Natalie Massenet and Stefano Tonchi.
Olivier [...]
PinkMemo New York – The Front Row
“Scream” Sells for $119.9 Million
Edvard Munch’s "The Scream" (1895), discussed earlier this week on the blog, sold last night for 9.9 million, "becoming the world’s most expensive work of art to ever sell at auction" (New York Times). Within 12 minutes, the work has sold to a phone bidder, through Sotheby’s EVP Charles Moffett.
The previous record, Picasso’s "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" sold at Christie’s in 2010 for 6.5 million.
The rest of the auction also went well, with a total of 0 million, close to its high estimate.
Christie’s held their Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on Tuesday night, selling a total of 7 million in art, not even the price of the Munch work alone. The auction house via its website says, "We are particularly pleased with the results achieved for Cézanne’s study for “Card Players” and for our cover lot, Matisse’s “Les Pivoines (The Peonies),” which each sold for just over million.
[This entry was drafted with the assistance of Nicole Dornbusch].
Saks Opens Phillip Lim Shop in Shop
Phillip Lim is on a roll this year. With a successful move into a 23,000 square-foot corporate office on Hudson St. and an e-commerce site launch under his belt, the designer was ready for another fashion fete. Saks Fifth Avenue had the answer.
PinkMemo New York – The Front Row