What a week for art, books, and art books! We have shows opening at our favorite galleries, the New York Art Book Fair opening on Thursday, and the very wholesome Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Here’s the best of what’s happening this week.
This week’s Most Likely to Succeed events:
🗓️ Save these dates for a better future 🗓️
Days & Nights presents THE EVENING on Wednesday 5/1: an IRL gathering in Tribeca. We’ll see art, we’ll drink cocktails, we’ll say hello in person and give you the chance to make a dozen new friends. More details coming soon.
New York Art Week, 5/1 - 5/5: Frieze, NADA, and all the new satellite fairs like Esther bring a week of art and related events across the city.
LATELY opens in Oakland on 5/11: For any Bay Area-based readers (where Days & Nights was born), we’re curating an art show at our friends Transmission Gallery featuring new and recent work from Friends of the List Cooper Salmon and Selby Sohn. Opening reception is Saturday, May 11 from 1-4p with an after-party after that.
🆓 = costs $0, 🎨 = art, 🎼 = music, 🎬 = film, 📚= books, 🌳 = nature, 🎭 = performance, 🧠 = extra smart people, 🍸 = drinks available, 🦩 = party/friendly vibe
🔑 Click the venue link under each listing for full event details.
Monday, April 22
John Waters: Devil's Advocate - A 78th Birthday Show
Celebrate filmmaking’s filthiest elder at City Winery. Tickets are sold out but you can still get on the waitlist here. Note: want to see events far into the future so you can snag tickets to events before they sell out? Become a paid subscriber to access the Days & Nights Big List, your complete, always-up-to-date report for the entire future.
City Winery, Chelsea
Mon at 6p (doors), show at 8p 🎭 🍸
A Pioneer of Performance: An Evening with Joan Jonas
Another week in New York, another event for Joan Jonas, who is having a big year. Her show at The Drawing Center in Soho is up through June 2 and her big MoMA retrospective is up now through July 6. Tonight at our beloved National Arts Club, Jonas herself talks about her work with the writer Randy Kennedy. RSVP here and show up early to get a spot.
The National Arts Club, Gramercy Park
Mon from 7-8p 🆓 🎨
Tuesday, April 23
Hanami Nights kick off at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Japanese have great words for more mindfully noticing the natural world. (Anyone who saw Perfect Days will remember komorebi, literally translating to “sunlight leaking through trees.”) This week, the word is hanami, or “flower viewing,” which is the Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers. Think on that for even a minute and you’ll be in tears, hugging your favorite cherry blossom tree in your neighborhood and thanking it for the reminder that impermanence is the inevitable state of all things and what makes life precious, baby.
For three nights this week, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden stays open late to celebrate the cherry blossoms in peak bloom. Throughout the night, catch live performances, a bar selling Japanese beer and sake, and pop-up food menus curated with Japanese market Sunrise Mart.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Crown Heights
Tues from 5-8:30p 🌳🍸 🦩(also Wed and Thurs same time)
BYOBook: A Quiet Reading Party
Need an introverted recharge before New York’s Big Book Week gets social? Grab a cocktail or a coffee and read quietly with a bunch of other sweet sweeties tonight at the Center for Fiction. You can stick around after quiet reading time to talk to people, but nobody will be mad if you leave without saying goodbye (or anything at all).
The Center for Fiction, Fort Greene
Tues from 6-7:15p 📚 🍸
Wednesday, April 24
Christina Sucgang’s Zzyzx opening Canada
Of the galleries we love most, Canada tops the list. In 2000, it opened as an artist-run space which is usually a good sign for the work that’ll go on display. (No shade to art dealers or curators, but you can just feel when a show comes straight from the source of artistic creativity and not, say, a market opportunity.) In the decades since opening, Canada has made splashes with huge shows and big artists, and are now a major player in the art world. But all that success doesn’t seem to get to their head, because every show feels—how do we say this without sounding problematic—pure. Did you see the Joan Snyder show??
Anywho, tonight they open a solo show from Christina Sucgang whose paintings are big, colorful, sweet, and profound.
DOUBLE HEADER: Rachel Eulena Williams’s Dream Speak opens the same time at Canada’s 60 Lispenard St location, right across the street.
Canada Gallery, 61 Lispenard, Tribeca
Wed from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Frank Lebon’s One Blood opening at Entrance
Meanwhile in the Lower East Side, Entrance opens a new show of photographs and a slideshow (one of our FAVORITE mediums) from London-based artist Frank Lebon. The show is all about blood and it’s Lebon’s first show in the US, so the energy should be hopeful and fun.
Entrance, Lower East Side
Wed from 6-9p 🆓 🎨
Searching for Augusta Savage screening and panel discussion at Cooper Union
This new documentary, part of PBS’s new short doc series, American Masters Shorts, is about the acclaimed Harlem Renaissance sculptor, art educator, and Cooper Union alumna, Augusta Savage. Savage is a hero who “opened the first gallery in the U.S. dedicated to exhibiting the work of Black artists and founded two organizations that provided free art education and training to over 2,500 people.” The film's creators and Savage scholars take part in a panel discussion following the screening.
Cooper Union, East Village
Wed from 6:30-8p 🆓 🎬
Artists on Artists Lecture Series: Cheyney Thompson on Robert Irwin
Tonight, Dia Chelsea continues the very excellent Artist on Artists series with painter Cheyney Thompson talking about the late Robert Irwin, a “progenitor of the late 1960s California-based Light and Space movement.” See some of Irwin’s work is on permanent display at Dia Beacon. See Thompson’s work all around, including MoMA’s online archives. This event is free, just RSVP here.
Dia Chelsea, Chelsea
Wed from 6:30-7:30p 🆓 🎨
Moonlight Tour under a full moon
Hello all our witchy readers, tonight is for you. Enjoy the full moon over Green-Wood and explore the monuments and catacombs in this giant cemetery.
Green-Wood Cemetery, Greenwood Heights
Wed from 8:30-10:30p 🌳 🌝
Thursday, April 25
The New York Art Book Fair opening night
No need to pick favorites, but we’ll do it anyway: Art Book Fair weekend is, to us, the most wonderful time of the year. There’s something about the mix of art plus book plus a diverse group of exhibitors that always makes this fair fun, and we’ve met some certifiably banger humans in prior iterations of this event.
☮️ Now is a good time to remind you that if someone appears standoffish to you, 90% of the time it’s just that they’re a little shy. Remember that you’re dealing with book people here. Say hello, smile, ask a generous question, and we think you’ll walk away from this with a few new friends and great book objets for your collection.
Printed Matter, Chelsea
Thurs from 6-9p 🆓 🎨📚🦩 (also Friday 1-7p, Saturday from 11a-7p with a block party from 12-6p, and Sunday from 1-5p)
Tiptoeing Through the Kitchen, Recent Photography opening at Luhring Augustine
Diane Arbus once said, “Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” That’s the inspiration for this new show of photographs, organized by Luhring Augustine’s own Lauren Wittels and Sasha Helinski and featuring new and recent work from William Eric Brown, Sophia Chai, Kevin Landers, Brittany Nelson, Shaun Pierson, Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez, and Sheida Soleimani.
Luhring Augustine, Chelsea
Thurs from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Diedrick Brackens’s blood compass opening at Jack Shainman
If you like woven art, you’ll love Diedrick Brackens. This week, Jack Shainman opens a two-part solo show of Brackens’ work across their Chelsea (opening tonight) and Tribeca (opening tomorrow from 5-7p) locations.
The gallery does a few things masterfully with each show: spotlighting artists’ works that are as culturally and politically serious as they are delightful to look at, and consistently drawing the most fashionable crowd for openings. And we aren’t talking chic expensive beige, we’re talking real looks with color, texture, and shape. We try not to miss openings here because it’s a privilege to rub elbows with Shainman’s milieu.
Jack Shainman, Chelsea
Thurs from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
🍒🍒🍒 CHELSEA BINGO: How to have a perfect Chelsea night tonight
Start at Jack Shainman (20th St between 10th and 11th Aves) at 6pm.
Walk four blocks up to Luhring Augustine (24th St. between 10th/11th Aves).
Walk west and up nearly one block to end at Printed Matter (on 11th Ave just south of 25th) for the Art Book Fair—open til 9p.
Stroll back toward the subways and hit up an Italian miracle for dinner. Do you know that the best restaurant in all of Chelsea is a cheeseball Italian spot called Don Giovanni’s on 10th Ave between 22nd and 23rd that’s open til midnight? It’s not “cool” or “great”, but who needs that when “good enough” is exactly the point? You can always get a table without a reservation. You get a bread basket the minute you sit down. You get serenaded by Dean Martin singing in Italian, and Frank Sinatra doing New York, New York (who is immune to that gorgeous cheese?). And what the cocktails lack in quality is made up in sheer quantity. We spilled half our martini last time we dined here and still felt buzzed after finishing the second half of that goblet.
Rob Davis’ The Golden opening at Broadway Gallery
We love Broadway Gallery, who doesn’t? And we love paintings of “domestic interiors and culturally-charged objects” that make the stuff of everyday into the stuff of nightmares. The great painter Rob Davis is so good at turning scenes of, say, a wall-mounted telephone on faux wood paneling into the stuff of uncanny horror. With this work, it’s like he’s saying, “remember your childhood?” which is way scarier than saying “boo”. We’re projecting, obviously, but that’s how we read Davis’ work. See the show and tell us what you think.
Broadway Gallery, Tribeca
Thurs from 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Friday, April 26
Soojin Choi’s Yellow/ing opening at DIMIN
Catch a new show of work from Soojin Choi at Friend of the List Rob Dimin’s namesake gallery. Choi’s sculptures are unlike anything we’ve seen, and we’re excited to take a peek IRL. At the same time, catch a show of paintings from the great Michael Berryhill at DIMIN’s brand new Living Room space (aka, the front of the gallery). We anticipate a fun crowd for this one. We’ll be here; come say hi!
DIMIN, Tribeca
Fri from 6-8p 🆓 🎨 🦩
Other openings, briefly noted:
Hank Ehrenfried’s Nine and a Half show of paintings opens at Auxier Kline (Two Bridges), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Joanne Robertson’s Field paintings opening reception at Company Gallery (Nolita), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Saturday, April 27
Independent Bookstore Day
Across the city, independent bookstores are going to do cute things to participate in this annual ode to bookselling. Look up your favorite spot and see what’s up. Greenlight Books, for example, is planning 12 hours of book signings with great authors like Isle McElroy, Adelle Waldman, and many more.
Various locations
Various times, 🆓 📚
Weekends in Bloom kick off at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
More chances to practice hanami, weekends now through May 12.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Crown Heights
Various times through May 12 🌳
Curator’s Tour of ICP at 50: From the Collection, 1845–2019
For a show this big, you could use a guide. RSVP here for the tour, which is free but you need to pay for museum admission. Get a bonus introduction to David Seidner: Fragments, 1977-99 during the last 10 minutes of the tour.
The International Center of Photography, Lower East Side
Sat from 1-2p 🆓 🎨
Ursula Issue 10 Launch for Printed Matter's New York Art Book Fair
Ursula is Hauser & Wirth’s great art magazine. Coinciding with the Art Book Fair, Hauser & Wirth’s 18th Street location is hosting a launch party for Issue 10, which features bold new work on the cover from the artist Pierre Huyghe (who is apparently freaking everyone out with his new show in Venice right now). There will be readings and performances, and the glorious Roth Bar will serve drinks.
The event is free, but RSVP here to ensure you can get in.
Hauser & Wirth on 18th St, Chelsea
Sat from 4-6p 🆓 🎨 📚 🍸
🎨 Last call for these art shows closing today
Edith Deyerling’s Give Back The Darkness at Gems (Chinatown), viewable 24/7 from the outside and between 12-6p from the inside 🆓 🎨
Si Lewen curated by Art Spiegelman at James Cohan Gallery (Tribeca), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Oliver Beer’s Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra at Almine Rech (Tribeca), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨 (🚨🚨 this one is so fun to look at and listen to; you must see it IRL)
Paul Lee’s New Sculptures at Karma Gallery (East Village), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Calvin Marcus’ Give Up the Ghost at Karma Gallery at 22 East 2nd Street (East Village), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Luigi Zuccheri’s show at Karma Gallery at 188 East 2nd Street (East Village), 10a-6p 🆓 🎨
Sunday, April 28
Hauser & Wirth, MACK, and SPBH Editions present ENCOUNTERS
One last day of events to coincide with the final day of the New York Art Book Fair. Publishers Hauser & Wirth, MACK, and SPBH Editions are hosting an afternoon of readings, performance, and film with writers and artists including Teju Cole (the great writer/photographer), Vince Aletti, Catherine Taylor, and more. The Roth Bar will once again be open.
Hauser & Wirth on 18th St, Chelsea
Sun from 12-5p 🆓 🎨 📚 🎭 🍸
Last day to see Donna Dennis: Houses and Hotels at O’Flaherty’s
Everybody loves this show from pioneering installation artist, Donna Dennis. You have one last day to see it.
O’Flaherty’s, East Village
Sun from 2-7p 🆓 🎨
Meet the BIG LIST
See what’s happening far into the future with the Days & Nights BIG LIST, available to our extra beloved paying subscribers. We update the list multiple times per week as new events are announced and intel is uncovered so you’re always a few steps ahead.
THAT’S ALL, FOLKS
Have tips? Feedback? Requests? Want to say hi? Just reply to this email or drop us a line at daysnightslist@gmail.com. Catch you next week.