culturalboundaries

Featured above is Cornel West, Professor at Princeton University with talk show host Tavis Smiley.

The fusion of this dynamic duo Smiley & West is slotted to hit the airwaves this coming October with the launch of Tavis Smiley’s  Public Radio International (PRI) an energetic radio program covering thought provoking, intelligent and stimulating dialogue on every subject from news and politics to entertainment and culture. Tune-in one-hour for this weekly show that promises to bring listeners a broad spectrum of compelling guests and I’m sure some juicy debates will jump off between Tavis Smiley and Cornel West.

This is major step in the right direction in the sphere of Graphic and Type Design, for MacArthur Foundation to award Matthew Carter, a major Type Designer as one of the 2010 MACARTHUR Fellows. Carter is a masterful wizard in working with letterforms having had created over 6o typefaces,  he’s also the Co-founder and Principal of Carter and Cone Type . If you’re a type connoisseur you’re sure to want to send him words of praise. Read more about Matthew Carter on the Mac Arthur Foundation website.

It has been interesting to see how far fashion week has come in NYC, or perhaps not come.  While this Fall Fashion Week is now being held in its new location at Lincoln Center, however most fashionistas tend to stay centrally located in the midtown area. Sad because they are missing out on a fabulous bustling hub of fashion designers blossoming uptown in Harlem. This Friday, September 17, from 8-10PM is Harlem’s Fashion Row at the Studio Museum in Harlem, featuring the Spring 2011 collection of four locally based fashion designers, Niiamar, Telfar, Sammy B and Viscera NY.

If you’re still eager to see more then make sure to stop by 56 Hamilton Terrace right near City College to view, “Finding Style in Time.” This phenomenal vintage collection goes back as far as the 1890s, and you can slowly browse through four floors in a stunning Victorian Townhouse each floor is staged with fashions in a stylish decor setting  reminiscent of the clothing’s era. The exhibition was curated by the Fashion Design team of Randal Jacobs and David Melton will be on view through 19 September, 2010. Featured here is Ms Lana Turner  not to be confused with the legendary film starlet. This Lana Turner is our very own Harlem resident and she has amassed a stunning collection of vintage clothing that rivals the art philanthropist Millicent Rogers whose fashions were featured in American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum this past summer. Ms Turner is widely knows as a social maven not just in Harlem but throughout New York City, she’s even hob-knobbed with street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. Take it from me a lover of vintage clothing who’s seen Ms Turner private collection this is a rare experience to view.
Admissions is Free… Stop by 56 Hamilton Terrace btwn 141st and 145th streets NYC, 10031
It’s time to head uptown for happenings this Friday night in Harlem.

Harlem’s Fashion Row from CJ Something on Vimeo.

I could not resist this opportunity to share one of my favorite places Brooklyn. If you’re not busy this  weekend stop by The Brooklyn Book Festival, this free public event presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today. One of America’s premier literary and literacy events, this hip, smart, diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages. I’m working this Sunday with Ramin Ganeshram, chef/food writer, make sure to stop by her table and say hello. For more information check out: http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/

The  Boa Morte Festival is one of the most celebrated events that takes place in Cacheoria near the banks of the Paraguacu River, in Bahia. Check out this interview on UEFSTV featuring my partner Scott A. Barton he’s there conducting research for his PhD in Food Studies at New York University. These priestess with their beautiful sculpted faces are national treasures know as ” Sisterhood of Our Ladies of Death,” and this is a one of the most important Candomble celebrations held during the year in Bahia. Boa Morte is a celebration of the secret black religious society whom are direct descendants of  slaves, these women priestess can trace their lineage directly to the African slaves that were brought to Brasil by the Portuguese who colonized the country. Still years later, the Youruba cultural traditions are heavily practiced, as you can see the priestess in ceremonial white laces dresses with long strands of intricate silver necklaces that hang around their necks. I’m told the oldest priestess is 107 years old, and she still participates in these religious celebrations. Sorry if you don’t speak Brasilian Portuguese, but this interview gives you a quick glimpse into the one week long festival activities that start on 15 August.

If you’re thinking about exploring one of the numerous Manhattan trendy farm-to-table restaurants you might consider trying Northern Spy Food Company, and yes it’s named after one of New York State’s heirloom apples. It’s located in Alphabet City at 511 East 12 Street, a brisk walk from the “L” train stop on 1st Avenue. Despite being open only little under a year the place has mustered a strong following from the neighborhood locals.  One might easily miss this restaurant if it were not for a barely noticeable small wooden shingle protruding over the front door, in an old style stenciled hand-lettering that serves as a distinctive marker. In front a set of cerulean blue benches offer extra sitting for the overflow of customers waiting to grab a table since the restaurant does not accept reservations. The facade of this locale is a reminder of the lower Eastside ethnic historical past.

When I arrived around 6ish to meet my group the place was empty with plenty of tables to be had, within an hour the chatter had elevated to that of a loud bar room banter. Sitting at the small bar a cheery bartender offered me a menu with a list of refreshing cool drinks to ebb off the hot summer heat. I settled for a sparkling Cucumber and Mint drink knowing this combo would quench my thirst. The restaurant is small, cramped with square butcher block tables. Although, I can’t help but to conjure up a picturesque scene ripped right from the pages of a New England 1950s mystery novel, right down to the vintage floral and stripped cool colors of blue and green wallpaper, the white washed slated walls, and the softly dimmed lights. Even the brass toilet paper holder in the bathroom was stamped with the word, “captain”. Compared to the restaurants appealing web site and the vintage interior decor featuring reclaimed furnishings, the design of the menu was rather drab. Lacking the stylish zest of the interiors cool color schemes.

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Bond Family papers at Columbia University:
Last year, the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library acquired the papers of J. Max Bond Jr., the African American architect and former Columbia professor who died last February at age 73. The documents, which are still being unpacked from 30 boxes, provide a window into the life of this accomplished and barrier-breaking architect of the 20th century.

Scott pounding cornmeal with a pedestal in a wooden mortar.

This is an insightful interview with Scott A. Barton, chef and food historian, he’s currently pursuing a PHD at New York University in the Food Study program. Allow me to share an informative chat with Scott about the ubiquitous cast iron skillet, many of us hold loving memories of those oversized, black  heavy cooking pans that our grandmothers or mothers used to fry-up juicy tender chicken or bake crisp cornbread. These are some finger lickin good moments.

Below is podcast interview with Scott A. Barton:

Beth Lipman, handblown glass sculpture, "Bride."

The mountainous glass sculpture in the window of the Institute of Contemporary Arts at the Maine College of Arts (ICA), in Portland, Maine is part of the two-woman exhibition, “A Meticulous Ferment,” featuring the work of Beth Lipman and Kirsten Hassenfeld. Both of the women artist are clearly obsessed with the dual functionality of found objects these aesthetic show-up in their masterful obsession with each piece in this installation. The artists work to exploit the language of various materials; one in handblown glass, the other in paper, each creating a distinct narrative in there work.
Respectively, this show conveys the artists shared interest in the

Kirsten Hassenfeld, Treen.

history of decorative arts and ornamentation. Both bring a sensibility of balance with the contradiction of disorder in our daily lifestyles as consumers excessively obsessed with decadence and the need for cultural consumption.

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The State of African American Studies: Methodology, Pedagogy, and Research

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Institute for Research on the African Diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean at the City University of New York extend a call for papers for their regular conference on the state of scholarship in African American Studies. Entitled, The State of African American Studies: Methodology, Pedagogy, and Research, the conference will take place on January 6-8, 2011 at the Schomburg Center, located at 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, located at 365 Fifth Avenue. Complete panels and individual paper submissions related to the theme – broadly conceived – are invited from scholars and graduate students. In addition to papers in your academic areas of expertise, and on teaching and research methodologies, are particularly welcome submissions on labor, community engagement, gender, sexuality, visual culture, and relations in the Diaspora.

Proposals should be submitted electronically and must include your name, title of the paper, panel, or roundtable, and an abstract of 150 words. They should also include the institutional affiliation of each presenter, phone numbers, and email addresses. Submit proposals by November 1, 2010 to:

Aisha al-Adawiya
State of African American Studies
Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York NY 10037-1801
E-mail: aaladawiya@nypl.org

Please consult the Schomburg Center’s website for information on travel and hotels.
Registration $20, Students: Free