Had to visit BronxArtSpace this weekend to pick up some work that was in a recent show, so I decided to hit a couple of thrift stores in the area. I'm in search of much needed materials for a new circle piece I just started working on in the studio.
The first stop was at the Catholic Charities Community Thrift Store on E. 152nd St. The actual block the store was on turned out to be closed, for what appeared to be a block party, so parking was a challenge. After circling the area for a while with my partner in tow, I was finally able to park the car, in front of this beautiful building that turned out to be the Bronx Documentary Center.
BDC was founded in 2011 as a non-profit gallery and educational space devoted to documentary projects from around the globe! Coincidentally, the founder Michael Kamber will have 30 portraits on display at BronxArtSpace in a upcoming show titled Portraits of Survival.
Had a sneak peek at some of his work when we stopped in at BronxArtsSpace and these intimate photographs from conflict zones around the world were breathtaking! It opens on Wednesday, August 14th and he's also showing the photographic landscapes he made in the South Bronx during the 1980's.
When I finally did make it over to where the thrift store was located I found out it was no longer in business. Not a total loss though because being able to discover this new section of the Bronx and the BDC was well worth the trip.
After getting back in the car the next stop was the Salvation Army Thrift Store on 3rd Avenue. Have been there before, on one other occasion, and discovered it to be a gem for finding old record album covers for my work. Was not disappointed during this visit either and walked out with two large bags full of records!
Sold a piece from the show at the BronxArtSpace, discovered the Bronx Documentary Center and found some much needed collage materials... overall I would say it was a pretty good trip!
