Art Basel Miami Beach 2023: What To Expect At The Main Fair

December is upon us and for folks in Miami— or in the art world— that means: Art Basel Miami Beach. From December 6 to 10 (by-invitation private viewings are on December 6 and 7), the Miami Beach Convention Center will be home to 277 galleries; 25 of which will be participating for the first time, with two-thirds hailing from North and Latin America. In mediums ranging from paintings and sculptures to photography and digital art, some of the resounding themes this year include works that speak to nature, as well as cultural and spiritual geographies.

We break down the fair’s main sectors with what to expect this year:

Galleries is the main section of the fair where the world’s leading galleries present the highest quality of paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photography, videos and digital works.

This year’s show will include never-before-seen works by Argentinian Italian surrealist Leonor Fini from the artist’s personal collection, jointly presented by Galerie Minsky (Paris) and Weinstein Gallery (San Francisco), as well as an homage to Brockman Gallery, the first major contemporary gallery run by and for Black artists, coorganized by Parrasch Heijnen Gallery (Los Angeles) and Franklin Parrasch Gallery (New York) in collaboration with Alonzo Davis, one of Brockman Gallery’s founders.

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Meridians showcases large-scale sculptures, paintings and installations which go beyond the traditional art fair booth layout. It will feature 19 projects this year, including site-specific works for Art Basel Miami Beach, curated for the fourth consecutive year by Mexico City-based curator and Director of Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo, Magalí Arriola,

Kabinett, which provides provides galleries the opportunity to present curated exhibitions within their main booths, will have 28 installations.

Nova is a space for galleries to present new works by up to three artists. The Ranch (New York) will showcase never-before-exhibited sculptures by Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos inspired by his hometown of Loíza, the largest Afro-Caribbean enclave in Puerto Rico. Gypsum Gallery (Cairo) will present new paintings by Egyptian artist Basim Magdy, the first staging of the artist’s paintings in the US.

In Positions, the sector for young galleries to showcase solo presentations by emerging voices, Galatea (Rio de Janeiro) will exhibit a new photo series by Brazilian artist Allan Weber, known for his work on everyday life in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. Dürst Britt & Mayhew (The Hague), the first Dutch gallery to participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, will present new works by Mexican artist Alejandra Venegas, hand-carved on native wood.

Survey, dedicated to galleries to showcase artistic practices of historical relevance, will include solo presentations of American artist and activist Karen Finley centered on her 1977 interactive installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, during a protracted legal battle with the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by Freight+Volume (New York); as well as American artist Vivian Browne, whose “Africa Series” paintings from the 1970s will be presented by Ryan Lee (New York).

Conversations, a series of live debates among artists, gallerists, collectors, curators, museum directors and critics will run from December 7 to 9. Curated by Emily Butler, this year will features 35 thought leaders across nine panels celebrating Latin America. The program will draw inspiration from Miami’s position as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, honoring Afro-Latino, Latino, and feminist histories, the artistic ecologies of Florida, and other topical issues in 2023. These conversations will be live-streamed on Facebook and recorded.

Also taking place during this period, the UBS Art Lounge (open to UBS-invited guests) at the Miami Beach Convention Center, will showcase the UBS Art Collection which includes a site-specific triptych painting by Jeffrey Gibson entitled, “Just When You Least Expect It,” commissioned for the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The Lounge will also feature the Collection’s recent acquisitions by Nick Cave, Awol Erizku, Deana Lawson, and Hank Willis Thomas.

UBS has also partnered with Art Noir, a global creative collective and non-profit organization that catalyzes cultural equity across the arts and culture industries, to create the UBS Art Studio, which will be stationed near the Meridians sector. The group presentation organized by Art Noir co-founder and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah will features works by Anthony Akinbola, Sonia Gomes, Melissa Joseph, and Nari Ward, artists who engage in practices that utilize accessible materials like durags, shoelaces, and other textiles to create art that invite inquiry and discourse. This is open to all Art Basel Miami Beach ticket holders. (They will also be presenting at the Soundscape Park.)

For more tickets and more information, please visit the Art Basel Miami Beach website.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

Senator Tammy Baldwin Meets With Faith Leaders in Milwaukee

… issues important to the African American community. These leaders … Party initiatives for the African American community, communication challenges, … of healthcare in African American communities has always been … the nation to declare racism as a public … RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News

Out & About: Made in The Bronx & Hip Hop Photo Exhibits, Holiday Tree Lighting, Local Book Launch & More!

PUERTO RICAN HERITAGE Month is celebrated at Monroe College on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
Photo courtesy of the Office of the Bronx Borough President

Editor’s Note: Check back for more updates as we add more events. Scroll down for subsections on Events, Art, Photography, Music, Kids, Movement & More. For details of local civic, health, or other NON-arts & culture related events, check out our latest Neighborhood Notes listing. 

Editor’s Pick

EVENTS

The Holiday Train Show® at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, runs from Nov. 17, 2023, to Jan. 15, 2024, with more trains, and an all-new, outdoor train display. Start on the lawn to capture your perfect holiday photos at NYBG’s outdoor mountainscape and then watch model trains zip past nearly 200 iconic New York landmark models under the warmth of the conservatory. For more information, visit https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show/.

Geography of The Bronx Book Launch 

Pick up a copy of the newest publication by The Bronx County Historical Society, “Geography of The Bronx,” authored by CEO Dr. G. Hermalyn. This colorful guidebook, on select geographical features of The Bronx, supplemented with more than 100 photographs, maps, and other illustrations, will be of great interest to educators, students, and Bronxites. Click here to buy a copy.

Join Good Shepherd Services for their weekly Community Kitchen events each Saturday. See attached flier below for more information.

FLIER FOR GOOD Shepherd Services Community Kitchen
Flier courtesy of Good Shepherd Services

The Holiday Train Show® at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, runs from Nov. 17, 2023, to Jan. 15, 2024, with more trains, and an all-new, outdoor train display. Start on the lawn to capture your perfect holiday photos at NYBG’s outdoor mountainscape, and then watch model trains zip past nearly 200 iconic New York landmark models under the warmth of the conservatory.

After dark, on select evenings, join for NYBG GLOW and discover the beauty of the garden’s landscape and historic buildings, illuminated across the grounds. Additionally, Bar Car Nights, for those 21 and older, three evenings per week, feature the Holiday Train Show with curated cocktails, music, food and more. For more information, visit https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show/.

Parkchester Library, 1985 Westchester Avenue, is hosting Creative Writing Classes each Tuesday in November from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. to celebrate National Novel Writing Month. Learn different writing styles, get helpful handouts and worksheets, enhance your writing skills, learn how to organize your story and more.

Dr. Samuel Cruz of Fordham University’s Union Theological Seminary will host political activist, poet, and journalist Felipe Luciano at Fordham University’s Union Theological Seminary, James Chapel, located at 3041 Broadway in Manhattan, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, during a Book Launch to discuss his new memoir “Flesh & Spirit, Confessions of a Young Lord” (Fordham University Press 2023).

The evening will include distinguished panelists Jamal Joseph (Columbia University), Johanna Fernandez (Lehman College), Raymond Rivera (LAC), and Gary Dorrien (Union Theological Seminary) who will discuss Luciano’s publication and life’s work. The event is hosted by Union Theological Seminary’s Religion & Society Department and is co-sponsored by Fordham University Press and NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

The New York Botanical Garden’s Beer Garden at the Leon Levy Visitor Center continues to have Craft Beers to purchase, as well as grab-and-go meals,snacks, and drinks at the Pine Tree Café at the same NYBG location. NYBG is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126.

Bronx Community Board 7 and Friends of Mosholu Parkland invite residents to the Annual Tree-Lighting Event on Dec. 7. See attached flier for details.

BRONX COMMUNITY BOARD 7 and Friends of Mosholu Parkland invite residents to join them for the annual tree-lighting event on Dec. 7, 2023. 
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7

Edible Academy Fresh from the Garden Tastings takes place at the New York Botanical Garden on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Get hands-on with healthy cooking using new recipes featuring plants grown in the Edible Academy. NYBG staff create family-friendly recipes using seasonal vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and kids and adults alike can learn how garden-to-table cooking is not only nutritious, but fun, too. While you’re exploring the Edible Academy, get hands on with the crops in the vegetable garden during Dig! Plant! Grow! each month. For more information, click here.

Riverdale Meditation Cooperative hosts meditation sessions on Wednesdays at 505BX. See attached flier below for more details.

RIVERDALE MEDITATION COOPERATIVE hosts meditation sessions on Wednesdays at 505BX.
Flier courtesy of Riverdale Meditation Cooperative

On Tuesday, and Thursday-Sunday; a grounds access pass to the New York Botanical Garden is available for purchase by NYC residents only. Proof of residency is required and may only be purchased onsite. On Wednesdays, grounds admission is free to NYC residents all day and to all other visitors between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Grounds admission includes access to outdoor gardens and collections, including the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.

A number of citywide events highlighting Black Excellence can be found on eventbrite.

New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)’s Bronx Neighbors Program offers free Grounds-Only Admission to Bronx Residents Tuesday to Sunday and Monday federal holidays, offering the local community access to nature in their backyard, programs for the whole family, and more. Get your tickets online now, or learn more about other ways to receive your FREE Bronx Resident Grounds-Only admission ticket. Up to 6 tickets per transaction.

  • 250 acres to explore year-round
  • The largest surviving old-growth forest in New York City
  • Two family gardens for hands-on exploration
  • Free mobile guides with audio tours, videos, and special content!

Want to work with other writers? Commit to a writing schedule? Practice your craft through writing prompts? Receive and discuss information and tips on writing, reading, editing, and revising? Join the weekly meetings of the Kingsbridge Writing Circle, held online at the Kingsbridge Library every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. Share your unpublished drafts in an intimate setting. Get and give feedback. Writers of all genres and styles are welcome to participate. The program is for those aged 18 and up. You must register to receive the Google Meet meeting code which will be emailed the day before. Register here.

“Picking Up the Pieces” is a wellness forum for the LGBTQ+ community, a safe space to have supportive, group discussions. The group meets on Mondays at 5 p.m. at 448 East 149th St (3rd Floor) Bronx, NY 10455, in conjunction with Destination Tomorrow and moderated by Yahaira Gonzalez. 

PICKING UP THE pieces is a new wellness forum for the LGBTQ+ community, a space space for group discussions which take place at 448 East 149th Street each Monday at 5 p.m. in conjunction with Destination Tomorrow. 
Flier courtesy of Destination Tomorrow

INCLUDEnyc fosters positive futures and enhances the quality of life for young people with any disability from birth to age 26 and their families in New York City. The organization promotes access to educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for young people, and advocate with families for meaningful inclusion in the broader community. Share your experiences, struggles, and successes as parents of children with disabilities. For a list of upcoming workshops and events, both online and in person, click here.

For those interested in English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, BronxWorks are accepting students. Contact program coordinator, Cheyla Perez, at cperezduran@bronxworks.org or (718) 508 3112 for more information.

Norwood Community Library, a mobile library, arranges pop-up library booths around The Bronx and also has a permanent library box located in front of the Keeper’s House at 3440 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY 10467. For more details, check out our previous story on the group. The library also meets regularly as a book club.

FILM 

Bronx Library Center is screening some Free Movies in the coming days. See attached flier below for more information.

FREE MOVIE SCREENINGS at Bronx Library Center
Flier courtesy of Bronx Library Center

You can watch the trailer for “Mujeres Atrevidas” (Daring Women), a film Cynthia Tobar of Bronx Community College here, and if you wish to donate to the funding of the film, the GoFundMe link is here.

Bronx Brewery and the Arts Fund present An evening of Short Films from Bronx Creatives. See attached flier below for more details.

FLIER FOR AN Evening of Short Films by Bronx Creatives
Flier courtesy of the event sponsors

PHOTOGRAPHY

On Saturday, Dec. 16, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Erika Shallcross, owner of New York Portrait Company, will showcase her “Made in The Bronx” photography exhibit as a special one-day-only event at the Andrew Freedman Home, 1125 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10452 (at 166th street, a short walk from the 161st Street – Yankee stadium stop on the 4 train). This is a FREE exhibit, and was made possible through an arts grant from the Bronx Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Participating seniors are from all over The Bronx, and most have lived here for most, if not all, their lives. Audio snippets from participants will enhance the images of the Bronx senior participants (playable via QR code on your personal mobile device). Visit https://www.newyorkportraitcompany.com/ for more information.

Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture’s “Born in The Bronx: The Beginning of Global Hip Hop Culture,” a stunning exhibition curated by Johan Kugelberg and Joe Conzo Jr., exploring the roots and evolution of Hip Hop, the global phenomenon that originated in the South Bronx in the 1970s, opens Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos, 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx, off 149th Street. Admission is free. RSVP on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/754054616657?aff=oddtdtcreator or call (718) 518-4455.

FLIER FOR THE exhibition, “Born in The Bronx: The Beginning of Global Hip Hop Culture.” 
Flier courtesy of Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, located at 1 Bowling Green in lower Manhattan, celebrates Native American Heritage Month (Nov. 1–30) with events honoring American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian veterans. Visitors can celebrate the diversity and contributions of these Native cultures with a variety of free public events in Washington, D.C., New York City, and online. Programs include festivals, performances, talks and family activities. All events are free unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu.

ART

Edenwald Public Library holds regular Paint & Sip Classes for adults. See attached flier below for more information.

EDENWALD PUBLIC LIBRARY offers regular Paint & Sip classes for adults.
Flier courtesy of Edenwald Public Library

Bronx River Art Center is organizing a community Mural for Music. See attached flier below for more details.

FLIER FOR BRONX River Art Center’s community mural project.
Flier courtesy of Bronx River Art Center

Michael Richards: Are You Down? is the first Bronx Museum retrospective of Michael Richards’s visionary artworks, exhibiting the sculptures, drawings, installations, and video work he created during a prolific decade between 1990 and 2001. The exhibit is showing until Jan. 7, 2024. Of Jamaican and Costa Rican lineage, Richards was born in Brooklyn in 1963, and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Integral to a generation of Black artists emerging in the 1990s, Richards’s artwork gestures toward both repression and reprieve from social injustices and the simultaneous possibilities of uplift and downfall, often in the context of the historic and ongoing oppression of Black people. The curators of the exhibit are Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin and the museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse, The Bronx, NY 10456.

Flight and aviation were central themes for Richards as an exploration of freedom and escape, ascendance and descent. These themes are especially evident in Richards’s engagement with the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Greek mythology, Christianity, and African and African American folklore. Centering his own experience, Richards used his body to cast the figures for his sculptures, which often appear as pilots, saints, or both. For more information, visit the Bronx Museum website. You can also call (718) 681 6000 or email info@bronxmuseum.org.

Registration will open on Monday, Nov. 20 for Pelham Art Center’s Winter 2024 semester, which includes classes and workshops for all ages, plus Winter Break Camps for students aged 3 and up. Winter programming will cover a wide variety of art techniques and media ranging from pottery and watercolors to digital media, ceramics, and more. Register at pelhamartcenter.org/education.

Former Norwood News editor, Jordan Moss, has three art pieces showing in a members’ show at the Blue Door Art Center in Yonkers. More details can be found here.

DANCE

Dance in Woodlawn Playground and learn free Ballroom and Latin dancing on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. See attached flier for more details.

DANCE IN THE Park flier 
Flier courtesy of the event sponsors

Dance in Henry Hudson Park on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and learn free Ballroom and Latin Dancing. See attached flier for more details.

FLIER FOR DANCE in the Park 
Flier courtesy of the sponsors

MUSIC

Riverdale resident and award-winning jazz drummer Louis Hayes will be part of an ensemble of jazz musicians performing at Flushing Town Hall in Queens, a popular jazz venue, for the 17th annual NEA Jazz Master concert on Dec. 15. Hayes was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as its 2023 NEA Jazz Master for his contributions to the world of music. Now 86 years old, he began his musical journey playing piano before his father gave him a set of drums at age 10. At age 18, he joined the Horace Silver Quintet in New York, making his mark with the iconic “Six Pieces of Silver.” Since then, he has led and co-led dynamic, electrifying ensembles that included talents like Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Barron, and Dexter Gordon. His latest album, released in 2017, “Serenade for Horace,” pays tribute to his mentor Horace Silver and marks his debut on Blue Note Records. 

Hayes will perform alongside several other NEA Jazz Masters, including Jimmy Owens (trumpet & band leader), Gary Bartz (saxophone), Ron Carter (bass), Joanne Brackeen (piano), and acclaimed jazz virtuoso Wycliffe Gordon (trombone). These jazz virtuosos will play some of their original music, as well as music by past NEA Jazz masters, such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, and others. It will be a very special concert offering music from the best in jazz.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, The Bronx, has advised that TITO PUENTE CENTENNIAL, a tribute to the 100-year legacy of Tito Puente, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 20, at 8 p.m. has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 2, 2024.

As the “King of Latin Music”, Tito Puente created over 200 compositions and produced more than 100 albums in the span of five decades. Known for fusing styles and putting a big-band spin on traditional Latin music, Tito Puente put Caribbean styles, including mambo, salsa, boogaloo, cha-cha-cha, rumba, guaracha and Afro-Cuban jazz, on the global map.

Performing alongside with Tito Puente’s son, Tito Puente Jr., will be world-class musicians, including Orestes Vilato, Nicky Marrero, Endel Dueño, Frankie Figueroa, Frankie Morales, John ‘Dandy’ Rodriguez, and Jose Madera. The ensemble will come together to honor Tito Puente’s enduring musical heritage at Lehman Center! Call the box office at (718) 960-8833 Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weekend hours vary)

Michael Spierman, founder/conductor of The Orchestra of The Bronx has announced the presentation of Handel’s Messiah, joined by The Bronx Opera Chorus and guest readers, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. at the Lovinger Theater/Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West. Texts are selected from biblical sources by Charles Jennens, and delivered by members of the Bronx Community.

The Revolution of Hip Hop exhibit at Bronx Terminal Market remains open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Visit the Universal Hip Hop Museum’s website at hhhm.org for more information. For more information on the development of the Universal Hip Hop museum building, check out our latest story.

As reported, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with a number of events taking place throughout the City to celebrate this milestone. Click here for more information.

As also reported, a new Hip Hop show, KWIK2ROK, has premiered on BronxNet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop this year.

KIDS  

Metro-North Railroad’s safety education unit is holding a Rail Safety Stick Contest. See attached flier for details.

METRO-NORTH RAILROAD’s safety education unit is hosting a Rail Safety Sticker Contest.
Flier courtesy of Metro-North Railroad

Kids are invited to join the Kingsbridge branch of New York Public Library, located at291 W 231st Street, The Bronx, and Play Chess! Classes are open to beginners as well as experienced players. If you don’t know how to play, that’s all right: come and learn! Meet in person on Monday, November 13, 20 & 27 at 3.30 p.m.

Join the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval East in Norwood for Family Paint Night on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Come along also for Winter Wonderland on Friday, Dec. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for lights, winter holidays, Santa, and games.

The Bronx Museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse [at 165th Street], Bronx, NY 10456, is also hosting a Family Day: Winter Wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season! Join for an afternoon filled with free and festive wintry, art-making activities for the whole family.

The Bronx Children’s Museum has officially opened. See our latest story on the opening here. The museum recently welcomed its first children for a preview of the brand new facility with special guest, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. When asked how they enjoyed it, the children reportedly responded, “A-MAZ-ING!” The 2023 opening hours for the museum, located at 725 Exterior Street near Yankee Stadium along the Harlem River, as of Jan. 3, are now Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the museum’s website here.

The Nest Music Conservatory is a non-profit organization providing music education to youths in the Bronx through out-of-school programs. The organization is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that contributes to the social and emotional growth of students, their families, and communities through classes, events, and concert series. The center, located at 3636 Holland Ave, The Bronx, NY 10467, USA is open daily, Monday to Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call (718) 994-6378 for more information. 

SPOKEN WORD, STORY TELLING & LITERACY

Neighborhood Stories is a storytelling initiative by the NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) to gather and preserve the stories of NYC neighborhoods. Learn more about the project, and how to share memories of your neighborhood and community here.

NYC Veterans’ Veteran Voices Project records the stories of NYC’s veterans and preserves their legacy. Learn more at nyc.gov/vetvoices.

MOVEMENT

Walking History Tours of Hard Island with an NYC Parks Urban Park Ranger guide are now live. Click here for more information.

Various Fitness Programs ranging from Line Dancing to Cardio Strength to Hip Hop and from Zumba to Circuit Training are running at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval East in Norwood from Oct. 1 through Dec. 16, on various days at different times. Call (718) 543 8672 or email Victor.Campbell@parks.nyc.gov for more information.

For New Yorkers 60 years old and over, a Seniors Fitness program offers free twice weekly pickleball, tennis, yoga, and fitness walking classes across all five boroughs since April 2023. Participants of all levels are welcome to come out, have fun, and socialize. Visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/ or call (212) 360-1399 for more information.

Learn to Become a Lifeguard. Make summer happen for NYC! Becoming a lifeguard is a rewarding experience. You’ll work outdoors in some of New York City’s most iconic locations, playing a critical role in helping New Yorkers of all ages and abilities have safe access to beaches and pools. Click here for more details or see attached flyer below.

FLIER FOR DETAILS on how to become an NYC lifeguard
Flyer courtesy of NYC Parks

Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center is open every Saturday and Sunday. See attached flier below for more information.

VAN CORTLANDT PARK Nature Center is open every Saturday and Sunday.
Flier courtesy of NYC Parks

Exercise Classes in Cantonese 

Visiting Nurses Services NY is inviting the public to virtual, exercise classes in Cantonese on Tuesdays, from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. See attached flier below for more information.

FLIER FOR EXERCISE classes in Cantonese
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7 / VNSNY Choice

BronxWorks and Twin Parks West Older Adult Center, 355 East 183rd Street, Bronx, NY 10458, invites residents to come join some fun classes Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. See attached flier below for details.

TWIN PARKS WEST Older Adult Center invites residents to come join some fun classes Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Flier courtesy of BronxWorks courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7

Running group, Bronx Nomads, generally meet at the Bainbridge Avenue entrance to the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood on Mondays at 6.30 p.m. to run together safely. Founded 5 years ago, the group caters to those with different levels of fitness. You can follow Bronx Nomads on Instagram and Facebook or email the group at bronxnomads@gmail.com.

Elected officials, City agency partners, and community-based organizations continue to host the Saturday Night Lights citywide program to work together to keep 100 gyms across the City open for free, high-quality sports programs for kids on Saturday nights, ensuring no indoor gyms are closed on these nights – the time when they are needed most by kids in city communities. Click on the following link to watch a video extract of the Saturday Night Lights Relaunch, where Mayor Eric Adams can be seen observing some of the kids in action.

Each Saturday evening, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., children and youth, aged 11 to 18, are able to enjoy an array of indoor sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance, martial arts and more. According to the organizers, a key component of the program is bringing cops and kids together. Teams of youth coordination officers from NYPD precincts are at each of the 100 gymnasiums every Saturday night, helping to coach, and joining members of various community based organizations to interact with young people and help make a lasting and positive impact in their lives.

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, located at 3450 Dekalb Avenue, is the local venue for the program in Norwood, while the Fordham Heights program is run at 2255 Webster Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457. For a list of all venues, scan the QR code in the below flier. (If you cannot access the QR code from the attached flyer, click on this link.

As reported, an additional 25 city gyms and an additional $1.25 million investment in the Saturday Night Lights program was announced on July 9, 2022 to ensure public gyms will continue to remain open during the school year from September 10, 2022 through June 24, 2023. To find a gym near you, click here.

FLIER FOR SATURDAY Night Lights program
Flyer courtesy of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office

Gotham City Panthers is a new amateur basketball team founded by Eric King. Click on the link for more information.

Theory 9’s Rising Kings Basketball Club caters to different age groups in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood. Click here for more details.

Bronx Buccaneers football club meet on Saturdays in the Williamsbridge Oval, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval East, in Norwood from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Monday to Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Understanding there is more to football, the Buccaneers strive to develop the students/athletes, and the hope is that the players will use the program not only as a stepping stone to advance to upper level sports in High School and college, but also as a means to engage in positive behavior and as a healthy distraction from idleness which the group says can lead to poor decisions. The Buccaneers accept kids from any community, boys or girls, ages 6 to 14. Contact Tasha Andrews at (917) 662-3632 for further information.

BRONX PANTHERS YOUTH Football & Cheer save lives through football. Call the numbers in the attached flier for more information.
Flier courtesy of Bronx Panthers

Bronx Panthers Youth Football & Cheer save lives through football, and are recruiting all age groups. Call the numbers in the attached flier, above, for more information.

Pilot Program to Allow E-Bikes in Parks

NYC Department of Parks & Creation launched a pilot program allowing e-bikes and light-weight e-scooters on Park drives and greenways, effective June 20. Officials said the pilot program allows the same bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters that are legal to operate on NYC streets to also operate on park drives, spaces where bicycles are already permitted in parks. They said Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes, as well as lighter-weight e-scooters, are already allowed to operate on NYC streets and in bike lanes and will be allowed in parks as part of the pilot program.

They said Parks has created a new webpage at nyc.gov/parks/ebikes, with a citywide map of parks showing greenways and drives that are part of the program, as well as a multilingual survey to both hear from and educate New Yorkers on electric micromobility. They said the pilot program does not allow e-bikes on pedestrian paths, and faster, heavier mopeds or motorcycles are not allowed anywhere in parks or on greenways. They said the latter are also precluded from bike lanes, and their drivers must hold a driver’s license. For more information
on micromobility devices, visit nyc.gov/ebikes.

NYC DOT previously provided information to New Yorkers on riding E-bikes in NYC.  Click here to learn more about riding an e-bike and other micro-mobility options in NYC.

NYC DEPARTMENT OF Transportation (DOT) has provided information to New Yorkers on riding E-bikes in NYC.  
Flyer courtesy of NYC Department of Transportation

Editor’s Note: We will update this feature article as more events become available.

RankTribe™ Black Business Directory News – Arts & Entertainment

New historical marker designated honoring Erie’s first African American neighborhood

A new historical marker on the city’s west side celebrates Erie’s first African American neighborhood.

Our West Bayfront, the Harry T. Burleigh Society and several other non-profits collaborated on this project that celebrates a neighborhood called New Jerusalem.

The new historical marker at the corner of Sassafras and West 5th Street helps share the history of the neighborhood and its impact on the region.

A local historian said the neighborhood welcomed freedom seekers on the underground railroad and became home for thousands of immigrants.

“We’re going to name all those immigrants who came here to make a America what it was, may not be like that now just to make America a place where it was the land of opportunity regardless of ethnicity,” said Johnny Johnson, local historian.

New Jerusalem refers to the nearly 30 block area located north of West 6th and west of Sassafras Street.

How Spider-Man 2’s Miles Morales Represents Community, Black Culture, And Me

This article contains spoilers for the Harlem Cultural Museum side quest in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Miles Morales is a comic book character created to represent people of color.

Leading up to the 2008 election, which resulted in the United States’ first African American president, Barack Obama, Marvel wanted to “take a good look” at one of their icons to reimagine as African American. A few years later, when an internet campaign pushed Community actor Donald Glover to play Spider-Man, the icon was chosen, and writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli created Miles. Every iteration of the character continues this legacy of representation, and Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2 is no different. You can read our full review of the game here, but I want to focus on one specific part: a series of jazz-themed side quests.

Up in Harlem, criminal forces are conspiring to halt the opening of the Harlem Cultural Museum. Curator Angela has assembled an amazing collection of jazz memorabilia, but on the day a big donor comes to pledge his funds, the building is raided, and the instruments are stolen. Relative to the game’s main story, which has players battling huge villains and tearing up the city in the process, the stakes of this mission are low – but still high enough to warrant Spider-Man’s help.

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Miles is invested not just because his mom Rio is the one asking him for help but because he cares about his community, and as an aspiring musician himself, he’s curious about the history, too. Throughout each quest, Miles hunts down the instruments, meeting up with people in the neighborhood along the way. When he retrieves Charlie Parker’s saxophone, he gets a lesson about the connections between jazz and hip hop (Miles’ music of choice) from an older Black man, enhancing Miles’ understanding of the importance of his mission. And since his dad was a Parker fan, his personal motivation is boosted, too.

I’m not interested in spoiling the ending of this quest, except to say that, unlike most quests in the Spider-Man games, it’s not done to set up a supervillain cameo. The scale is as small as the first quest implies, and that’s a relief. It feels more personal that way.

The culmination of this questline is what stuck with me in the weeks since playing. At the end of the day, the exhibit is restored, and the whole neighborhood is invited to celebrate the success. All the music history that had been hinted at is put on full display, literally – proper museum exhibits show off Charlie Parker’s saxophone, Clyde Stubblefield’s drum set, and a whole lot more. It’s a quick but proper look into some of the biggest figures of the early 1900s jazz scene, complete with instruments, tap shoes, and poetry. As Miles explores the space, he mutters some  Langston  Hughes to himself, soaking in the words.

At the same time, the museum is scattered with people you interacted with across your quest to recover the stolen artifacts. Commonly recurring characters like Miles’ best friend Ganke and Rio are here, but you can also speak with people like curator Angela or the man who explained Charlie Parkerʼs saxophone to you. Saving lives is something you do countless times in these games, but uniting a community and preserving its culture is uniquely touching. As Miles takes in the museum celebration, I can’t help but think that this was why his character was created.

I have always related to and felt represented by Miles Morales, but this goes beyond that. It’s one thing to create a Black version of a traditionally white character, giving people the chance to see themselves in a role they typically wouldn’t, but Miles carves a completely separate space for himself. Here, he’s doing more than protecting faceless lives, he’s actively protecting the values I hold as a member of the Black community. The history of Black art is genuinely important, and the museum highlights that in a way that emphasizes communal joy and togetherness, an angle we’re not always afforded. It’s rare that I truly relate to a character on screen and even rarer that I relate to a character in a video game, but Spider-Man 2 manages to go one step past that.

As Miles unites with his friends and family to celebrate Black art, I am not just seen.

I am understood.

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