Events & Things To Do

June 23, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/23-6/29

By Lori Zimmer

Events & Things To Do

June 16, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/16-6/22

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Get sexy with art twice this week, with House of Yes's LUST event where art, erotica, performance and food combine, or bust out your best clam shell bra for the 34th annual Mermaid Day Parade in Coney Island. Get schooled by some of the world's best creatives during the Awwwards Festival, learn how to focus your career with Hope McGrath, then get into the mind of threeASFOUR's Ange for an artist talk at Untitled. The International Print Center gears up for their Summer Show, and Williams Carmona reflects on Cuba at HG Contemporary. With summer here, the French Films on the Green are back, with free screenings each week in parks across the 5 boroughs.
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Events & Things To Do

June 15, 2016

Lighting Science’s Fred Maxik Discusses How to Use Interior Light to Improve Sleep and Health

By Diane Pham

Studies have shown that getting a good night's sleep is critical to keeping one's self happy, healthy and fully functioning. But with advances in technology, modern humans have increasingly found themselves typing and swiping into the wee hours of the night without any regard for what time it is. Unfortunately, exposure to light before bed can have serious negative effects on our body, messing with our circadian rhythms and suppressing our ability to produce melatonin—the hormone that controls our sleep and wake cycles. But beyond feeling tired and irritable the next day, not getting enough sleep also has tremendous long-term effects that include, but are certainly not limited to, depression, immune stress, weight gain, premature aging and disease. Luckily, there are researchers out there harnessing the power of the light spectrum to engineer light bulbs that work with our bodies and environment, rather than against them. To help urban dwellers sleep better, we tapped Lighting Science Group founder and Chief Technology Officer Fred Maxik to learn more about the challenges we face when it comes to city and indoor light, as well as for some tips on how to improve health, productivity, sleep, and even happiness by simply switching bulbs. Lighting Science is one of the world’s leading LED manufacturers and they've worked with everyone from NASA to national sports teams to the creators of the Lowline Underground Park.
Learn more about what lighting is best for your home and health here

June 13, 2016

Get Rid of Mosquitoes and Stop Bites This Summer With These Simple Tips

By Diane Pham

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we’ve rounded up tips on how to get rid of and deal with mosquitoes this summer. New York's hot and humid summers bring all sorts of agony, but the bites of unrelenting mosquitoes may be the worst of all. While in past years these buzzers haven't been much more than a itchy nuisance, this year, the Zika virus has everyone on high alert. In February, the World Health Organization declared the virus a threat to public health across the globe. To date, no vaccine exists. As of June 8th, there have been 133 cases of Zika reported in NYC. However, the species of mosquito spreading Zika (the Aedes aegypti) has not yet been spotted in the city and all cases caught the virus while abroad. Nonetheless, with a potential threat looming, the city has launched a campaign to get New Yorkers to do their part, which includes tips on how to prevent the mosquito population from propagating. Ahead we'll cover some of the same ground, on top of other tips to keep mosquitoes from entering your home and attacking your body—because any way you look at it, mosquito bites are no fun!
What you can do, this way

June 9, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/9-6/15

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Warm weather is here and there are plenty of fun, outdoorsy art activities to keep you busy and inspired. Grab a drink and chill outside for Saya Woolfalk's trippy film, which enlivens Times Square each night this month. The Van Alen Institute presents four days of design events for their annual Spring Festival, while the Welling Court Mural Project returns with a chance to see artists in action during a fun block party. Artist Peter Gronquist presents a departure from his taxidermy works and a foray into painting at Joseph Gross Gallery, and Miya Ando shows off two new bodies of work inspired by her Japanese heritage at Sundaram Tagore. Drew Conrad's beautifully brash dystopian installations take residence at Kustera Projects in Red Hook. Head to Brookfield Place with the family to test out The Swings, a kinetic installation that plays music when you swing on it. Finally, the event I look forward to all year, the Philip Johnson Glass House Summer Party which invites guests to picnic amidst the mid -century modern gem.
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6 Products to Make the Most Out of Your Fire Escape This Summer

6sqft’s series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week we’ve found products that can help turn your fire escape into a mini warm weather oasis.

June 8, 2016

6 Products to Make the Most Out of Your Fire Escape This Summer

By Annie Doge

If your fire escape is the closest you'll get to a backyard this summer, fear not--6sqft has dug up some products that will turn this tiny space into much more than a place to set up some potted herbs. From grills to desks, we've found six clever items that require nothing more than the railing of your fire escape. Of course, consult your lease and talk to your landlord before installing them (technically putting objects on the fire escape is illegal, however they're becoming a thing of the past due to safety concerns), but once you get the go-ahead these designs are sure to maximize your outdoor enjoyment.
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June 8, 2016

MoMA Announces Major Frank Lloyd Wright Retrospective in 2017 to Mark His 150th Birthday

By Dana Schulz

Today is the 149th anniversary of prolific architect Frank Lloyd Wright's birth, and with next year being the big 150, the Museum of Modern Art has announced a major exhibition in 2017 that will feature roughly 450 works that he created from the 1890s through the 1950s. "Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive" will include architectural drawings, models, building fragments, films, television broadcasts, print media furniture, tableware, textiles, paintings, photographs, and scrapbooks, some of which have rarely or never been exhibited.
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June 6, 2016

A Giant Musical Swing Set Is Coming to Brookfield Place This Friday!

By Diane Pham

If you work downtown or are just looking for a break from the weekday hustle, head to Brookfield Place starting this Friday and channel your inner-child by hopping on one of the many swings of "The Swings: An Exercise in Musical Cooperation" installation. The traveling public artwork is debuting in Manhattan for the first time ever and will be on display for a month for New Yorkers to play on. Designed by studio Daily tous les jours, this interactive work consists of 21 swings, each representing a musical instrument (a harp, vibraphone, guitar or piano) and different notes. The cooperative element of the work requires that participants adjust their movements with respect to one another in order to unlock the perfect melody—a musical work that has been pre-composed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh.
more on the swings here

June 2, 2016

Fusing Art and Luxury Real Estate, Two Pros Discuss Their Approach

By Diane Pham

With so many high-end and ultra-luxury towers coming to the market, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for developers to stand out in the crowd. While wild amenities have typically dominated as a way to distinguish one’s building, some developers are trying to extend their reach even further by appealing to the artistic sensibilities of the wealthy. As CityRealty writes, for […]

Emmut Properties Plans Another Faux-Loft Building in the Bowery’s Shrinking Lighting District

By Ondel Hylton

The future of the Bowery's "lighting district" continues to dim as Emmut Properties plans a second mixed-use building along the former Skid Row still home to more than a dozen lighting stores. Emmut's latest Lower East Side foray is planned at 331 Broome Street. According to the developer's website, the new building will ascend eight floors and feature ground level retail, hotel suites and apartments above.
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Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/2-6/8

FIGMENT 2015, Billion Oyster Pavilion

June 1, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 6/2-6/8

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! After a relaxing long weekend of picnics and barbecues, jump back into your culture addiction. The power of female sex is illuminated, literally, at Catinca Tabacaru Gallery with Sophia Wallace's neon show. Brian Leo gives his tiny paintings a big voice at Amy Li Projects, while Martí Cormand sticks to the medium size of 5x7 for a postcard-themed show. Hop on a ferry and celebrate the tenth FIGMENT art festival at Governors Island all weekend long for free. Experience the visual stylings of musical act Baby Alpaca or the musical stylings of Australia with Anna Copa Cabanna. Cap it off by giving back at the Amref African Health gala or the wacky Times Square-fueled Chashama gala at the former offices of Vogue.
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Events & Things To Do

May 26, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 5/26-6/1

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! If you're not heading out of town for the big holiday weekend, there's still plenty to keep you busy and cultured. Jeffrey Deitch's Coney Island Walls continue for a second season, with new murals starting this weekend. Arthelix will stay open for 72 hours for a tireless performative festival, while Williamsburg's former Cinders Gallery resurrects for a month at Brilliant Champions in Bushwick. Governors Island opens up for the season, with a free Kids festival, joined by a Classical Music festival for adults. If you're headed to the Hamptons for the weekend, be sure to check out Agathe Snow's curatorial project with Eric Firestone, or a rousing art talk with Annika Connor at the library. And while you scoot from one place to the next, be sure to check out Leah Oates' new exhibition for MTA Arts & Design, giving a burst of nature underneath Bryant Park.
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Events & Things To Do

May 19, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 5/19-5/25

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! There's a new Martin Puryear sculpture to enjoy during your lunch hour outside at Madison Square Park, debuting this week through January. Also this week, check out the Surrealist paintings of Eric Helvie at the High Line Loft, Ian Strange's takeover of suburban Ohio homes on the Bowery, or the late Kirk Magnus' epic sculpture at James Cohan. Head to the Bronx on Saturday for the graffiti-meets-Scandinavian sensibility of Rubin415, or join the art crowd in Soho for a photoshoot that will become a massive mural by stencil artist Logan Hicks. Cap it all off by treating yourself to the Spring Fling at the beautiful Bowery Hotel, which will benefit the Lower East Side Girls Club.
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Events & Things To Do

May 13, 2016

Spencer Lowell Creates Hyperrealistic Photos of the Queens Museum’s Famous Panorama

By Rebecca Paul

The most prized piece in the Queens Museum is undoubtedly the Panorama, a scale model of the entire city conceived by Robert Moses for the 1964 World's Fair. Now, fifty years later, it can be enjoyed from an entirely new perspective, thanks to a recent collaboration between LA-based artist Spencer Lowell and the Frieze Art Fair. The resulting collection of hyperrealistic images zoom in on some of the most impressive sections of the model and give an aerial view of the mini metropolis that showcases the city's urban density in a new way.
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Events & Things To Do

May 12, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 5/12-5/18

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Design week is here, with enough trade-show events to make your head spin. Not to miss is the massive ICFF and Dwell on Design, two places to hit for the absolute latest and greatest in contemporary design. Take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy a cocktail al fresco while viewing the new Ivan Argote sculpture at the Standard High Line, or head out to Sunset Park and meander through the massive Industry City's open studios. The Judd Foundation creates a dialogue with James Rosenquist's work, and Swizz Beats' ex puts on her curatorial hat for an all-female show at Joseph Gross Gallery. Visit LA artist Marc Horowitz's New York debut at Johannes Vogt, and discover your inner adventurist in a one-night pop up by NY Adventure Club, featuring their members' death-defying photos of our beloved city.
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Events & Things To Do

May 9, 2016

20 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for Lazy People

By Annie Doge

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. Last week, 6sqft rounded up a list of 15 air-purifying plants to add indoors. This week we've pulled together 20 kitchen cleaning tips for the lazy (or busy) man and woman. Most of us would probably agree that keeping a home clean with any regularity can be a formidable challenge; because really, who wants to pour hours and hours into a tedious and thankless job that only promises to return with another layer of dirt? But while housekeeping is in general a groan-worthy task, the kitchen often poses its own hell, especially when shared with roommates who seem almost clueless as to how a sponge and soap work. Though we don't have a solution for making those dirty dishes in your sink disappear, we do have 20 cleaning hacks for keeping a (reasonably) clean kitchen that even the laziest person can squeeze in between Netflix and chill sessions.
20 tips for quick and easy cleaning here

May 9, 2016

The Guggenheim Superimposed On a Struggling Colombian City Highlights Urban Identity

By Dana Schulz

When Spanish photographer and artist Victor Enrich visited Rafael Uribe in Colombia, an urban area a few miles south of Bogotá, he was struck by how the struggling city was lively, yet full of contradictions (h/t Dezeen). The result of mismanaged migration patterns in the mid-20th century, the area now lacks an identity, with the younger generations focusing more on the mainstream Bogotan culture than their own heritage. Enrich's photography project titled "Rafael Uribe Uribe Existe," which superimposes New York's Guggenheim museum over the landscape of the Colombian city, highlights the "contrast between North and South American imagination." In doing so, he hopes to show how international cities with a high quality of life are those that protect their different communities instead of allowing them to vanish.
More photos and background

Events & Things To Do

May 6, 2016

Five-Star ‘Lazar Hotel’ Coming to Midtown, Will Meld Modern With Late-1700s Baroque

By Ondel Hylton

West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues is home to some of the city's most elite hotels, such as the Royalton, Sofitel and Algonquin, and also to esteemed institutions like the Harvard Club, Penn Club and New York Yacht Club. Near the stretch's Fifth Avenue corner, a new 20-story, 96-key hotel tower is in the works at 7 West 44th Street, and it will be festooned in Baroque stylings, Juliet balconies, twisted columns, cast-iron railings, and a grand lobby staircase.
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May 5, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 5/4-5/11

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Another week of art fairs is upon us, with Frieze New York taking the lead (and the advantage of warmer weather). Spend the weekend hopping between Frieze, NADA, CONTEXT, Art New York and 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fairs, and their many, many affiliated events. If the whole ordeal is just too much for you, no worries. Marina Abramovic's former lover and partner ULAY will perform in New York for the first time since 1986, Martin Creed's giant neon sculpture will illuminate Brooklyn Bridge Park for the Public Art Fund, and Duke Riley will entice Creative Time fans with a flock of LED equipped pigeons that will fly over the East River in a special performance.
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Events & Things To Do

Stuff You Should Know: How Eminent Domain Works

The Atlantic Yards (now known as Pacific Park) in Brooklyn where eminent domain was used to take property. Image via Atlantic Yards Report

May 4, 2016

Stuff You Should Know: How Eminent Domain Works

By Penelope Bareau

It has been called the most coercive public policy after the draft. It has also been said that without it, construction in major cities would come to a shuddering stop. What is this powerful, controversial tool? Can both statements be true? Eminent domain is the policy by which a governmental agency can acquire or "take" property from an owner unwilling to sell in order to build something else there, and it has been around for centuries. Some say it derives from the medieval concept of the divine right of kings, empowered by God the Almighty to be sovereign over all. And by inference, that includes the land, which individual owners occupy and trade at the king's sufferance. When he wants it back, it is his right to take it. So under eminent domain, all land theoretically belongs to the state, which can assume control at any time.
more on eminent domain here

April 28, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/28-5/4

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Spring has finally arrived and with it comes another dose of stimulating art events, starting with an eye-opening photo exhibit of artists along the U.S.-Mexican Border, as well as the much-anticipated spring edition of Greenpoint Open Studios. If you're looking for a more interactive experience, check out the Mad Hatters Ball at the McKittrick Hotel on Saturday or the Art into Action later on in the week. From the gallery side of things, Jenn Singer Gallery will be exhibiting an unconventional body of work from Brooklyn-based artist Emily Weiskopf, and the Booth Gallery will be debuting several works from the controversial Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum. In addition to these thought-provoking solo shows, Brooklyn's Center for Performance Research will host a group show entitled Beaver, challenging the role of female sexuality in mainstream media.
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Events & Things To Do

Stuff You Should Know: How NYC School Zones and Districts Work

Photo by Mary Frost of the Brooklyn Eagle

April 28, 2016

Stuff You Should Know: How NYC School Zones and Districts Work

By Cait Etherington

It’s a longstanding New York City tradition—families relocating to live in a desirable school district or zone. Currently, all five of the city’s boroughs are divided into districts and zones and both come with their own currency. Districts, which usually cover large swaths of a borough, impact students’ middle school and in some cases, high school choices. Zones, by contrast, can run just a few blocks and are usually the sole criteria for assigning students to schools at the elementary level. Like many things in New York City, however, a block can make a world of difference.
more on School Zones and Districts here

April 27, 2016

Tips for First-Time Renters and Students Leaving the Dorm

By Diane Pham

Rents across the city may be climbing, but that’s not keeping college students from wanting to flex their newfound autonomy even further by leaving their dorm for digs off campus. Unfortunately for many of these young scholars—and many first-time renters like them—searches typically start off with head-in-the-clouds expectations (“I had this fantasy about scoring a place with a fireplace and […]

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/21-4/24

Image via Chinatown Soup

April 21, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 4/21-4/24

By Lori Zimmer

Image via Chinatown Soup In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! This week, check out the latest hotel to get turned onto art when London's Pure Evil starts his residency at The Quin, or discover tomorrow's art star at Hunter's MFA exhibition. Julia Biasi brings her energetic paintings to Brilliant Champions, Chinatown Soup opens up for a panel discussion, and Jasmin Charles starts a residency at Catinca Tabacaru (with a lot of performances and programming). Go big and take the train to Hudson for 24-Drone, an immersive sound experience, or dedicate your Saturday night to the Guggenheim, where Matthew Barney, Fischerspooner and Elmgreen & Dragset will join others to discuss pairings. Round it out with a chance to learn pottery throwing (while drinking) for a good cause.
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