The Fifth Avenue Portrait Collection, a massive public art exhibit by artist Alexa Meade, spanning 180 feet long, is now on display in the heart of New York City on Fifth Avenue and 44^thStreet.

All 22 works of art in The Fifth Avenue Portrait Collection are by Alexa Meade, who paints directly on the faces and clothes of live models, creating the illusion that real humans are two-dimensional paintings on canvas. The colorful living portraits are larger that life, with many of them over 12’ tall.

The art is being exhibited on the outside of the building of the former Wonderland Dreams immersive exhibition. Every inch of the 26,000 square foot space was painted from floor to ceiling, using Alexa Meade’s signature style of art which lets you step inside of a painting. It took over 1,000 gallons of paint to transform the space, which was a former Best Buy. Over 100,000 people came to see the Wonderland Dreams exhibition during its year-long run.

Alexa Meade said, “Walking into an art gallery is intimidating for a lot of people, so I am bringing my art outside for people to be able to appreciate while walking down the street. Art is for everyone, and not just those who feel comfortable in galleries and museums.”

The photography in the collection was primarily captured by either Ruby June or Mike Monaghan.

The live models Alexa Meade painted include such high-profile New Yorkers as Tony Award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, Grammy Award-winning singer Walter Russell III, and Emmy Award-winning journalist Paul Wontorek. Additional Broadway actors painted in the collection include Nadia Brown, Julia Lester, Gus Birney, Jonalyn Saxer, and Matthew Sims Jr.

Alexa Meade painted numerous creative powerhouses for the series, including magician Zach King, writer Amber Ruffin, costume designer Emilio Sosa, producer Eva Price, dancer Melissa Becraft, and composer Helen Park. The models also include Ruby June, Richie Ridge, Keith Hurd, Adrian Richardson, and Shelli Lether.

The Fifth Avenue Portrait Collection is located at 529 5th Avenue steps away from Grand Central Station, Bryant Park, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Alexa Meade, paints on the human body and three-dimensional spaces, creating the illusion that our reality is a two-dimensional painting. As The New York Times describes Meade’s artwork, “Think of it as a Van Gogh — that is, if one of his paintings were brought to life as a performative protest.”

Meade’s art has been exhibited around the world at the Grand Palais in Paris, the Saatchi Gallery in London, the United Nations in New York, Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, and Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. Her artwork has also been exhibited in space, orbiting the Earth on the history-making SpaceX Inspiration4 mission.

She has created interactive installations at Coachella, Cannes Lions, and Art Basel. Meade is widely known for painting on the body of Ariana Grande for her iconic “God is a Woman” music video, which has nearly 400 million views. Her solo show on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills was attended by forty-thousand people. With profound pop cultural relevance, Alexa’s art has been upvoted to the #1 position on the Front Page of Reddit. She has been commissioned by Apple, BMW, and Sony. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Alexa teamed up with LEGO as a Master Builder for their “Rebuild the World” campaign.

Collaborating with spacetime researchers, Alexa was the first ever Artist-in-Residence at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. She has also been Artist-in-Residence at Google, where she worked alongside the engineers advancing Light Field imaging technology.

Meade and her groundbreaking work have been honored with the “Disruptive Innovation Award” from the Tribeca Film Festival. Respected for her thought leadership and non-traditional career path, she has lectured at TED, Stanford, and Princeton. Meade accepted an invitation to the White House under President Obama. Google Arts & Culture selected Alexa as the face of their “Faces of Frida” campaign, celebrating the legacy of Frida Kahlo and the female artists who are carrying it forward today. InStyle has named Alexa among their “Badass Women.”

From the fabulous photographer and artist Roger Sichel.

Guests enjoyed spectacular birds-eye panoramic views from every perspective, high above the bustle of Manhattan at 15 Hudson Yards 90th floor.

The guest list was exclusive, as drinks and art were highlighted. Models, art, fashion, champagne and cavier abound.

The party was curated by Eddy Bogaert and hosted by Rakesh Gupta.

There was art by Liam Duffy.

Photography from the wonderful Nancy Levier.

Fabulous work by John Mazlish and John-Herbert Wright called Decompression.

I really loved Sandy Cohen’s work.

This was a night of art to celebrate.

The Al Hirschfeld Foundation launches a new partnership with City Winery (25 11th Ave, NYC) on September 18 with a special live event and exhibition, both titled “Hirschfeld’s Music.”

September 18 at 7:30PM, David Leopold, Creative Director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation, launches the celebration of “Hirschfeld’s Music” with a live, world premiere multimedia presentation. Leopold will take attendees on a virtual tour through decades of musical history as seen by the artist. Learn how Hirschfeld helped Duke Ellington deal with racism on his first national tours, or when he got Satchmo’s trumpet. See what happens when he hangs out with Aerosmith in the recording studio and who he meets at a Benny Goodman rehearsal in 1932. For this first time, Hirschfeld’s nine decades is on display in a presentation featuring rarely seen images as well and old favorites. Whether that music was onstage at the Apollo, on a Broadway stage, a recording studio, or an after-hour jam session, Hirschfeld caught the essence of the players and the scene in a line as supple and rhythmic as any one he heard. Hirschfeld’s drawings and prints give viewers, then and now, a real sense of the performance and personality of the music and the musicians. To purchase tickets for the September 18 presentation, visit www.citywinery.com/newyork.

The live event marks the start of a new, free exhibit on display at City Winery Gallery, New York. Hirschfeld’s nine decades of music art will be on display, depicting some of the most iconic musicians of the 20th Century. From Louis Armstrong to Neil Young; from Gershwin to the Grateful Dead; and from Quincy Jones to the Rolling Stones, Hirschfeld caught the essence of the artists and the scene in a line as supple and rhythmic as any one he heard.

The complete of artwork on display includes.

Mick Jagger (1999), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Etching

Broadway Trio: Zero Mostel, Liza Minnelli, And Carol Channing (1976), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Etching

Louis Satchmo Armstrong (1996), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

The Grateful Dead (1995), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Duke Ellington (1992), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Carnegie Hall: 100th Anniversary (1991), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Aerosmith (2001), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Dizzy Gillespie (1996), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Neil Young (2000), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Benny Goodman (1996), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Bob Dylan (1997), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Billy Joel & George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin (1996), Billy Joel Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Gicleé

Bruce Springsteen (1995), Springsteen Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Gicleé

Reba Mcentire In Annie Get Your Gun (2001), Reba McEntire Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Gicleé

Linda Ronstadt In Cansiones De Mi Padre (1988), Linda Ronstadt Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Gicleé

Diana Ross (1995), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Rodgers and Hammerstein surrounded by their greatest shows (1993), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Elvis (1968), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Etching

John Lennon (1997) , Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Etching

Paul Mccartney (2001), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

George Harrison (2001), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Ringo Starr (1968), Hand-signed Limited-Edition Etching

American Popular Song: Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, and Fred Astaire (1983), Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Solid Sender from Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld (1941), Plate signed limited edition lithograph

Jam Session from Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld (1941), Plate signed limited edition lithograph

Lindy Hop from Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld (1941), Plate signed limited edition lithograph

Scufflin’ In from Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld (1941), Plate signed limited edition lithograph

Celine Dion (1998). Hand-Signed, Limited-Edition Lithograph

Artwork on display in the exhibition will available for purchase from www.CityWinery.com/NewYork/Online/article/al-hirschfeld-art. Proceeds support the Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum program.

The City Winery Gallery is part of the new City Winery flagship location at Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. The exhibition space is dedicated to artwork created by or inspired by musicians demonstrating their prolific additional talents. Previous exhibits have included Aimee Mann, Joseph Arthur, Will Livingston and most recently a photo exhibit by Graham Nash.

The celebration of “Hirschfeld’s Music” extends with the debut of 12 collectable wine bottles labeled with Hirschfeld portraits of legendary musicians, and available exclusively from at City Winery starting in September. Artists featured include Mick Jagger, The Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, John Lennon, Prince, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Alicia Keys.

“We are delighted to be working with City Winery to share Al Hirschfeld’s love of music, says David Leopold, Creative Director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation. “Hirschfeld was a serious hot jazz fan in his youth, and he never lost his passion for music throughout his whole life. One of his first jobs was as a song plugger on the night boat to Albany. He drew so many album covers over the years that some used record shops simply have Hirschfeld cover sections. You don’t get many people who can say that they help Django Reinhardt get his first recording date and also find themselves in the studio with Aerosmith. Hirschfeld’s strong connection to music has never been explored…until now.”

In the vibrant realm of contemporary sculpturing, New York City-based artist Agnieszka Pestka shines as a remarkable luminary. Hailing from a creative background that has led her everywhere from Asia to Manhattan, Pestka has forged a uniquely captivating path within the art world, weaving various steel and zinc-based creations to form a tapestry of beautiful and thought-provoking pieces, with an immersive Chelsea-based showroom to boot. Utilizing her diverse portfolio spanning a wide variety of different media, Pestka has diligently worked to reshape the future of sculpture—both physically and artistically—for the benefit of the visual artists of tomorrow.

At the heart of Agnieszka Pestka’s art is a near-poetic melding of creativity and surrealist innovation. A quick browse through the visual artist’s portfolio showcases the captivating universe Pestka has painstakingly curated in her collections. Drawing inspiration from natural elements, emotions, and the feminine form, Pestka has worked to craft a collection of beautifully etched zinc plates and delicate hammered steel sculptures, as evidenced in pieces like “Winter Night” and “Tojkad.”

Trained at the New York School of Visual Arts, Pestka, whose work has already been lauded at legendary venues such as Warsaw’s ToTuArt Gallery, has been on an upward climb since her uproarious 2017 New York debut. Now, the artist stands at the threshold of yet another significant milestone: opening her own showroom in the city’s long-held artistic hub of Chelsea.

The artist’s most recent endeavor—the hotly anticipated soft opening of her latest exhibition, “Between Jasmine Flowers”— is now available for private viewing by appointment from August 31st to September 28th, with a grand opening to the public scheduled for late November. Transforming the formerly rugged space into a showroom befitting of her intricate works, Pestka plans to utilize the rawness of the space to advance the narrative of her works, further communicating the artistic intersection of natural beauty and rough-hewn sophistication.

For the past five years, Pestka has invited audiences to embrace the unexplored and engage with the undiscovered, challenging the traditional boundaries of the storied art-artist relationship, and generating an impressive inventory of works, all of which are tied together with a singular theme of questioning the elusive qualities of human existence, and disentangling the often complex constellation of human thought processes.

Drawing inspiration from both historical and personal accounts, Pestka’s works offer a glimpse into the delicate interplay between collective memory and individual experiences, crafting narratives that evoke universally resonant sentiments throughout. In her series of detailed metalwork and etching, like “Water” and “Let me love things in you that don’t exist,” Pestka elicits the gentle robustness of the female form, guiding her audiences on a mesmerizing artistic retelling of the innate beauty of feminine strength, as seen in “Between Jasmine Flowers.”

By artfully weaving together disparate elements of water and steel, Pestka has constructed a unified narrative that connects different dimensions of existence. Her art has become a conduit for cross-temporal dialogues, resonating with audiences across all ages. Alongside her many devotees, Pestka has cultivated an entirely singular community of thinkers who appreciate the intricacies and complexities of modern visual commentary.

One thing remains certain: Pestka’s impact on the art world is undeniable. Recognized for pushing beyond conventional boundaries of artistic freedom, her work challenges norms, ignites conversations, and encourages viewers to reconsider their preconceived notions of humanity.

From the provocative ‘I left to look for you‘ to the enigmatic mysterious ‘Jasmine,’ Agnieszka Pestka stands as pioneers in an era where art facilitates introspection and dialogue, urging viewers to venture beyond the familiar and dive deep into the recesses of collective consciousness. As Pestka’s artistic narrative continues to evolve, the world eagerly awaits the next chapter of her soaring journey.

Agnieszka Pestka’s latest exhibition, “Between Jasmine Flowers,” is now open by appointment only, located at 307 W 20th St, Manhattan, New York City. To learn more about upcoming installations, or to schedule a viewing of her showroom, visit Agnieszka Pestka’s official website.

apestka.com

ARTACOM Southampton was the Hampton’s most exciting showcase of arts with highlights on education, performance, VR new media and philanthropy. The East End’s premiere fine arts gallery  hosted several special receptions with Roger Sichel and friends. The founder and curator Sichel was a photojournalist telling visual stories during the late 1960s and 1970s by capturing star-studded musical performances. He showcased Woodstock in various Hearst & McGraw Hill Publications, Variety and various rock magazines. He even established a premiere New York film festival with notables Andy Warhol, Gore Vidal, and Milos Forman. This was all done as he simultaneously produced other concerts with famous musicians such as The Doors, Four Seasons, and Isaac Hayes. He began immersing in technological innovation to become a profound entrepreneur, being part of the team that created the auto-correct function that saves our daily typos.

T2C’s Suzanna Bowling and Margarita Parlionas stopped by as the gallery came to a close Saturday.

Suzanna Bowling, Roger Sichel and Margarita Parlionas

Sichel’s prior experience has brought a new light to a show in the Hamptons that broke barriers and enlightened audiences in a new way all while building a healthy platform for artisans to be entrepreneurs in a modern tech world.

Sichel’s experience in different fields expands over decades. With an incredible level of experience in several fields, he shifted the paradigm in 2023 and curated a positive cultural revolution.

Every single artist that was lucky to work with him is now experiencing a new level of awareness in the public eye and gaining the capabilities to promote and sell their work in both traditional formats as well as the scope of the newest technology available through the exhibit. The artists included: Roger Sichel, Patrick McMullan, Don Hershman, Inson Wood, Ray Gross, John Melillo, Peter Max, Stas Rutkowski, Maxi, Julie O’Brien, Leila Pinto, Cannon Hersey, John Hersey, Howard Kanovitz, Jaxi, Gabe Aiello and DJ Leon. Works Include highlights from Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alexander Chen, Pino, Felix Mas, Karl Wenig, Marsel Mouly, Patrick Guyton, Peter Max, Andrew Bone, Scott Jacobs, Leblanc Stewart, Anatole Krasnyansy and Edmund Blair Leighton.

T2c can not wait to see where ARTACOM will land next.

Visit www.artacom.io 

The event took place at The Southampton Cultural Center,  25 Pond Lane, Southampton, NY