Ananya Dance Theater

A Guggenheim fellow for 2011, Ananya Chatterjea heads a dance company of women artists, primarily of color, who work at the intersection of artistic excellence and social justice.  The company creates original works inspired by the commitment and passion that infuse women's movements worldwide.  Their choreography reflects women's lives, fosters strong communities, addresses social-justice issues while conveying power and beauty. This is dance that articulates ideas and expresses women's lives to mobilize social change.

MAY:: Prabuddha Dasgupta

Prabuddha Dasgupta's series, Urban Women.

NOVEMBER :: Beatriz Milhazes

The artist juxtaposes Brazilian cultural imagery and references with Modernist painting.  Prints available via Durham Press.

NOVEMBER :: Latin American Art Auctions

The Latin American Art Auctions in New York. "Les Abolachas Dansent Pour Dhambala, Dieu de l'Unite" by Wilfredo Lam led the Sotheby's auction, selling for $2,154,500. The auctions coincide with Pinta.

NOVEMBER :: Claudio Castillo

Claudio Castillo's solo exhibit at Solomon Arts in New York runs until Dec 4, 2010. The artist was born in Havana, Cuba, raised in Europe, and lives in Miami. He has been painting and exhibiting water colors for over 30 years and received the Museum of Latin American Art's Award for Best Video in 2009.  

NOVEMBER :: Lise Moller

Chilean ceramicist Lise Moller's end of year sale. Not to miss.

OCTOBER :: 2011 TED Prize: JR

TRAILER " WOMEN ARE HEROES" from SOCIAL ANIMALS on Vimeo.

“Photograffeur” JR has been named the recipient of the 2011 TED Prize. JR is a French artist who works with a team of volunteers to plaster enormous black-and-white photographs across slums in Paris, Brazil, Cambodia, China and throughout the Middle East and Africa.  His images then become a part of the local landscape. The "Women are Heroes" project turned Kibera, Nairobi into a gallery of local faces, raising awareness of the women's individual stories. "JR's mind blowing creations have inspired people to see art where they wouldn't expect it and create it when they didn't know they could," said TED Prize Director Amy Novogratz. "He's putting a human face on some of the most critical social issues while redefining how we view, make and display art. JR has moved all of us at the TED Prize. There is no doubt that his talent - paired with the resources of this amazing community - will lead to a wish that changes the world." More of JR's images here.

OCTOBER :: Zwelethu Mthethwa

Currently, and through October 24, the Studio Museum in Harlem is exhibiting the work of South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa. The show is comprised of three series: "Interiors" and "Empty Beds" document the domestic lives of migrant workers around Johannesburg, South Africa, while "Common Ground" focuses on the shared experience of natural disasters in urban areas. The photographer's first monograph is available for purchase via the museum's shop.

OCTOBER :: Chris Ofili

Chris Ofili's work is always worth revisiting.  Here, an interview of the artist with Andrew Graham-Dixon.