Andrew Freeman Home front facade. Source: bronxbohemian.wordpress.com
No Longer Empty, a public arts organization devoted to bringing contemporary art to a wider audience through site-specific public exhibitions within local communities, presents “This Side of Paradise” at the historic Andrew Freeman Home in the Bronx. The quixotic Home, bequeathed by millionaire Andrew Freeman, was originally built as a haven for the wealthy who had lost their fortunes. The Home provided not only food and shelter but also the trappings of an elevated lifestyle, including a grand ballroom, billiard room, white glove dinner service, and a social committee to arrange amusements (nolongerempty.org).
“This Side of Paradise,” which references F. Scott Fitzgerald’s eponymous tale of the New York elite, connects the Andrew Freeman Home’s past to the urban realities of the Bronx today. The artwork will reference memory, storytelling and the concept of “being poor in style” (nolongerempty.org). The opening reception for the exhibition is Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at the Andrew Freeman Home. A Speakeasy After Party follows at 8:30PM. You can support No Longer Empty by purchasing tickets for the opening reception here. Exhibition admission is free. The Home is located at 1125 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY.
