Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Small Break

I'm all over the place the next few days. Well, perhaps not all over the place, but here and there for sure.

Tomorrow I'm delighted to be talking with a Senior Seminar class at Mass Arts in Boston. Invited by the artist/professor/blogger Joanne Mattera, I'm going to put to good use a number of posts we've hashed out here and discuss the "Ins and Outs of Working With a Commercial Gallery" (75% of which is devoted to getting into one). We're also going to check out the Shepard Fairey exhibition at the ICA and perhaps, time permitting, the Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese show at the MFA (I haven't told Joanne I'd like to squeeze that in if possible...surprise!!!).

The following day, Bambino and I are heading up to Montreal for three days of de-stressing. (It happens to be my birthday on Friday and this is my middle-aged treat to myself.) While there we are going to get together with author/collector/blogger Lisa Hunter, eat some sinfully rich French food, lazily stroll through the streets of Old Montreal, and I, at least, plan to spend some quality face time with a big fluffly pillow. Other recommendations for how to while the day away in Montreal are welcome.

Regular blogging will resume next Monday.

Labels: break

29 Comments:

Blogger nathaniel said...

happy birthday! I'll be thinking of you in Christopher K Ho's piece/"suit" for the occasion...

4/21/2009 08:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Be sure to eat at Au Pied de Cochon as it is utterly, utterly fantastique.

4/21/2009 09:23:00 AM  
Blogger Bromo Ivory said...

Have a great Birthday trip! Montreal will be beautiful, I am sure!

4/21/2009 09:34:00 AM  
Blogger Aaron said...

Not so sure 'bout montreal, but a drive back to NYC from Montreal involves driving through the 6 million acre Adirondack Park and it would be a shame to skip right past it on a major highway. I think last nights snow was the last of it and it should be beautiful up here all weekend.

4/21/2009 10:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ed,
How fortunate for the Mass Arts students to have both you and Joanne Mattera talking at their Senior Seminar Class. I hope you'll consider discussing the "fee based gallery placement" issue from the Doing Your Homework Post. I don't want the subject to die without hearing opinions/recommendations.

Have a great time in Montreal and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

4/21/2009 10:20:00 AM  
Blogger A.K. Collings said...

Montreal bagels are superior to NY bagels. No question. Try to visit St.-Viateur on Sunday morning and see if you don't become a convert.

You cannot have a bad time in Montreal. Happy Birthday!

4/21/2009 10:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Cedric C said...

I don't like Au Pied De Cochon. I like Le Pégase, Le Petit Plateau, La colombe, Au Petit Extra, L'Apartement, etc... Really depends on the budget (The expensive restos are not the best anyway, not even Laurie-Raphael, for which the Quebec City original is a must).

Some of my fave art centres are Oboro, Quartier Éphémère (that one's in old port, they have Michael A. Robinson right now which normally should be good), Skol, Articule (mile-end), Clark, Uqam Gallery, Vox, sometimes Dare-Dare. These days there are all over the place and that's annoying. The Belgo is one of the place with many galleries. I don't visit the commercial galleries in Montreal because they usually suck (old montreal is full of those suckers). Simon Blais is ok at times, as is Parisian Laundry. Art-Mur can be great, but it's far from downtown. The Mac is showing a québécois colour-field artist("Plasticiens" was the Montreal group), and Yoko Ono + John are at the MFA.

Or you can say "fuck arts" and just go to the Biodome, and then go to the tacky Jardin Tiki not far from it for a cheap dirty buffet, but a bizarre experience.

The gay village is way nicer in summer when the street is closed, but it's big. The real vibe of Montreal (french montreal anyway), I find is St-Denis street, from ste-cath to Laurier, where most restos are cheap. St-Laurent is about knowing the good addresses, but it's ugly. The anglos are in the west (Crescent street and around), fluffly but without edges.


If you need a miracle, go to the Oratory, and ask there (burn a light). It worked with me. There's magic in this place.

Great sleep would be a chalet in Laurentides or Lanaudières. The oxygen will make you sleep.


For breakfast go to a Cora or Eggspectation. I like the "Maple Melt Brie and Fruits" at Cora (but not all have equally tasty fruits, the one downtown (in a hotel), the one in the gay village, and the one on Mont-Royal are ok).

The best public artwork in Montreal is of course the Alexandre Calder at Ile-Ste-Hélène (under which they have techno parties sometimes on the week-end).

Cedric C

4/21/2009 02:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric said...

Err...happy birthday.

Cedric

4/21/2009 02:24:00 PM  
Blogger Rob Hitzig said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

4/21/2009 02:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric said...

Quebec City is way way more european than Montreal. And it's so much cleaner a city. Montreal is messy, you need to know the good spots, but you discover something new every day.


Cedric

4/21/2009 03:11:00 PM  
Blogger Rob Hitzig said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

4/21/2009 04:28:00 PM  
Blogger joy said...

After St. Denis, stroll up The Main (Blvd. St. Laurent) and eat some smoked meat -- or some fried calamari in a Greek joint... up on Fairmount (betw. rue Clarke and St-Urbain) there is a rather famous bagel factory (Cedric, that must still be there, no?). the seediness, I hope, persists... check out "The Word" Bookstore down on Milton Street for uber used book insanity. Wander, wander... Lire et Delire. Have a great time guys - happy bday!

4/21/2009 04:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric Casp said...

Smoked Meat would be Schwartz on St-Laurent (people often wait in line there for take-outs). As mentioned they are two bagel shops on 2 parallel streets close to each other: St-Viateur Bagels and Fairmount Bagels. I'm not sure if you can still go at any time of the day (24h) to get hot new tasty bagels. Fairmount is quite known. This is in Mile-End, where they are some sparse galleries, and where artists meet at Cafe Esperanza (and some indian restos).

I didn't know "The World" was famous. I wouldn't expect Montreal to be a place to buy books unless you want something local. But yes, we have plenty of nice restaurants of any persuasions: I guess we're a food city. I'm on a diet and I try to keep it to Commensal and other vegetarian buffets these days.


I forgot DHC Arts in the old Montreal is a very pro art centre but in between istallations at the mo.


Cedric C

4/21/2009 06:38:00 PM  
Anonymous SuzieCee said...

l'Express, 3927 rue St. Denis, great food, great fun, next best thing to being in Paris.
If you have the time, the Atwater or the Jean Talon markets, buy Quebec cheeses.
Bonne fete.

4/21/2009 09:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Andy said...

skip shepard fairey. and it sounds like a great trip.

4/22/2009 12:02:00 AM  
Anonymous David said...

Happy Birthday, EW!

4/22/2009 01:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Blue Met is on this weekend and is well worth checking out...a fun book-literary festival, and friends said the small Betty Godwin show at the Montreal Museam of Fine Arts had not been taken down yet, she was a wonderful artist and one of my favorites. Have a great time and Happy Birthday

4/22/2009 09:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Franklin said...

Stop in for hot chocolate at Suite 88. You'll thank me.

Happy birthday!

4/22/2009 09:27:00 AM  
Anonymous Roxana said...

If you go to Old Montreal, be sure to get lunch at Olive & Gourmando corner of St-Pierre and St-Paul, nice european style boulangerie and café, just behind on St-Pierre you'll find Zone Orange, a nice shop/gallery concept store with local emerging artists and friendly staff. On a fancier note, I recommand L'épicier near the Marché Bonsecours with nice new cuisine/french food.
there is so much to do in Montreal!, have fun..

4/22/2009 03:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric C said...

Vox has Road Runners show which runs both at their gallery and Cinémathèque. MAC (contemporary museum) presents a good video installation by Adad Hannah (Cuba (Still)). Trevor Gould at Lilian Rodriguez (Belgo) is an artist I find charming. Skol (Belgo) is showing a 3D blueprint (literally). Michael A. Robinson at Quartier Ephémère. Hmmm. conceptual photo at dazibao, electronic sound piece at Articule... Not the greatest month for Montreal but those are suggestions. I wonder what Lisa will suggest.

4/22/2009 04:45:00 PM  
Blogger me im thinkin clown said...

Happy Birthday!

Thanks for the generous lecture at Mass Art today and for the professional development tips!

Try this restaurant in Montreal caller L'express. It's a tasty French bistro on some main drag (I forget the name of the street but there's this great resource called google...)

Hope you got to catch the Venice show at the MFA while you were here. If not, I strongly recommend you visit our fair city again before it comes down. It's a RARE opportunity to see such work without a grand tour of europe!

Thanks again and will probably see you in ny!

Enjoy Monteal!

Best,
Laurel

4/22/2009 06:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Judith said...

Montreal is a wonderful place to spend a weekend.
Definitely stop by St. Viateur Bagel in the Mile End district, open day and night.
Forget the art and just watch all the people... the streets and outdoor cafés will be packed with the hot and sunny weather we are expecting.

Enjoy your visit,
Judith

4/22/2009 09:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Judith said...

oh... I forgot to mention the fabulous Jean Talon Market. A joy to stroll through. Around the perimeter are speciality shops with local Quebec delicacies.

4/22/2009 09:56:00 PM  
Anonymous Cedric C said...

L'Express is good for the atmosphere, but not the best
french resto at all.


The discourse of contemporary arts in Canada versus whatever they show in Old Montreal (except at DHC Arts) are 2 different worlds
(ok, galerie Orange (of Louis Lacerte) is sometimes an exception). Edward would get the wrong idea.

Cedric C

4/23/2009 05:24:00 AM  
Blogger nina said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

4/23/2009 07:37:00 AM  
Blogger Mark Creegan said...

A very happy un-un-birthday to you!

4/24/2009 09:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is hard to believe you would see the Fairey crap before the incredible Venetian Masterpieces. These are great paintings that you would have travel very far and to many cities to see. But then again I guess some rip-off poster may be just as sublime !!

4/25/2009 04:50:00 AM  
Blogger kalm james said...

Happy B'day Ed (middle age treat ha, but the beard looks good).

4/25/2009 09:36:00 PM  
Blogger George said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

4/30/2009 09:11:00 PM  

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