fresh art blog

This blog has moved

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:54:00 +0000

This blog is now located at http://freshartnyc.blogspot.com/.
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Thanks to our terrific volunteers!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:41:00 +0000

It's Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we wanted to take a moment to honor and thank our many volunteers for their time and talents. This photo was taken during our most recent sock monkey sewing circle, and not all volunteers were present.

To our volunteers, thanks for all you do!

Adopt a sock monkey event at Pink Olive!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:22:00 +0000

On Saturday, April 24, our friends at the Pink Olive Boutique are hosting a very special event to benefit fresh art. Drop by the Park Slope store between 12 and 4 p.m., adopt a fresh art sock monkey, and receive a complimentary photo shoot from Classic Kids Photography! You'll also enjoy sweets and beverages. Pink Olive is located at 157 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Hope to see you there!

You can help fresh art win a $5,000 grant from Pepsi!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:13:00 +0000

The Pepsi Refresh Project is offering grants for great ideas, and fresh art is in the running. If we win, we'll be able to teach three sock monkey workshops to artists with special needs in New York City. We need your votes! Here's what you can do:

Check out our project athttp://www.refresheverything.com/freshartsockmonkeys.
Create an account so you can vote. (It only takes 2 minutes to join.)
VOTE! You can vote once a day during the month of April.
Tell your friends to vote using facebook and twitter.
Remember to vote daily until April 30, and please spread the word.

As always, thank you for your support!

And the winner is...

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:45:00 +0000

JENNIE!

Congratulations! Jennie is the winner of fresh art's first ever spring fling sock monkey giveaway*! To everyone who participated in our contest, thank you so much for all of your lovely comments. It makes us happy to know that fresh art's sock monkeys spread so much joy.

And don't worry if you didn't win--you can still get your very own sock monkey at one of these locations:

fresh art's website
Pink Olive Boutique in NYC's East Village or in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Green in BKLYN in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Anthropologie online

We'll also be selling sock monkeys at the Fine Art & Designer Crafts Fair on Bleecker Street on Sunday, May 23. The fair is on Bleecker Street between Bank and Christopher Streets, and it is an annual fundraiser for the Greenwich Village Youth Council.

Happy spring!

*The winner was chosen using random.org.

Sock monkey giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:40:00 +0000

To help ring in Spring after this long, snowy winter, fresh art is giving away this delightful sock monkey to one lucky reader! That's right... you could win this adorable guy. Hand-sewn by fresh art volunteer Randy, this monkey is sporting a colorful hand-knit scarf and hat combo, which he hopefully won't be needing much longer now that spring is almost here!

For a chance to adopt this monkey, just leave us a comment below. Please include your email address* in your comment. We promise we won't use your contact info for any purpose other than this contest!

The contest closes at midnight on Sunday, March 21 (the first day of spring!) The winner will be chosen using random.org. Look for a post announcing the lucky sock monkey recipient on Monday, March 22.

Thanks and good luck!

Love,
Your friends at fresh art

*hint: Spell out your email address using words so it's less likely to be appropriated by a spammer. For example, our email address would be "info at freshartnyc dot org."

volunteer spotlight

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Every so often, fresh art likes to feature one of our many generous volunteers. This month, we would like you to meet Roberta Ehrenberg.

What is your name? Roberta "Bart" Ehrenberg
Where do you live? Just south of West Palm Beach
What is your profession? I’m retired. Nursing was my first career, being a mom was my second, and then I became a professional photographer. I did a lot of children's photography.
How long have you been a fresh art volunteer? About a year.
What type of volunteer work do you do for fresh art? I make sock monkeys. A friend and I were visiting New York and we came to a Monday night sewing circle to learn how to make them. Then I orchestrated a sock monkey-making party with women I met going to the pool in the retirement community where I live. Around Chirstmas time, I sold a lot of the sock monkeys we had made to my neighbors so they could give them as gifts to their grandchildren. Now I make sock monkeys by myself, especially during the football season when my husband is watching TV!
What is your favorite thing about making sock monkeys for fresh art? I really love going out and hunting for bright-colored socks at the dollar store. It's also a fun way to meet people. I was on a cruise recently and I was sitting by the pool, making a sock monkey. A woman came up to me to ask what I was doing. It attracts a lot of attention.
Do you have any other hobbies? I make jewelry. I use very brightly colored opaque glass to make beads, and then I string them into bracelets and necklaces.

Thanks for the great work you do, Roberta!

happy new year!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:57:00 +0000

2010 is off to a great start! Over the holidays, fresh art received an anonymous donation of $235. We wondered who the good fairy was who so generously gave to the organization. As it turns out, the donation came to us courtesy of 24 fairies... the 8-year-olds from Sara Greenfield's third grade class at PS 321 in Brooklyn. (Sara has been volunteering with fresh art since 2007.)

Sara and all of us at fresh art are very touched by this generous and thoughtful gift by the students and their parents. This contribution will be so helpful to fresh art during these difficult funding times.

Thank you so much to fresh art's many supporters who responded so generously to our year end appeal. We wish you all the best in 2010!

sock monkeys on anthropologie.com!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:50:00 +0000

We have some exciting news to share: fresh art's famous sock monkeys are available on anthropologie.com this holiday season.

For $30, you can order a "surprise sock monkey" for yourself or as a gift for a friend. The folks at Anthropologie will select a monkey just for you, and the proceeds will benefit fresh art. Supplies are limited, so act quickly to participate in the Anthropologie sock monkey grab bag!

volunteer spotlight

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Every so often, we like to highlight some of our organzation's wonderful volunteers. This month, we're happy to introduce you to Elizabeth Walker.

What is your name? Elizabeth Walker
Where do you live? Lititz, Pennsylvania in a cottage in a retirement home.
What is your profession? I’m retired, though previously I was a dental hygenist, I owned a bed and breakfast, and I owned a men’s tie business where I sold handmade wool ties.
How long have you been a fresh art volunteer? About a year or two.
What type of volunteer work do you do for fresh art? I began by knitting and crocheting hats and scarves for the sock monkeys for about a year, and then Executive Director Suzanne Kreps (who is also my cousin) asked me to work on some monkeys that were not finished. We call it “the monkey hospital.” Now I’ve made at least 50 sock monkeys from scratch.
What is your favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art? I really enjoy doing it. I’m kind-of homebound and I gave up my car and I’m a little stuck here, so I can really say that monkeys are doing me more good than I’m doing the monkeys. The very day I learned I had a health problem, Suzanne [Kreps] called to say "I’m sending you monkeys." It was very providential that I got involved in it. I just have a lot of fun, and they make me laugh. And anyone who comes in here and sees the monkeys laughs, too.
Do you have any other hobbies? I garden and I really love to cook. I do a lot of creative cooking. I’m a designer. I did interiors for a while. I also like to read a lot, and I’m very involved with my library here.

sock monkeys at the atlantic antic!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:15:00 +0000

On Sunday, Octber 4, fresh art sold sock monkeys and sock monkey holiday cards at the 35th annual Atlantic Antic street festival in Brooklyn. To buy your own monkey or a box of 20 unique holiday cards, check out fresh art's virtual gift shop. And keep an eye out for our holiday cards in Barnes and Noble stores this fall!

CommUnity Exhibition at the Gallery at HAI

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:03:00 +0000

On Thursday, September 17, fresh art hosted an opening reception for "CommUnity" at The Gallery at HAI, located at 548 Broadway on the third floor. Many of the artists were there to enjoy the festivities, and we're posting a few photos of some the artists with their works. The exhibition runs through October 16, so if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, we encourage you to stop by to check it out! You can also view the exhibition online in the fresh art Artist's Gallery.

fresh art's annual special event is a huge success!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:21:00 +0000

On Tuesday, June 16, fresh art hosted our annual special event and fundraiser at the Bowery Wine Company in Manhattan. Guests participated in a silent auction and went home with very good goodie bags! Special thanks to the Bowery Wine Company for donating the fantastic space, and to all of our sponsors. Thank you so much to all of fresh art's friends and supporters for attending. We had a great time and hope to see you again next year! Check out our photo gallery for some fantastic pics from the event.

CommUnity opening night June 24

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:42:00 +0000

Don't miss the opening night of "CommUnity," an event featuring art by fresh art artists and shopping at Kenneth Cole New York. 20% of the evening's proceeds will benefit fresh art.

When: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Time: 6 -8 pm
Location: Kenneth Cole New York store (95 Fifth Ave @ 17th Street)
Cost: FREE!

Hope to see you there!

craft fair on bleecker street sunday, june 14!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:31:00 +0000

fresh art will have a booth at the Fine Art and Designer Craft Fair in the West Village this Sunday, June 14. We'll be on the southwest corner of Bleecker and West 11th Streets from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Please stop by to say hi and buy an adorable sock monkey!

senior collage workshop

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:45:00 +0000

On Tuesday, May 26, fresh art and St. Margaret’s House held an artist talk and one-day collage workshop for seniors led by NYFA artist Jayne Holsinger.

Here are three of the fantastic collages the seniors created:

collage by Sister Promise, SSM

collage by Sung Chen Lee

collage by Olga Lentz

fresh art and St. Margaret’s House presents...

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:16:00 +0000

WE ASK TO BE SEEN
An Artist Talk and One-Day Senior Citizen Collage Workshop

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 from 2-4 p.m.
St. Margaret’s House, 49 Fulton St. at Pearl St., 1st floor Wing

NYFA artist Jayne Holsinger will give a 15-minute artist talk and slide show on her painting series, "A Visual Offering." Seniors will then make collages based on their own stories. The theme is identity, and the goal is to let others see a visual piece of yourself.

Attendees are asked to please bring at least five (5) magazines to the workshop to use for their collage. The magazines should include images that relate to the attendee's life and interests.

Enrollment is limited to 20 students, so please sign up early. To register, call (212) 255-5847 and leave a message giving your full name and phone number. Registration closes on May 19.

This presentation is co-sponsored by Artists & Audiences Exchange, a public program of NYFA.

Jayne Holsinger is a 2008 Artists’ Fellowship recipient
of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

volunteer spotlight

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:02:00 +0000

April is Volunteer Awareness Month, and Monday, April 20 is National Volunteer Day. In honor of these occasions, fresh art would like to say thank you to all our volunteers. Read on to find out more about two of fresh art's longtime contributors.

Happy volunteer awareness month, everyone!

name: Saumya Rachakonda
lives in: Manhattan
originally from: New Jersey
profession: NYU student majoring in psychology and pre-med
fresh art volunteer since: January, 2006
volunteer activities: Sews sock monkeys at fresh art's biweekly sewing circle, volunteers to help run sock monkey workshops with artists, helps sell sock monkeys at various street and craft fairs.
favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art: I enjoy helping at the workshops because I like watching the artists begin a sock monkey and realize that they enjoy it more than they thought they would.
other volunteer work: Right now I'm doing an independent study for school credit at the NYU Child Study Center.
hobbies: I like to play tennis.
one interesting thing about you that few people know: Very few of my friends know that I make sock monkeys!

name: Molly Gahagan
lives in: Astoria, Queens
originally from: Ohio
profession: Fashion designer
fresh art volunteer since: August, 2001
volunteer activities: Currently the volunteer coordinator for fresh art's biweekly sock monkey sewing circle, volunteers to help run sock monkey workshops with artists, helps sell sock monkeys at various street and craft fairs.
favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art: The people I volunteer with. I enjoy helping other people while having fun and expressing my creativity.
hobbies: Sewing, crafting, and reading.
favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate chip cookie dough.
one interesting thing about you that few people know: I met my husband at a talent show after he balanced a mountain bike on his chin and won first prize.

st. margaret's house exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:48:00 +0000

On Thursday, February 19, St. Margaret's House hosted an opening reception for an exhibition of artworks created in fresh art's fine arts workshops at the residence. St. Margaret's House is a senior residence located at 49 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan. Many friends of the artists and of fresh art came to admire their paintings and works on paper. The exhibition is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so please feel free to stop by! Below, some of the artists proudly pose with their art works.

Artist Marjorie Grimm

Artist Joan Quilter

Artist Beatrice Exelberth

Workshop teachers Beverly Bergman and Jayne Holsinger with two of their students

brooklyn lyceum craft market!

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Come check out our sock monkey booth at the Brooklyn Lyceum Craft Market this weekend, Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15. fresh art will be there selling adorable sock monkeys along with more than 20 other vendors selling crafts especially made for kids. Word on the street is that there will also be a toy swap, face painting, food, music, and drinks! Bring the whole family. Hope to see you there!

where: Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 4th Ave, Park Slope
how: R train to Union St.
when: Sat. 3/14 + Sun 3/15
time: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

objects of affection exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:49:00 +0000

On Thursday, November 13, fresh art hosted an opening reception for our annual exhibition, entitled Objects of Affection, at the Gallery at HAI at 548 Broadway. The exhibition runs through Saturday, December 13, so if you haven't had a chance to view it, please feel free to stop by! Below, some of the artists pose with their work.

Vincent Salas, "Break on Through"	Dennis Silverman, "Unhealthy Affection"
Ruben Lopez, "Memories/Cherish"	Hassan Mack, "The Transformer"
Lisa Hall, "Sunflower" (top) "Flowers and Butterflies in a Bowl" (bottom)	Kenneth Williams, "Man in a Cowboy Hat"
Tiara Steward, "Cotton Club"

PS 321 craft fair on december 6

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:21:00 +0000

On Saturday December 6, fresh art will have a booth at the PS 321 holiday craft fair in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We will be selling lots of handmade sock monkeys, as well as boxes of our sock monkey holiday cards (see above). They're just $15 for a box of 20 cards! The craft fair will run from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. If you can't make it out to Brooklyn on December 6, sock monkeys and holiday cards are available at fresh art's online gift shop.

Happy Holidays!

sock monkeys at Ozone Design sample sale

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:14:00 +0000

From December 9-13, fresh art's sock monkeys will be featured at Ozone Design's sample sale. Ozone Design regularly donates fabulous, colorful socks to fresh art for us to use to make sock monkeys. All proceeds from the sale of our sock monkeys goes to support fresh art's programs. If you're in the neighborhood, please visit Ozone Design and check out their fantastic socks!

objects of affection exhibit opens november 13

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Please join us on Thursday, November 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. for the opening reception of Objects of Affection, a group exhibition of paintings, photographs, sculpture, and works on paper by artists from:

Baltic Street Studio
Bellevue Hospital Chemical Dependency Out Patient Clinic
Bowery Residents Committee
Henry Street Settlement
Hospital Audiences, Inc.
Metropolitan Hospital
Sequoia Community Initiatives Womens' Shelter
St. Francis Residences I, II, & III
St. Margaret's House
The Point

The exhibition is curated by Robert Cottingham and will be held at The Gallery at HAI in New York City at 548 Broadway (between Prince and Spring Streets) on the third floor.

If you can't make it to the opening, please feel free to stop by to view the artwork on display Mondays through Saturdays between noon and 6 p.m. from November 13 through December 13.

This exhibition is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Exhibition space courtesy of Hospital Audiences, Inc. Exhibition installation courtesy of I-Level.

Art credit: Ronni Geld detail of "Favorite Model" 2008 digital print 17x11 in.
Photo credit: Stephanie Houde

sock monkey workshop at etsy labs

noreply@blogger.com (fresh art) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:27:00 +0000

On Saturday, October 25, fresh art co-hosted a sock monkey-making workshop at etsy labs in Brooklyn, in conjunction with etsy's {NewNew} York Street Team. There were 16 workshop participants and 5 volunteers from fresh art in attendance. We made lots of really cool sock monkeys, which will be sold to support fresh art's programs.

Thanks to Kimm from the {NewNew} York Street Team (that's her with her red super-monkey!) and to julieincharge at etsy, who took some fantastic photos! Check them out on flickr.