art – Uptown Moxie

Weekend Visitors

December 23, 2013 MandyLeave a comment

The middle/end of last week was such a whirlwind for me. From not feeling well to the jury duty fake out, to insanity at work, to trying to get everything wrapped up for my trip home…AND I had visitors! I spent what time I was out of the office with my best friend from high school, her husband and her dad. I love having people to show off the city to — mostly because it gives me a chance to do all of the touristy things I usually can’t manage to make myself get into regularly. Not only did I get to see some pretty incredible shows that offered my last chance at getting into the holiday spirit (The Rockettes, A Christmas Story, and not-seasonal themed Newsies), but it was also another chance to break out this new beast of a camera and shoot some places I wouldn’t normally visit! It was such a fun weekend with great people, and it got me even more excited for my holiday in Ohio.

How Bizarre, How Bazaar

November 18, 2013 MandyLeave a comment

Do you guys remember that song from 1995?!

Brother Pele’s in the back, sweet Zina’s in the front
Cruisin’ down the freeway in the hot, hot sun
Suddenly red-blue lights flash us from behind
Loud voice booming, “Please step out onto the line”
Pele preaches words of comfort, Zina just hides her eyes
Policeman taps his shades, “Is that a Chevy ’69?”
How bizarre, How bizarre…

This past weekend, my friend and I hit up the Brooklyn Night Bazaar: an indoor festival of local food, drinks, music, shopping and art. It basically has everything you could ever need in a weekend wrapped up into a mere few hours. It’s located in the some sketchy warehouse in what felt like the middle of rural(?) Williamsburg, so if you go, be prepared for a small hike to/from the train. I wasn’t and whined about getting slaughtered in a storage unit the entire way there and back. It’s a miracle I have friends.

I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted, due to A) my phone being a diva B) my camera still has not arrived and C) the lighting was weird. But it’s a designed to be a hip, fun place (and there was like, a concert happening), so I’ll let the lighting slide.

There’s a number of great food options to choose from (i.e. Oaxaca Taqueria, Morris Grilled Cheese, Briskettown). My friend and I both ordered from The Lobster Joint and thoroughly enjoyed our meals. You have to be 21+ to enter, so there are a few bars throughout the venue from which you can order from a list of beers (maybe/probably wines too?),walk around and shop while sipping on your beverage of choice.

The booths snake up and down the middle of the venue space, and there’s everything from artwork to jewelry to clothing. A few vendors that my friend and I took a liking to were RHLS for their crazy, hip sweatshirts, Milly & Earl for their adorable, vintage trinkets, and Adopt a Robot for obvious reasons. (Spoiler alert: friends, you’re all getting robots for Christmas). Also, BlissfulCase had an amazing vintage TV iPhone cover that I can’t stop thinking about. Although I could have spent a lot more money, my only purchase of the evening was on a Leroy’s Place Ziggy Stardust pendant and thick gold chain. Because this girl is hoping for some cha-cha-cha-changes in the near future. Ugh, I know, that was bad.

All in all, we deemed the trek out to Brooklyn well worth it. The Brooklyn Night Bazaar takes place every Friday and Saturday night from 6pm to midnight. Check out their website for more information!

Ooh baby, Ooh, baby
It’s making me crazy, It’s making me crazy
Everytime I look around, Everytime I look around
It’s in my face…

You’ll have that in your head for the rest of the day now; you’re welcome. If I have to suffer from the bad 90’s pop music, I’m brining you all down with me.

Museum of the Moving Image Visit

November 11, 2013 MandyLeave a comment

Happy Monday!

This past week I made the trek out to Astoria to visit the Museum of the Moving Image. I got so caught up in the amazing Yelp reviews, I forgot that I’m not really too much of a movie buff [read: I don’t know the difference between Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery]. Thankfully, I was accompanied by the textbook definition of a media connoisseur, so luckily he was able to break down for me everything from details of film projector extinction to why I need to add Being John Malkovich to my ever-growing “Stuff I need to watch” list.

Some of my favorite parts of the museum were seeing some of the costumes used in movies/television (pictured above is an actual Cosby sweater), this really sick thing called a strobeatrope which I can’t even accurately explain, and the text message translating game by the museum’s entry. Overall, the museum was a pretty good experience, and on Fridays after 4pm it’s donation-based (i.e. free, unless you get the mean man working the desk who basically threatens to melon-ball out your eyeballs if you don’t donate). I would especially recommend it for normal people who have an average or beyond knowledge of movies/the film industry, unlike myself. I guess I just spend my spare time surfing Buzzfeed and watching reruns of The O.C.? My poor underdeveloped brain cells.

Verizon = Satan & Whitney Visit

November 5, 2013 MandyLeave a comment

Let me start by stating the obvious: I hate Verizon Wireless. Having no internet access from 48 hours + is QUITE INCONVENIENT for people who enjoy using/need to use the internet on the weekends. I DIGRESS…

In the theme of my Museum Monday series (which I apparently now notoriously post on Tuesdays) (Verizon, you’re the WORST!), I visited the Whitney Museum last week. The Whitney’s collection focuses on American Art in the twentieth century. It’s current exhibits feature a number of well-known artists (Pictured below are Charles Burchfield, John Marin, Georgia O’Keefe and Joseph Stella), and a few featured exhibitions, one of which is Robert Indiana: an Andy Warhol-esque “pop art” display that’s centralized on progressive movements in American culture. The LOVE sign featured below represents his exhibit: my favorite in the museum.

The Whitney Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday, offers student discounts and is “pay what you will” from 6pm to 9pm on Fridays. Next time you’re on the Upper East Side, it’s definitely worth an hour or two of your time.

[Art] is All Over

October 8, 2013 MandyLeave a comment

I apologize in advance for the NY posts on West Chelsea that are to come in the next few months. There may or may not be an excessive amount, and this post will serve as my one and only forewarning/apology. Moving on.

Last week, my friend and I hit up the Affordable Art Fair. This display showcased exhibitors from all around the world and specifically highlighted pieces under $1000. Although a $850 painting is still pretty steep for my wallet at the moment, there were some cool pieces, and the crowd was excellent for people-watching. I definitely wouldn’t mind coming back to this in future seasons, especially if I’m looking for a unique piece of art and have a few extra G’s to spare.

Affordable Art Fair 2b