LA TASHA N. NEVADA DIGGS / SURYA ARTS PRESENTS HURRUCAN CLARISSE SALON SERIES AT TH HOTEL GRIFFOU

THIS EVENING WAS A CULTURAL HIGH POINT OF THIS YEAR FOR ME...

THE BEST CURATED READINGS, BY SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED WOMEN OF COLOR WRITERS OF THE DAY..

PERFECTLY SET IN THE MOST CAPTIVATING RESTAURANT I HAVE EVER BEEN IN IN NEW YORK.

THE HOTEL GRIFFOU

EVERYTHING WAS JUST RIGHT... FOOD, DECOR, THE WAITRESSES, THE BARTENDER, THE OWNERS.

I ALWAYS SAY, THAT LOVE & CULTURE ARE THE BEST COSMETIC IN THE COSMOS...

THIS EVENING CULTURE WAS THE MEDICINE OF CHOICE.

EVERYONE WAS RADIANT, THE ROOM FILLED WITH LITE CANDLES, EXPOSING ALL THEIR ANCIENT MAJESTY, LIKE THE BRILLIANT AND BEAUTIFUL WBAI TALK RADIO PERSONALITY ESTHER ARMAH

IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO TREAT MYSELF TO A EVENING LIKE THIS...

TO BE READ TO FROM VOICES AND PLACES FAMILIAR TO ME AND TO BE GRACIOUSLY SERVED... ESPECIALLY WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THE GROCERY SHOPPING, COOKING OR CLEANING.

AND BE SERENADED BY A BEAUTIFUL ROOM.

LATASHA REALLY PULLED HER HOSTESS WITH "ALL OF THAT" SKILLS TOGETHER....

FEATURING WRITERS,

MAHOGANY BROWNE,

PURVI SHAH

SHARIFA RHODES-PITTS

LYNN PROCOPE

YOU REALLY LEFT US WITH RICH MEMORIES FOR A LONG TIME LATASHA... LET'S DO THIS AGAIN.

FOLKS DRAPED IN THE GOLDEN CANDLE LIGHT, ENTRANCED BY THE READERS.



Q & A.

THE BREAK-OUT, EVERYONE MEETING AND NETWORKING.

AND SIGNING...

REFLECTING OFF EACH OTHER....

ONE OF THE WRITER'S AND A FRIEND OF MINE SHARIFA RHODES-PITTS...

...HAVING A ANIMATED CONVERSATION WITH FINE ARTIST SIMONE LEIGH.





AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I GOT'S TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS AMAZING NON-ALCHOL DRINK THAT THE WIZARD BARTENDER NATAHAN RAMOS CREATED FOR ME... I TOLD HIM I WANTED A MIXED DRINK BUT I DID NOT DRINK ALCOHAL AND I DID NOT WANT A SWEET DRINK... AND.... DID HE HOOK A SISTAH UP?

I HAVE NEVER TASTED A DRINK SO LUCIOUS, IT TASTED LIKE IT HAD MELONS, CUCUMBERS, GINGER AND SOME FRESH GREEN HERBS THAT WERE FLOATING IN MY TALL SUMMER GROWN-UP DRINK...

THIS WAS A PERFECT EVENING IN THIS ROMANTIC LITERARY HIDE-AWAY SALON AT

THE HOTEL GRIFFOU
NO. 21 WEST 9TH ST.
NEW YORK, NY
RESERVATIOS@GRIFFOU.COM
212 358-0228

YOU HAVE TO DROP BY AND CHECK THIS PLACE OUT.... EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS BEYOND PERFECT....

JOIN FIBER ARTIST XENOBIA BAILEY FOR A FREE NEWSPAPER ROSES WORKSHOP AT STUDIO MUSEUM OF HARLEMS: TARGET ARTS AND WONDER WEEKEND EVENT 7.18.10

GREETINGS EVERYONE, SORRY FOR THE LATE POSTING OF THIS EVENT... BUT YOU KNOW HOW THINGS ARE RUNNING RIGHT ABOUT NOW!!!!...

THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF TARGET AND THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM, I WILL BE CONDUCTING A DEEP-GREEN, NEWSPAPER RECYCLED INTO ROSES WORKSHOP THIS COMING SUNDAY, 7.18.10, FROM 12:-4:00.

I WILL HAVE TABLES SET UP, SHOWING EVERYONE HOW TO CREATE MY RECYCLED NEWSPAPER INTO ROSES FOR FREE!!!

IT WILL BE FUN AND INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING HOW TO CREATE THESE VERY USEFUL RECYCLED FLOWERS THAT ARE PERFECT ADORMENTS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

GREETINGS WORLD, MEET MY BRILLIANTLY TALENTED PACE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN: LING-HSIANG HUNG (SEAN)

A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE MY SUMMER ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY STARTED AT PACE UNIVERSITY, I HAD A VERY INFORMATIVE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH MY DEAR FRIEND ARTIST/DESIGNER/CULTURAL WRITER CHERYL RILEY.

I WAS TELLING HER ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT I PLAN TO WORK ON AND WE BOTH THOUGH IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I INVITED HER BY THE STUDIO A FEW TIMES FOR A LOOK/SEE VISIT DURING THE RESIDENCY.

SHE SUGGESTED THAT I ASK A STUDENT INTERN WHICH WAS BRILLIANT.

SO...

"ASK AND YOU SHELL RECEIVE"...

AND.... "TAAH DAAH"..... HERE IS THE DIVINE ANSWER TO MY ARTIST WITH A SUMMER RESIDENCY AT A UNIVERSITY WISH.

I AM PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU,

THE HONORABLE LING-HSIANG HUNG (SEAN)

SEAN AND I HAD A VERY SHORT BUT PLEASANT INTERVIEW, HE IS FROM TAIWAN, A SENIOR STUDYING FINE ARTS CONCENTRATING ON DIGITAL MEDIA.

WE BOTH ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY INSPIRING EXPERIENCE WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON OUR DEVELOPMENTS!!!

I LOVE MY CIRCLE OF CREATIVE FRIENDS!!!...

A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM FOR PHOTOGRAPHER MING SMITH AND THE BLACK DOLL SHOW

Art in Review - Ming Smith - ‘Photographs - 1977-2010’ - NYTimes.com
LAST FRIDAY BEFORE I LEFT THE STUDIO AT PACE, I CALLED MARIE BROWN BECAUSE SHE HAD TOLD ME EARLIER IN THE WEEK THAT SHE HAD SOME NEWSPAPERS FOR ME THAT I COULD PICK THEM UP ON FRIDAY.

SO...

AS I WAS WALKING ACROSS 14TH. STREET AND UNION SQUARE... (MY OLE SPOT LAST SUMMER) I RAN INTO SANA MUSASAMA AND HER NIECE ALIYAH....

WE MADE A QUICK STOP AT ONE OF THE ICE CREAM TRUCKS SO SANA COULD PURCHASE A ICE CREAM CONE FOR HER NIECE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER MING SMITH PAST BY, TELLING SANA AND I THAT SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN THIS AMAZING REVIEW THAT DAY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR HER EXHIBIT AT THE JUNE KELLY GALLERY IN SOHO.

THIS GRACIOUS REVIEW BY NEW YORK TIMES ARTS CRITIC HOLLAND COTTER, HAD THE IMAGE OF THE SEREAL PHOTO TITLED

"JAMES BALDWIN IN SETTING SUN OVER HARLEM". BY MING SMITH 1997-2010 AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.


ON HEARING THIS, ALL FOUR OF US FOUND THE CLOSEST NEWS PAPER STAND AND GOT THE PAPER AND CONTINUED TALKING ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEWS (NOT EVEN NOTICING WE WERE SOLD THURSDAYS PAPER INSTEAD OF FRIDAYS.

I SAID ALL THAT TO SAY... I DID NOT MAKE IT BY MARIES HOUSE THAT NIGHT, MING AND I SAID GOOD-BYE TO SANA AND HER NIECE WHO LIVES IN QUEENS AND MING AND I GOT ON A SLOW BUS TO HARLEM WHERE WE FILLED THE RIDE WITH OUR ARTIST "BACK IN THE DAYS" MEMORIES.

THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED MARIES AND TOLD HER WHAT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE "THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK" STORY ABOUT WHY I DID NOT GET BY HER PLACE TO PICK UP THE NEWSPAPERS LAST NIGHT.

NOW... HERE'S WHERE THE ERIE MUSIC SHOULD BE COMING IN.....

THERE WAS THIS BEAUTIFUL SITTING SPOT IN MARIES LIVING ROOM, WHERE SHE HAD JUST BEEN SITTING.... BEHIND THIS TEXTILE ADORNED AND COMFY CHAIR, DRAPED IN NOONLIGHT WAS THIS PRINT ON A EASEL OF A PASTEL DRAWING FROM JAMES BALDWINS GARDEN IN PARIS.

AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EASEL WAS A PHOTOGRAPH OF MINGS EX-HUSBAND/(HER BABIES DADDY), JAZZ MUSICIAN DAVID MURRY HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE WRITER JAMES BALDWIN IN HIS GARDEN IN PARIS.


AND THEN.... I WALKED OVER TO THE COFFEE TABLE AND WHAT DID I SEE!?!... ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH OF JAMES BALDWIN AND HIS BROTHER DAVID BALDWIN (THANK YOU SO MUCH LAURA HARRIS FROM WASHINGTON D.C. FOR THE CORRECTION, DO YOU APROVE?)....

AND I AIN'T THROUGH YET... THEN MARIE SAID SHE HAD JUST READ MINGS REVIEW AND DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD TWO COPIES OF THE REVIEW INSTEAD OF ONE AND SHE GAVE THE EXTRA COPY TO ME SO I FINALLY GOT TO ACTUALLY READ THE HARD COPY....

NOW... I ASK YOU... IS THIS COSMIC OR WHAT!?!....

YET ANOTHER ONE OF THEM TRUE TALES, FROM THE "UPTOWN" SIDE OF THE COTTON CURTAIN FOLKS!!!

AFTER LEAVING MARIES HOUSE WITH MY NEWLY GOTTEN NEWSPAPER & TALL TALE, I HEADED OVER TO THE BLACK DOLL SHOW AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH.

I MET UP WITH A LONG TIME MASTER DOLL MAKER LORNA PARIS, WHO HAD JUST SOLD THIS BEAUTIFUL ALL LEATHER DOLL SHE CREATED

HERE IS A CLOSER VIEW OF THIS ADORABLE CREATION.


I LOVED HOW LORNA HAD CREATED HER OWN BUSINESS CARD WITH HER CHARMING TOUCH.

CONTACT INFO FOR LORNA PARIS

THIS IS LORNA DISPLAYING HER DOLL TO ONE OF HARLEMS DYNAMIC CULTURAL DIVAS!! MAMA RAHSHEDAH.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE DOLL ARTIST WAS THERE WITH HER BEAUTIFUL FIGURINES, THANKS FOR THE TICKET TO THE SHOW.

EVERY WHERE I LOOKED, THE LITTLE ONES WERE LOOKING LIKE LIVING DOLLS.

I WAS TOO PROUD OF THE YOUNG SIS WITH THE CUPCAKE BUSINESS... SHE WAS PROUD ALSO..

THANK YOU ARTIST DIANE SMITH FOR THE LOAN OF YOUR CAMERA SO I CAN POST MY RECYCLED WEDDING BROOM

I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE FOR A MOMENT, TAKING PHOTO'S. THANKS TO MY TALENTED, DEAR ARTIST FRIEND DIANE SMITH WHO IS LOANING ME HER MINI DIGITAL CAMERA UNTIL I GET MY BUSINESS STRAIGHT WITH A NEW CAMERA.

SO... HERE FINALLY IS MY WEDDING BROOM THAT I ADORNED FOR THE JUMPING THE BROOM WEDDING RITUAL.

THIS BROOM IS ADORNED WITH RECYCLED FASHION MAGAZINES BECAUSE OF THE PAPERS STRENGTH AND COLORS.


I ADDED COIN DOLLARS AND BLUE CRYSTAL TO THE BROOM STICK.


THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THIS WEDDING BROOM CAN BE ADORNED, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW THE DECOR OF THE WEDDING.

MANY THANKS TO THE AFRICAN DANCING, LITERARY JEWEL MALIAKA ADIRA FOR DONATING ALL THE WONDERFUL FASHION MAGAZINES TO THIS ECO CHIC GREEN, RECYCLED PROJECT...


I'M STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PROBLEM SOLVING & DEVELOPING THE HAND SPUN NEWSPAPER FOR THE WEDDING DRESS, STAY TUNED.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT TOWARD THE NEW CAMERA...

XENOBIA'S PACE UNIVERSITY ARTIST RESIDENCY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

GREETINGS EVERYONE, I AM FINALLY IN MY STUDIO AT MY PACE UNIVERSITY SUMMER RESIDENCY. IT LOOKS LIKE I AM GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF RECYCLED WORK.

THE OTHER DAY I WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE TO MY DEAR ARTIST FRIEND SHIMODA, I STATED TO HER THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN SPINNING NEWSPAPER INTO YARN, I TOLD HER I DID NOT FIND VERY MUCH INFO ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET, SO, IT WAS REALLY HARD FINDING INSTRUCTION.

SHIMODA SUGGESTED I GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FABULOUS SPINNER, KNITTER AND CROCHETER SAHARA BRISCO. BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN SPINNING AMAZING YARNS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. (I DO'NT KNOW WHY I DID NOT THINK OF THIS MYSELF)

I CALLED SAHARA, AND TO CUT TO THE CHASE,... SAHARA BEING THE BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT THAT SHE IS,... NOT ONLY SHOWED ME HOW TO SPIN THE NEWSPAPERS.... SHE FIRST, IN THE MATTER OF A FEW MINUTES, SHE TAUGHT HERSELF HOW TO SPINNING A WONDERFUL EASY TO CROCHET NEWSPAPER YARN,... SHE DID A MAJOR LOAD OF PROBLEM SOLVING,... THEN SHE LOANED ME ONE OF HER SPINDLE, SO THAT I COULD GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY SPINNING RIGHT AWAY,... THEN SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SPIN THE NEWPAPER INTO YARN

NOW TELL ME... IS THAT SISTAH LOVE? OR, IS THAT SISTAH LOVE?...

SO, (MY ANGEL OF THE MOMENT) SAHARA AND I WERE IN THE STUDIO, IN SPINNING NEWSPAPER NTO YARN AND SHE WAS SPINNING A PROJECT OF HERS OF THIN SILK THREADS UNTIL THE SECURITY GUARD CAME AND TOLD US THE BUILDING WAS CLOSING..



HERE IS A VIDEO EXAMPLE OF THE BEAUTIFUL, THIN, EVEN BALL OF NEWSPAPER YARN SAHARA SPUN.

AND A EXAMPLE OF MY FIRST SKIEN OF NEWPAPER YARN BELOW SAHARAS, I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT SPINNING THIS NEWSPAPER YARN, IT TOOK ONE SHEET OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TO CREAT SAHARAS BALL OF YARN AND ONE PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TO CREAT MY SKIEN OF YARN.

SO... NOW I HAVE MY FIRST SKIEN OF NEWSPAPER YARN THAT WILL BE CROCHET INTO A WEDDING DRESS TO GO ALONG WITH MY RECYCLED WEDDING CAKE ADORNMENT.

I AM ALSO WORKING ON THE PAPIER MACHE FURNITURE PIECE, THERE IS A LOT OF CARDBOARD BOXES IN THIS AREA AT NIGHT SO I HAVE PLENTY TO BUILD WITH.

I AM SO VERY!! VERY!! GREATFUL TO (MY ANGEL OF THE MOMENT) SAHARA BRISCOE AND HER AMAZING SPINNING HANDS.