Labor Day Revival in the Park

By Tammy Duffy

Click below to see a photomontage of today's event  

http://youtu.be/R6omqLd5StE

  photo by T. Duffy of Dr Philip Bonaparte

The  first annual Revival In The Park event took place today at Columbus Park in Trenton, NJ. There was free admission, free food, gospel concerts, free health and cancer screenings, prayer stations, free book bags and school supplies  and much  more. 

When people entered the park today they signed in at the admission desk and were given a yellow arm band. This armband gave them a free lunch, free health screening, free cancer screening, free health education, games for the children, free bibles, free clothing, free books, free school supplies, gospel music, and free haircuts for back to school.  The event was sponsored by The New Hope Church of God based in Hamilton Ave in Trenton, NJ.  Bishop Philip M. Bonaparte, M.D. orchestrated this event and was on hand to share the vision of the event and his philanthropic efforts.  

When most people plan time away from work, they think of warm, sunny and relaxing places with family and friends.   Bishop. Philip Bonaparte, MD, (who just retired from being the Vice President Clinical Affairs of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Chief Medical Officer of Horizon NJ Health for the past 11 years) , has traveled on  medical mission trips to remote, rural communities in Trinidad, Haiti India and Jamaica. During these trips he extends medical care and food to the needy in those communities.
 
“I don’t feel like I am giving, I am receiving,” said Dr. Bonaparte, when asked why he goes on medical mission trips.  “Providing medical help is something that I can do and should do. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help, and it is rewarding to see the gratitude and kindness in the faces of those who are receiving care.  It is the spiritual that connects us.” 

Dr. Bonaparte noted that the need for medical treatment and disease prevention is what drove him to come to Trenton, NJ. There are many people in the city of Trenton without insurance and do not qualify for insurance. These are the exact people who will die from cancer , diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.

The commitment to community does not end there for Bishop Bonaparte, MD. He also is the Senior Pastor  of the, New Hope Church of God which is a multi-cultural church, serving the greater Trenton, East Windsor/Hightstown and Long Branch, NJ areas, as well as communities in need worldwide. 

During an interview with Avril Noyan, Nurse Practitioner she shared information on the up and coming Health Screening that will take place in what used to be Mercer Medical Center in Trenton,NJ,  at 416 Bellevue Ave. “We will offer free cancer screenings on Sept 18 and 25th from 9:00AM to 3:00PM.  The free screenings will focus on clinical breast exams, pap smears, glucose screening, blood pressure, and screening mammograms.  A mobile mammography van will be provided by Lackawanna Imaging for the events. Patients must call 609-989-0236 for an appointment to the screening. The New Hope Church of God has partnered with Planned Parenthood and NJCEED to make this Cancer screening possible.

Posted by tammyduffy at 3:50 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 4 September 2014 9:16 PM EDT

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 Killer Heels at the Brooklyn Museum of Art

By Tammy Duffy

Vertiginous shoes are nothing new. Stilettos and platforms originated from the Italian Renaissance.  On Wednesday, September 10,  Killer Heels opens to the public at 2 p.m at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in NYC. .This survey of shoes will bring you to an altitude that is mind boggling.  You will get to see these elevated fashion statements from the 16th century to the deadly weapons that rip up the red carpets of today. There will be 160 shoes on display that will fall into six categories; Glamour and Fetish, Revival and Reinterpretations and Architecture.

Deadly sharp stilettos, architecturally inspired wedges and platforms, and a number of artfully crafted shoes that defy categorization are featured among the more than 160 historical and contemporary heels on loan from designers, from the renowned Brooklyn Museum costume collection housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and from the Bata Shoe Museum. Designers and design houses represented in Killer Heels include Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Zaha Hadid X United Nude, Iris van Herpen X United Nude, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, André Perugia, Prada, Elsa Schiaparelli, Noritaka Tatehana, Vivienne Westwood, and Pietro Yantorny.

The curator of this exhibition, Lisa Small says,” All of these shoes could be considered architectural in the broadest sense. When it comes to architectural concerns; like support and load bearing, those kinds of structural issues are also particular in high heels.”  The extreme heights reached on very thin heels only became possible through extruded steel technology, the same materials that keep skyscrapers in our skies.

Killer Heels explores fashion’s most provocative accessory. From the high platform chopines of sixteenth-century Italy to the glamorous stilettos on today’s runways and red carpets, the exhibition looks at the high-heeled shoe’s rich and varied history and its enduring place in our popular imagination.

As fashion statement, fetish object, instrument of power, and outlet of artistic expression for both the designer and the wearer, throughout the ages the high-heeled shoe has gone through many shifts in style and symbolism.

Presented alongside the objects in the exhibition are six specially commissioned short films inspired by high heels. The filmmakers are Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, Zach Gold, Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Marilyn Minter, and Rashaad Newsome.

The exhibition runs from September 10, 2014–February 15, 2015 at the Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor,

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052
 

Hours

Wednesday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Friday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

General Admission

Posted by tammyduffy at 4:33 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 31 August 2014 4:36 PM EDT

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 MBFW Starts Sept 4 and ends on Sept 11 in NYC

Duffy's Cultural Couture will bring you amazing covering this season from New York Fashion Week. We have a team of photographers that will be covering the shows and reporting on the runway shows. Look for our daily coverage from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, street style fashion, off-site fashion shows, fashion designer presentations, press events and more.

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:17 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 29 August 2014 7:43 PM EDT

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Ready or  Not: An Exhibition at the Newark Museum

By Tammy Duffy

Ready or Not, is an exhibition featuring works by 40 New Jersey-based artists, at different points of their careers. The 2014 edition of the New Jersey Arts Annual in Fine Art  varies in practice and style. By using a wide range of artistic processes and approaches in color, form, material and content. This exhibition raises questions about place and experience, expanding the conversation on the region’s identity, its narrative and context in relation to art.

The descriptive title of the show allows for the possibilities for engagement, learning and individual insight.. As one walks through the exhibition, you will experience moments of unexpectedness that only increases your curiosity of the pieces. Take you time walking through the exhibition.  Go to every piece and interact with it. 

 Photo by DUFFY

Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman memorize you with their piece entitled, Rear Window, circa 2013.  This 14 minute video was shot through a window overlooking a marsh at Barnegat Bay, New Jersey during a rain shower. Many of your senses are tickled with this piece, sight, sound and smell.

The romantic movement of the raindrops hitting the window allows for a distortion and reflection onto the back wall.  The sound reminds me of the grandmother clock in my parents home growing up. As you watch this video you can smell the rain, you feel its presence.

The doorway you see in this photograph  above, on the right is yet another amazing installation that is quite worth gong through the revolving door, don’t miss it.

These amazing photographs by Lym  play an important  role in the depiction of American diversity and the effects it has on culture and tradition.  The braid patterns seen in these photographs can be viewed as a type of hidden language.

Toai has created a collaborative installation called “The Petri Island Project: He is tapping into the cultural and individual perspective of citizens who visit the Newark museum. The project asks the simple question: “what does an island mean to you?” 

The artist asks for as many children and adults in Newark to be a part of this project by inviting each person to contribute to his project and the final installation.

It is a fairly simple process. Every participant is provided with an empty plastic petri dish and asked to “fill” the dish by painting, sculpting, or whatever process of treatment that suits you, to create “what an island means to you.” It can be anything from a collection of items, to a picture or a finger painting, to an elaborate work of art. The result can be metaphoric, literal, simple or complex. The goal is to include every school child, and any citizen who is interested in contributing.

I loved the exhibition and its interactive quality. The security  employees at the museum know a lot about the art, they guide you to places where you may not have gone. They make sure your visit is wonderful.  There are other exhibitions in the museum that are equally as engaging and intellectually stimulating. Take time to go through the entire museum, its well worth your time.

Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102 
Newark's Downtown/Arts District
3 blocks from NJPAC

General Information: (973) 596-6550

Suggested Museum Admission

Adults: $12

Veterans & their families with valid I.D.: $7

Children, Seniors & Students with valid I.D.: $7

(2 years and younger: FREE)

Members & Newark Residents: FREE

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:20 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 24 August 2014 8:23 PM EDT

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MCCC Gallery to Host “Pannaroma” Photography Exhibit

Sept. 2-25

 By Tammy Duffy

The Gallery at Mercer County Community College  will open its new season on Sept 2, 2014.  The exhibition will feature panoramic photographs by 18 photographers who used a specially designed 1x3 panoramic camera built by Thomas Roma, the Director of Photography at Columbia University.  The show has been previously exhibited in New York City, Miami and New Orleans in the past.

“Pannaroma,” named for Roma’s wife, Anna, opens Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 and runs through Thursday, Sept. 25.   The public is invited to an opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 4, 6 to 8 p.m., that will feature statements by some of the photographers. 

 The photos in this exhibit were made possible by Thomas Roma, a Columbia University professor who built his own panoramic cameras in the 1980s to mid-1990s to allow for more versatility in this format.

According to MCCC Photography Professor Michael Dalton, co-curator of the exhibit with Gallery Director, Dylan Wolfe, Professor Roma created 31 cameras from the mid-1980s through the 1990s built on a handheld 35mm Nikon F.  Dalton notes that panoramic cameras at that time were significantly heavier and used larger film, requiring the use of a tripod.  “Professor Roma’s goal was to make the taking of panoramic photos easier and allow for more versatile subject matter,” Dalton said.

Many of the photos in the exhibit capture interaction between people and their environment, a departure from the sprawling natural scenery typically depicted with panoramic cameras.  “The Roma camera allows for more,” Dalton says.  “The result is a wide-ranging group of photographs that draws the viewer into the content of the photo.”

“Pannaroma” features work from professional photographers, including a number of Roma’s former students. In addition to Roma himself and MCCC’s Dalton, the exhibit includes photos by Inbal Abergil, Tony Chirinos, Sasha Waters Freyer, Lee Friedlander, Stephen Hilger, Yoav Horesh, Zsolt Kadar, Richard LaBarbera, Jeff Ladd, Kai McBride, Laura Mircik-Sellers, Claudio Nolasco, Anibal Pella-Woo, Dennis Santella, Raghubir Singh and Daniel Willner. 

The MCCC Galley is located on the second floor of the Communications Building on the college’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Hours for this show are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Posted by tammyduffy at 6:11 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 22 August 2014 6:17 PM EDT

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Antonio Berardi Never Disappoints

by Tammy Duffy 

His striking, classical designs allow women to go from day to night with incredible ease. The sensuality of his color-blocked, figure-hugging dresses with an added flare at the hemline, is just delectable. Antonio’s suits seen below, clearly demonstrate his cultural heritage .These sophisticated Italian suits with a structured British style, are a wonderfully sexy addition to a woman’s wardrobe. A peplum here, a geometric pattern there, are the adornments these sexy bodycon dresses, pants and suits. Structured seams lend structure to the fitted silhouettes. With this gown, I would like to see it without the sheer silk bottom, lengthen the red dress, narrow its hem….you would have a spectacular, sexy dress. - See more at: http://www.mytrnd.com/review/tammy-anne-duffy/antonio-berardi/antonio-never-disappoints/343#sthash.9AagLDgd.dpuf

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:10 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 18 August 2014 9:48 PM EDT

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Trenton Public Library: Increasing Access for Trenton’s Success

By Tammy Duffy

Our society may have no greater obligation than to ensure that every young person develops the academic, social, and personal attitudes and capacities that will lead to a fulfilling and successful life. Youth follow a journey to discover and then to develop their own talents, interests, preferences, and personal voice. For some, the path to developing their unique capacities and establishing their distinctive identities and voices is paved with multiple opportunities to read, explore, experience, and pursue interests during the out-of-school-time hours. For others, their voices are stifled by limited access to books, trips, learning experiences, and technology. This lack of access can have dire consequences, leaving our youth with restricted voices and “nothing to say at all. 

The Trenton Public library is expanding its services to ensure that the children in the city of Trenton will have access to books and the services they offer.

Recently, the library had Californian artist, Nicole Blackburn, is the founder of Big Sky Countries paint a mural in the new children’s room in the basement of the library.

Nicole came up with the name Big Sky Countries for her non profit because all of the murals she donates have a sky depicted in them. 

She uses the sky that was outside the building of the prior mural she just finished to place in the next mural she accomplishes. The sky that is depicted in the mural at the Trenton library is actually from a morning sky she saw in Newtown, PA while painting a mural there in November of this year. The main mission of Big Sky Countries is to donate large-scale murals to facilities around the world. Since 2006, murals have been painted by Nicole Blackburn in Thailand, Ireland, the Philippines, Bolivia, New Orleans, Costa Rica, Atlanta, Los Angeles and now Trenton.  The mural she just completed at the library is her largest piece to date. The first mural Nicole ever painted was during her college years for a fraternity who’s emblem was a dragon. Nicole has donated about 20 murals throughout the world.

Nicole uses all water based paints to create these murals.  The murals have an infinite lifetime. Nicole uses her own money to make these murals throughout the world. Some area children got a sneak peek of the mural being created at the library and they were wildly gleeful when they saw it.

Nicole collaborated with the library to develop the concept for the mural. They wanted it to have elements of enchantment, fantasy and dragons. During her youth Nicole always played with fairies versus Barbie dolls. A drawing was created for the project and this was utilized as the template for the mural. There were subtle changes made from the original drawing based upon input from the librarians, police officers and those who donated money for the mural project. There were additions of peacock feathers, ducks, monkeys and bears added to represent the old zoo that used to reside at Cadwalader Park in Trenton many years ago. The mural is an artful treasure hunt for the children. The new Children’s room will also have a “tween” component to it as well.

There is a new Adult Learning Classroom opening in August at the library as well. There will be a variety of products and services available in the Adult Learning Classroom. The new services will include: Treehouse which is an online video and interactive learning platform that teaches people how to design and develop websites and mobile apps, Job Accelerator which integrates each part of the job search process in one place, Lynda.com which is a robust online video training library of more than 1,400 videos taught by industry experts and Rocket Languages which is an award winning interactive online language learning system.

A new media box is also coming in August to the Trenton Public Library. This new media box will work like a Redbox machine. People will utilize their library card to access the device. This is a completely new, innovative, interactive way for residents to access DVD’s at the library. It will inside the library and people can begin using in during the second week of August. There is a touch screen to allow people to select the movies they want.  This same touch screen allows them to return the DVD’s they checked out as well.  They can be checked out for four days.

In October, there will be two new library outposts in the city of Trenton. These library outposts will allow the TPL to have an expanded presence in the community to assist families who have no ability to get to the library.  It combines three components: a book drop, a book vending machine (that can hold up to 300 to 500 pieces of material) and a locker system. The way it will work will be: If you want to place something on hold you can use your smart phone or computer to do so. You will reserve items by using your library card and specifying what time and which library outpost you want to pick your selections up from. The TPL will then drop off the books that were placed on hold and place them into the lockers at the outpost you selected. To pick up the books you will use your TPL library card to open up the locker at the outpost.  When you want to return them you take them back to the drop box at the outpost.

The library is coming to the residents versus the residents having to go to Academy Street to the library. The library already has a mobile version of their website for people to use in this process. The locations of the outposts are still being determined. The library would like the cities and communities input on the placement of the library outposts. If you have any suggestions on where they should be located, please contact the library and share your ideas.  The criteria for the outposts are: they need to be indoors, safe, have data cables and be accessible to the public. There will be an additional two outposts added within the next year if funding is granted and the first two are successful.

In the next two years the Trenton Public Library hopes to have a new Cybermobile. The "Cybermobile" is a state-of-the-art mobile technology center on wheels. This air conditioned bus will be equipped with 20 desktop computers and a large-screen "Smart board" for instruction. The wheelchair accessible bus will offer classes in computer and internet basics...along with classes on Windows and e-mail. It will also have a hot spot with round tables for people to work and use the internet outside as well. This project is heavily dependent on funding from the city

The address and the hours of operation of the Trenton Public Library are: Monday-Thursday 9amto 8pm, Friday and Saturday: 9am to 5pm at 120 Academy Street, Trenton, NJ 08608

Posted by tammyduffy at 6:12 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 18 August 2014 9:49 PM EDT

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There is a Rainbow in Trenton and His Name is Leon

By Tammy Duffy

The art of graffiti writing has been in practice since the stone ages. In the late 1960’s this artful revolution started in Philadelphia and then migrated to the New York City Graffitists. They in turn made it into a global phenomenon on the NYC subway system. Mayor Lindsay raged a war in NYC on the graffiti artists until the last train rolled off the tracks in 1989 to a train graveyard.  Some of these talented artists migrated to the “Graffiti Mecca and world renowned 5-Pointz building in Long Island City, NY. This was a place where artists could legally create graffiti work. The name 5Pointz came about because it signified the five boroughs coming together as one but, because of its reputation as an epicenter of the graffiti scene, the industrial complex actually united aerosol artists from around the world.

On August 21, 2013, the New York City Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve plans to build condos on the 5 Pointz site. The amazing work was gone with a swift coat of paint.

In the city of Trenton there is a graffiti artist by the name of Leon Rainbow. Leon was 12 years old when he did his first tag which as he says, ”Was probably placed somewhere really dumb”, but the placement of his EXTRM tag started it all for Leon. Graffiti artists all have unique names and tags. Another artist in another town can have the same name but a completely different tag.

 Leon learned how to do simple and block letters from an early age and has been drawing and creating art ever since. He learned how to tag from the streets and the more advanced tagging techniques from the likes of Sew, Joe Base and Pose2. Leon has built on his foundation and has a strong connection to hip-hop culture.

Leon made the transition from painting illegal walls to legal walls by going to MCCC and then being awarded small to medium size commissions. He has done pieces for the city of Trenton, the Urban Work Café, advertising for local businesses and many others projects in and outside the city.

There are a multitude of creative projects that Leon is involved in today.  Some of his current projects include, the up and coming Jersey Fresh Jam in August 2014, being involved in Terracycle’s TV show entitled, Human Resources on Pivot TV, an up and coming art exhibition at Robert Wood Hamilton Hospital focused on street art in September 2014, teaching art classes for the Trenton after school programs and the Hopewell Valley Stampede in August 2014. The team from Modern Recycled Spaces and Isles has allowed Leon to use their space on Johnston Ave in Hamilton for free to paint the oxen.

 The Hopewell Valley Stampede is the first program sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. In August, there will be a herd of fiberglass painted oxen roaming throughout the Hopewell Valley. The oxen will be placed in neighborhoods, parks, businesses and schools. It will be a free outdoor museum of oxen for all who live in or visit Hopewell Valley to enjoy.

The Hopewell Valley Stampede generated excitement and interest among local and regional artists who were eager to contribute their talents. Leon has painted two oxen for this outdoor exhibition.

This Stampede exhibition by Hopewell Valley also has associated music festivals, art exhibits and other cultural programs. This will help heighten awareness of the arts, promote educational participation, increase the visibility of the region’s artists and businesses, and boost tourism. The Hopewell Valley Stampede will inspire residents and visitors alike to remember the past and celebrate the present.

When I asked Leon what is the piece you are most proud of, he said, “The next one and the mural installation I did at the Ellarslie Museum in Trenton from July-September 2009 (which is shown at the top of this article).”  It was a mural that was representative of his life.  The first section depicted his Native American heritage then migrated to show a baby with a spray can.  The baby is Leon; he was born to do this. The child on the tricycle shows Leon riding with his dreams. Leon’s childhood was filled with imagination and creativity that is representative in his work. When Leon was 19 he went through a drug phase that he was lucky enough to turn around and create the positive world he now lives in.  Leon is an extremely talented artist positively impacting the community in which he lives. 

Posted by tammyduffy at 12:01 AM EDT

Updated: Monday, 18 August 2014 9:50 PM EDT

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