Next Time She Can Only Drink Maple Syrup

Now, we want to be clear, we absolutely adore Lovely Assistant Leia. She does good work and her blog posts are generally top notch. But obviously she had a little too much sangria during our Friday night artist's dinner. because she seemed to have forgotten all the fun stuff that happened, and just mostly talked about drinking. We admit, we had a bit too much ourselves (after all, talking in third person always makes one thirsty) but let's go over a few of the highlights anyway.



Practically the whole end of the table was full of our artists. Jenny Morgan (in black), David Mramor (at the head), Charlie Leadbetter (in blue), Allison Edge (in white), and Jason Bryant (hiding just out of frame) were on hand to talk about the joy and pain of assisting.



Can't you see that pain in Jenny's eyes? That's a thousand yard art stare! Actually, we're just joking, Jenny Morgan and David Mramor had nothing but good things to say about artist Marilyn Minter, for whom they both work. It was clear that their little family is a close one and that they enjoy their jobs very much.



Another person with nothing but happy stories was Jason Bryant. Jason simply could not give Kehinde Wiley enough respect. It was clear that Jason felt fortunate to have worked with Kehinde and thought of him very highly. Kehinde, do you need a blogger on staff? Because he literally made you sound like the best boss ever!

Around this point, however, the sangria began to kick in. Lovely Assistant Leia wasn't kidding, it was good stuff. So good, in fact, that we forgot to take a photo while Charlie Ledbetter and Allison Edge were talking. To make it up to them, we'll show you some photos of their work instead.




Charlie and Allison both assisted Jeff Koons, who has around a hundred different assistants. These stories were a little darker and not quite as loving, although they made it clear they had a great respect for Jeff as a creator. Allison also talked happily about her time with McDermott & McGough and what she felt she learned there.

Poor tipsy Lovely Assistant Leia was right about the conversation. This exciting discussion about the nature of the assistant in art really made for a fantastic night. There were plenty of disagreements and even some awkward moments we weren't expecting... but that's what art is all about, right? And everyone left happy.



If you weren't there, you missed out! Our next dinner will be Feed on September 25th. It'll feature our buddy Eric LoPresti, as part of his upcoming solo show, Fade, opening September 11th. Plan now to join us then! If you're lucky, we'll remember to charge the camera first. Please excuse these iPhone quality photos. We're so iMbarrassed.

Greatness Passed

In this busy busy world, it's easy to be a few steps behind. But better late than never! So we're very pleased about subscription blog TheGreatNude.tv taking a few moments to give a complementary review to our last show, Reuben Negron: Dirty Dirty Love. The site is for subscribers only, but we're sure they won't mind if we share a paragraph...

It is hard to decide if I preferred the intimacy of the small works or more ambitious large scale pieces. There exists more a focus on diffusion of color and multiple light sources in the larger works, with lush colors bleeding into one another in a sensual handling of the medium. I particularly like the quiet interplay in the work titled Becky and Naomi. His use of color in particular injects this work with a dynamic sense of realism.

Keep in mind that we've still got an online preview of Dirty Dirty Love that you can enjoy in the privacy of your own home. Also keep in mind that Reuben's latest piece is on display as part of Off The Clock, our current group show that celebrates the artist's assistant. Plan a visit! And thanks to TheGreatNude.tv for the belated attention.

Cracking the case of the mysteriously missing salmon

We had another installment of our monthly dinner series last night, and this one was a peach-sangria dream. I'm still recovering, and I wasn't even at the table till halfway through. What the lovely people who spent the evening in Like the Spice didn't know is that we had caterer chaos the morning, and our usual providers turned prima-donna, leaving us stranded... Salmon-less.

At the very last minute, Curiouso Pizzeria & Ristorante came the rescue with a seriously scrumptious spread of tiny meatballs and crisp salad, decadant eggplant rollatini and lemony chicken. If you haven't been to this awesome new local spot you need to plan a Saturday around it. Not only do they make DELICIOUS pizza and pasta (I'm eating a seafood linguini from them right now and I swear to god it's the only thing helping me survive my sangria hangover) they're run by the nicest guys we could hope to have as neighbors. Also, their website rocks hardcore. We sent them a video of us dancing to the funky background music. I think we should throw a Curioso/Like the Spice block party later in the summer, don't you?

So, we shared pitchers of homemade peach and white wine sangria and had, actually, one of the most stimulating and intense conversations ever to grace our table. With a mix of arts professionals, collectors and artists, we were amazed at the range of ideas and opinions that everyone the wine and camaraderie helped bring out. The matter of the Art Assistant's role in the art world isn't a simple one, and the conversation and debate carried on well past 10pm.



Off the Clock: The Artist Assistant Show is up until September, so make sure you stop in to see it! Remember, for the rest of the summer we're open Wed-Sun 12-7 (And Mondays by appointment). See you soon!

I need a vitamin water.

Clearly, We're The Very Latest Thing

How do we know? Because all sorts of people are talking about us! Our current show, Off The Clock, is a celebration of the artist's assistant. And we're happy that people have noticed!

First, out of no particular order, there's The Amateur Art Collector. They said that it was "a really smart idea" and that we were "up-and-coming"! Up-and-coming! We're almost three years old, so that makes us feel young again.

Next there were the nice, tiny capital letters of Karen at Wasting Time. Karen clearly has some stories of her own about assisting artists. If you visit her blog, maybe she'll even share them with you!

And, finally, there's our friends at L Magazine, who gave us a little shout out as a nice place to visit on a Friday night. Thanks, L Magazine. We think you're a nice place to read every day!

If you were on the fence, let our good press persuade you. Come in and see Off The Clock right now! And don't forget to make reservations for Assisted Dining on July 24th. All you'll have to do is finish!

"Off The Clock" Opening!

The humidity and rain didn't stop the crowds, oh no, not from coming out to the gallery and taking part in some fine company, beautiful works, and good drinks. The opening of "Off the Clock: The Artist's Assistant Show" showcased works by Rachel Beach, Jason Bryant, Allison Edge, Charlie Ledbetter, Jenny Morgan, David Mramor, and Reuben Negron, all of which are or have worked as assistants to other artists.


A special thanks to The L Magazine and Animal New York for giving us some love on their websites, as well as the Amateur Art Collector and House of Aragon. No doubt the buzz from these sites helped out the show and added to those in attendance. If you're looking for some opinions on the show check out their sites and see for yourself. Now, though many attended, there was no contest for the most stylish; she rolled up complete with the best attire, name-brand shades, a fly set of wheels, and a diaper. The onlookers were wooed like you wouldn't believe.

The gallery was constantly packed with people taking in and discussing the works with the artists and others. Alongside of the pieces, and adding insight into the artist/assistant relationship, were comments about the displayed works from those that the artists had assisted.


We ended up staying open a good bit past the expected closing time; having to shoo the reluctant art lovers to the after party celebration which ended up stretching even further into the night. Good people and fine art, the night could not have gone better. Now, don't you worry, if you were kept away from the opening for whatever reason the show will remain up until September 5th so there is plenty of time to come by and check it out.

Summer's Here!

It might feel like autumn, but we looked at the calendar, and it said SUMMERTIME! So that means we're ready for our summer show, Off The Clock, a celebration of the artist's assistant.

Off The Clock is a great chance to get to know some of the artists who have been learning their craft under certain modern masters. In this group show we'll be featuring Jason Bryant (who assists Kehinde Wiley), Allison Edge (who has assisted McDermott & McGough and Jeff Koons), Charlie Ledbetter (also has assisted Jeff Koons), Jenny Morgan and David Mramor (assistants to Marilyn Minter) and Reuben Negrón (who assists Papa Colo).

As you well know, nearly every one of these artists have had a successful solo show here at Like the Spice, so we've been really looking forward to this show. We think you should be doing the same. Opening night is is July 17th, so plan now!

Of course, with every new show comes a new chance to dine. This month's dinner is Assisted Dining. We'll do the hard work, all you'll have to do is finish! A show like this is likely to get some attention, so we want to warn you: make your reservation now! Hit our online reservation page to save your spot. Everyone remembers how much fun our previous dinners were, right? What if we said this was going to be the best dinner yet?

Rainy Day, Dry Wine

Hope everyone has been enjoying the rainy summer weather. Here at Like the Spice we're becoming umbrella aficionados! Grab your rainy weather gear and come to the 92nd Street Y on Thursday July 9th at 7pm because...



...we're hosting a special a wine and cheese party alongside a fabulous discussion with the talented Colette Robbins! Colette's work is on display alongside the work of Dean Goelz, in a very special show that you probably remember us talking about before. Tonight's a great night to check it out! As Colette answers your questions you'll get to enjoy some icy wine, chill cheese, and the even chiller collaboration that is on display.



Colette's paintings portray ordinary objects with a twilight zone twist, finding the unusual in the usual. In Colette's style a boring old acorn receives a dash psychological uncertainty and a splash of visual clarity and suddenly it becomes an awesome acorn that you can't escape! Come out at 7pm, rain or shine!