By Elizabeth Safran, Edited by Jim Luce
The Facebook invite from Jenny M. to attend the Quarterly Arts Soiree’s Monday Night Salon (QAS) caught my attention for three reasons.
First, it was from a person I barely knew, so I was surprised to get it.
Second, the whole idea of an art "salon" was appealing – visions of Dorothy Parker holding court and clinking wine glasses during the heyday of the Algonquin Roundtable permeated my brain.
Third, I had nothing better to do that night and was highly motivated to fill my schedule with things that required me to leave my apartment in order to avoid falling into the accidental exile I found myself in the previous winter.
Webster Hall, once The Ritz, has been a cultural icon of New York City since 1886.
I run a P.R. consultancy out of my home, Looking Glass, and my clients are not local. Last winter, my first back in New York after 20 years in California (with a short stint in my beloved Hawaii), I learned I could go up to five days without leaving my new Washington Heights outpost – perhaps even more depending on how well stocked I was with food and cigarettes.
Despite my native New Yorker status, the short days, long nights, gray skies, and freezing cold weather (at least to this wimp), did me in.
Apparently, there is no mental or muscle memory that kicks in when it comes to adjusting to freezing cold weather, so Jenny’s invite – as random as it was – became part of my tactical plan to avoid antidepressants.
I do recall raising an eyebrow at the Webster Hall address. I grew up in the neighborhood and passed the place a zillion times, but I couldn’t recall the last time I had been inside.
It didn’t really gel with my "20 or so hipster types gathered around a table drinking, cracking clever jokes and trading stories" vision of a salon, but, what the hell.
Plus, I was also curious to see what was going on with Jenny M., a gal I struck up a conversation with outside Yaffa Café on a particularly bad day for each of us.
They say misery loves company and in our case it turned out to be the case. We shared lunch and the nature of our respective woes, which, once they passed, left us with nothing to talk about, so we stopped talking.
But there was by no ill will, and I was more than happy see her and check out her salon. I figured worst-case scenario, I’d leave after 10 minutes. This is New York, after all.
Had I any expectations, they would have been wildly exceeded. I figured at worst, there would be a bunch of artist-types engaging in annoyingly pretentious mental masturbation.
It was, of all things, a planning meeting. A planning meeting for one king hell of a party - a 24-hour art-fest – a.k.a. the Quarterly Art Soiree (QAS).
The event would co-hosted by Jenny, who I had forgotten manages an art gallery, and QAS founder Gerard McNamee, an entrepreneur and nightclub doyen.
QAS founder Gerard McNamee, an entrepreneur and nightclub doyen.
The Bronx-born, Fordham University grad, owned three highly successful clubs - New York - Montauk, Hunter Mountain, and most recently, City Island, New York, and all named Sixmilecross, named after the town in Northern Ireland his father is from.
As Webster Hall’s General Manager, Gerard has spent the past 12 years making sure every aspect of what occurs inside Webster Hall’s seven room, four stage, 7 bar, 40,000 square foot walls is safe, legal, profitable – and fun.
For some time, Gerard has been mulling over ways to expand Webster Hall’s core function from nightclub to a more diverse, encompassing cultural hotspot.
He ran into Jenny, who lives across the street for the club at a community board meeting, and the two started talking. Jenny, an art gallery manager with her own desires to cut through some of the posturing and airs that dictate the gallery scene, offered a line of sight to move Webster Hall in his intended direction.
When is a gallery not a gallery? When it is a Be-In at Webster Hall’s
upcoming Quarterly Arts Soiree’s Monday Night Salon (QAS).
Together, they come up with the idea of hosting quarterly art "be-ins," (my term, not theirs,) that incorporated the spirit of what they were individually and collectively trying to accomplish.
Students from the School of Visual Arts in New York City are participating.
Gerard pitched it to the owners of Webster Hall, Lonnie and Steve Ballanger, who were completely on board and would be willing to donate the space and resources.
It’s worth mentioning that Webster Hall, which, in its former incarnation as the Ritz was where I have seen some of the best shows of my life, is no stranger to fame.
Over the years, its main stage has hosted the likes of Green Day, Mick Jagger, and Prince, Iggy Pop, Guns and Roses, and Eric Clapton. During Prohibition, infamous mobster Al Capone owned the joint.
The place has ambiance, and while it might not have been the case for me, several people told me that they wouldn’t have come if it had been held at some random bar. In fact, Gerard kicks off each salon with a tour.
The next step was our vision. We drafted the QAS Mission Statement:
Founded to exhibit, expose and promote the best talent in painting, music, film, fashion, theater, graphic design and performance, installation and video art while celebrating the rich cultural history of the Webster Hall venue and of New York City’s dynamic East Village.
The QAS seeks to showcase art, fashion and music in a vibrant and unassuming manner so that the art form is not held to the traditional pedestals of the "white-cube" gallery, sleek runway, classic stage and the like.
Rather, the prospective spectator may witness the creations as an organic part of a communal environment – where not one thing is set apart from another – and where art may fuse with everyday life."
"Over the course of my 20-year career as a nightclub and entertainment entrepreneur, the idea of using multiple genres of art and presenting them in a highly interactive, accessible fashion has percolated in my mind – particularly during my tenure at Webster Hall, where New York’s intense cultural, social, and political history permeates every corner," said Gerard.
"Taking the time to create a festive environment, especially in tough economic times is critical," adds Jennifer M., co-curator of the QAS.
"That, combined with how the event is curated adds a whole new level to how a person processes art. In the early 1970’s, Andy Warhol’s Velvet Underground shows were designed to provide a ‘complete assault on the senses.’
The QAS put a new spin on that premise, but with a completely different perspective and intent. We want to disrupt, not confront – to forge connections not exclusivity or isolation. The power of energy that comes from diversity."
The party behind the party. With a semi-baked vision, a venue, and drive, they figured the next step would be to start reaching out to people that would be interesting participating and helping out.
So they spread to spread the word and a flurry of calls, emails, Tweets, and Facebook invites went out advertising a Monday night "Salon, " the Facebook invite being was clear enough to attract my attention but vague enough that it was my curiosity that ultimately led me to attend.
As I mentioned, I was impressed, and l had already decided to see if I could make myself useful. The following Monday, there was a solid group in attendance.
Any art form that wasn’t represented at the event was only one degree of separation from an attendee – including less mainstream performers like acrobats, magicians, guys who hang out on marquees, etc.
Sari Schorr and QAS Technical Director Morgan Freeman.
Somehow, within two weeks Morgan Freeman (a skinny, white tech über-geek and founder of Bluecrash Media, not the famous black movie star) and I became a part of the core planning team. I was to handle PR (what a surprise.)
Morgan, who strikes me as one of those digital media/Web 2.0 type guys (more of a Bay Area phenomenon) who write code for fun and don’t sleep much, was deemed Technical Director.
Morgan is amazingly networked into the art scene for a guy that has only lived in New York since this July, and brought in several people with talent and energy to burn.
He also brought to the table what every soiree needs, at least to be legitimate – an association with a charity. Enter Jim Luce, founder of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW).
The press-release we drafted that night explains the details:
Innovative New Collective Combines Unique Method of
Showcasing N.Y.C. Arts Community With Social Responsibility;
Inaugural Event to Highlight on New York City’s Global Stature
December 10, 2009 – New York City, NY. The Quarterly Art Soirée’ (QAS), an innovative art collective today announced the first of its quarterly art exhibit and charity benefits will be held February 28, 2010 at the New York City’s historical Webster Hall.
The multi-genre art soiree, featuring the best of New York’s established and emerging artists, designers, and performers will honor Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) a U.N. recognized charity founded and run by respected philanthropist and New York social stalwart Jim Luce in response to the global crisis facing orphaned children.
The theme of the QAS’ inaugural, day-long celebration is "Building Bridges," a multifaceted look at the connective tissue that binds New York’s past to its present and future, New Yorker’s relationships with each other and the rest of the world, and how these relationships shape the New York experience.
"The interest in the QAS to date has been phenomenal, and its New York-centric aesthetic is a great compliment to Orphans International Worldwide," said Gerard.
"By providing homes for parentless children in developing countries, OIWW creates the same kind of opportunities that were sought by the millions who came through or settled in New York in search of a better life."
"One of the core tenants of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) is to help orphaned children grow into solid citizens of the world through a sound structure that is, among other things, International, because our neighbors are our family; Intergenerational, because there is much to learn from our elders; and Internet-connected, because the world today is at our fingertips," said founder Jim Luce.
OIWW Founder Jim Luce with the happy children of Orphans International Haiti.
"These qualities are what make the QAS such a kindred spirit. Its inclusiveness, respect for history, diversity and community are directly aligned with Orphans International."
As part of the celebration, Jim will present a Global Leadership Award on behalf of the QAS and Orphans International Worldwide to an individual for their contribution to improving the quality of life both in New York and the world.
The recipient, to be named in an upcoming announcement, will be honored at an exclusive presentation during the evening of February 28th featuring artists from OIWW participating countries, as well as entertainment, political, and diplomatic leaders. There will be a surprise presenter to be revealed via Twitter the day of the event.
Morgan Freemen, founder of Bluecrash Media is Technical and Interactive Media and Sponsorship Director for the QAS.
Elizabeth Safran, Looking Glass Public Relations, may be reached at e.liz@lookingglasspr.com.