Come have dinner with us and do NOT mess with Texas!

Well, hello brisk fall weather, what a pleasure it is to see you again! And yes, it is also nice to see all of you blog readers as well (sorry, the first statement was purely driven by my love of layers and sweaters, forgive me for putting you all second;). We have some great Like the Spice news to share; our current show, "Re/Deconstructing History" is open and is just gorgeous and everyone loves it, and also, Marisa and Dylan are LOVING it in Houston at the Texas Contemporary art fair. Check out Like the Spice's gorgeous booth:

S'nice, right? Is it just me, or do things in Texas seem bigger? Or maybe people are just smaller there? Hmmmm, we'll try to keep you posted on these important questions as well as what's happening at the show.

Haven't seen "Re/Deconstructing History" yet? Well then stop by anytime this weekend, or next week, or even better, come to the artist dinner for the show next Friday, October 28th at 8pm (RSVP required). The local artists from the show will be in attendance and we will be feasting on some delicious seasonal fare, you should probably join us. But seriously, the work of these five artists (Jessica Stoller, Joseph Heidecker, William Immer, Matthew Craven, and Eric Beltz) is really quite beautiful and certainly worth seeing in person. Plus, since Marisa is in Texas at the fair if you want to come by maybe we can throw a party or something...JUST KIDDING MARISA:)

Anyway folks, come on by to see "Re/Deconstructing History", the show is open until November 6th; don't even try using the 'it's Halloween and I don't have time to do anything but eat candy and make my costume' excuse, I ain't buying it this year...

Reconstructing Last Nights Opening!

Last night marked the opening of Re/Deconstructing History, a group show featuring the works of Jessica Stoller, Matthew Craven, Joseph Heidecker, Eric Beltz, and William P. Immer. In addition to our extravaganza, Williamsburg Every 2:ND Friday had their monthly event highlighting over 10 gallery openings (including ours!) Thanks to our amazing partners over at AT&T ‘Learn to Collect’, yesterday evening was extremely successful and will be remembered by many!

“The artists in Re/Deconstructing History reinvent techniques, materials, symbols, and representations from the past. Each work similarly challenges moments in world history, from the tumultuous history of the American continent to ancient myths and cultural traditions, and allows for a reassessment of historical ‘facts’.”

Featuring the alluring porcelain sculptures of Jessica Stoller, Joseph Heidecker’s innovative embellishments, William P. Immer’s hilarious take on Renaissance portraiture, Eric Beltz’s stunning graphite drawings, and the culturally influenced work of Matthew Craven, Re/Deconstructing History generated a responsive crowd that circulated throughout the gallery from 6:30-9pm. With great company and amazing drinks provided by Pernod (just ask those who tried the Green Beast!), the show had positive reviews and a remarkable turn out. For anyone that couldn’t join us last night, the show will be on display until November 6th!

Joining forces with Williamsburg Every 2:ND Friday, Like the Spice was one of many galleries that hosted openings and special events last night. Including an amazing guided art crawl led by New York Optimist Editor Stephan Fowlkes, yesterday evening can be chronicled as another magical installment of Williamsburg Every 2:ND Friday! Special thanks to our friends at the Art & Absolute Guide to Brooklyn and Wagmag for making last night great!

And now for an update on future events!:

Next week, Marisa will be in Houston for the Texas Contemporary Art Fair (October 20-23)! If you are in the area, we would love for you to visit us, so shoot over an email and we will get you a pass! If Houston isn’t in your foreseeable future, Olivia will be holding down the fort at Like the Spice during our regular hours!

In addition to the art fair, our monthly artist dinner is coming up on October 28th! If you would like to dine with some of the Re/Deconstructing artists, head over to Likethespice.com and RSVP. Tickets cost $45 and will get you a bottomless glass of wine, a tasty dinner catered by one of NYC’s finest, and an evening filled with good times! Hope to see you soon!

Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!

Though I wholeheartedly agree with the sage words in the title of this post, last night's artist dinner here at Like the Spice with guest of honor, Reuben Negron, did not quite start that way (though once you hear about the actual dessert you might end up agreeing that it should have). Even without dessert first the dinner last night was a spectacular event; fine food, an amazing show ("This House of Glass"), and wonderful company!

Despite the humidity and the torrential downpours we had lovely crew here to enjoy an intimate discussion with Reuben Negron about his most recent body of work, "This House of Glass," on view at Like the Spice through October 9th. Reuben spoke eloquently about the origins and process of each piece and I must say his technique blows me away whenever he describes it. Each subject is a volunteer, drawn to Negron's project by his desire to unravel a particular knot in their recent memory. He adopts the role of confidant and digests innumerable morsels of honesty over several weeks or months. These conversations turn into visual collaborations between Negron and his model, conceived as a collective narrative told on their terms. In person, these visual stories really do seem to come to life; the intense layering of watercolor over a graphite sketch is so expertly done that the figures' skin seems like it would be warm to the touch.
So, not only were we blown away by the work and words of Reuben, but the food certainly deserves mention as well. Our three course meal was created by the lovely and talented, Neilie Meyer, the owner and executive chef of The Starving Artist Bakery. Our taste buds were tantalized by the first course of a mixed greens salad with a pear, mushroom, and brie strudel. The second course featured home-made butternut squash ravioli (HAND ROLLED AND STUFFED) nestled perfectly under a layer of roasted garlic cream sauce. And then last, but certainly not least, was the salted caramel mousse sprinkled with chocolate-covered pretzel shards and served in its very own chocolate bowl, see above. I die.

So that was that folks, I hope that you are jealous enough to make it to our next dinner on November 4th!!!!

Ground shaking, ground breaking - Tectonics opening

Last night was the opening reception for Matt Stone's current show at Like the Spice, Tectonics.

The geological forms of Matt's sculptures enjoyed an evening surrounded by numerous human beings who spent the night admiring them. Everyone was thoroughly impressed with the scope and magnitude of the artist's most recent body of work. From his minimal, subtle pieces to his gnarled, neon, extraterrestrial sculptures, not a single piece went un-discussed. It was great to see the looks on people's faces as they noted more and more intricacies in Matt's work.


The show was a great success. Even Matt's parents came to show him love!

Many people were overwhelmed with the sheer complexity of the work.

Thanks to everyone who made it out. The show is up until the end of July 31st, so make sure you stop by and check it out - it is truly amazing.

Remember, we will have our monthly artist's dinner series, on Friday, July 8th. This edition is aptly titled Tectonic Plates. Make sure to RSVP for your seat at the table with the artist himself, delicious food and (as always) good company!

So many layers and flavors!

Our artist dinner with Jenny Morgan, "A Layered Menu," went spectacularly last Friday. It was a hot day that turned into a cool summer night and we were all able to enjoy it here at Like the Spice. With the white wine flowing and the wonderful workings of Gite catering, Jenny and guests happily chatted away about her recent and past projects before Marisa asked her to speak.

And then it was time for Jenny to take the stage; she spoke eloquently about her process and subjects and how deeply connected she has felt with all of them. She spoke about the building of a piece, the many many layers that go into making the skin of her subjects look warm enough to touch. The sanding process was also brought up, and how the building and layering are countered with destruction as she sands or uses turpentine to deliberately break down her beautifully rendered hands, faces, and hair. I think the best part was listening to the stories behind each piece; the individual canvases in the show each have their own personal history. It was a treat to be told each one!

In short, it was a lovely evening. Jenny's work was as breathtaking as always and the vibes around the room were nothing but positive. It was a great way to stay cool with the coolest people surrounded by the coolest art! Hope you can join us next time!

Brunch for dinner is my new favorite thing...

Last night we were lucky enough to be a part of "Breakfast at Like the Spice," the March installation of our monthly dinner series. We were joined for dinner by a few friends of the gallery and, of course, our current exhibiting artist Jason Bryant. Surrounded by the products of his current show "Love's Labor Lost," the 14 of us dined to our hearts' content under the obscured gazes of Jason's Hollywood stars. Neilie Meyer, chef and owner of the local catering kitchen, The Starving Artist Bakery, produced a smorgusbord of delicious sage-infused biscuits with homemade apple butter, savory spinach, leek and goat cheese quiche with fresh thyme, a hearty pancetta, roasted red pepper, and fresh basil quiche with a light baby green salad topped with a roasted garlic vinaigrette and served with golden hash browns and sirracia creme fraiche.


After the main dishes (and ample mimosas), our guests were given insight to Jason's work by the artist himself. He described his painterly process, artistic influences and inspirations for this series of work. His paintings deal with social memory and consciousness and the results of the overwhelming city culture in which one lives. Originally from North Carolina, Jason discussed how New York City itself is an inspiration to him, how a walk down the block can be so over-stimulating that it is impossible to take in everything one sees. I was very impressed to learn (and I can safely say that everyone else was, as well) that the source images for Jason's paintings are all postcard size prints taken from magazines, old movies and photos. He does not use a projector to create these large-scale works but instead works from a small print and embraces the abstractions that emerge as a result. As an artist with a passion for drawing, this technique allows him to utilize more of that talent.


The intimate evening was closed with more wine and delicious chocolate-espresso-truffle brownies with fresh fruit. Everyone left full of great food and thoughts about Jason's work.
"Love's Labor Lost" will be up at Like the Spice for another week until Sunday, April 3rd, so come and check it out!!



And don't forget, Different Country, the upcoming exhibition of Eric LoPresti's work, opens on Friday, April 8th. There will be an opening reception from 6:30-9:00pm and we'd love to see you there!

Jason Bard Yarmosky: Crowned prom King!

Last Friday, February 25th, Like the Spice hosted our latest edition of the monthly dinner series, "Senior Prom", for Jason Bard Yarmosky's Elder Kinder. Formal invitations were sent, the punch was spiked, balloons were afloat and dance music played softly in the background. The weather was warm and the skies were clear, save for the twinkling of stars. Prom began as any would, with fun photos of our elegant couples in front of a romantic backdrop.


It was a cozy gathering of 18 where the conversation flowed as freely as the punch. Our party goers were dressed to impress as they sat down to a mouth watering 4-course meal catered by the culinary sisters at Gite. Dinner began with a crisp salad of fresh greens and a light balsamic vinaigrette, then a warm refreshing bowl of tomato soup followed by a juicy piece of pork paired with a sophisticated twist on macaroni and cheese (a crowd favorite) and finished off with a delightful homemade Oreo cookie and a cup of sweet brandy milk liquor.



In between courses the King of the Prom, Jason Yarmosky, stood to enlighten our guests on his thoughts and his recent works. Everyone was silent (the chewing even ceased) as the guests were enamoured by Jason's talk about Elder Kinder being about social norms and freedom of expression and the difference in viewing his art from a pessimist's or an optimist's point of view.

More Elder Kinder News!!

We here at Like the Spice simply can't get enough of Jason Bard Yarmosky's show, "Elder Kinder," and it seems that we aren't the only ones! Check out Culture Catch's most recent write up here. And stay tuned for more LTS news, we have a lot coming up including "Senior Prom," the monthly artist dinner for "Elder Kinder" on Friday, February 25th at 8pm. There are still tickets left to this RSVP only event, click here to reserve your spot!

Senior Prom at Like the Spice Gallery

Like the Spice requests the pleasure of your company at the Senior Prom on Friday, February 25th, 2011 at 8pm.
Join us for our Monthly Artist Dinner series with our current solo artist Jason Bard Yarmosky.

Concurrent with "Elder Kinder", Senior Prom will be our most festive dinner yet! Yes the punch will be spiked! Bring a date or come stag, tuxedos are not necessary but will be applauded.

Our dinners always offer you a night that's positively soaked in art, as well as food. As you dine you'll enjoy a discussion with a Jason Bard Yarmosky as he tells you all about his new body of work featuring his eager Brooklyn-born grandparents as endearing characters in a vulnerable world.

Served family style in the gallery itself, our dinner series is designed to let you enjoy a scrumptious meal while having a thoughtful conversation with strangers. Let yourself be inspired together by the beautiful work covering our walls. Just $50 per person covers dinner, drinks and entertainment. Dinner is served at 8:00pm. RSVP BY CLICKING HERE

Hot Plates: Hot Food and Hot Topics with Anthony Michael Rom and Sarah Palmer!

Well folks, we did it again, another wonderful and satisfying artist dinner hosted by Like the Spice and catered by Gite! It was a cozy event for sure as the 13 of us sat around the table enjoying the work and company of Sarah Palmer and Anthony Michael Rom during "Hot Plates," the artist dinner for their current show, "You Make Me Warm". We even had a special guest appearance by Jason Bard Yarmosky who offered up a few words about his upcoming show, "Elder Kinder," opening February 11th. Both Anthony and Sarah really opened up about their work and inspirations; Anthony spoke of his eye on the human experience and how people react when familiar and sentimental things are staged in harsh and unfamiliar environments, and Sarah focused on the idea of her work as visual text or poetry inspired by the writings of her father.


The weather gods smiled upon us yesterday as they threatened snow early on but by supper time the flakes were no where to be seen and we could all relax and enjoy the hot plates that were put before us! Now, if you are not familiar with the fabulous food of Gite catering, please, let me enlighten you. Gite (pronounced jeet), combines the gourmet stylings of three sisters, Chelsea, Sam, and Bettina Sheridan, who pride themselves on creating sophisticated food that never loses the comfort and fresh tastes of home-cooking. As Sarah and Anthony discussed the visual language of their respective works we manged on a delectable four course meal.




















What did we have? So glad you asked! We started out with a warming winter vegetable soup topped with home-made pesto-butter croutons, almost like a Tuscan minestrone but thicker and sweeter. This was then followed by a beautiful tricolor salad of arugula, endive, and radicchio with a sprinkle of Gite's sweet balsamic vinaigrette (side note: this salad dressing is so divine I would be more than content sipping on its garlicky sweetness or even just dipping a crunchy piece of ciabatta in it). With lasagna Napoletana and eggplant au gratin as the main courses both the carnivores and vegetarians alike were very pleased. The scent of the oozing mozzarella di bufala and simmered San Marzano from the eggplant au gratin tomatoes filled the gallery. Wow, I am making myself hungry, ok time time stop talking about the food! Anyway, Gite's contact info is at the top of this blog post just in case you and ten of your friends get hungry!

Monthly Dinner with Chino Amobi feeds eye, mind, and stomach

Last Friday saw the latest installment of our fabulous dinner series, this one featuring the work, words, and neon head-ware of Chino Amobi. We were joined by our best friends and finest supporters as we started off the evening with cocktails and introductions and then sat down to the delectable creations of Gite Catering. These three sisters put on quite a spread, including a lovely pumpkin cheesecake.

Chino spoke of his ambitions and inspirations and answered the questions of his new admirers, some of the coolest collectors, writers, and artists in the city, or anywhere for that matter. Chino explained the disconnected fantasy world in his images as like the social world created by kids and their cell phones as they build an intimacy removed from the reality outside. It's their rouge individuality he depicts in his vibrant works.


Come on by for more Chino on November 5th as he performs music and then some under his pseudonym Diamond Black Hearted Boy. His musical guests will include Follower, Ghetto Caviar, and Devin Kkenny. On top of that, or rather underneath it, there will be a Like the Spice intern show featuring Anthony Michael Rom, Nicole Demby, Roxanne Yamin, and Jesse Ricke. The evening promises a show to alter your perception.

"PREGNANCY PACT," and other stories by Chino Amobi...

"PREGNANCY PACT" is the large brand new name of Chino Amobi's first solo show here at Like the Spice and we are just so excited that we could not wait to tell you about it! The show opens on October 8th from 6:30-10pm and will be open until November 7th. Chino invites us to follow his melody as it resonates through color and shape. His multimedia work puts figure traditions beneath the gloss of our digital age, with the mix of layers and tones becoming what he defines as "hot media", and, ultimately, carrying the viewer along behind his piping tune. We have often been checking in with him as he works away in Virginia and what we have seem and heard thus far leaves us wanting for more. Oh, and don't forget our monthly artist dinners! For those of you who were able to join us for Figure Ates, the dinner for Marked, you know that Chino is one of the most captivating speakers we have had thus far. Not only is he eloquent, but his voice is as smooth as the glossy coating on some his pieces. I'm serious about this folks, not one to be missed...

We Were Doing Figure Ates All Night Long!

Last night's dinner, a little thing called Figure Ates celebrated our current and very very wonderful Marked: A Show of Figure, as well the triumphant homecoming of dear sweet Europe-loving Marisa! Besides being jealous at her stories of Italy and Switzerland, Like the Spice guests had an awesome time eating Spanish food, drinking home-made sangria, and last but not least, listening to the wisdom that a few of our artists parleyed. After all, we'd been doing so much work getting ready for Saturday's Northside Festival (more on that later) that serving a 4 course meal for 25 people didn't seem so hard.

So while we wined and dined, a few of our artists (whose work is current hanging in the show) spoke with inspiring clarity and purpose on subjects ranging from the World Cup to their process and content, and their undeniable connection to the figure. While the subject of the figure connects artists Jenny Morgan, Reuben Negron, and Chino Amobi, their approaches and reasons for employing figurative imagery varies greatly.

Here's Marisa and the back of Jenny Morgan chatting with another local artist. Not including the food, the highlight of our dinners is this chance for our friends and collectors to get to meet the minds behind the art, and in this way, get a better understanding of both where they've been, and where they are headed.

That's Reuben Negron holding down the left side of the image. As you can see with a quick visit to his artist page, Reuben's really grown as an artist over the last year. It's always a pleasure having him stop in to talk about his ideas and inspirations, and we think all our guests agreed.

Here's newcomer Chino Amobi, the most recent artist to join up with Like the Spice. This was Chino's first dinner, so maybe he didn't know what to expect, but he still came ready to talk and he did a great job. We're pretty sure he had a good time too, so maybe we'll be seeing him again?

Speaking of which, maybe it's time to start planning for next time...

Did you miss out? If you did, that's a total shame. But don't worry, we're already getting the wheels in motion for next month's edition of the Monthly Dinner Series. Keep an eye on our events page for more! And remember, Marked runs until August 8th, so stop by and enjoy!

We Didn't Forget! We Didn't Forget!

It's just that we've been so busy lately, what with all the work we've been doing at the Affordable Art Fair (which, incidentally runs until Sunday) that we haven't had time to recap Stone Soup, the wonderful dinner featuring artist Greg Haberny, the man behind our current show, The Homeless Boys Social Club. It was a sold out event, and even though we hated to do it, we were actually turning people away.



Of course, some of that was because we got the nod from Time Out, but mostly everyone was there to see Greg. And we gotta say, Greg makes for a great reason. He's been working so hard on this show, with new pieces turning up every day, but we were still amazed he took the time to created a special flag, brand new for the dinner, just for our guests to enjoy.



In keeping with the style of Greg's work, we broke out the checkered tablecloths and had ourselves a little BBQ. Fette Sau and Fatty Q provided the meat and fixins, and judging from what we saw on our guest's faces, they both got everything just right. All our guests seemed clever and happy and ready to talk. Nothing creates good fun like good food.



As you can see, here's Marisa, introducing the man of the hour. Doesn't Greg look shy in this picture? You wouldn't think he had so much to say, about art, his life, his decisions and technique and... well, everything! If you were there, you understand. If you weren't, you can get a taste of what Greg is like by hitting up our Like the Spice podcast on the iTunes store. This month we've got an interview with Greg about the show, and we think everybody will be interested. Sign up and get them coming right to ya.



If you missed out on this great, great dinner, we're so sorry. One day, when our gallery is the size of a city block, we'll be able to let everybody in. But for now, you just have to remember: get in early for the next one! And speaking of the next one, it's a good time to warn you to get ready for June, because that's when the next installment of our Monthly Dinner Series lands. Also keep in mind that The Homeless Boys Social Club will be open until June 6th, so there's plenty of time to come and enjoy the work of Greg Haberny.

All Of Us Are Better Than One Of Us

And how can we be "all of us" without you? After all, you have that one special ingredient we need to make Stone Soup, which not coincidentally is the name of our very next installment of the Monthly Dinner Series, happening this Friday, April 23rd.



Of course, we'll be featuring Greg Haberny, the artist behind our current (and if we do say so ourselves, fantastic) show The Homeless Boys Social Club. Greg's an artist who's steeped in good stories, and it's easy to get lost in them. We're thinking this is a dinner you don't want to miss... especially since places are already filling up!

The meal itself? What's more traditional than a good ol'fashioned BBQ? We've got Fett Sau on board with an exciting menu, but who knows? Maybe in just a few days we'll have an additional surprise guest chef on the side!

As long-time readers need not be reminded, our previous dinners have been tremendous. Served family-style in the gallery itself, our Monthly Dinners offer a night of great food, great art, and great conversation. But the remaining spaces are highly limited, so we urge you to RSVP now! Because if you're not here on Friday, April 23rd... something's going to be missing!

The Worlds We Ate

Saturday was a wonderful night. White clad tables lined with artists and art lovers alike lay snaking around each work, creating an angular sculptural piece within the layout of our wonderfully large monthly dinner. A fitting stage, as we were all here to grab the rare opportunity to speak and drink and eat with the seven eclectic artists that have come together to create our beloved show The World We Live In The Worlds We Create. Wine and conversation were already flowing as our guests arrived at their seats and the first course rolled out. Our beloved, Marisa Sage opened with a brief explanation about the dynamic of each artist and their piece, about how she first met each of them, and how over a number of years came to envision each work coming together as both a separate and singular entity in the context of the show, which you can see a sneak preview of right here.

Each artist took a moment to discuss their labored loves presented in our show. First came Patrick Jacob, who spoke of creating secret worlds within his “diorama like pieces” that the viewer feels as though they can tumble into. The grass in the piece is in-fact cat hair, little white hairs painted green to perfectly emulate miniature blades of glass. Who would have guessed? Although this famous cat was not his, but his neighbors who is appropriately named Daisy. These miniature worlds of Patrick's that we can access only through a peep hole seen oddly familiar, they lure you in and then “the pull the rug out from under you”.



As the second course was plated and presented before our guests, Justin Stewart stood to tell us about his two pieces. Justin spoke of his interest in the shifting of ideas over space or time. time being such an intrigale part in the building of these detailed pieces. He feels he is a builder at his core, “enjoying playing with legos”. Similar to this is Mathew Northridge, who talked of how each of his pieces is slightly different each time it is constructed, changing and morphing into something different depending on any number of outside factors, including the viewer!



“An artist's responsibility is to create your own empire,” said Langdon Graves. Langdon's sculpture is her rendition of a mask created called “the god complex”, in which the wearer recieves electromagnetic impulses that send messages to the brain, meant to emulate a religious experience. Langdon continued to speak of her interest in the concept of placebo and the ongoing phenomenon that is religion, leaving us all enthralled.

Diana Puntar, however, caught our attention by turning off the lights. Her massive, vibrant sculpture is designed to glow as it hangs imposingly from our roof, but how often have you seen our gallery in the dark? It was the sort of magic moment we're coming to accept at our dinners.



Last to speak was Jessica Stoller, who uses her new techniques in the tiny doll like works now on display. By dipping lace into liquid clay, then burning away the lace during the fireing process, Jessica creates very delicate, very hollow porcelain figures. Largely, Jessica's work deals with issues of idealised femininity, and the subjigation of the female body in religion.



The Worlds We Ate was such a wonderful dinner, and a lot of fun, as seems to be an ongoing theme. Previous dinners have been just as good, so plan now to attend our very next, very special dinner at the Roger Smith hotel. It's on April 10th, so RSVP now! In the meantime, we want to say a big thank you to all our artists and everyone that came last night and we hope to see you all again. Lots of love!