The Uptown Collective – The Recap 5-26 to 5-31
By Led Black
May 26 – May 31
The 2014 Uptown Arts Stroll has begun folks. You have an entire month to take it all in. The Uptown Arts Stroll features open studios, art exhibitions, concerts, literary events, and performances throughout Northern Manhattan from West 155th Street to West 220th Street. Check out artstroll.com for help navigating all the artistic awesomeness.
This week we featured a poignant short story by local author A.J. Sidransky. The wonderful piece looks at immigration from the immigrant’s perspective and was selected to appear in the Literary Journal of the Institute for Caribbean Studies as part of their celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
Former member of the Bachata super group Aventura, Henry Santos, was Uptown recently to announce his collaboration with the CHALK program to fight obesity within the Latino community in New York City and around the United States.The 2012 winner of Mira Quien Baila, the Spanish language version of Dancing with the Stars, talked with students, parents and teachers at P.S. 18 in Washington Heights about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising and portion control.
Uptown treasure and one of the stars of the film Raising Victor Vargas, Altagracia Guzman, has a new gig. The good folks at The Flama have created a hilarious new series starring the very funny octogenarian entitled Abuelita’s Reviews. Altagracia opines on everything from Lil Jon, 2 Chainz, Biggie, underwear and shots.
Scores of kids, teens and adults are set to take over the United Palace Theatre in a life-affirming night of art and inspiration called The People Storm the Palace. Featuring selected works from People’s Theatre Project’s 5th anniversary season, this one-night only event will celebrate what is possible when neighbors unite for creative action. The event will take place at 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 17th. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors but Uptown Collective readers will get a hook-up: All tickets purchased at PeoplesTheatreProject.org will be just $5 when using the online discount code: StormTheUC.
This week also saw a plethora of new Uptown Hip-Hop. My good friend, Tellie Floydd, dropped the soulful Coltrane produced by BeatsBySone. Dubwork has a new video for Honda Accord directed by Fred Focus and Crump Media Works. Lastly, we featured the latest video from the Black Rose Familia featuring J McFly and Sol-Leks, Up On Broadway.
Keep checking us out at www.uptowncollective.com.
Led Black
Editor-in-Chief
The Uptown Collective
The UC’s mission is to become “the” definitive, transformative and community-based force impacting the arts, culture, business and New York City’s overall perception of Upper Manhattan. Its objective is to reset, reboot and positively redefine Uptown’s artistic, political, cultural and business spheres via the online space as well the collective’s initiatives and functions.
