Gay Events:

Defying Devastation: Bushwick in the 80’s

When:
June 1, 2012 – June 25, 2012
Where:
Brooklyn, New York

Exhibit Name: Defying Devastation: Bushwick in the 80’s

Artists: Vanessa Martir (writer) & Meryl Meisler (photographer), Patricia O'Brien (graphics)

Location: The Living Gallery, 1087 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237 
(L train to Morgan Avenue)

Dates of exhibit: June 1-25, 2012
Opening Reception: June 1, 7pm - 11pm

Bushwick Open Studios Hours:
June 2 & June 3: 12 - 7pm

June 4 - 25:  Mon, Wed., Fri., 11 - 4pm
Weekends, 1 - 7pm, and by appointment TheLivingGallery@gmail.com

DEFYING DEVASTATION: BUSHWICK IN THE 80s

Brooklyn, New York – Vanessa Mártir’s wrenching stories give voice to Meryl Meisler’s iconic images of Bushwick In The 80s at The Living Gallery.

The exhibit Defying Devastation: Bushwick in the 80s is a story of resilience. The neighborhood epitomized urban decay, but it was the beauty of those who loved and thrived in the destruction that art teacher Meryl Meisler sought to capture when she began to take picturs while walking to and from the subway and school. Thirty years later, Vanessa Mártir, now a writer, came upon an image of herself at seven years old in one of Meryl’s exhibits. Thus began a sequence of what can only be seen as divinely-inspired events that culminated in this collaboration.

Vanessa Mártir ( http://vanessamartir.wordpress.com ) is a writer of fiction and personal narrative. Vaness Mártir was raised in a gay relationship in the 70's & 80s, before Heather has Two Mommies hit the mainstream in the 90s. In her upcoming memoir, A Dim Capacity for Wings, Vanessa delves into how having two mothers shaped her. A seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator, Vanessa’s first novel, Woman’s Cry, was published in 2007. Vanessa most recently co-wrote, Do Something!: A Handbook for Young Activists, an interactive workbook that gives young people all the tools they need to change the world.

Meryl Meisler ( http://www.merylmeisler.com )  has received fellowships/grants from New York Foundation for the Arts, Time Warner, Artists Space, CETA, China Institute and Japan Society. She's exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, New Museum, Dia Center NYC, MASS MoCA, NY Hall of Science, the Whitney, Grand Central Terminal and throughout the NYC subway system. View Meryl's TV interview with Gabe Pressman on NBC http://bit.ly/KdCQ34 and on Brooklyn Independent TV http://tinyurl.com/7gumum7

Patricia J. O’Brien is a multimedia designer and information architect whose work has appeared on major news, financial and entertainment websites, network and cable affiliate stations including ABC, CBS, NBC, Disney and Reuters. She has exhibited at the NY Hall of Science and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and received an Artists Space Grant.

Special Events-
Wanda Gaia, Performances Curator
June 2nd2-4 pm
Live salsa music with a performance by the PS123 Ballroom Dancers
followed by Latin, African and Hip hop dance by El Puente.

June 3rd
2-4pm
Live Tanzanian music and dance by Erick O'Nkosi and the Rhythm Wizards
followed by Latin, African and Hip hop dance by El Puente.
5pm
Readings by Vanessa Mártir and Gallery Talk by Meryl Meisler