myrtle minutes - Local Events

Garden Workshop Series at the Garden of Eden

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:50:00 -0400

Maureen, with Just Food, gave the gardeners great advice in Saturday's workshop, "Organic Pest Control: Planting techniques to increase yields and decrease pests". Did you know that ants don't like mint? To reduce their presence you can crush up fresh mint, add it to water and use it as a spray around your garden and plants. This workshop was the second in a series of seven that will run through September. The next, "Planting for Fall Harvest", is scheduled for July 24, 2010 10-noon (weather permitting) at the Garden of Eden on Myrtle Ave between Prince and Navy. All are welcome!

Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand Opens Today, 7.8.10, 4-7PM!!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:07:00 -0400

Come by between 4-7PM and buy affordable fresh fruit and vegetables direct from New York and New Jersey farmers to you! We are located at 177 Myrtle Ave btwn Prince and Navy in front of the Ingersoll Community Center. Today's bounty will include blueberries, cherries, collard greens, spinach, beets, zuchinni, and much more! We accept Cash, EBT, FMNP, and WIC. Please bring your bag and extras for others if you have some to spare. See you at the market!

Play Me, I'm Yours

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:59:00 -0400

Okay, so some people take years of "indoor" training before making their public debuts. Sing for Hope spins that notion on its head by bringing 60 pianos to parks and public spaces of New York City--TWO of them in Fort Greene Park! One piano is at the Myrtle entrance to the Fort Greene Park (see picture above) and another just up the hill at the north oval, just opposite the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. Sing for Hope takes music to the streets with Play Me, Im Yours, a public art project. The piano will be open and available for anyone to sit and play, now thru Monday, July 5th. Stop by, play!

Tickle the Ivories, Tap Your Feet: Make Music New York is Monday!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:50:00 -0400

Are you ready?! We hope so. Make Music New York takes place on Monday, June 21st. Make Music New York is a live, free musical celebration across the city that takes place each June 21 the longest day of the year. On that day, hundreds of public spaces throughout the five boroughs sidewalks, parks, community gardens, and more become impromptu stages for over 1,000 free concerts. Eleven (count 'em: 11!) of the venues (restaurants, cafes, kids clothing store, eco-friendly shop, wine boutique, Fort Greene Park) will take place on Myrtle Avenue. Come out and groove to the music and relax or eat, drink and be merry. See the schedule of events above or below. And for all you neighborhood Liberaces and local Alicia Keys, the pianos are coming! Sing for Hope takes music to the streets with Play Me, Im Yours, a public art project that will bring 60 pianos to the parks and public spaces of New York City. Fort Greene Park will have two pianos--one on Myrtle (at the Myrtle entrance to the Fort Greene Park) and another just up the hill at the north oval, just opposite the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. The piano will be open and available for anyone to sit and play: Friday, June 18th (being delivered at 4pm) until Monday, July 5th. PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: Anima Italian Bistro 458 Myrtle Avenue Anthony Cedras Global soul and R&B 1:00pm-8:00pm Brooklyn Junior 150 Clinton Avenue -PEMG, a community based program focused on teaching young people about Hip Hop from a cultural and Indie perspective. -Jesse Goldman (http://www.myspace.com/Jessesamgoldman), Experimental / Swing / Americana 2:30-5:00 pm. Castros Mexican Cuisine 511 Myrtle Avenue 5:30p-10pm -DJ Fuerte Chez Lola 387 Myrtle Avenue 7:30p to 10:30 pm Sedric Choukroroun Brazilian Jazz Trio Shukroon, Smith & and Monaco are a joyous trio, playing their own blend of Samba-Jazz-Pop: acoustic harp-guitar, saxophones-flute and percussion Chez Oskar 211 DeKalb Avenue 7:30p to 10:30pm The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn consists of: Billy Nemec-guitar/lead vocals, Chris Pistorino-bass/vocals, David Langlois-washboard percussion/vocals, Sam Hoyt-Trumpet/vocals The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, an early jazz, swing, and blues band, composed of acoustic guitar/vocals, upright bass, homemade washboard percussion, trumpet and saxophone, plays its' repertoire of witty songs from 1920's and 30's, along with its' augmented original tunes and often bawdy lyrics sung in catchy 4 part vocal harmony. Fort Greene SNAP 324 Myrtle Avenue -Anisa Fujah from 3 to 5 (Jazz) -Soulfolk Experience 5 to 6 (also jazz) -Jesse Goldman from 6 to 7 (experimental jazz) Gnarly Vines 350 Myrtle Avenue -Carolyn Leonhart and Jay Leonhart (daughter and dad)vocals and bass (jazz, soul, standards) 1:30pm-3:00pm Green in BKLYN 432 Myrtle Avenue Carolyn Leonhart and Jay Leonhart (daughter and dad)vocals and bass (jazz, soul, standards) 12p-1:15p and Claire Raji Rodriguez folk, pop 4p-6p Los Pollitos III 499 Myrtle Avenue 12pm to 9pm Live Latin band Move with Grace Yoga, Dance & Pilates Studio 469 Myrtle Avenue -Nucomme - rock/soul artist 8pm -Cavalier - Hip Hop/Soul artist 8:30pm -The Outabodies - Hip Hop/Jazz/Rock artists 9pm Sans Souci Restaurant 330 Myrtle Avenue Metric Man aka The Freedom Fighter (reggae) 1pm-9pm Fort Greene Park (Myrtle Avenue entrance) All day Upright piano (Sing For Hope): all day (on-site) 12p-1pm WATCH High School 2p-3:00p JHS 185 Drumline 3:00pm-4:00pm Ronald Edmonds Middle School 113 Choir 6p-7p Maracatu New York (Brazilian Percussion)

Weekend Tours of the Local Neighborhood

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:57:00 -0400

Mark your calendars for upcoming neighbhood tours. Mural Tours: Evelyn Talarico Clinton Hill Simply Art & Framing Gallery continues its walking tours, highlighting the murals of local folk artist, Evelyn Talarico this Sunday, June 13th (and again on June 20th and 27th). Evelyn's colorful murals of Caribbean sunsets, palm trees and tropical waterfalls, are inspired by her childhood in Puerto Rico. The walking tours of Ms. Talarico's work will continue each Sunday in June, 2pm. Tour starting point: Smiling Faces Day Care (381 Myrtle Avenue, corner of Clermont). Call LB Brown at the Clinton Hill Simply Art & Framing Gallery for further information: 718.857.0074, where additional pieces by Evelyn Talarico are also on display. Whitman's Fort Greene The Fort Greene Park Conservancy, in partnership with The Walt Whitman Project, will present the third of four Poetic Tours of Fort Greene Park: Walt Whitman's Park. While strolling through Fort Greene's verdant jewel, you will enjoy Whitman's prose and poetry. We will conclude this event by walking up Myrtle Avenue to 99 Ryerson Avenue, the last existing building in Brooklyn that was a residence of Walt Whitman. Led by Greg Trupiano, Director of The Walt Whitman Project, the performance will include performers who make Whitman's poems come alive. June 20, 2010 will feature Nicole Mitchell, mezzo-soprano and special guest, tenor. Tour meets 1pm at the Fort Greene Park Visitors' Center. The event is first come, first serve and there is room for approximately 50. Walk up and/or RSVP to 718-391-8824. Rain or Shine.

Myrtle's Make Music NY Schedule Announced

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:31:00 -0400

Be sure to visit Myrtle Avenue for Make Music New York, taking place all day on Monday, June 21st. Free music performances will be taking place all around the city, and Myrtle Avenue has performances happening at 12 different spots up and down the corridor, including one location of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" public art project, with an upright piano stationed at the Fort Greene Park plaza at Myrtle & Washington Park for passersby to play anytime from June 21st through July 5th.

Want good school food?

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:00:00 -0400

Then join the Brooklyn Food Coalition on June 5, from 2-4pm at it's free school food training fair at Fort Greene Park.

Meet other parents and educators who are working to improve school food, and the health of Brooklyn's children.

Parents will meet at the field at Myrtle and N. Portland Ave, and the kids are invited to the playground at the corner of Myrtle and St. Edwards Place. The Coalition will provide free supervision and healthy snacks for all children who attend.

For more information, contact the Brooklyn Food Coalition at 347-329-5093 or info[at]brooklynfoodcoalition[dot]org.

Let's Talk Business Seminars @ St. Joseph's College

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:53:00 -0400

Free Small Business Information Seminars at St. Joseph's on Wednesdays: June 16, June 23rd and June 30th, 6-8pm. St. Joseph's College Brooklyn Campus In cooperation with the NYS Small Business Development Center. --June 16th How to Start Your Successful Small Business and its Legal Aspects --June 23rd How to Write a Successful Business Plan and Market Your Business --June 30th How to Finance Your Small Business To register or for additional information about these seminars, contact: John Keenan 718.940.5731 jkeenan@sjcny.edu

Walt Whitman's Fort Greene Park

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:47:00 -0400

The Walt Whitman Project, an arts organization dedicated to producing programs about the life and work of America's great writer Walt Whitman, celebrates the poet's 191th birthday on May 31st and the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Whitman's 'Calamus' poems with a series of events, including on this coming Sunday, May 23rd in Fort Greene Park. May 23, Sunday at 1:00 p.m. "Walt Whitman's Fort Greene Park" A stroll sponsored by Fort Greene Park Conservancy and The Walt Whitman Project Walk around Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park, a greensward that owes its existence in large part to Walt Whitman's editorials written for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The afternoon includes readings of Whitman's prose and poetry and discussions about the park, the Wallabout Martyrs and the monument dedicated to their memory. This event will conclude with a walk up Myrtle Avenue to 99 Ryerson, the last existing building in Brooklyn that was a residence of Whitman. Greg Trupiano, Artistic Director of The Walt Whitman Project will be the guide for Sunday's tour. Special guests: Nicole Mitchell, mezzo-soprano & Brandon Snook, tenor. " Meet at the Visitors Center, top of the hill, Fort Greene Park " Enter at Myrtle Avenue, Washington Park, or DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn " FREE event / rain or shine " Information & Reservations: 718-391-8824 / http://www.whitmanproject.org Walt Whitman's Fort Greene Park is sponsored by the Walt Whitman Project and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy.

Strollin' on Myrtle...art, art and more art this weekend on the Avenue!

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:03:00 -0400

Big weekend on Myrtle for art, artists and art-lovers! The annual SONYA Studio Stroll takes place on Saturday 5/15 and Sunday 5/16, and includes a number of events and stops right here on the avenue. You can download the full Stroll map here, but we'd like to highlight a few for you:

Myrtle Windows Gallery: Make sure to check out the works of featured SONYA artists in 12 storefronts between Hall and Vanderbilt. This exhibition will be up through Tuesday, May 18th.

Myrtle Avenue Bird Town: This colorful installation of 50+ birdhouses at the Carlton Triangle and Fort Greene Park at St. Edwards and Myrtle just arrived a week ago, but it's already the talk of the town! Join the artists for a family-friendly and free(!) birdfeeder-building workshop at the St. Edwards site on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

Art & Community/Home Away From Home: Childhood friends, Carol Thomas (Just Because Salon owner) and artist, Richard Blackford share their creative expressions and love of community - in Jamaica (home) and Brooklyn (home away from home) in this exhibition. Opening Night Reception at Just Because this Friday evening, May 14th, 7-10pm, at 141 Carlton Avenue with free refreshments. Theyre a stop on the Stroll as well!

Paint the Pavement: Community Roots Charter School and PS 67 have extended their street mural on St. Edwards in front of the school. It's just a few steps from Bird Town, so check it out during your Myrtle visit this weekend!

Myrtle Merchants Host Artist Exhibitions: Sans Souci (330 Myrtle), Green in BKLYN (432 Myrtle), and Tamboril (527 Myrtle) play host to SONYA artists and their works as part of the Studio Stroll.

Celebrate Bird Town @ Sans Souci this Thursday!

Tue, 04 May 2010 15:27:00 -0400

Myrtle Avenue Bird Town has arrived at two locations on Myrtle - Fort Greene Park at St. Edwards Street, and the Carlton Triangle. Join us for and drinks this Thursday, May 6th at Sans Souci (33 Myrtle between Washington Park and Carlton) to celebrate with the town's 'founders', artists Jenn Wong and Daniel Goers.

Check out the artists' website, www.myrtleavenuebirdtown.com, for great photos documenting the building and installation processes. We've also got some great photos on our flickr site too.

Myrtle Windows Gallery celebrates SONYA exhibition at Tamboril this Thursday!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:24:00 -0400

The Myrtle Windows Gallery will host the Prelude Exhibition of SONYA's Studio Stroll from April 29th - May 18th. Come celebrate the opening on Thursday, April 29th, on a guided stroll with SONYA artists beginning at 5:30pm at Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (417 Myrtle Avenue between Vanderbilt and Clinton), culminating at the opening reception at Tamboril (527 Myrtle Avenue between Grand and Steuben), from 6pm to 8pm, with hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, music, and a video slide show. To RSVP for the guided tour or reception: call 718-705-4911, or email info@sonyaonline.org. Guests are encouraged to linger at Tamboril for the best in Nuevo Latino Cuisine! To make a dinner reservation, please call Tamboril at 718-622-5130.

This is the second of three Myrtle Windows Gallery exhibitions planned for 2010, and each will feature an added bonus for gallery visitors special deals at five featured MWG businesses. Coupons for specials at Jive Turkey, Joseph Tyler Salon, Miracles, Kum Kau, and Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are included in the newly redesigned Gallery Guide, which will be available at participating merchants beginning April 29th, all located within four blocks: Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (412 Myrtle); Kapellass (417 Myrtle); Connecticut Muffin (423 Myrtle); Karrot (431 Myrtle); Green in BKLYN (432 Myrtle); Jive Turkey (441 Myrtle); Thai 101 (455A Myrtle); Joseph Tyler Salon (456 Myrtle); Anima (458 Myrtle); Kum Kau (462 Myrtle); Miracles Unisex Barber Shop (473A Myrtle); Optimum Care Rehab (474 Myrtle).
This Myrtle Windows Gallery exhibit is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC).

Brooklyn Salsa Party at Tamboril

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:03:00 -0400

This Friday, April 16th, Tamboril (527 Myrtle) is hosting the Brooklyn Salsa Party, with live Afro-Cuban drumming and dancing from 10pm until 3:30am. The kitchen will be open for dinner from 5:30pm to 11pm. Come by and show us your moves! Beginners and salsa pros are all welcome.

For more info, go to www.Brooklyn-Salsa-Party.com.

Myrtle Windows Gallery - last weekend to view and purchase works from "IMPRINT"

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:50:00 -0400

Last chance to view the works in the latest MWG exhibition, "Imprint", which will say goodbye on Wednesday, March 31st! Take advantage of the opportunity to add to your collection - many of these prints are very affordable, some at just $20!

Make sure to stop by Anima to view Nathan Catlin's piece "Knowledge is a Blessing..."(pictured here), and at Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to view "Banana Farmers" (also by the same artist). These pieces are catching people's attention.

Also, don't forget to pick up a gallery guide at participating MWG businesses, since this will also be your last chance to take advantage of specials listed in the brochure at Thai 101, Anima, Kapella's, Green in BKLYN, and Karrot.

Tour Myrtle Windows Gallery this weekend ...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:46:00 -0400

The weather people are forecasting spring weather for this weekend - 50 degrees! That's perfect for an activity, like say, strolling Myrtle and viewing some art? The newest Myrtle Windows Gallery exhibition was installed this week, featuring prints by artists from Pratt. Twelve storefronts between Vanderbilt and Hall feature works by eight artists. Sounds like a great weekend activity!

Photo: Mabuhay Gardens by Sonya Katcher at Karrot