Round 3 of introductions... And it's a 3-fer!

True Stories
Sam Wedelich & Corey Hayes
Show Specs:
251 W 80 Street (Btwn B'way & West End; All Angels' Church), NY, NY 10024
Opens March 6: 6-7:30 Opening, 7:30-9 Coffee House Concert, 9-10 Reception & Second Viewing


In keeping with the theme of True Stories, Jeannie Rose Field, our Coffee House curator (and the voice behind the stellar blogs City Stories and The Faux Gourmet), has put together a show of the most storytelling inclined genere: the singer-songwriter.  That plus a few other people, telling their stories.
(Jeannie Rose also tweets up a storm under @_CityStories and @TheFauxGourmet.  Follow her.)


Shalom Sahbity Preview- Catherine Hanna and Simnia Singer-Sayada
The full Shalom Sahbity performance will be showing at All Angel's Church on Saturday April 10th.

Shalom Sahbity is a collage performance of storytelling, dialogue, movement, music and media, written and performed by Israeli-American, Simnia Singer-Sayada and Egyptian-American, Catherine Hanna (an All Angels' native).  It tells their unique personal experiences of Middle Eastern culture, as well as the stories of Arabs and Israelis who have been directly impacted by this multi-facted political and historical conflict.  As they tell their stories through word and images, they incite a variety of themes and topics including: immigration, mixed cultural identity, race, family, language, motherhood, woman’s self-image, religion, and tensions in relating to the news and media, among other topics.  The performance provokes a fresh new dialogue about the Middle East and the surprises found through friendship.  This will be the second year running that All Angels' Church is pleased to present this performance.

Visit Shalom Sahbity on the web. 




Melanie Penn

 

I have never met Melanie before, so I am going to be looking for someone to introduce me to her Saturday.  But I hear good things.  And, DANG, ain't she cute, boys?

Take a listen over at her MySpace page.
Homepage: www.melaniepenn.com



Paul Johnson

 

Paul Johnson needs little introduction.  If you want to talk about singer-songwriter, which, honestly, who doesn't,  Paul's music is in the vein of those originals.  I mean, when he plays, you are looking around for Peter and Mary.  (Har, har, his wife's name happens to be Mary.)  Personally, Paul's music also makes me a little nervous sometimes.  It's Pavlovian.  I will have shuffle on the iTunes at work, and all of a sudden the Senior Warden is in the room singing to me; it seems like I should immediately close the non-work relevant Firefox tabs (like Blogger?).
Purchase: www.cdbaby.com/cd/paulleejohnson


Who'd You Miss:
Sam Wedelich
Corey Hayes

Still to come:
Cory Cavin

Introduction: Corey Hayes (photographer to the stars and church staff assistants)

As promised, a continued set of introductions...

True Stories
Sam Wedelich & Corey Hayes
Show Specs:
251 W 80 Street (Btwn B'way & West End; All Angels' Church), NY, NY 10024
Opens March 6: 6-7:30 Opening, 7:30-9 Coffee House Concert, 9-10 Reception & Second Viewing





Corey Hayes (photographer to the stars and church staff assistants)

 
Corey is a stunning portrait photographer.  For True Stories he is using a new body of work that I won't tell you much about because I don't know if I am supposed to.  I did just sneak into the prep area though, and let me assure you, the stun-factor is up there.  I will leak that the photos Corey is showing are all black and white, my fav.

Corey has an amazing ability to capture his subjects without all the extra detritus and props that some people use.  In fact, more often than not, Corey's got someone in front of a flat backdrop, which lately seems about as unpopular and day-glo and oil paints.  I find it refreshing and admire the challenge limitations bring to the photographer.  Within restriction, photographer and subject rise to the challenge of portraying personality with just body language and expression.

Personally, I also love Corey's photography because of my obsessive attraction to post-minimalism.  Striped down, but with very singular and pure intention.  Is my penchant toward the black and white becoming clearer?   Corey's sense of balance and composition always keep me on my toes (squealing with joy like a piglet that love delicious photography).


(The pictures here were all pilfered from his website, not the body of work in the show.)

Also, last year Corey worked with the ever indomitable Russell & Cheryl Sharmin on a book titled NightShift NYC.  The Sharmin's did the writin' and Corey did the photo-in'.  There are some great shots where Corey proved he can go beyond the portraits.  But really, why would you?  People are just so interesting!

Corey also took one of my favorite adult pictures of yours truly.  Here, indulge my ego.

Corey's links:
Corey Hayes Photography
NightShift NYC

Who'd You Miss:
Sam Wedelich

Still to come:


Catherine Hanna and Simnia Singer-Sayada
Melanie Penn
Alexa Wilkinson
Paul Johnson
Cory Cavin

Introduction: Sam Wedelich (a.k.a. DwellDeep)

There is a rad show opening this Friday in the flotsam/jetsam gallery I help run.  There are talented artists participating; and I am not just saying that.  There is a lot of crap out there to be seen, and I am unabashed in calling it out and avoiding seeing it; you will not see it this Saturday.  There is also a (free) rad singery-songwritery show combined with the gallery opening.  Over the next few days I will be introducing you to some very talented people worth you attention or link following for at least 10 minutes.

True Stories
Sam Wedelich & Corey Hayes
Show Specs:
251 W 80 Street (Btwn B'way & West End; All Angels' Church), NY, NY 10024
Opens March 6: 6-7:30 Opening, 7:30-9 Coffee House Concert, 9-10 Reception & Second Viewing





Sam Wedelich (a.k.a. Dwell Deep)

Sam is a full time artist/illustrator/poet.  That's ballsy.  Most of her material is autobiographical, but in that universal way, not a I-have-a-peanut-allergy-and-can-you-believe-they-put-peanuts-in-my-waffle! sort of autobiographical.  Sam does a great job blogging and tweeting updated illustrations and notifications about new Etsy items, and when you're lucky, a poem or two.  Also, she might rebuke me for mentioning it, but Sam and her husband, Russ, have also recently formed a band with another set of my favorite spousal musicians, the Paul-Shores.  You WILL hear about it when they leak me more info.



Here is an exhaustive list of Sam/DwellDeep's links.
Homepage: www.dwelldeep.com
Blog: www.dwelldeep.com/blog
Twitter: twitter.com/dwelldeep

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/dwelldeep


[AN ASIDE: Please follow, subscribe, and visit them all.  In this social media driven culture, small businesses can grow based on viral media, but that requires foot traffic.  Even of you never read what she posts or says or buy anything from Etsy, please consider adding the links to feeds, readers, etc. and just letting them sit there.  What's one little placeholder?  When it comes down to getting featured on art blogs and press, a lot writers will judge an artist's, crafter's, blogger's professionalism based on their popularity (subscribers and hit counts).  It's not necessarily fair, but it is the way things work.  Help out a small business, subscribe to their blogs, twitters, et. all.]


Still to come:

Corey Hayes
Catherine Hanna and Simnia Singer-Sayada
Melanie Penn
Alexa Wilkinson
Paul Johnson
Cory Cavin

"T.D.M." or "Speeding to Reduce Curves"

 
Wow.  Training has been taking so much more time and energy than I thought I would.  I apologize for the lull here, but I have managed to keep a steady stream going on the Twitter if you follow me there,


















Grand Announcement:  I have reached half of my fund-raising goal!  Only $250.00 to go.  If you haven't given to Haiti relief yet, or even if you have, please consider giving, even just $10.00.  Read my whole post about how you can fight obesity, heart disease, and contribute to Haiti relief on one just one donation here.  I mean it, just $10.00!  You don't need it.  That's less than one swanky cocktail; that's less than 3 tall lattes; that's much less than new kicks, a bag, or a dinner out.  DONATE HERE, totally tax deductible.



The rest of this week:  Look forward to an awesome set of introductions...