Posted inArt

Apartment Shows, A Trend I Hope Keeps Growing

Artists have been having informal apartment shows as long as anyone can remember but in the last few years there has been a growing trend in New York (particularly Brooklyn) of quirky apartment art exhibits that I hope continues to grow.

Last night, I stopped by Julie Torres’s apartment, you’ll remember her as the watercolor “street” artist, for a birthday celebration that included a lovely small show of all her artist friends. Torres not only curated the salon style display but carefully prepared a checklist, which made the experience of looking fun and enjoyable.

Posted inArt

Graffiti Laws Make No Sense: NYPD Arrests Watercolor Artist for Painting Outdoors

As part of her practice, Brooklyn artist Julie Torres temporarily tapes large sheets of paper to construction walls or other outdoor areas to paint large watercolors. On the afternoon of July 17, three intimidating plainclothes officers approached her at the corner of N11th and Bedford, arrested her, handcuffed her, fingerprinted her, and placed her in a holding cell for 23 hours. This is her story.