Du-licious dinners and Pleasing Readings

Things just went right at Friday night's "Du-licious" Dinner. Precisely the same number of guests arrived as there were seats to be filled at the table. The wine on the table was exactly sufficient to fill every glass the perfect number of times, with a touch left over for the LTS crew to toast themselves with at the end of the evening. And the amount of food in surplus was just enough to expand LTS Assistant Leia's waistline ever so slightly beyond the capacity of her Levis.


Falafel Chulo chef Dija Amer prepared steaming, succulent kefta kebabs and indulgently comforting veggie fritters - all smothered in a tangy dill tzatziki. Crisp, golden sheets of fried pita with hummus whipped into savory peaks of perfection. Despite an opulent spread (hah!) of no less than four creamy middle-eastern sauces, the tablecloths escaped unscathed.


While Leia recovered sluglike on the chaise in the basement under the pretense of helping the waitstaff, LTS Assistant Scott documented the evening in photographs. That, dear readers, is why in THIS blogpost you can see what stuff is. (See our last post for comparison). The photo above shows Syed addressing the diners. The next photo, however, illustrates the hazards of letting boys use cameras.


Very funny, Scott.

On Saturday, we welcomed Jack Hofsiss and Ethan Silverman, who treated us to a performance and workshop of "Jack from Above", the true story of Jack's journey to China to find a cure for his paralysis. We had a full house again, and we were touched to see that so many members of the audience were moved to tears.



We hope to have lots more readings like this in the future at LTS! It was really cool to have a different form of artistic talent on display, and a different group of enthusiasts taking part.

Is LTS setting its sights on the world of theatre? Stay tuned for our all-singing, all-dancing, upcoming revue, "A Print Hangs in Brooklyn".

Dubai Underground Opens! Assistant Fails to Capture the Moment.

LTS Assistant Leia can print pricelists and press releases with margins meticulously even. She can plate ritz crackers in an attractive semi-circle for openings. She can enfold oil paintings in the gentle embrace of bubble wrap, and securely affix sticky-labels to walls and postcards alike.

What Assistant Leia cannot do is take a digital photograph that is in any way legible or compositionally appealing. Fuzzy blobs hover in front of what may or may not be art. Darkness reigns over crowds with orangely glowing eyes. Heads are excised with abandon.

So, I wanted to write this gorgeously illustrated blog post about how awesome last night's opening was. Instead, I'm forced to give you this:

Just to clear things up, this was an opening at an art gallery. There were beautiful photographs and prints. Pretend that there's art in this photo, and that people are looking at said art rather than staring somberly en masse at a blank wall. How I managed to capture an exact moment where EVERY SINGLE ART PIECE would be blocked by a body is a mystery of physics.


This is supposed to be a picture of a good-looking couple admiring one of Khalid's prints, but it's mostly a picture of an empty doorway.


On the plus side, this picture has both people and art. Yay me! On the downside, it looks like one of those night-vision nature documentaries about the habits of unsettling nocturnal predators.


I'm proud of this one.

Make sure to RSVP to our upcoming artist dinner, Du-Licious! You'll be happy to hear that assistant Leia will be serving hors d'oeuvres, while a more qualified intern operates the camera. It's not like I've been demoted, really. Marisa says that she wants to DIRECT my skills to where they'll be more useful. If I do okay, she says she'll think about letting me pour wine (white only)! Wish me luck!

Valentine's kisses!

LTS.A.L.

TONIGHT: Dubai Underground Opening

Hey y'all. We're opening our awesome collaborative exhibition tonight, in partnership with Mezze! It's been a long install for Rahul and Liz, but we think it's totally worth it!

From political photography to tongue-in-cheek advertising, "Dubai Underground" exposes the complex underbelly of a place steeped in wealth and culture. What ancient roots and odd contradictions still turn the wheels of this seemingly cosmopolitan city? The seven artists presented in this exhibition seek the answers to these questions, and more.

We'll be pulling out all the usual stops on this opening! Come by for a drink and some inspiration! If you missed Jenny Morgan's "Abrasions", have no fear. Her gorgeous portraits are on display in the downstairs gallery, alongside the usual show of brilliance from our cast of artists.

Be sure to RSVP for Dubai Underground's special artist dinner - "Du-Licious", Friday, February 20th, 2008. Dinner's served at 8:00pm, and RSVPs are required. This month's dinner is created by the chefs of Falafel Chulo, serving up a delicious spread of Middle Eastern cuisine! Go here to reserve your spot!

IT'S Gettin', IT'S Gettin', IT's Gettin' Kinda Hectic

The Lucky #7 of ARTmostfierce's The Current State of the ART Market Series goes to Marisa Sage, Gallery Owner of the Like The Spice Gallery in Brooklyn, NYC. Marisa has some interesting concepts and approach to the gallery business. Let's see what she is sharing with us!

Ruben Natal-San Miguel- Please tell us about your Gallery...Location? Type of gallery?


Marisa Sage-I opened Like the Spice Gallery in June of 2006 with the aim of fostering the careers of emerging artists by allowing them to show in public group and solo exhibitions. I exhibit both Digital formats as well as traditional methods. Our artists push their medium; our paintings are fresh and our digital art is not just about the pixels, as stated in our mission statement. I would say that my artists primarily create works with a very specific marriage of technique and aesthetic prowess, as well as a compelling conceptual agenda. Each artist has learned to balance their technical mastery with a sound conceptual statement. We are a commercial gallery with roots in the Williamsburg neighborhood, Over 80% of our artists make work within 15 miles of the gallery.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW BETWEEN MARISA & RUBEN!


Above, "a digital photograph from the series “Held Back,” 2006, by Dubai artist Reem Al Ghaith". Reem will be one of the artist featured in the next group exhibition Dubai Underground, here at Like the Spice Gallery. Opening Friday February 13th 2009. 6:30-10:00pm.
Reem also featured further in ‘An Oasis in the Desert’, an article in this months Art News.

COURTESY THE ARTIST
Governments in the United Arab Emirates are spending billions of dollars in an ambitious, unprecedented effort to create cultural districts with world-class museums—along with a support system of creators, dealers, and collectors. But many Western art professionals wonder if this massive undertaking, launched at a dizzying scale and pace, can be successful
by Sharon Waxman


CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE on artnews.com.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PRESS FOR DUBAI UNDERGROUND AT LIKE THE SPICE GALLERY.


Domestic Attempts
The Weekly Picks, One Day Late
Our third pick of the week comes to us from Like The Spice Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. This piece has the potential to offend some of you, and if it does, I apologize. I believe that art should be challenging, and serve to open up dialogue between people. The purpose of art is not just to be pleasant to look at - artists have a responsibility to address issues, which in this case, is religion.

CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

LASTLY GREAT NEWS!!!

Like the Spice Gallery Owner Marisa Sage was chosen by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Ms. Sage will be seated on stage to represent Like the Spice Gallery and the other Williamsburg Galleries as one of 40 noteworthy Brooklynites, during Mr. Markowitz's State of the Borough Address.