Events & Things To Do

October 11, 2016

The Rockefeller Center ice skating rink reopens today

Grab your skates kids, because the iconic ice rink at The Rockefeller Center is reopen for business today! This year The Rink at Rockefeller Center is celebrating its 80th year of operation (it opened on Christmas Day in 1936), and to mark the occasion the center held a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning with figure skater and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. While this mid-60s sweater weather may not feel quite as festive as that Christmastime nip, hitting the ice now does have a number of advantages—namely not having to bundle up, and not having to fight the lines. More than a quarter-million skaters are anticipated to visit the rink this year.
more info here
October 10, 2016

In 1892, NYC celebrated an entire Columbus Week

Annually, the Columbus Day parade draws nearly a million viewers to Fifth Avenue, but that's nothing compared to the festivities of 1892 when New Yorkers celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Italian explorer’s Caribbean landing for seven full days. Columbus Week was a completely decked out party with a Hudson River naval parade, Brooklyn Bridge fireworks, a music festival, and the first Columbus Day Parade, which consisted of 12,000 public school children, 5,500 Catholic school children, military drill squads, and 29 marching bands.
More history
October 6, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 10/6-10/12

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! October's cozy days are officially upon us, and we've got a slew of ways to celebrate. All month long, check out artist Chen Man's poignant and interactive Nao Nao pieces for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Peninsula Hotel, then head to Times Square for the melting poetry of Tim Etchells each night across the ad screens. Artist Joseph Grazi pens a love letter to Cecil the Lion and asks us to reevaluate the value of life, while the works of Richard Long take over the first floor of the iconic Donald Judd Foundation in Soho. Dan Efram shares stills of films he's never made, and a group of artists that favor paper talk techniques at Trestle Gallery. Lastly, spend a crisp day in the Hamptons for the 24th annual film festival and Patron Hosts' Art+Music Lounge, with a show curated by Natalie Kates and a party curated by Art Nerd!
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October 5, 2016

The NYPL’s iconic Rose Reading Room reopens to the public today!

The New York Public Library’s Rose Reading Room and Bill Blass Public Catalog Room officially reopened to the public today at 10 AM. Early this morning, NYPL staff held a ribbon-cutting celebration for two adjacent spaces located on the third floor of the iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 5th Avenue. Both rooms had been closed to the public for more than two years for repairs and restorations.
more details this way
October 3, 2016

Artist brings 4,000 redwood trees to Downtown Brooklyn

A big green sign that greets drivers from Manhattan coming over the Williamsburg Bridge reads, "Name It...We Got It!" Among the many things to which the borough can now lay claim: A dense grove of 4,000 redwood trees in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn's Metrotech Commons. It's this unlikely juxtaposition that has brought the trees, with roots in prehistoric times and known to grow bigger than the Flatiron Building and longer than the Brooklyn Bridge, to this spot steps from Shake Shack. The mini-redwood forest is called "Lost Man Creek," an art installation by Brooklyn-based artist Spencer Finch that opened on October 1. It's a scaled-down (to one hundredth the size) replica of a 790-acre section of California's Redwood National Park, planted in partnership with the Save the Redwoods League.
See more of this magical mini-forest
October 3, 2016

Renters’ Rights 101: Know what your landlord is responsible for

No, you don't have to suffer in a sub-zero apartment this winter, nor do you need to dine with mice and roaches in your kitchen during the summer. If you're one of the many constantly finding themselves up in arms over a negligent landlord, rest assured there's more that you can do beyond grumbling to your friends. Indeed, in NYC tenants have a lot of power, and the city has established a number of regulations to protect you, your family, and especially young children living in rental properties. Ahead is 6sqft's list of the most common problems New York renters face—and some advice on how to get those issues fixed quickly.
Your rights here
September 30, 2016

Spotlight: Maya Valladares helps artists copy famous works at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

If you've ever visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched an artist working at a canvas or sculpting amongst the museum's larger than life pieces, then you've seen the Copyist Program in action. Founded in 1872, two years after The Met first opened, the program has provided countless artists the opportunity to copy the great works that fill the museum's numerous galleries. The Copyist Program is overseen by The Met’s Department of Education, and Maya Valladares, an artist focusing on textiles, serves as the its Assistant Educator for Public Programs and Creative Practice. Her role requires her to create holistic experiences through the museum’s public programming, and through the Copyist Program, she works to enhance the experience of copying for the students and cohorts that come through the museum's doors. 6sqft recently spoke with Maya, who shared details about the program’s rich history, what copying offers artists, and what it’s like to duplicate the works of a world-class museum.
Read the interview here
September 29, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 9/29-10/5

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! Starting this weekend, a miniature Redwood forest grows in Brooklyn thanks to the Public Art Fund. Female artists take on the self portrait at the Untitled Space, while Salomon Art Gallery hosts a Beggars Banquet. Countless artists open their doors for Bushwick Open Studios, where you're also welcome to channel your inner artist at Jacked Fashion Camp. The Queens Museum celebrates a book launch by Rebecca Solnit, and the City Reliquary highlights Philip Johnson's Queens landmark. Finally, add to your art collection and stop by the Affordable Art Fair in Manhattan all weekend long.
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September 28, 2016

6sqft’s top 10 event picks for Archtober 2016

Now in its sixth year, Archtober is a month-long festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions in New York City. From walking tours and rare opportunities to go inside some of the city's most lauded buildings to panel discussions and film screenings, there's something for everyone in this 100+ event roster. But 6sqft has hand-picked 10 events that are sure to be highlights of this year's festival.
Check out our picks right here
September 22, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 9/22-9/28

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! Art openings aren’t for everyone; some thrive on jam-packing themselves into hot galleries, clamoring for two inches of cheap wine and a glimpse of a corner of a painting, while others have gotten over the “I saw it first” mentality and prefer to leisurely enjoy show offerings at their own pace, long after the crowds have seceded. That said, put your best shoes on and enjoy a night (or day) out at these excellent exhibits this September. My list this week includes losing yourself in the trippy, yellow-hued world of Os Gemeos at Lehmann Maupin, and taking in the larger than life works of graffiti artist John Matos, a prolific contributor to the New York graffiti scene since the late 70s. And if you're looking to dance this weekend, school is also back in session with a wild high school-themed party at MoMA PS1!
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September 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: A walk through the 90th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray introduce us to the faces and food vendors that make up the 2016 Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro, which is held in the "Little Italy" neighborhood of lower Manhattan from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 25th. The Feast is an 11-day salute to the Patron Saint of Naples, Saint Januaries, and it is the longest and most popular street fair in New York City (anticipated to bring in one million tourists and New Yorkers this year). Little Italy was once known for its large population of Italian immigrants and is now centered on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets. Italians first began to settle in the area during the 1850s, but by the 1960s, wealthy Italians began to move out and Chinese merchants for the first time began to move north of Canal Street—the traditional boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy. Observing the changes in the neighborhood, Italian merchants and restaurateurs formed an association dedicated to maintaining Mulberry Street north of Canal as an all-Italian enclave, which it still largely remains. Ahead we document some of the longtime New Yorkers, tourists, and decades-old Italian vendors who've added their own flavor to this year's festivities.
our account and more photos here
September 17, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 9/15-9/21

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! Lower Manhattan's Arts Brookfield is stretching its curatorial arm uptown with a new sculpture presentation by John Monti, and further uptown (in the Bronx) British stencil artist Nick Walker shows his iconic Vandal character in works on paper you can take home. Mighty Tanaka Gallery comes back in pop-up group show form, and Brooklyn's Brilliant Champions brings LA artist Michelle Blade to Bushwick. Artists, including light artist Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos, tackle the notion of failure in the art world at Radiation Gallery, and light art enlivens the beautiful Manhattan Bridge underpass in DUMBO for IFP Film week. Just across the water, see the world's largest modern-built Viking ship dock in Battery Park City. And upstate, Basilica Hudson celebrates another experimental Soundscape Festival, and closer the home, the Garment District will become home to eight wacky animal sculptures by Hung Yi.
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September 16, 2016

Naked Trump statue returns, spotted near Holland Tunnel

After an artists’ collective exposed the nation last month to life-sized nude Donald Trump statues in cities across the U.S.—including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Cleveland—they have reappeared in public. The “anarchist” art collective, Indecline, placed the statues on a building rooftop near the Holland Tunnel in New Jersey, and on a […]

September 15, 2016

‘Where Architects Live’ takes you into the private homes of Zaha Hadid, Shigeru Ban and Daniel Libeskind

You've admired their buildings, now go inside their homes. On October 1st, the Architecture and Design Film Festival will host the U.S. premiere of "Where Architects Live," a fascinating documentary that offers an intimate look into private interiors—and the daily lives—of eight of the world's most important architects, including Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Zaha Hadid, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain.
Watch the trailer here
September 14, 2016

REVEALED: Thomas Heatherwick’s $150M climbable Hudson Yards sculpture ‘The Vessel’

It was nearly three years ago that Related Companies chairman Stephen Ross boasted that Hudson Yards' public art piece would be "New York’s Eiffel Tower," and after an unveiling today of the massive sculpture that will anchor the central public space, it seems he might not have been too far off.
More details and renderings this way
September 10, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 9/8-9/14

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! The art world is back in full swing this week. Head to Chelsea this Thursday and meander around the countless openings (and enjoy the cheap, swill chardonnay). Be sure to stop by Joseph Gross Gallery for their opener with Jesse Draxler and Chad Wys. Takashi Murakami's protege opens a show of her gorgeous embroidery, and performance artist Jill Sigman explores the world of plants and weeds through dance. A group of artists pay tribute to 9/11 with an immersive exhibition called Loft in the Red Zone, and downtown artists and performer Kembra Pfahler joins Howl for their Writer's Block series. Central Park is getting a brand new giant sculpture inspired by a shopping list thanks to the Public Art Fund, and Bloomingdale's semi-secret train car restaurant stays open for a special chef's tasting dinner. Speaking of food, sample all that Greenwich Village has to offer at Washington Square Park's Taste of the Village event. Finally, gather some patience and wait in the long lines to experience Refinery29's epic 29Rooms, which transforms 80,000 square feet of warehouse space into 29 experiential art installations.
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September 6, 2016

Miss Manhattan: The famous artist’s model who sits in iron and marble throughout the city

Audrey Marie Munson. The name may not ring a bell, but you've undoubtedly seen her likeness around town. From the New York Public Library to the Brooklyn Bridge, this woman in various states of undress was once the most famous artist's model in the country. The story of Munson began in 1906, when she was 15 years old and was spotted window shopping on Fifth Avenue by photographer Felix Benedict Herzog. After he took a series of portraits of her, she was introduced to well-known sculptor Isadore Konti, who began her career as "Miss Manhattan," immortalizing her in iron and stone. But a short-lived hiatus as a film actress, followed by a murder scandal, changed things for the model.
The full history this way
September 1, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 9/1-9/7

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! Summer's over, but you can alleviate some of the pain with a slew of arts events this weekend. Times Square Arts brings it with their September #Midnightmoment partnership with the Met Opera, and the Met Museum's gorgeous Manus X Machina comes to a close. Head over to Governors Island before it closes for the season to check out the Center for Holographic Arts, and head out to the Hamptons to enjoy Dita Von Teese while supporting Housing Works. Revisit the '70s with a Paradise Garage Reunion, or honor Captain James T Kirk with a group show inspired by Star Trek. Experience the hype that is the Japanese pop band Perfume, then educate yourself on the sprawl and settlement of the Bronx.
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August 30, 2016

10 easy ways to give your rental kitchen a makeover

For renters, the kitchen is often the least attractive area of their home. And this is especially true in NYC where landlords often turn to the cheapest finishes, built-ins and fixtures they can find in order to save a few dollars. But even if your apartment ultimately won't be your forever home, there's no reason suffer through an interior design nightmare. Ahead 6sqft highlights 10 easy and affordable ways to transform a ugly rental kitchen into a chic space—all without putting your deposit at risk.
Our 10 tips here
August 26, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week- 8/25-8/31

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! Summer is winding down, but we're not ready to move back indoors. Jump a ferry and celebrate the season's end on Governors Island with an old fashioned oyster shuck. Get down (silently) outside at the Coney Island Art walls at the Quiet Clubbing Festival, or join artist Santhori in making a giant mural at the park on East 1st Street. Stretch out and appreciate Times Square on Jurgen Mayer H's XXX easy chairs, then head to the Bowery Wall to find your friends in Logan Hicks' giant new mural. Finally, the gallery prince of darkness JJ Brine is bringing his Vector Gallery back to New York, and two artists are turning Brooklyn's Ground Floor Gallery into a giant loom installation.
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