15th Annual Arts On Foot at Penn Quarter TODAY - Saturday, 15 September 2007

Marking its 15th anniversary, Arts on Foot is a one-day, multimedia Festival that kicks off the fall arts season in Downtown DC’s Penn Quarter. Incorporating visual art, music, theatre, dance, film, and creative cuisine, it’s an interactive celebration the whole family will enjoy. With a lively outdoor street festival as its centerpiece, Arts on Foot also invites you to explore the neighborhood’s museums, theaters, galleries, cultural organizations, and shops. From traditional classics to cutting edge, Arts on Foot offers something for the arts and food lover in everyone!

Located on F between 7th and 9th Streets and on 8th between D and F Streets, in NW, the Outdoor Street Festival features 7th and 8th Street Cultural Corridors, a Music Stage at 8th and F Street in front of the Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, an Art Market of more than 70 artists, the World Market Wine Tent, an array of Restaurant Sampling Pavilions and Cooking as Art Chef Demonstrations.

From Pennsylvania Avenue to L Street, NW, and 4th and 14th Streets, NW, more than 45 neighborhood venues, performing companies, and neighborhood businesses and organizations who, participating in the Neighborhood Showcase will host free activities and exhibits.

Click the above photo to my view my 2006 Arts On Foot photoset. See also my 16 September 2006 and 22 September 2006 blog postings.

Effi Barry Remembered

Mourners gathered at the John A. Wilson Building on Thursday afternoon until midnight and from 7 am until 9 am on Friday morning to pay respects to former District of Columbia first lady Effi Barry. Who, at age 63, died of leukemia on Thursday, 06 September 2007.

A funeral procession then escorted the body of Effi Barry through the streets of the Nation's Capital to the Washington National Cathedral in NW Washington DC for a Friday, 14 September 2007 funeral service scheduled to have begun at 11 am.

Images taken during Thursday's and Friday's repose service at the John A. Wilson Building may also be found in my Effi Barry Memorial (Repose) - JAWB - WDC - 13 - 14 September 2007 photo collection.

Video clip #1 and video clip #2, shot during Friday's repose, have also been included in my Effi Barry Memorial . Repose . John A. Wilson Building . WDC . Friday, 14 September 2007 compilation which features Paul Van Dyk's "Time Of Our Lives" as background music.

Gay Life & Home Show / Washington Convention Center . Saturday, 15 September 2007 . 11am - 6pm

Friday's Photo of the Week . 14 September 2007

Windows . Greenwich Village . NYC . 04 September 2007

2007 Fridays' Photos of the Week

Calvin Klein "Steel" Underwear / Fall 2007 Ad Campaign

Celebrating 25 years, Calvin Klein Underwear launched its Fall 2007 ad campaign with yet another ground-breaking international product, Calvin Klein Steel, in September 2007.

Shot in late March or early April, the Calvin Klein 'Steel" Underwear Fall 2007 campaign features images of Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou.

As a fan of Calvin Klein and in particular of his powerful ad campaigns, in 1995, I actually created and submitted plans for "Not The Shoes" ad campaign to CK. It, of course, was rejected.

While I observed and photographed many billboard displays during my September 2007 trip to NYC those of Calvin Klein's Steel Underwear rank amongst my favorite.

The above photo was shot on 8th Avenue in Chelsea on Friday afternoon, 31 August 2007.

Sparkle Hayter's "Bring Back The Bards" Hotel Chelsea Protest Campaign

Long time Chelsea Hotel resident and mystery writer Sparkle Hayter has started a protest campaign to Bring Back The Bards.

Inspired by the banner on the building and by Cinci Natalie's brilliant Bard button, Sparkle Hayter in collaboration with Ed Hamilton of Living With Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog invite folks from around the world to contribute images to the flickr photo group "Bring Back The Bards".

For nearly 50 years, Stanley Bard and his family owned and operated the Chelsea Hotel until 24 July 2007.

Taken during my September 2007 visit to NYC, click the above photo to view my ongoing Hotel Chelsea photoset.

Designed by Casebeer of the Myers family I would love to purchase several Bring Back The Bards tee-shirts. Though musician Joe Myers has added the Troubled Notes from the Hotel Chelsea to his webiste I have not yet been able to find how to purchase the "Bring Back The Bards" tee-shirt designed by his wife, Casebeer.

Next Magazine & The Men Event Join Forces.

Next Magazine, New York's most read guide to gay life in the city and TheMenEvent.com, the city's largest Gay business and social networking company, proudly announce that they have joined forces. Beginning Tuesday, September 18, NextWorks will be co-hosted by Next and TheMenEvent.

NextWorks was developed as a means for influential gay business professionals to get together, network and make that all important business or social connection. In the past three years, NextWorks has seen its attendance skyrocket. All attendees enjoy an evening dedicated to expanding their business rolodexes, making new friends or simply to husband- hunt!

So whether you are seeking a new job, promoting your business, meeting new friends or looking for a man to flirt with, Next and TheMenEvent.com are here to serve you!

To RSVP for the 18 September 2007 NEXT-WORKS Launch Party at Splash visit TheMenEvent.com.

Artist David Combs painting in front of the Chelsea Hotel

Arriving at Port Authority in New York City shortly before 2:45 PM via the Peter Pan Bus Lines on Friday afternoon, 31 August 2007 Richard and I would taxi down 9th Avenue to Chelsea and check in at the Chelsea Savoy Hotel on West 23rd before picking up keys from Lothar on West 20th.

En route to Lothar's we observed an artist adorned in a black leather cowboy hat painting on West 23rd Street in front of the Hotel Chelsea which is just doors west of the Chelsea Savoy. Saying that I was in town from WDC and that one of my ongoing themes was street artists I inquired if I could photograph him.

When during our photo-interview that I learned that David Combs resides at the Hotel Chelsea I informed him that Ed Hamilton of the Living With Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog and I are fellow blogists. And that when I got back to DC I would send links to Ed of the images that I took of him.

In addition to David's website and myspace blog when searching the internet I found the following pertaining to artist David Combs.

1. MySpaceTV: Chelsea Hotel Lobby #5: Day One by David Combs
2. What is the Hotel Chelsea?
3. The Connected Traveler - The Chelsea Hotel: Topsy Turvy in New York
4. Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog: The Guy Who Paints In The Lobby
5. Gothamist: Finding Things To Blog About
6. Guide for the Careering: October 2005

Click the above photo to view my 31 August 2007 David Combs photoset.

Tiles For America Memorial - Mulry Square / Greenwich Village - NYC

It was during my March 2004 visit to NYC for the M20-04 Anti-War Protest and 2004 Saint-At-Large Black Party that I first came across the Tiles For America Project. Though for a subsequent September 2004 Writings On The Wall - 11 Setember 2001 - 3rd anniversary commemoration it referred to as a September 11 Victims Memorial Wall I learned during this past NYC - Saturday, 08 September 2007 photo walk through Chelsea and The Village that the Greenwich Village NYC Memorial is part of a national project coordinated through the Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association.

In commemoration of the 5th anniversary of 9/11, TILES FOR AMERICA held a 2006 National Contest. Comprised of over 4000 tiles collected from all over the USA and several from Europe and Asia, a temporary memorial has now been erected on the Ground Zero site which will remain for approximately three years, leaving ample space on the Greenwich Village fence for new tiles. Here are pictures of some of the tiles from the NYC Memorial.

The Paint Your Own Pottery Studios from around the world responded to the invitation to participate in a Nation-wide effort to refurbish the memorial.

Here is a posting from blogist Lorrie Veasey pertaining to last year's refurbishing of the memorial at Mulry Square with a link to a website that features some of the tiles from studios that participated in the refurbishment.

Click the above photo to view my 08 September 2007 Tiles For America New York City Memorial photoset.