image by Karol Orzechowski

postcards from new york (aka NYC PostCard Show) features postcard art made by passengers and crew of Methinks’ 12th NYC Roadtrip. 

please drop by Project 165, 165 Augusta Ave, Toronto, for the opening party on Friday April 9, 8pm – 1am, to check out the work and experience some fine musical and spoken word entertainment. 

performances by: Dog Is Blue + Garbageface + Ryan Ringer + others 

participating artists: Alex Bowron + Braz King + Catharine MacIntosh + Denniston Ewan + Edward Smith + Jeanetta Dunn + Joey Bruni + Karol Orzechowski  + Kristen Vincec + Laura Heaney + Lynne White + Lucas Espin + Nickolas Hadzis + Rajni Perera + Ross McKegney + Ryan Ringer + Tura Cousins Wilson + Yuliya Tsoy

Here’s how it works. Show up at Project 165, 165 Augusta Ave, by 9:00pm Sunday Feb 21 with a simple drawing of you having fun in NYC – it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece; even a child-like drawing will do – and we’ll give you a ticket for the reduced rate of $300. This gives you the full package: roundtrip travel, accommodations, activities/tours and a spot in our post-New York art show.

* You’ll save $115 – which could be your spending money for the week!

*******RSVP by email by Sunday morning. Roadtrip Details > http://methinkspresents.org/nyc

What are you waiting for? Let’s Go!

Chris Burden

100 Years (version #1, ps1, nov 2009), a traveling exhibition produced  by P.S. 1 and Performa, as part of Perfroma 09, comprises important moments of the last century of performance art history. The exhibition, which changes from venue to venue, contains film, photography, artifacts and audio, and is intended to be an archival jackpot for students, educators and others. Also included is a special survey of performance video organized by Electronic Arts Intermix, a New York-based nonprofit that is a leading resource for video art. – This is gonna be amazing!

Photo by Joe Ellis

Once upon a wintry Thursday afternoon in Chelsea, Ryan and Karol seek cheap thrills and a warm place to hang out at. They’ve got nearly two hours before they’re to lead a Roadtrip group into a heavy night of gallery hopping.

Having filled-up on cheap-and-tasty falafels, they head to the famed Hotel Chelsea to find the ghosts of Sid and Nancy. Sadly, they’re refused right away by a man wearing a pencil-thin moustache and a garish chihuahua.  Next stop: a bright, shiny grocery store to browse all the exotic packaged goods unavailable in Canada. They quickly become overwhelmed by the weirdness and the steep prices, so they hit the road. But their search is not over. When you’re down and out (or just out and about) in a strange city, if you’ve got an open mind, some guts and a little imagination, finding amusement is easy. One of the best places to go at a time like this is a restaurant, the fancier the better. All you have to do is scam your way in, then enjoy the free amenities and get the hell out before anyone realizes you don’t belong.

The next target is a very expensive Spanish restaurant. Cold and a bit run down, Ryan and Karol come up with a scam in a jiffy, walk right in and tell the hostess they’ve got a reservation. Without skipping a beat, totally straight-faced, Ryan tells her it should be under the name of his uncle, Ed Mirvish. The hostess, obviously unfamiliar with famous philanthropic Torontonians, checks her list for our (famous) uncle and informs us that there is no reservation under that name.

“No, there must be a mistake,” exclaims Karol, as Ryan pretends to make a call to Uncle Ed. Nobody answers his fake call, so he leaves a fake message. He hurriedly pretends to make another call, pretends to get another answering service and leaves another fake message, instructing an imaginary cousin to call him back immediately. Ryan and Karol pincer the hostess with a flurry of explanations and worried looks. The waitress tells them not to worry and seats them at a big table to wait for their uncle.

Within seconds, a big beefy a man arrives with a pair of menus and a basket of steaming fresh bread with individual servings of butter and margarine. Ryan and Karol pause their fake conversation about their fake family dynamics and look at each other with huge smiles of disbelief. Less than a minute later, a young Spanish boy, maybe about 17 years old and obviously just learning the ropes of restaurant life, pours crisp glasses of water from a gorgeous pitcher. Ryan and Karol smile politely and thank him, pursed lips holding-in little giggles.

Why not open the menus? Okay. Ryan browses the appetizers (none under $17) while Karol spreads margarine over the fresh bread and digs in. The entrées hover in the $30-40 range.

The beefy waiter comes back to take their orders.  ”We’re still waiting for Uncle Ed to show up,” says Karol. “Yes,” adds Ryan, “we’re still waiting. Shoudn’t be long now.” Almost twenty minutes has passed and it’s almost time to meet the group for gallery hopping, so an exit strategy is needed. As the beefy waiter circles the dining room, the rookie busboy trailing behind, Ryan pretends to take a very loud (and very fake) call on his cell.

“Uncle Ed’s in the hospital? A heart attack? Oh my god!”

Ryan closes his cell, jumps up from the table with a look of extreme worry, puts on his jacket and makes for the front desk. Karol follows suit. The hostess approaches to see if everything is okay. Karol’s speechless, holding back fake tears, as Ryan quickly explains the gravity of the fake situation, also holding back fake tears, stammering a bit. This is a beautiful performance. The hostess is mortified. As they leave, Karol shakes the hostess’ hand and thanks her for her hospitality. “I hope your uncle is okay, she says.”

And that was – to this day – the most delicious bread Ryan and Karol have ever had. This was the birth of a little activity called ScamJam.

See, when we’re in New York City, it’s not about killing time. It’s about making dead time live. It’s about living.

Photo by Karol Orzechowski.

NYC Roadtrip featured in the January 28 edition of the Toronto Star, a nice little piece written by travel writer Reb Stevenson and featuring photos by our very own Karol Orzechowski.

Score one for the team!

    

A scene from our Street Art Mission. Photo by Chico Gupta.

5Pointz is an outdoor exhibition space – a living, breathing, ever-evolving canvas – in New York’s Long Island City. Curated by graffiti veteran Jonathan Cohen (aka Meres), this 5-story, 200,000-square-foot factory building is considered to be the epicenter of the global graffiti community. The name 5Pointz signifies the unification of NYC’s five boroughs. Legendary street artists from Canada, the Netherlands, Japan,the US, Brazil and other countries have painted here.  There are plans for 5Pointz to become an official graffiti museum and school for aerosol artists.

If you want to feel the pulse of raw urban culture in New York City and see some amazing art, visit 5Pointz. Remember, though, be respectful. You have to get permission to shoot pics and/or paint here. Don’t be a jerk. 

Here’s a tip: Make a day of it.  In your 5Pointz plan, include visits to PS1 Contemporary Art Center and the Shannon Pot (a nearby Irish pub).