July 31st  5 – 9 pm

After a successful trial run last fall Smorgasburg, the renowned Brooklyn food market, is returning to Central Park for one night only.  Eat and drink specialties from 25 different food vendors such as Asia Dog, Blue Marble Ice Cream, Mighty Quinn’s and Ramen Burger.  Sip a glass of wine and enjoy some outdoor tunes under the stars im the greatest park in the world.  Tickets are $10 and sell out quickly.

Central Park, Rumsey Playfield/east side @ 71st St., www.cityparksfoundation.org

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Located directly under the High Line and situated on the southeast corner of Chelsea Market lies a veritable potpourri of an ever-changing imaginative and unique (as in distinct and original!) vendors offering the coolest in fashion, vintage, art, design and more.  This is the kind of stuff you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else – a great example being the insanely delightful candy and fruit jewelry I bought from a vendor called “Glitter Limes.”  Need I say more?

With an ongoing rotation of new talent every couple of weeks, Artists and Fleas is a paradise for buyers, trend-spotters, trend-setters and creative entrepreneurs alike.   You’ve got to check it out.  The original market still resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Artists and Fleas, 88 10th Avenue at 15th Street

Sundays,  July 10-31st 

In keeping with The Museum of Modern Art’s (MOMA) history of presenting jazz and classical music in the Sculpture Garden, this year’s concert series welcomes the participation of The Julliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center.  New Music for New York comprises four evenings of contemporary music with premieres each night.  Summergarden is free and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The Sculpture Garden opens at 7:00 pm.  Concerts begin at 8:00 pm and run one hour to 90 minutes.

MOMA, 11 West 53rd Street    http://moma.org

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Meet Tracey Berglund, a Brooklyn native, an established graphic artist, peripatetic adventurer and the artist behind The Girl in the Yellow Taxi.  Her skills have taken her from NY to London to Brazil to Sweden and South Africa.  She has undertaken projects for The Gap, IBM, The Rachael Ray Show, the United Nations. You might know Tracey from her work as the designer for  the VH1 TV show ‘Pop-Up Video’.

Tracey has always strived to stay creative while having loads of fun…and making a living.  Her desire to stay at the cutting edge has led her to her latest pursuit, the field of Graphic Recording.

Tracey, what is Graphic Recording?

Graphic Recording is currently a popular tool used to visually capture presentations and content made at large events, conferences and brainstorming sessions.  Spoken conversations are drawn into pictures and words as the speakers address a live audience.  I listen for key messages and synthesize complex concepts into symbols, words and my own unique style of illustration.  This mixture of images and words help the subject come to life and tell a memorable story. Clients often use the story boards as ongoing tools after the event and share them on social media.

What has been your favorite Graphic Recording project?

I just finished illustrating at the Women Deliver 2016 Conference in Copenhagen where  I illustrated speeches for Helen Clark, the former President of New Zealand, Melinda Gates of the Gates Foundation (who requested all my artwork be shipped back to her headquarters) and many other inspiring activists, entrepreneurs and global leaders who are working to improve the health, rights and wellbeing of women and girls around the world.

What are some of your favorite spots in New York?

1. I love to wander around Prospect Park in Brooklyn and watch the dogs splash in the dog pond.
2.  My favorite place to sketch is on the subway. I have volumes of sketchbooks with incredible New York faces.
3.  I love to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art; I always leave flowing with inspiration.
4. My favorite place to treasure hunt is Housing Works thrift shop in Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights.

To see more of Tracey’s work visit: www.tra4art.wix.com/graphic-recording and www.traceyberglund.com

The Rubin Museum presents “Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual”, the first exhibition connecting well known deities represented in Nepalese art to rituals and festivals surrounding the rainy to monsoon season.  You leave this beautiful show with a better appreciation of  the importance of the season to the culture and everyday life of the Nepalese people.

BLOCK PARTY CELEBRATING THE MONSOON

July 17th   1pm – 4 pm

Inspired by the exhibition Nepalese Seasons: Rain and Ritual the Rubin Museum will also be hosting a block party to celebrate Nepal’s festivals, nature and culture with connections to art and ideas of the region.  Nepalese-inspired music and dance performances, family yoga instruction, museum tours, henna tattoos and Himalayan street food will be featured in the festivities.

Rubin Museum,  150 West 17th Street  http://rubinmuseum.org

For years, whether en route to the Wollman Skating Rink from my west side abode or simply crossing the expanse of Central Park for some east side shopping, I would ponder the existence of an isolated, fenced-in piece of land looming overhead atop the formidable boulders in the park’s southeast corner, teaming with a symphonic cacophany of bird songs.  It turns out to be the newly restored and reopened 4 acre Hallett Nature Sanctuary – one of the park’s three woodlands.

When you’re in need of an escape “far from the madding crowd”, this magnificently serene oasis should fit the bill.  Note: there are specific days/hours of operation so be sure to check out the Central Park website beforehand.

Hallett Nature Sanctuary, located on the lower east side of Central Park from 60-62nd Streets just south of Wollman Skating Rink.