Results tagged “delavega”

The 29th Annual Museum Mile Festival is tomorrow, with more creativity than you can imagine concentrated in a festival on 5th Avenue (from 82nd Street to 105th Street). From the Met to El Museo del Barrio you'll be able to find waived museum admissions.

For decades East Harlem has been the center of New York's Puerto Rican community. Over the years many Mexican and Dominican immigrants have also made East Harlem their home. Now, as the squeeze of affordable housing gets tighter and tighter in Manhattan, more middle-class professionals are moving to the neighborhood. In a tale almost as old as New York itself, the changes have long-time residents worried about the loss of community.

Our favorite part: "follow the mile with street muralist De La Vega – grab a piece of chalk and make your mark!"

We've been following the career of Ellis G for about a year-- ever since he started chalking his shadow-art around Smith Street in Brooklyn. He's already gotten a fair amount of press for the shadow-outlines-- and he deserves it, because the pieces are unique and fun. Today the Times weighs with a nice bio piece:

- And for all of you worried about how Katrina has affected the animals, Gothamist was relieved to find out that the Houston Zoo also been helping New Orleans' Audobon Zoo by sheltering their animals... you can also donate to the Humane Society

Street art gets the drill down from the NY Times today, with a look at the emergence of people who use paint, wheat paste, and more to create a version of art beyond grafitti. Reporter Kirk Semple speaks to Swoon and Obey Giant's Shepard Fairey, as well the Wooster Collective, about the lofty motivations, but the author of INY, Kelly Burns, sums it up well, "[Breaking the law is what] people really love about it: getting over on the man." But some other artists don't get over on the man: De La Vega was found guilty last month.

The Times has a good article on James De La Vega, a graffiti artist who was arrested last July for painting a mural on Willis Avenue in the Bronx. De La Vega is one of the city's best known graffiti artist, thanks largely to his sidewalk chalk works. Gothamist first noticed them about six years ago. Lots of memorable quotes like "Your Thumbs Are More Important Than You Think" and "The Rich Control The Destiny Of The Poor, But An Intelligent Man Controls His Own." De La Vega also does murals, mostly in upper Manhattan near his studio on East 103rd Street. In 1999, he was arrested while doing a permission piece on the side of a supermarket in Spanish Harlem, and ended up pleading guilty before the owner could get there an back up his story. That led to a probation sentance, which created the possibility of real jail time after the Bronx arrest last year.

And on an interesting note, 90th Street has Silly Billy the Very Funny Clown, one of the city's most sought-after clowns. He's also known as David Friedman, the brother whose videotapes of his family during the 80s make up a much of Capturing the Friedmans.

We wondered about great movies about music as well as movies simply with great music - you can add your thoughts here. Plus the week in full.

Related: The Times on whether graffiti on a hat is art.