WELCOME
Alumni & Friends of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
We stand in solidarity with the fight against racism and inequity.
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While LaGuardia is closed due to Covid, you may contact us at info@alumniandfriends.org. All paper correspondence and contributions may be mailed to our P.O. Box:
Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia
P.O. Box 230015
Ansonia Station
New York, NY 10023
We hope to see you soon!
ALUMNI & FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS
Tuesday May 11th, 2021
Check out this exhibit by Linus Coraggio (M&A '80)
"My Art (Also) Goes Here" through May 28
at Paul Calendrillo Gallery, 547 West 27th St., Suite 514
Reception With Artist on May 29, 2pm - 5pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 12pm - 6pm, Thursday 12pm - 8pm
www.paulcalendrillo.com/linus-coraggio
"Coraggio is best known for inventing a genre of Street Art he termed ''3-D graffiti” or “Outstillations,” These being welded, detritus constructions emblazoned with “socio-political” graffiti bolted to no-parking signposts across the United States. These are the sculptural equivalent of the spray paint subway art of the early graffiti masters who Coraggio cites as hugely inspiring.
In the 70s New York’s Lower East Side was the slummy, dangerous haunt of hookers, dealers, addicts, along with bohos – artists, writers, performers - looking for cheap spaces. With the 80s though came the propulsive energy of the Neo Exes and Graffiti, along with budding galleries, clubs, hipster restaurants, vaulting rents, namely the Big Bad G of gentrification. By which time the art world had hugely changed, the world of graffiti most especially, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat moved their work off the wall onto canvas and paper. And Linus Coraggio took Street art into sculpture."
www.paulcalendrillo.com/linus-coraggio
Tuesday May 11th, 2021
Enjoy this great educational coloring book 'The Secrets of Hattie Brown' by M&A '70 classmates Audrey “Sala Adenike” Jeter-Allen and Barbara Brown Gathers. www.barbarabrowngathers.com/books
"These beautiful historical images were hand-drawn by Audrey “Sala Adenike” Jeter-Allen and reflect the history and culture of African Americans during the years between 1870 and 1940. Indulge in effortless relaxation coloring for all ages. Relieve stress as you learn about history and culture. The drawings are ornamented by the Adinkra Symbols of Ghana, West Africa.
Great for all skill levels, all ages."
Monday May 10th, 2021
Calling all musicians for this FREE virtual program through NYPL Riverside:
"Making Money with Music: A Professional Talk on Getting Live and Virtual Shows"
Monday, May 24, 3:00-4:30 pm
This FREE virtual program is for anyone 18+ and for high school seniors accompanied by parents/guardians. In this talk, learn the basics of how to book a performance or set up a livestream event with Mehmet Dede, a professional music curator and tour producer. Advanced registration required: www.nypl.org/events/programs/2021/05/24/making-money-music-professional-talk-getting-live-and-vir...
Monday May 10th, 2021
Enjoy this interview with MC Serch (Michael Berrin) - M&A '85 - on
“Drink Champs." A product of Far Rockaway, Queens, the rapper was a founding member of the group 3rd Bass. Listen to his stories of watching the Kangol Crew in the cafeteria at Music & Art and so much more!
When asked why he was thankful for his free public school education at M&A, he said:
"It gave me my direction in what I wanted to do for a career.
I met life long friends.
I was allowed to explore the arts and to focus my passion and make it my life.
I witnessed some high school classmates become legends in the entertainment industry.
I was not allowed to fail. Mr. Cooney made sure I did not flunk out of school and I owe him a great deal for that."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnBJpOzhZ6U
And read the article here -
www.revolt.tv/drink-champs/2021/5/8/22425563/nas-owns-jay-z-catalogue
Friday May 7th, 2021
Michael Che (LaG '01, Art) has a new series on HBO! "That Damn Michael Che" is a six-episode original comedy series starring Michael Che (“Saturday Night Live,” “Michael Che Matters”). Each episode follows a theme or incident - racial profiling, unemployment, falling in love and more - and uses sketches and vignettes to illustrate what it feels like to experience them, from his perspective. Tune in!
www.hbomax.com/series/urn:hbo:series:GYG8_bgHgxWvDIwEAAACA?
That Damn Michael Che | HBO Max Originals
www.hbomax.com
Stream That Damn Michael Che on HBO Max. That Damn Michael Che is a six-episode original comedy series starring Michael Che (“Saturday Night Live,” “Michael Che Matters”). Each episode follows...Friday May 7th, 2021
Check out the work of a group of LaGuardia juniors and seniors in the Art department (BWAC Crew) who are exhibiting at Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (481 Van Brunt St. between Reed Street and the water in Red Hook, 718-596-2506, www.bwac.org).
Opens Saturday, May 8, 1 to 6 pm, on the second floor near the stage
Every Saturday and Sunday through June 20, 2021 — 1 to 6 pm
Coordinated by LaGuardia art teacher and BWAC member Ingrid Butterer.
bwac.org/exhibitions_visit/bwac-crew-exhibition/
bwac.org
BWAC Crew Exhibition -- featuring the work of BWAC interns from LaGuardia High SchoolThursday May 6th, 2021
Tonight at 7pm EST (May 6, 2021) join Guggenheim winning artist Katy Schneider (M&A '82) on Zoom for Poetry Reading + Q&A. RSVP for this FREE event at www.concordart.org/silverlinings
Katy Schneider and Jim Armenti began a collaboration at the beginning of the pandemic. Each day, Katy created a tiny exquisitely rendered painting of an object found in her home and emailed an image of the completed work to Jim. In return, he sent her a poem inspired by the painting. Their collaboration is still going!
Katy Schneider’s 500 and counting 3×4 inch paintings of everyday objects as well as a group of 6×6 inch paintings are on view in the Main Galleries at the Concord Art Gallery in Concord, MA. Follow Katy: www.instagram.com/katyschneiderpainter/
Video of the art talk is available here: youtu.be/s2f5ekIuIN8
Thursday May 6th, 2021
Today from 4-5pm (Thursday, May 6, 2021) join LaGuardia's wonderful Opera Workshop on Zoom for their Afternoon of Opera and Operetta!
Zoom Meeting ID: 747-168-039
Phone Number: 646-558-8656
Monday May 3rd, 2021
See Marlene Siff's (M&A '53) artwork in Bridgeport, CT at the URSA Gallery (Arcade Mall, 1042 Broad Street - www.ursa.gallery/), as part of the exhibit "Here Comes the Sun" - an illuminating exhibition that celebrates a new chapter with our community––a time of revival and hope. Drawing parallels between the uplifting transition from winter to warmth and the pandemic to a new normal, Here Comes the Sun serves not only as an opportunity to reflect but also look forward. The presentation showcases the works of fourteen contemporary artists whose dynamic visions will uplift and restore our perspectives in a variety of ways. Exhibit through July 31, 2021. www.marlenesiff.com/
"Marlene Siff’s paintings, sculptures, and works on paper––often rendered in multi-dimensions with multilayerings––convey a sense of harmony, balance, order, and spirituality. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad, including the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.; B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, Washington, D.C.; Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield; and Galerie Musée in Nagoya, Japan. www.marlenesiff.com/
Friday April 30th, 2021
#FiorelloFriday
Enjoy the amazing artwork of LaGuardia art students in the Senior Art Show #1 "Kalopsia" - opening today! www.lagartstudiopa.org/senior-show-1-home
KALOPSIA — A COMBINATION OF THE GREEK ROOTS KALLOS (BEAUTY) AND OPSIS (SIGHT), KALOPSIA MEANS BEAUTIFUL SIGHT OR WITH BEAUTIFUL EYESKALOPSIA PERFECTLY ENCAPSULATES THIS FEELING THAT WE AS ARTISTS FEEL TOWARDS OUR ART AND TOWARDS THE WORLD. WE VIEW BOTH WITH BEAUTIFUL EYES. INSPIRED BY THE IMPRESSIVE WORK OF THE SENIOR STUDENT BODY, AND THE VIVID DREAM-LIKE IMAGERY PRESENT IN MANY OF THE ARTWORKS YOU WILL SEE, WE PRESENT TO YOU THE FIRST SENIOR ART SHOW: KALOPSIA.
Friday April 30th, 2021
Vote for 4 LaG students who are currently competing in the BroadwayWorld Next on Stage high school competition so they can advance into the Top 30! Voting closes on May 4 and you can vote for each person once.
The LaG kids are:
Ruby Griffin - www.broadwayworld.com/nextonstagehighschool/ruby-griffin
Eason Rytter - www.broadwayworld.com/nextonstagehighschool/eason-rytter
Lucy Lewis - www.broadwayworld.com/nextonstagehighschool/lucy-lewis
Julia Marshall - www.broadwayworld.com/nextonstagehighschool/julia-marshall
Nominations Open For BroadwayWorld's NEXT ON STAGE
www.broadwayworld.com
Nominations are now open for College and High School students across the country! Submit by September 27th for a chance to win our incredible prizes! Click to learn more.Thank you, LaG Alumni & Friends, for supporting these current students! If voting, be sure to check your email and click to “confirm” your vote. The email might go to spam/junk. This is a system BroadwayWorld set up to prevent voting using bots. Need to confirm to be counted! Thank you for voting and sharing!
Friday April 30th, 2021
Congratulations to Billy Dee Williams (M&A '55), who will be honored at the Harlem Hall of Fame's inaugural debut in August 2021.
"The Harlem Hall of Fame will honor the legends and icons that have made significant contributions to Harlem's iconic and historic reputation around the globe. The Hall of Fame is set to make its inaugural debut in August 2021, with a stellar line-up of inductees, via a multimedia execution that will include a virtual induction ceremony/documentary looking at the impacting lives of some of Harlem’s Living Legends (set for broadcast in August) as well as a physical Harlem Hall of Fame exhibition - featuring replicas and personal defining items of the honorees, set for Black History Month February 2022."
www.einnews.com/pr_news/539791807/bet-executive-jon-marc-sandifer-launching-harlem-hall-of-fame
BET Executive Jon Marc Sandifer Launching Harlem Hall of Fame
www.einnews.com
Veteran Black Entertainment Television (BET) programming executive Jon Marc Sandifer (American Gangster: Trap Queens, Ruff Ryders Chronicles, A Thousand WordsFriday April 30th, 2021
#FiorelloFriday
Friday, April 30, 2021 watch the LaGuardia Show Choir Senior Cabaret at 8:15pm on YouTube! The video will remain after tonight's "live" performance. Enjoy the amazing talent of our LaGuardia Vocal students!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=muk-cMkbRQs
Monday April 26th, 2021
Congratulations to vocal junior Tess Biberaj (LaG '22) who won Top Prize from The International Grande Music Competition - igmcompetition.com/winners-2021/
Watch her performance of Mozart's "Voi Che Sapete." www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0R2Dicn_Y4
Monday April 26th, 2021
Save the date! Senior Art Show #1 will be Friday, April 30th, 2021 and viewable at www.lagartstudiopa.org/. Don't miss this beautiful show! Poster by Gabrielle Arica (LaG '21).
Monday April 26th, 2021
Check out Linus Brant Coraggio's (M&A '80) exhibit "My Art (Also) Goes Here" at Paul Calendrillo Gallery in Chelsea, May 3-28, 2021. 547 West 27th St., Suite 514
Reception With Artist: May 6, 6pm – 8pm, May 29, 2pm – 5pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12pm – 6pm, Thursday 12pm – 8pm - www.paulcalendrillo.com/linus-coraggio
"Coraggio is best known for inventing a genre of Street Art he termed ''3-D graffiti” or “Outstillations,” These being welded, detritus constructions emblazoned with “socio-political” graffiti bolted to no-parking signposts across the United States. These are the sculptural equivalent of the spray paint subway art of the early graffiti masters who Coraggio cites as hugely inspiring.
In the 70s New York’s Lower East Side was the slummy, dangerous haunt of hookers, dealers, addicts, along with bohos – artists, writers, performers - looking for cheap spaces. With the 80s though came the propulsive energy of the Neo Exes and Graffiti, along with budding galleries, clubs, hipster restaurants, vaulting rents, namely the Big Bad G of gentrification. By which time the art world had hugely changed, the world of graffiti most especially, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat moved their work off the wall onto canvas and paper. And Linus Coraggio took Street art into sculpture."
Monday April 26th, 2021
THE LYRIC LAB for those 65 years and older - tentative Start Date: Monday, May 3, 2021. www.thelyriclab.org/su-casa-2021-programming
The Lyric Lab is offering a free workshop series for Manhattan seniors, ages 65 and older, called “My Favorite Song Project.” Project participants would meet once a week in a virtual social space and discuss music, lyrics, life, and the memories that powerful songs can evoke. This project will culminate in an online exhibit of selected songs and participants' reactions/reflections.
www.thelyriclab.org/su-casa-2021-programming
TALENT SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE FAME SCHOOL IN REAL MYSTICAL MUSICAL PLAY WITH DNA. HEAR IT HERE IN 2 ACTS & JOIN 4O,000+LIKES: FAMENETWORK.COM
Friday April 23rd, 2021
Congratulations to sophomore art student Nate Rosan (LaG '23), who has launched a surf and skate apparel company! Article here: www.digitaljournal.com/pr/5049062
Check out the website: www.dinosurfandskate.com/
www.dinosurfandskate.com
Dino Surf And Skate is an online apparel store selling lifestyle clothing for adventure seekers. With designs ranging from surfing, skateboarding, fishing, racing and even skiing we have you covered f...Thursday April 22nd, 2021
Happy Earth Day! The LaGuardia Student Green Team is premiering FIVE Earth Day 2021 videos including interviews and clips of Green Team members celebrating. Please tune in and do your part to save the planet!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KDuIRqkj-k&list=PLCk-RF-GKT7vSsjuDlxWngtZi-EDbC710
Follow the Green Team on Instagram @laggreenteam
Check out their site at bit.ly/323limY
Subscribe to their bi-weekly newsletter here: bit.ly/2IeZLRH
Wednesday April 21st, 2021
Congratulations to Yoruba Richen (LaG '90) who directed "The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show," part of the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival. tribecafilm.com/films/sit-in-harry-belafonte-hosts-the-tonight-show-2020
"While the country was embroiled in a divisive election with racial tensions flaring, Civil Rights activist and trailblazing performer Harry Belafonte guest hosted The Tonight Show for one week in 1968. By then, Johnny Carson had turned this pioneering late night show into one of the most powerful platforms of communication. In an unprecedented move, Belafonte took a predominantly white institution, The Tonight Show, and transformed it into a multicultural and political experience.
Award-winning director Yoruba Richen examines the importance of this lost broadcast history through vibrant interviews with Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Questlove, and guests who appeared that week including Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick, and Freda Payne. The Sit In features rare archival footage, including interviews with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, which are among the last television appearances before both were assassinated."
Yoruba Richen is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been featured on PBS, The New York Times, and Frontline. Her latest film, Green Book: Guide to Freedom, premiered on the Smithsonian channel. She is the founding director of the documentary program at the Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
For a complete list of the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival films: www.indiewire.com/2021/04/tribeca-film-festival-2021-film-lineup-1234631537/
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show | 2020 Tribeca Film Festival | Tribeca
tribecafilm.com
While the country was embroiled in a divisive election with racial tensions flaring, civil rights activist Harry Belafonte guest hosted The Tonight Show for one week in 1968 transforming it into a mul...I heard it’s terrific
Wednesday April 21st, 2021
Congratulations to dancer Alanna Morris-Van Tassel (LaG '03) who was named Gibney/Bard Teaching Artists for Spring 2021. www.bard.edu/news/dance-program-announces-new-faculty-teaching-artists-for-spring-2021-01-28
Morris-Van Tassel is artistic director of Alanna Morris-Van Tassel Productions (AMVTP), founded in 2017.
"The mission of AMVTP is to produce solo dance works and global commissions that uplift and inspire our humanity; to produce educational programs that utilize the creative arts as a tool for self-development; and to spearhead community building initiatives that assist mid-career women Creatives with resources to thrive.
AMVTP is a Black-led arts organization, launched in 2017 with spheres of influence in dance performance, education and community-building. AMVTP has been developing and producing provocative and soulful arts programs that center the creative genius of the African Caribbean archive, bringing people together from all walks of life, employing Minnesota artists of color, and building bridges and partnerships with arts organizations that share a similar vision. In 2018 AMVTP launched a coaching/mentorship program for pre-professional female dancers of color to address racial inequities in access to dance education."
"Morris Van Tassel was named one of Dance Magazine's “25 to Watch!” for 2018 and City Pages’ Artist of the Year for 2018. She was a featured dancer with Minnesota-based dance company TU Dance (2007-2017), a TU Dance Artistic Associate (2020), and is a current advisor to Springboard Danse Montreal. Her self-produced solo project, “Yam, Potatoe an Fish!” was named Star Tribune’s Best of Dance (2018) and earned her City Pages’ Best Choreographer (2019).
She was a 2015 McKnight Dance Fellow. Morris-Van Tassel is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City and holds a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School. She is currently building a performance art project, Black Light, which explores the nobility of black-ness, divine feminine expression, and primordial creativity."
More about Alanna at: www.alannamvt.com/
Wednesday April 21st, 2021
Read a touching story about Lana Solinsky Noone (PA '64), Vietnam's Operation Babylift, and her play "Children of the April Rain" - www.liherald.com/stories/breakfast-club-honors-operation-babylift-mother,128701?
More at www.vietnambabylift.org/
Breakfast Club honors Operation Babylift mother
www.liherald.com
As the Vietnam War dragged on in the fall of 1974, Lana and Byron Noone were fighting a battle of their own at home in Garden City South, struggling to deal with two miscarriages and having given up ...Many thanks,Zoe... I appreciate your support and encouragement very much. Logo art for the Vietnam Babylift play, Children of the April Rain. The play's available as at no fee. The co-authors were all involved in Operation Babylift, including the last woman out of Vietnam on the final day of the War on that final helicopter. She is Sally Vinyard who is now 97 years Young!
Monday April 19th, 2021
Enjoy this new release by Nouhi's Nomad (Zachary Tirgan, LaG '16). He sang the title character of Orpheus in their production of "Orpheus in the Underworld" by Offenbach.
Read the press release and watch his music video at: www.digitaljournal.com/pr/5037693#ixzz6sVYAtWLf
His website: www.tirganrecords.com/nouhis-nomad
Award-winning Screenwriter Fronts Iranian-American Indie Rock Project Nouhi’s Nomad
www.digitaljournal.com
The NYC-based musician will release a new single, video this Friday. “Number 4” is from his self-titled debut album.Monday April 19th, 2021
Check out Jack Brandfield's (LaG '16) debut album release, "I'll Never Be The Same" on Gut String Records.
Jack Brandfield - Saxophone
Randy Napoleon - Guitar
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Jack was the recipient of the Alumni & Friends Fred Klein Jazz Award in 2016.
“Jack Brandfield makes me happy. He knows the history of his instrument and yet he wants to carve out his own path keeping an eye on all the greats in his rear view mirror. I know they are smiling!” -John Pizzarelli
https://www.jackbrandfield.com/i-ll-never-be-the-same
www.jackbrandfield.com
“Jack Brandfield makes me happy. He knows the history of his instrument and yet he wants to carve out his own path keeping an eye on all the greats in his rear view mirror. I know they are smiling!...Friday April 16th, 2021
Happy #fiorellofriday!
If you missed the premiere of our 40 minute tribute to LaGuardia and the 40th anniversary of the movie "Fame," you can watch it here! Featuring alumni from the film and tv series, over 200 students, and many special guests!
We're gonna live forever!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=py4eVqZPdB8&t=333s
FAME 4.0 - 40 minutes of magic from Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia and LaGuardia Parents Association
www.youtube.com
Text FAME40 to 41444 to donate to support LaGuardia HS and arts education or visit alumniandfriends.org/fame/ ----Watch the 40-minute FAME 4.0, featu...TALENT SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE FAME SCHOOL IN REAL MYSTICAL MUSICAL PLAY WITH DNA. HEAR IT HERE IN 2 ACTS & JOIN 40,000+LIKES: FAMENETWORK.COM
Thursday April 15th, 2021
The New York Times picked Moliere in the Park's "pen/man/ship" as a "Top Thing to Watch at Home" April 16th-24th. Moliere in the Park (Co-Founder and Executive Director Garth Belcon - LaG '88) presents a live theatrical experience that will transport you to the heart of Christina Anderson's stirring turn-of-the-twentieth-century drama.
This production is FREE and open to all. RSVP required. You will be emailed a link a few hours before the start of your chosen performance. Performances on 4/16 and 4/17 are previews. 4/18 is opening night. www.eventbrite.com/e/moliere-in-the-park-presents-penmanship-2021-tickets-146427242825
"Moliere in the Park’s virtual productions make imaginative use of video filters and effects, and this new one does not disappoint. The impressive cast includes Crystal Lucas-Perry and Kevin Mambo." - Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times
More about Moliere in the Park at: www.moliereinthepark.org/
Molière in the Park Presents: pen/man/ship 2021
www.eventbrite.com
A live theatrical experience that will transport you to the heart of Christina Anderson's stirring turn-of-the-twentieth-century drama.Wednesday April 14th, 2021
Tonight (April 14) on Zoom at 6pm join comic book illustrator Shawn Martinbrough (LaG '89) at the Society Of Illustrators / MOCCA Arts Festival. He'll be sharing insights on writing RedHood story for DC Comics & writing/illustrating his upcoming project for John Jennings new imprint @Megascope / ABRAMS Books.
www.moccafest.org/comicandcartoonartweek/svlyib9tu0zjl19frza5vbvnif1fn7
A discussion on how to create a story starting from words to art. Shawn Martinbrough is the author of How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling, published by PenguinRandom House. He is a creator/artist whose DC Comics, Marvel and Dark Horse Comics projects include Batman: Detective Comics, DMZ, Luke Cage Noir, The Black Panther and Hellboy. Shawn is also the artist of Thief of Thieves by Robert Kirkman, the co-creator of The Walking Dead and INVINCIBLE.
Wednesday April 14th, 2021
On April 21 enjoy a night of outdoor comedy at West Side Comedy Club (201 West 75th Street) featuring comedian Brett Singer (LaG '89). Tickets are $20, showtime at 7:30pm.
www.westsidecomedyclub.com/events/44399
West Side Comedy Club | Curbside Comedy
www.westsidecomedyclub.com
Outdoor Comedy series, socially distanced, masks required. No food and beverage served but feel free to pick up at Playa Betty's beforehand or stop in for a quick bite. Each night a different event..Thanks Zoe!
Wednesday April 14th, 2021
Check out the HBO show "Betty" featuring 3 LaGuardia art alumnae - Dede Lovelace (LaG '16), Nina Moran (LaG '15), and Ajani Russell (LaG '16). "Betty is about a diverse group of young women who navigate their lives through the male-dominated world of skateboarding in New York City."
Watch online and see video interviews with the cast. www.hbo.com/betty
Read cast interviews here: coveteur.com/2020/07/08/betty-cast-interview/
Tuesday April 13th, 2021
Please check out the beautiful Student Curated Art show "The Descent: Representative to Abstract and Back Again."
www.lagartstudiopa.org/student-curated-art-show-2021
THIS IS A COLLECTION OF PIECES THAT DISPLAY THE NATURAL WAY THAT THE ART WE MAKE CHANGES FROM REPRESENTATIVE TO ABSTRACT AND BACK AGAIN. WALK/SCROLL THROUGH THE MINI-SHOWS TO SEE EXACTLY THAT: REAL TO UNREAL, WHIMSICAL TO SEDATE, AND FANTASTICAL BACK TO WHAT WE ARE LIVING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
Curated by Olivia Kirkbride, Farideh Sanandaji and Esme Sacks
Congratulations to the amazing students and teachers. It is an amazing show indeed.
Monday April 12th, 2021
Check out this new book by Nellie Escalante (LaG '89) - "Peek a Boo: I See Me: 35 Lessons in Self/Soul Care for the Special-Needs Mom" -
www.amazon.com/Peek-Boo-Lessons-Self-Special-Needs/dp/B08PQK8QN2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&
“‘But who's going to take care of the boys?’ is what I heard my mom say when I would tell her that I was going out with friends. As a mother, that saying would haunt me every time I wanted to do something for myself. Was I being selfish? I actually never wanted to have children in the first place and now I found myself caring for a non-verbal child with autism who requires more of me than I would have ever imagined.” Drawing from her church and art world experiences, as well as from daily life, Nellie’s raw, honest stories remind us that caring for a child with a disability requires showing up for yourself. She also reveals how this journey unearthed and transformed her in ways she never thought possible.
Peek a Boo: I See Me: 35 Lessons in Self/Soul Care for the Special-Needs Mom
www.amazon.com
Peek a Boo: I See Me: 35 Lessons in Self/Soul Care for the Special-Needs MomMonday April 12th, 2021
Congratulations to Amy Adler (M&A '84), who just received a 2021 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in the Fine Arts category! www.gf.org/
Amy says, "Wouldn’t be here without my high school days. Thanks so much!"
See more of Amy's work at amyadler.com/
Amy was so very talented back in our high school art classes
Monday April 12th, 2021
Read about the life of biographer Peter Manso (M&A '57) who passed away on April 7, 2021.
www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/books/peter-manso-dead.html
Peter Manso, Biographer of Brando and Mailer, Dies at 80
www.nytimes.com
His relationship with his subjects and critics could be tempestuous. His interview with Mayor Edward I. Koch for Playboy may have cost Koch the governorshipFriday April 9th, 2021
Congratulations to Lauren Paganucci (LaG '16) who is a finalist in the 10th Annual SUNYWide Film Festival April 9-10th for her film "A Mother's Touch." Her experimental film captures three generations of women: her mother and grandmother before the lens of a 16 mm camera and herself behind it, the timeless eye recording her family’s story. www.binghamton.edu/news/story/2964/mothers-touch-alums-experimental-film-is-film-festival-finalist
More information about the film festival, hosted by SUNY Purchase: www.sunywidefilmfestival.com/
Mother’s Touch: Alum’s experimental film is film festival finalist - Binghamton News
www.binghamton.edu
“Mother’s Touch,” an experimental film by Lauren Paganucci ’20, was selected as a finalist for the SUNYWide Film Festival.Yay Lauren Paganucci!
Congratulations Lauren Paganucci !!!!
Go Lauren!
Friday April 9th, 2021
Join on April 19, 2021 at 7pm for this Zoom panel discussion on Reopening Broadway Theater and Beyond presented by Episcopal Actors Guild (EAG) - since 1923 EAG has been supplying emergent care and career support to professional performers of all faiths who are undergoing financial crisis.
Moderated by M&A '56 alumna and Tony Award-winning Commercial Theatrical Producer and EAG Council Member Margot Astrachan (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder—Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards; Diana: A New Musical—heading to Netflix prior to Broadway).
All proceeds from this event will go to support the charitable programs of EAG for NYC's performing artists in need.
Industry panelists Scott Irgang (Director of Labor Relations for The Broadway League), Ryan Conway (2nd Vice President of The Off-Broadway League; President of Architect Theatrical—General Managers for Broadway’s West Side Story, Off-Broadway’s Rock of Ages), and Carl Pasbjerg (Managing Partner of Alchemy Production Group—Manager and Co-Producer of the Broadway, Toronto, West End, Australia, and Touring productions of Come From Away) will discuss how to get shows and audiences back into our theaters in New York and nationwide.
www.actorsguild.org/who-we-are.html
Friday April 9th, 2021
Please check out this event "Wake Up, Rise Up - LIVE 4 Peace," created by Doug Payne (M&A '74) - A Virtual 24-Hour Concert on September 21, 2021 - www.wakeup-riseup-live4peace.org/
"Expanding 24 hours this event includes motivational speakers, music, poetry, mental health specialists, stories from victims and entertainers from around the globe. This will be similar to a track style relay race where each runner (the location) will pass the peace baton to the next runner (location) after they complete their pre-recorded presentation. The selected date is Tuesday, September 21, 2021 and this coincides with the United Nations “International Peace Day” that was started back in 1981."
Friday April 9th, 2021
Check out the new Netflix movie "Concrete Cowboys" starring Jharrel Jerome (LaG '16) and Lorraine Toussaint (PA '78) and read this interview!
"Concrete Cowboy introduces audiences to Fletcher Street in Philadelphia. The story is told through a father and son who reconnect as they discover a group of black Cowboys amidst their neighborhood. The stellar ensemble cast is made up of gems like Lorraine Toussaint, Jharrel Jerome, and Method Man (Cliff Smith Jr.). The stars spoke to Screen Rant about learning from the real life riders their characters were based on and respecting the community they represented."
screenrant.com/concrete-cowboy-movie-toussaint-jerome-method-man-interview/
Lorraine Toussaint, Jharrel Jerome & Method Man Interview: Concrete Cowboy
screenrant.com
Our chat with the stars!Wednesday April 7th, 2021
Check out artist Alice Elisabeth Waite's (LaG '06) exhibit “Into the Light” at River Muse Art Gallery in Clayton, NY - 229 John St.
rivermusegallery.com/
"These images are a celebration and homage to the sanctity of nature and of the female sex. The works exude variety of bright, bold colors in an attempt to capture the individuality and distinctive identities of the subjects.
Alice paints in mostly oil, as well as acrylic and watercolor. Much of the imagery She creates is a communication of her connection to nature and how she experiences it as a woman.
The North Country and Thousand Island region has been the backdrop for her work for the last four years. Alice has cultivated an appreciation for, and have drawn inspiration from this area. Flowers being a natural symbol of femininity, are a common motif throughout.
In this showing Alice wants the audience to feel completely immersed in nature and to join her in the veneration of woman."
www.nny360.com/artsandlife/artsandentertainment/spring-show-at-river-muse-art-gallery-goes-into-t...
Spring show at River Muse Art Gallery goes ‘Into the Light’
www.nny360.com
CLAYTON — Artist Alice Elisabeth Waite is coming back “Into the Light” with an exhibit at River Muse Art Gallery after the plan to host her show at the galleryMonday March 29th, 2021
Check out this wonderful exhibit in Concord, Massachusetts with Katy Schneider (M&A '82), April 1-May 13, 2021:
SILVER LININGS: Paintings, Process and Poetry
PAINTINGS BY KATY SCHNEIDER AND POETRY BY JIM ARMENTI. www.concordart.org/upcoming
Katy Schneider and Jim Armenti began a collaboration at the beginning of the pandemic. Each day, Katy created a tiny exquisitely rendered painting of an object found in her home and emailed an image of the completed work to Jim. In return, he sent her a poem inspired by the painting. Their collaboration is still going!
Katy Schneider’s 400 and counting 3×4 inch paintings of everyday objects as well as a group of 6×6 inch paintings will be on view in the Main Galleries. A selection of Jim Armenti’s object inspired poetry will also be on display. Visitors will be invited to write poems to go with Schneider’s paintings in a Poetry Process Gallery. www.concordart.org/upcoming
Katy is an art professor at Smith College in Northampton, MA - www.instagram.com/katyschneiderpainter/
Monday March 29th, 2021
Groundbreaking artist Lilian Thomas Burwell (M&A '44, though she left the school before graduating, moving to DC) will have her first New York solo exhibition at age 93.
“Lilian Thomas Burwell: Soaring” opens April 22 at Berry Campbell Gallery. An abstract artist, Burwell makes nature-inspired paintings and sculpture. She was featured in “Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today,” a groundbreaking exhibition presenting works by 21 Black female artists that originated at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City and traveled to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Fla., from 2017 to 2018. Burwell is also the subject of a recent documentary, “Kindred Spirits: Artists Hilda Wilkinson Brown and Lilian Thomas Burwell.”
www.culturetype.com/2021/03/28/at-93-lilian-thomas-burwell-is-making-her-solo-debut-in-new-york-w...
www.culturetype.com
STILL PUSHING HER PRACTICE to new heights, Lilian Thomas Burwell will have her first New York solo exhibition at age 93. Lilian Thomas Burwell: Soaring opens April 22 at Berry Campbell Gall...Love you Alumni and Friends of LaGuardia High School <3 I credit you for where I am as a designer and artist today. Working at my dreams and fulfilling my passion and purpose in NYC. Could not be happier.
Friday March 26th, 2021
We say goodbye to brilliant actress Jessica Walter (PA '58). Jessica recently wrote to Alumni & Friends saying, "I owe so much to the foundation I received at PA!"
www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/arts/television/jessica-walter-dead.html
Jessica Walter, Tart-Tongued Matriarch of ‘Arrested Development,’ Dies at 80
www.nytimes.com
An Emmy Award-winning actress, she gained early fame in Clint Eastwood’s “Play Misty for Me” and found a new audience in a TV cult hit.In my young agent days, I represented Jessica and put her in Sidney Lumet's movie "The Group".
🙏
She was wonderful... and will be missed....
Leo Naut
I remember Jessica came and spoke informally in one of my classes once, must've been 1962. I think it was "Interpretation" with Ms Provet... I remember her as glamorous, great energy...
Wednesday March 24th, 2021
Watch a great 4-minute video with Chet Gold (LaG '04), who works at MoMA, as he discusses his favorite painting, Monet's 'Water Lillies,' while dressed as the work of art! www.moma.org/magazine/articles/519?
Chet Gold is a multi-disciplinary artist - check out more at www.chetgold.com/
Chet Gold on Claude Monet’s Water Lilies | Magazine | MoMA
www.moma.org
At a time when we could all use more beauty in our lives, “the Water Lilies have our back.”Wednesday March 24th, 2021
TODAY - register for this amazing FREE virtual event March 24, 2021, 3-5:30pm, EST.
New York Tech Live: West Side Story: How It Speaks to Us Now. Featuring author Esmeralda Santiago (PA '66), Bobby Sanabria -
Multi-Grammy-Nominated Musician, Mike Wallace - New York Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author. www.nyit.edu/events/west_side_story_how_it_speaks_to_us_now
"Esmeralda Santiago moved to New York from Puerto Rico in 1961 at the age of 13 and attended New York City's Performing Arts High School. She graduated from Harvard University and Sarah Lawrence College. With husband Frank Cantor, she founded Cantomedia, an award-winning documentary film and media production company. Her career evolved from writing documentary and educational films to essays and opinion pieces that appeared in national newspapers including The New York Times and The Boston Globe and mass market magazines. Her first book, the memoir When I was Puerto Rican, was followed by a novel, America’s Dream; a second memoir, Almost a Woman, which was adapted into a 2002 film for Masterpiece Theatre, and a third memoir, The Turkish Lover."
"Recognized as one of the most important voices in Puerto Rican writing, Santiago has written about her complex and ambivalent response to West Side Story, which came out when she was a student at the famous High School of the Performing Arts. She will share her firsthand experiences and unique insights on the film’s legacy within the Puerto Rican community with Qiuana Dudley-Vegliante, an English major at New York Tech.
Four iconic New Yorkers will discuss the monumental impact of West Side Story on their lives and work, set in the context of New York City and urban planning for the Upper West Side."
www.nyit.edu/events/west_side_story_how_it_speaks_to_us_now
TALENT SPRINGS ETERNAL IN THE FAME SCHOOL IN REAL MYSTICAL MUSICAL PLAY WITH DNA AND REINCARNATES THE SPIRIT OF MICHAEL PETERS. HEAR IT/READ IT HERE: FAMENETWORK.COM
Tuesday March 23rd, 2021
A review of the new documentary "Wojnarowicz" about artist David Wojnarowicz (M&A '73), who died of AIDS in 1992, at age 37.
"Directed by Chris McKim, this exemplary documentary on the artist (which is also a mini-chronicle of the East Village art scene of 1970s and ’80s New York) takes advantage of Wojnarowicz’s penchant for self-documentation, drawing on the cassette journals he began keeping even before he was a fully formed creator. The documents Wojnarowicz maintained in this period, during which his art became inextricable from his activism, guide the viewer into the second American hellscape Wojnarowicz experienced: the AIDS epidemic."
www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/movies/wojnarowicz-review.html
‘Wojnarowicz’ Review: A Revolutionary Provocateur
www.nytimes.com
A documentary on the artist David Wojnarowicz shows the ways that the rebel was a prophet, and honors him appropriately.Tuesday March 23rd, 2021
Enjoy this beautiful piece - Boismortier's Sonates à Deux Violes performed by Jay Bernfeld, (M&A '70) and Patricia Ann Neely (M&A '71).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fQ8UgR0Ut4
Tuesday March 23rd, 2021
Check out WPIX now to see Alex Garfin (LaG '21) live - around 9:40am EST. pix11.com/live/
Alex stars in the CW show "Superman & Lois" as Jordan Kent, one of Clark and Lois's twin sons.
www.cbr.com/superman-lois-jordan-kent-alexander-garfin-interview/
pix11.com
PIX11 Live Stream Schedule Watch the latest broadcasts from PIX11 live. For our full broadcast schedule, view our PIX11 TV Schedule page. Here is our live stream programming schedule. Monday –…Monday March 22nd, 2021
Read a great piece on dancer Raven Barkley (LaG '11).
“I am a firm believer that representation matters,” she said. “If we don’t see women of color or even people of color in these positions, these leadership positions, then we don’t see what the possibility is.”
www.wfae.org/arts-culture/2021-03-21/charlotte-ballets-raven-barkley-on-the-power-of-representation
Charlotte Ballet's Raven Barkley On The Power Of Representation
www.wfae.org
As a dancer, Charlotte Ballet’s Raven Barkley understands the power of gestures, symbols and movement. All literally guide her life's journey. She says the poetry of Amanda Gorman and the election o...Monday March 22nd, 2021
We say goodbye to Dr. Kenneth Cooper (M&A '58), "a harpsichordist, pianist and musicologist who was acclaimed for performances of Baroque music that balanced historical insights with engaging spontaneity, whose nearly 100 recordings included forays into contemporary works and ragtime, and whose collaborators included Yo-Yo Ma, died on March 13."
His father Rudolph Cooper was an English teacher at Music and Art, and his son Nicholas graduated in 1998 from the Drama department. Read about his wonderful contributions.
www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/arts/music/kenneth-cooper-dead.html
Kenneth Cooper, Harpsichordist With Improviser’s Gift, Dies at 79
www.nytimes.com
He excelled in the Baroque repertoire, but his interests were eclectic. He was also an accomplished musicologist.Monday March 22nd, 2021
Paul Stanley (M&A '70, Art major) has a new 10-piece band, Soul Station, and they just released their debut album "Now and Then," featuring classics by Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Al Green, plus original soul ballads.
Stanley says, “It’s liberating anytime you allow yourself out of the boundaries that other people set for you. It doesn't have to please everybody — that's not the point at all. When I starred in (a 1999 touring Broadway production of) 'Phantom of the Opera,' some people asked me if I was reinventing myself. And I say the same thing now: 'I'm not a rock singer. I'm a singer who loves rock.' That's a choice. I love doing it. But it's not all I am or want to be."
www.theday.com/article/20210321/ENT10/210329986
Kiss's Paul Stanley embraces love of vintage R&B with new band
www.theday.com
Say what?Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley, artistically reborn as a vintage soul-music crooner?The guitar-playing front man of the hard-Monday March 22nd, 2021
Jasmine Cephas-Jones (LaG '07) will star in "Blindspotting" on Starz, a new series based on the film from Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal.
Cephas-Jones starred with Diggs in "Hamilton" and originated the dual roles of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds. In 2020, Cephas Jones won a Primetime Emmy for portraying Tyisha in #freerayshawn.
www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jasmine-Cephas-Jones-Will-Lead-BLINDSPOTTING-Series-on-Starz-20200910
Jasmine Cephas Jones Will Lead BLINDSPOTTING Series on Starz
www.broadwayworld.com
Variety reports that Starz has officially ordered 'Blindspotting,' a new series starring Jasmine Cephas Jones. The show is based on the film from Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal.Saturday March 20th, 2021
Read a great interview with Monifa Brown (LaG '89), who celebrates 25 years as the host of WBGO’s “Saturday Afternoon Jazz” every Saturday from 2-6pm and online around the world at WBGO.ORG! Read more about Monifa!
baristanet.com/2021/03/baristanet-profile-monifa-brown/
Baristanet Profile: Monifa Brown | Baristanet
baristanet.com
Name: Monifa Brown Where do you live? Montclair, NJ When did you move there? I moved to Montclair in 1998. Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in an interracial family in Brooklyn. From going...Friday March 19th, 2021
#fiorellofriday
Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at 7:30pm enjoy the incredible Winter Dance Showcase on Vimeo at: vimeo.com/event/807991/dfb22fd688
The Winter Dance Showcase features work choreographed by the Senior class. These dance pieces were created during their senior year while working remotely in their Choreography
classes.
See the full program here: laguardiahspa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WDS2021-Program.pdf
Thursday March 18th, 2021
Support an awesome new business venture - Common Grind Clothing - from Brian Hazan (LaG '09)!
"Common Grind Clothing is an all-gender apparel brand promoting social awareness and empowering individuals to be living representations of the ideals they stand for.
We donate a portion of our sales to support our five non-profit partners with financial resources to work towards a stronger tomorrow. These organizations tackle a range of critical issues including: criminal justice reform, creating an LGBTQ+ positive environment in the public school system, closing the opportunity gap that exists in children's health and wellness, aiding the environment, and combating animal homelessness and cruelty."
commongrindclothing.com/
Common Grind Clothing | Mission-Driven Apparel
commongrindclothing.com
All-Gender Apparel. Empowering Individuals To Represent What They Stand For.Thank you for the support! 🙏
I know that guy!!!!
Beautiful messages - will be ordering 💕
Thursday March 18th, 2021
#ThankfulThursday
Rudy Valentine, M&A '67 says: "When I think about M&A I get sentimental; it was some of the best years of my life. I was blessed to go to M&A and become part of a family of talented beautiful people. A family of artists that represented all walks of life and cultures, were accepting and encouraging of one another, and demonstrated what people should be like, what America should be like, what the world should be like."
⭐️ Fill out our quick form at alumniandfriends.org/thankful/ and tell us why YOU are thankful for your FREE high school arts education at M&A, PA, and LaGuardia! And read why others are thankful. ⭐️
(all cards made by LaG students)
Aw Rudy... I feel exactly the same way that you do... I wish that everyone on the planet could have that 'M&A' experience... to learn firsthand that all people are important... and that we can all have a wonderful world, if we realize that we share so much... Sending lots of love your way...
Coming from the same class as Rudy, I feel exactly as he does! What a diverse and great group of talented and wonderful people!
Ditto! And hello to Rudy!
Hi Rudy! I think we all felt exactly as you did.... still miss that feeling of belonging and community that we had then.... ❤️
Hi Rudy, I feel the same way. Certainly was a model community for all of us.
Tuesday March 16th, 2021
Thank you to Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (LaG '90) for giving back to your beloved LaGuardia and speaking to students in one of LaGuardia's Government classes (teacher Sharon Hartnett) on March 11.
She is the State Committee Woman / District Leader for New York State’s 42nd Assembly District representing Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood and Ditmas Park in Brooklyn.
nyassembly.gov/mem/Rodneyse-Bichotte/bio
nyassembly.gov
News and Information from the New York State AssemblyTuesday March 16th, 2021
Register for this amazing FREE virtual event on March 24, 2021, 3-5:30pm.
New York Tech Live: West Side Story: How It Speaks to Us Now. Featuring author Esmeralda Santiago (PA '66), Bobby Sanabria -
Multi-Grammy-Nominated Musician, Mike Wallace - New York Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author. www.nyit.edu/events/west_side_story_how_it_speaks_to_us_now
"Esmeralda Santiago moved to New York from Puerto Rico in 1961 at the age of 13 and attended New York City's Performing Arts High School. She graduated from Harvard University and Sarah Lawrence College. With husband Frank Cantor, she founded Cantomedia, an award-winning documentary film and media production company. Her career evolved from writing documentary and educational films to essays and opinion pieces that appeared in national newspapers including The New York Times and The Boston Globe and mass market magazines. Her first book, the memoir When I was Puerto Rican, was followed by a novel, America’s Dream; a second memoir, Almost a Woman, which was adapted into a 2002 film for Masterpiece Theatre, and a third memoir, The Turkish Lover."
"Recognized as one of the most important voices in Puerto Rican writing, Santiago has written about her complex and ambivalent response to West Side Story, which came out when she was a student at the famous High School of the Performing Arts. She will share her firsthand experiences and unique insights on the film’s legacy within the Puerto Rican community with Qiuana Dudley-Vegliante, an English major at New York Tech.
Four iconic New Yorkers will discuss the monumental impact of West Side Story on their lives and work, set in the context of New York City and urban planning for the Upper West Side."
www.nyit.edu/events/west_side_story_how_it_speaks_to_us_now
Plus a lot of the location shooting for the 1961 film took place where the La Guardia school is now; also the new Stephen Spielberg movie stars Anselm Elgort, recent graduate of La Guardia.
Tuesday March 16th, 2021
Join Yoruba Richen (LaG '90) in conversation with the NAACP Image Award Nominees for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary. Richen is nominated for "The Sit In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show," which premiered on MSNBC and is streaming on Peacock. March 16, 2-3:15pm. www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/the-sit-in-harry-belafonte#:~:text=In%201968%2C%20entertainer%20a....
"Yoruba Richen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been featured on PBS, New York Times Op Doc, Frontline Digital, New York Magazine’s website -The Cut, The Atlantic, and Field of Vision.
Her latest film, How it Feels To Be Free, premiered on PBS’s American Masters in January of 2021. Her other recent work includes The New York Times Presents: The Killing of Breonna Taylor, which was featured on FX and Hulu, and The Sit In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show, which premiered on MSNBC and is streaming on Peacock.
Her film, The Green Book: Guide to Freedom, was broadcast on the Smithsonian Channel and was nominated for an Emmy award. The New Black and Promised Land won multiple festival awards before airing on PBS’s Independent Lens and P.O.V. Yoruba won the Creative Promise Award at Tribeca All Access and was a Sundance Producers Fellow.
She is the 2016 recipient of the Chicken & Egg Breakthrough Filmmaker Award and a Guggenheim Fellow."
Monday March 15th, 2021
Did you know ...
There are 16 EGOT winners (artists who won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award) and Jonathan Tunick (M&A '54) is one of them! Jonathan Tunick, Achieved EGOT Status in 1997.
Emmy (1982): Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction, "Night of 100 Stars"
Grammy (1988): Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals, "No One is Alone"
Oscar (1977): Best Music, Original Song Score and Best Adaptation Score, "A Little Night Music"
Tony (1997): Best Orchestrations, "Titanic"
www.biography.com/news/egot-winners-list
EGOT Winners: The Artists Who've Won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony
www.biography.com
Sixteen people have received all four awards — many winning multiples of each trophy.Monday March 15th, 2021
Check out this great new release by Brooke Lugo Smith (LaG '98) - "Pick Up Your Crown."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjUUGRXpBLE
Monday March 15th, 2021
Congratulations to our alumni winners from last night's 63rd GRAMMY Awards!
Best Opera Recording: "Porgy and Bess" - Metropolitan Opera Chorus members Wayne Arthur Paul (LaG '07) and Paul Grosvenor (LaG '09). Choreography by Camille A. Brown (LaG '97), Assistant Choreographer Maleek Washington (LaG '05).
Best Classical Compendium - "Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke" - Isabel Leonard (LaG '00).
Best Latin Jazz Album - Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - featuring Adam O'Farrill (LaG '12 - trumpet).
Did we miss anyone? Please let us know in the comments!
www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/63rd-annual-grammy-awards-2020
www.grammy.com
See all awards winners and nominees for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, presented in 2020Isn’t Arturo O’Farrill also an alum?
Friday March 12th, 2021
Congratulations to Nathanya Alexander (LaG '16), who will be in the new HBO show "Generation," with executive producer Lena Dunham. "Generation" is about the struggles of Gen Z. Nathanya appeared in "Oceans 8" as Veronica the computer hacker.
decider.com/2021/03/11/generation-cast-guide-hbo/#/
Congrats!
Congrats!
Thursday March 11th, 2021
#ThankfulThursday
“LaG truly fueled my passion for music. The beginning of my musical journey is connected to this school and I’m incredibly touched by their continuous support.”
– Salomé Chitaia, LaG ’09
Please watch Salomé's beautiful concert. Salomé adds, "This concert was supposed to be held at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK) but due to the travel restrictions it was recorded at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Recital Hall (Georgia). Because of the virus, there were only a few concerts the Conservatoire decided to stream this year and my recital was one of them! I just completed my Advanced Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and this was my final recital."
youtu.be/559rG_tFfaA
Thank you so much <3
This is an unique, charming recital performed by Salomé Chitaia. Congratulations my dear Salomka 🥰🥳🎵
Salomé Chitaia ❤️❤️❤️🙌🏻
<3
Wednesday March 10th, 2021
Check out the book "The Light of Mortal Vision" by architect/artist/educator Regi Weile (M&A '61). This is a compilation of Studio Workshops from the Axiom Maxiom Drawing Center in Asheville, North Carolina, presented as a series of cumulative exercises in Workbook form. The exercises were purposed to lead participants through a 'recall' of the rigorous Foundation Drawing and Design Courses offered by 'Modern' European Art Institutes prior to WWII. The exercises place emphasis on the discipline involved in 'Seeing' and 'Drawing'. Personal 'discipline' is stressed so as to allow the skills required in discovery to generate individualized, lyrically/creative, capacity. www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578808315/
Wednesday March 10th, 2021
LaGuardia students continue to create! LaG Mag is a student magazine showcasing students' artistic and literary accomplishments - www.lagmag.org/.
The most recent "Absurd Issue" is available to order here - www.blurb.com/b/10624437-the-absurd-issue
The Absurd Issue
The inspiration for this theme came about after I read The Stranger by Albert Camus. In it the narrator states, “I looked up at the mass of signs and stars in the night sky and laid myself open for the first time to the benign indifference of the world,” a great quote demonstrating the acceptanc...
Tuesday March 9th, 2021
Read a great interview with Alexander Garfin (LaG '21) who stars in the CW show "Superman & Lois" as Jordan Kent, one of Clark and Lois's twin sons.
www.cbr.com/superman-lois-jordan-kent-alexander-garfin-interview/
Superman & Lois' Jordan Kent Breaks Down His 'Beautiful Will' to Help Others
www.cbr.com
Superman & Lois star Alexander Garfin broke down Jordan's drive to help others, teased a fireside chat with Lana Lang's daughter Sarah and more.Tuesday March 9th, 2021
Congratulations to Lily Santiago (LaG '14) who joins the pilot of NBC's "La Brea." deadline.com/2021/03/la-brea-eoin-macken-jon-seda-jack-martin-lily-santiago-nbc-drama-1234706752/
Santiago has appeared in numerous stage productions including the All-Female Macbeth (Red Bull Theater), Othello (Shakespeare in the Park, Romeo & Juliet (Huntington Theatre), and most recently the Public’s mobile Shakespeare production of Measure For Measure.
"In La Brea, written by David Appelbaum, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half ... When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world, alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home."
Tuesday March 9th, 2021
Read a wonderful piece about the photographer, author, and educator Naomi Rosenblum (M&A '41), who passed away on February 19, 2021 at age 96.
"She helped curate the first comprehensive, large-scale exhibition of women’s photography as fine art, which opened at the New York Public Library in 1996 and traveled the country."
"Dr. Rosenblum was the author of seminal works that helped bring scholarship and recognition to photography as a creative art form after practitioners, notably Alfred Stieglitz, had revolutionized the field by defying the conventions of subject matter and composition — creating images in the rain and snow, for example, or of a pattern that the sea cut in the sand. Histories of photography traditionally focused on England, France and the United States. But Dr. Rosenblum’s major contribution, “A World History of Photography” (1984), provided a true global perspective. The book was translated into several languages and remains a standard text in the field."
www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/arts/naomi-rosenblum-dead.html
Naomi Rosenblum, Historian of Photography, Dies at 96
www.nytimes.com
Her seminal works brought scholarship to the field and helped develop appreciation for it as a creative art form.Tuesday March 9th, 2021
This Wall Street Journal piece features LaG '22 instrumental student Lenard Glasgow, who, like all LaGuardia students, has persevered through this past year.
"He hopes to meet a few instrumental friends in a park once the weather gets warm. 'Watching the front lines, the medical care workers, and knowing that people are really struggling makes my struggle seem a bit better,' he said. www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-changed-new-york-city-a-story-of-six-lives-11615125601
Covid-19 Changed New York City: A Story of Six Lives
www.wsj.com
New York City ground to a halt one year ago as the coronavirus raced through homes and families, upending the lives of its eight million residents.Leo is an amazing student who is always looking on the positive side.
Monday March 8th, 2021
Music Monday! Check out the song "It's Over" written by the extremely talented Louis Larsen (LaG '20) and featuring LaG '20 classmates Rohit Oomman and Ashley Nicole Siriban.
Louis says: "I wrote this song about what we are all going through as seniors. We have lost what was meant to be for us, including the special senior events, the prom, the end of year performances, and our graduation at Lincoln Center. Most of all, we're missing each other. It's over. This song is dedicated to the Class of 2020."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUbphqbrKaY
Beautiful song!
Saturday March 6th, 2021
Watch FAME 4.0 on YouTube - 40 minutes of pure magic! We're gonna live forever! Brought to you by Alumni & Friends and the LaGuardia Parents Association.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=py4eVqZPdB8
FAME 4.0 PREMIERING ON 3/6 AT 8PM EST - CLICK TO WATCH
www.youtube.com
Text FAME40 to 41444 to donate to support LaGuardia HS and arts education or visit alumniandfriends.org/fame/ ----Join us to watch a remixed 40-minut...For me one of the best legacies of attending M&A was being exposed to students from all over the city. The school taught me the importance of keeping an open mind towards others regarding race, economic differences, as well as sexual orientation. Years later when I fell in love with a woman of color from North Carolina, I was prepared to embrace both our differences and similarities. That notion of inclusion was never taught in any class, but it resonated in every hallway, staircase, and on those darn steps we climbed every day. Just in case “I don’t live forever” a section of my will has designated that a portion of my estate to be donated to LaGuardia. Thank you to all the students and alumni who made this production possible, with a special appreciation in seeing my still forever young principal, Mr. Klein included. Henry Greenfeld. M&A Class of 1975. 🎨🎼
Saturday March 6th, 2021
Tune in to YouTube to see FAME 4.0 - a 40-minute star-studded artistic tribute to the film, the tv show, and our amazing legacy! Best school in the world! www.youtube.com/c/AlumniFriendsofLaGuardiaHighSchool
or lagfame40.com
Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from the making of FAME 4.0! A gorgeous day where LaGuardia students were free to express themselves and do what they do!
(John Maidman - LaG '07 - behind the camera)
Friday March 5th, 2021
FAME LIVES FOREVER! Join us on YouTube Saturday, March 6 at 8pm to watch a remixed full 40-minute FAME 4.0, featuring over 200 LaGuardia students, alumni, never-before-seen footage, and special guests! www.youtube.com/c/AlumniFriendsofLaGuardiaHighSchool
or lagfame40.com
Friday March 5th, 2021
Shoutout to Lisa Fischer (M&A '76) who makes the list!
"Fischer emerged in the scene as a heralded backing and session vocalist in the early ’80s, working with legends including Patti LaBelle and Luther Vandross, whom she sang with for 20 years. The vocal virtuoso, who has a four-octave range, relies on her masterful control and a softly fervid execution that lands religiously."
ratedrnb.com/2021/03/something-about-you-8-women-who-guided-rb-in-the-80s/
Something About You: 8 Women Who Guided R&B in the '80s - Rated R&B
ratedrnb.com
As part two of our Women Who Guided the '80s series, Rated R&B lists eight women who deserve recognition for their contribution to the genre.Friday February 26th, 2021
Saul Lilienstein (M&A '50) sent us this fun and nostalgic article he wrote many years ago about the Music and Art basketball team breaking out into song during a game in the late 1940s. Did they win the game? Read on ...