Catch a rising star

By Meredith Deliso

Theophilus London is a star — and he hasn’t even released a full-length album yet.

The snazzily dressed MC has been the toast of city’s press, handily sold out a show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last month, and has been garnering deafening buzz for his debut album, “Timez are Weird These Days,” for the past few months (that album, by the way, finally dropped this week).

So it seems like a no-brainer to check out this musical nebula when he plays a free — yes, free — show at the Weeksville Heritage Center’s garden on Saturday.

Thanks to a few EPs, London’s associated with his 1980s electro-soul sound, though his influences are as varied as Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware and Morrissey.

The Weeksville party will feature an outdoor show by London and opener Phony Ppl, as well as food from NY Dosa, Wafels and Dinges, Nha Toi, La Table Exquise and Kem’s Jerk.

The hip hopper dreams of being Jay-Z big one day, so catch him before his next show is at Madison Square Garden.

Theophilus London at Weeksville Heritage Center [1698 Bergen St. between Buffalo  and Rochester avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (718) 756-5250], July 23 at 6 pm. Free. For info, visit www.weeksvillesociety.org.

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Brooklynite Gallery is bugging out

By Meredith Deliso

Brooklynite Gallery is bugging out.

The Bedford-Stuyvesant space presents the sought-after British artists Miss Bugs in “Parlour,” an exhibition that transforms the space into a den of the duo’s imagining.

In their first solo show outside the UK, the two’s “parlour” (and yes, that’s parlor with a “u” — they’re British, after all) is comprised of their gorgeous prints and large-scale collages that looks to Picasso, Shepard Fairey, Keith Haring and Damien Hirst for inspiration. 

Advertising, religion, superheroes (Captain America has made appearances), monsters (like Dr. Frankenstein’s), and pornography (of late, their work has heavily featured bare-chested women) are frequent subject matters.

By appropriating images found in pop culture, as well as ones created by other artists, Miss Bugs consistently comments on the idea of ownership in art. In fact, a quote often associated with the pair is, “If there is something to steal, I steal it,” one uttered by Picasso himself. Fans don’t seem to mind.

“Parlour” at Brooklynite Gallery [334 Malcolm X Blvd. Between Decatur and Bainbridge streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (347) 405-5976], June 25-July 16. For info, visit www.brooklynitegallery.com.

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Giving the gift of art

If you're looking for a most unique gift to give this holiday, look no further than your local gallery.


Art is more affordable than you think, and makes for great gifts. And two Brooklyn gallery sales recently caught our eye.


In Bay Ridge, Tabla Rasa is even holding a "Backroom Art Sale" of affordable works by its gallery artists, including Jenny Toth, Beatrice Coron, Sheila Goloborotko, Russell Mehlman (work pictured), Agnes Murray, Nancy Lunsford, and Elyse Taylor, with abstracts, figures, trees, urban landscapes, paper-cuts, and imaginative fantasy images to choose from.


All works are original, discounted to sell, with no work priced above $400, and are ready to take home upon purchase.


Over in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the street art-prone Brooklynite Gallery is also encouraging art buyers, novice or not, to give the gift of original art. Some works start as low as $20. 


This year the gallery also introduced mini-post card size gems of art from a select group of international artists, entitled "Snub Nose Prints," which could be a great alternative to the usual gifts for your friends, family or colleagues. And of course, it also offers a variety of larger prints and original paintings to fill those empty white walls in the homes of your friends and family.


UPDATE: We also just read about a holiday craft fair going on in Ditmas Park at the Kris Waldherrr gallery on, fittingly, the Ditmas Park blog.


Readers, any galleries you'd like to add for scoring great art?

Backroom art sale at Tabla Rasa [224 48th St. between Second and Third avenues in Bay Ridge, (718) 833-9100],  now through Jan. 8 from from 1-5 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; Brooklyn Gallery [334 Malcolm X Blvd. between Decatur and Bainbridge streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (347) 405-5976].

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You can call him Rae

By Meredith Deliso

Brooklynite Gallery didn’t have to look far for its next show.

Rae McGrath, the owner of the Bedford-Stuyvesant space, is giving its white walls up for his own work in “Unconventional Conviction,” opening Nov. 20.

If you’re suspicious of a curator essentially curating his own work, you won’t be disappointed. The work of Rae, as he’s known, is vibrant, engaging Pop Art that speaks to his Brooklyn upbringing (see more art here).

In these new, largely portrait-based works, Rae finds his subjects in people he meets on the street — an afro-wearing youth here, a dreadlocks-sporting older man there. The photos are engaging enough on their own, but he replicates them by hand-painting or silkscreening the black and white image of their faces, and then adds splashes of color by deliberately pasting the labels of discarded plastic laundry detergent bottles, cut up using techniques he learned as a butcher.

That last tactic may sound like somewhat of a gimmick, but the resulting pieces are vibrant, intriguing portraits full of life and, of course, conviction.

“Unconventional Conviction” at Brooklynite Gallery [334 Malcolm X Blvd. Between Decatur and Bainbridge streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (347) 405-5976], Nov. 20-Dec. 18, with an opening reception from 6-9 pm. For info, visit www.brooklynitegallery.com.

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Lift up every voice at this killer gospel show on Friday

By Joe Anuta

What do cocaine-snorting rockers and psalm-singing churchgoers have in common?

The link is gospel music — which inspired The Rolling Stones and legions of Christians, and will now be front and center at a tribute concert in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Nov. 12, organized by the Brooklyn Arts Council.

Listeners can catch the sounds of energetic Haitian gospel, funky urban gospel, and T-N-T, a group that infuses rap music into its performance. But it’s all gospel.

“Generations have developed their own style from the traditional roots,” said spokeswoman Elecktra Gray. “And many of these styles have flourished in Brooklyn.”

Whatever the style, gospel music has a special place in Brooklyn, where it thrived in Bedford-Stuyvesant, beginning in the 1940s. But Gray believes interest in the genre is growing outside of its traditional havens.

“It seems like there’s been more interest, especially in the independent music community,” she said, citing the fact that Jeff Tweedy, of the alt-rock stalwarts Wilco, has worked with gospel legend Mavis Staples.

But you don’t have to be an indie star to get hooked, and you don’t have to be a Christian, either — the event is secular.

“There’s no church service,” Gray said. “It’s about focusing on the music and shining a light on the genre.”

And the council hopes the concert will expose the heavenly hymns to listeners outside of the black community.

“The Gospel Borough” at Concord Baptist Church of Christ [833 Marcy Ave. between Putnam Avenue and Madison Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant (718) 622-1818]. Nov. 12 at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www.brooklynartscouncil.org.

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Honey-flavored Halloween

By Meredith Deliso

Need a sweet treat for Halloween? Look no further.

The ladies behind Liddabit Sweets, a Bedford-Stuyvesant bakery that can also be found all over Brooklyn at places like the Brooklyn Flea and Bklyn Larder, have shared with us their recipe for Honey-nut Popcorn Balls, a crunchy, sugary snack that’s just the right shape for some Halloween-themed decorating, if you’re in the mood.

“You could certainly stick some candies on there to make a Jack O’ Lantern face,” volunteered co-founder Liz Gutman. Though, after our own little taste test, these treats are sweet enough without the extra sugar!

They’re best within a few days of making, but will stay good for up to a week, for a post-Halloween sugar high.

Honey-nut Popcorn Balls

(makes about 20)

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tbl. honey

3/4 tsp. baking soda

10 cups popped corn (1 plain microwave bag or 1/4 cup kernels)

1-1/2 cups roasted almonds (or whatever nut you like)

Directions

Have on hand an oiled bowl, with the popped popcorn in it, and two oiled, heat-proof spatulas or spoons. (Be vigilant about removing all unpopped kernels.)

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sugars, salt, honey, and corn syrup and cook to 300 degrees over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture will look thick and bubbly. Add the baking soda and stir well to incorporate; it will increase in volume.

Pour the caramel evenly over the popcorn in the oiled bowl, then sprinkle the nuts. Using your spatulas or spoons, toss together until corn is evenly coated. When the caramel has cooled somewhat but not brittle, after two to three minutes of tossing, shape into two-inch balls with lightly oiled hands. (Don’t be afraid to really crush the popcorn to mold it into a ball. And, since the caramel is still somewhat hot at this point, this isn’t an activity for kids).

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Apollo: Brooklyn edition

Ever dreamed of performing in the Apollo Theater? Here's your chance. And you don't even have to leave Brooklyn to audition.

On Oct. 2, the Brooklyn Arts Council hosts auditions for "Amateur Night at the Apollo: Brooklyn Night, Celebrating Black Brooklyn Renaissance."

The event marks the first time that the famous Harlem landmark will host an all-Brooklyn night of performances. So, calling all you Brooklyn singers, dancers, rappers, comedians, spoken word artists, and performing groups of all ages, your time is now.

For those interested in audition, pay close attention:

* For live auditions, contestants should arrive early as entry is not guaranteed.
* No lip synching, singing along with track vocals or post-production engineering of vocals is permitted.
* The audition is open to singers, dancers, comedians, spoken word artists and musicians and other variety performances.
* Each live contestant will have up to 90 seconds to perform.
* Singers can bring a track on CD or sing a cappella. A band is NOT available.
* Musicians must bring their own instruments.
* Dancers should bring a CD.
* NO Profanity: comedians and spoken word artists – in-person and online - must prepare material appropriate for a family show.
* Children under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.
* Only children ages 5 to 15 will be considered for the “Child Star of Tomorrow” segment.

Please note: The judges will only see the first 300 acts, so please arrive early to secure your place.

Auditions at the Bedford Stuyvestant Restorration Corporation [1368 Fulton St. near Marcy Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (718) 636-6900], Oct. 2 from 10 am-6 pm.

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'Black' is beautiful in this new exhibit

Jacqui Woods has lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant for nearly 40 years. She moved to the neighborhood when it was really in decline — when political unrest and riots were prevalent — but it’s not the bad times she remembers but the good ones.

“The 1960s was a great, challenging time, and yet the community found the resources and had the leadership to meet those challenges,” said Woods, an arts manager at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, a community group that, in part, promotes arts and culture in the neighborhood. “It was also a great period of building and finding comfort in small places, like community gardens and church.”

With that, Woods has curated “Eyewitness To: Beautiful Black Brooklyn,” a photography exhibit at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration complex’s Skylight Gallery featuring dozens of rare images from the 1960s to the 1980s that are representative of that spirit — from performances by jazz legends Randy Weston and Noel Pointer to dancing at Restoration Plaza to singing in church.

One of the curator’s favorite discoveries in the exhibit is a photograph by Beuford Smith of two young men dressed for church on Easter Sunday — sporting baggy track pants, wind jackets and top hats.

Little gems like that are scattered throughout the exhibit, which, in addition to Smith, features the mostly black-and-white photography of Larry Brown, LeRoy Henderson, Marilyn Nance, and Randy Waterman.

The pieces are organized thematically — by political events, such as Waterman’s impromptu image of Muhammad Ali campaigning for mayoral candidate Percy Sutton at Restoration Plaza in 1977 (pictured); spiritual and religious, including Nance’s photograph of female church-goers in rapture; and photos that capture the look of the time, such as Henderson’s 1977 image of a mustachioed beatnik wearing a shirt that reads “Black is Beautiful.”

“Each one is amazing,” said Woods. “People get an opportunity to see all of this wonderful work from these artists who were eyewitnesses to this time in history. It’s quite a ride.”

“Eyewitness To: Beautiful Black Brooklyn” at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration complex’s Skylight Gallery [1368 Fulton St. between Brooklyn and New York avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (718) 636-6949], now through Sep. 30. For info, visit www.restorationplaza.org.

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Emancipation Day

July 4 is, of course, the day America declared its independence from England. But it was also Independence Day for New York slaves, who were officially “freed” in 1827.

To mark the occasion, the Weeksville Heritage Center in Bedford-Stuyvesant celebrates with a day of music and lectures on July 3.

The main attraction is pioneering neo-soul and rock musician Cody ChestnuTT in a rare performance.

Shawn Peters, the arts and programming consultant at the lost-and-then-found African-American village from the 1840s, describes ChestnuTT’s music as Chuck Berry-style rockabilly with the conscientious message of Bob Marley.

Before each show, the musician, who is of Jamaican heritage, gathers his audience around a la the tradition of African storytellers before performing his experimental rock and roll.

Emancipation Day at Weeksville Garden [1698 Bergen St. between Buffalo Avenue and Rochester Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (718) 756-5250], July 3 at 4 pm. Admission $5 (suggested donation). For info, visit weeksvillesociety.org.

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Knock, and the door shall be opened

By Tony Cella

Brooklyn voyeurs, here’s your chance to see how the other half lives — the other half that lives better than you do, that is.

Yes, folks, house tour season is upon us once again. Starting this weekend and through the fall, the cream of the crop in nearly a dozen neighborhoods across the borough will be opening up their doors for those who can’t get enough of unique architectural details, modern home decor or simply meeting new people.

Want in? Here’s your one-stop shop for all of that this year’s self-guided house tours have to offer, from the landmarked homes of Brooklyn Heights to the brownstones of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

TOUR: LiveWorkPlayFortGreene

DATE: May 2

TIME: Noon–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: BAM Triangle Park, Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street

HIGHLIGHTS: Behind-the-scenes tours of BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House, as well as a focus on places where people live and work, such as an artist who has a studio in her home. “It’s a lifestyle that a lot of people are beginning to associate with Brooklyn,” said Hallie Kapner, of the Fort Greene Association.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.historicfortgreene.org/house-tour-2010 or call (718) 875-1855

TOUR: Brooklyn Heights tour

DATE: May 8

TIME: 1–5 pm

COST: $40

STARTING LOCATION: 129 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street

HIGHLIGHTS: An Italianate styled brownstone built in 1865. The current owners have restored the villa-styled building’s double-door stoop, which was removed during the 1950s in favor of a black brick door “the size of a closet,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.thebha.org or call (718) 858-9193

TOUR: Park Slope Civic Council

DATE: May 16

TIME: Noon to 5 pm

COST: $20

STARTING LOCATION: Poly Prep Country Day School, 50 Prospect Park West at First Street

HIGHLIGHTS: A 1919 Neo-Tudor, one of the last single-family homes built in the neighborhood. “The house has a driveway that leads up to the house because back then, people actually had cars,” said Candace Woodward, of the Park Slope Civic Council.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit, www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org or call (718) 832-8227

TOUR: Boerum Hill tour

DATE: May 23

TIME: 1–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Bishop Mugavero Center, Hoyt and Pacific streets

HIGHLIGHTS: An 1870s Italianate brownstone with flat Greco revival facades and an expansive third floor family room with Scrabble and Play-doh stashed in antique wooden cabinets.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.boerumhillassociation.org or call (718) 625-4073

TOUR: Prospect Lefferts Garden tour

DATE: May 23

TIME: Noon–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: K-Dog & Dunebuggy, 43 Lincoln Rd. between Ocean and Flatbush avenues

HIGHLIGHTS: The kitchen in a free-standing neo-Georgian two-story English-bond brick home: arched doors lead to a dramatic full-width black and white kitchen featuring high-end European appliances housed in an ingenious triple island design.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.leffertsmanor.org or call (718) 284-6210

TOUR: Clinton Hill garden walk

DATE: June 6

TIME: 11 am–5 pm

COST: $15 in advance

HIGHLIGHTS: Symbols, Parables and Healing, a biblical-themed garden run by Teen Challenge, a group that helps keep kids off the streets.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107257 or call (718) 852-9283

TOUR: Victorian Flatbush tour

DATE: June 13

TIME: 1–6 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Temple Beth Emith (83 Marlborough Rd. near E. 15th Street)

HIGHLIGHTS: Legitimate houses; home and garden enthusiasts come from all over the country to tour this suburban oasis.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.fdconline.org or call (718) 859-3800

TOUR: Crown Heights North tour

DATE: Oct. 2

TIME: 11 am-4 pm

COST: $20 in advance

HIGHLIGHTS: Artist and artisan homes, historic places of worship and architecturally significant residential buildings.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.crownheightsnorth.org or call (917) 748-4664

TOUR: Bedford-Stuyvesant tour

DATE: Oct. 16

TIME: 11 am-4 pm

COST: $15 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Brooklyn Academy at Marcy and Putnam avenues (tentative)

HIGHLIGHTS: In addition to gorgeous brownstones and limestones, this year’s will feature the Bed-Stuy Bazaar — get started on that holiday shopping early.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.brownstonersofbedstuy.org or call (718) 221-2213

— with Elizabeth Dana

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Icelandic volcano can't stop this 'Eurotrash' show

Some Euro ash nearly spoiled “Eurotrash.”

With artists unable to fly in from Europe thanks to a certain volcanic eruption, the opening of the latest show at Brooklynite Gallery was up in the air — until the Bedford-Stuyvesant space rescheduled its opening night party for May 8.

The exhibition features two of the most influential international street artists working today: Norwegian stencil artist Dolk and Polish muralist M-City.

Find a mostly monochromatic piece with one color statement — often a yellow banana in a nod to Andy Warhol — and it’s likely a piece by Dolk. Of late, the artist has incorporated another yellow symbol into his work; in the striking “Tweety-Halo,” a young woman with a halo has her hands clasped in prayer while a trio of Tweety Birds circle her as if ripped from a Looney Tunes cartoon.

M-City also works mostly in grayscale, leaving his sprawling murals of smoke-stack factories, steam ships and city blocks on public spaces across the globe.

For “Eurotrash,” they’re compressed to a canvas, such as in “Cactus Factory,” comprised of an imposing cactus with arms that morph into smoke stacks, spewing ash into the sky. How fitting.

“Eurotrash” at Brooklynite Gallery [334 Malcolm X. Blvd. between Decatur and Bainbridge streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (347) 405-5976], May 8-May 29, with an opening reception from 7-10 pm. For info, visit www.brooklynitegallery.com.

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On the street art scene

Can't get enough street art?

We asked the authors of the new book "Street Art New York" - Jaime Rojo and Steven Harrington - to recommend where to go to see exhibitions of rising street artists.

Here are their suggestions for what's going on right now and coming up in Brooklyn:

"Make it Fit"

Specter

Now through April 17

Brooklynite Gallery

334 Malcom X Boulevard near Reid Avenue in Bed-Stuy

"Of Clouds and Something Else"

JMR

April 16-May 17

Mighty Tanaka

68 Jay St. at Water Street, Suite 416 in DUMBO

Willoughby Windows 2

Hellbent

May 14

Storefronts of Willoughby Street in Downtown

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