The Resistance Art of Michael D’Antuono
Opening on April 4th at 1:00pm at the Hudson Underground Gallery, 134 Warren Street, Hudson, NY
Special Appearance by NYT bestselling author of The Plot to Destroy Democracy, and MSNBC contributor, Malcolm Nance. The exhibit runs to May 4th.
Politicon 2018 was a blast. The weather in LA was perfect, I was invited to include my Save Democracy mobile billboards at the event, and I hung out with some very interesting people. In the greenroom, I got to meet Henry Winkler (who is still as cool as Fonzie) and his lovely wife to whom I will always be grateful for her support. Back at the hotel, I had a chance to meet Michael Avenatti, who is very much the fireball you would expect him to be. Later in the evening, I partied with Joy Reid, Michael Steele and of course my good friend Malcolm Nance, who’s interview by Henry was hands down the highlight of Politicon.
Politicon is the ComicCon of Politics. The movers and shakers of politics from all political bents gather there once a year to meet and debate the issues of our times. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of Politicon since it’s inception, either by exhibiting my art, speaking on a panel or as I did this year, exhibiting my billboard trucks. One of my trucks played my music video, House of a Treasonous Traitor.
UnAmerica is an art exhibition opening Sept 29, 2018 concerning the hot button immigration issue as we face the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.The national discourse is drowned out by controversy, xenophobic scapegoating, misinformation, inflammatory claims and nativist fear-mongering in place of constructive dialogue regarding much needed immigration reform. The Puffin Cultural Forum seeks to highlight and explore issues surrounding immigration through an exhibition entitled UnAmerica, scheduled to run to November 4. The oil painting featured above is titled Cold As Ice by Michael D’Antuono. It is 24″ x 48″ oil on canvas.
Featuring artists: Andrea Arroyo, Boldface, Janet Braun-Reinitz, Patricia Carzola & Nancy Saleme. Michael D’Antuono, Melissa Eder, Elizabeth C. Frischauf, Felipe Galindo, Isabelle Garbani, Kirk Maynard and more. Opening features participating artists and musical performance.
The Puffin Cultural Forum 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJ 07666 201-836-3499
On Sept 21st, 2018 I attended the opening of The Museum of Broken Windows in NYC. I was proud to exhibit alongside Keith Haring and Dread Scott. Even more rewarding was the response to my painting,The Talk. Listening to a white father explain the talk black fathers must have with their sons reminded me of why I paint. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with the mothers of Eric Garner and Sean Bell at the event. Two very strong women whose stories must be heard.
The event was sponsored by the NYCLU as a pop-up experience in New York City, featuring the work of artists from around the country. The Museum, which ran from Sept. 22-30, showcased the ineffectiveness of broken windows policing, which criminalizes our most vulnerable communities. The strategy of broken windows policing is outdated and has never been proven to be effective at reducing crime. For decades, communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by broken windows policing.
The broken windows theory is an academic theory proposed by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling in 1982. The academic theory, which first appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, states that signs of disorder in a neighborhood, like a broken window, encourages petty crimes and leads to more serious crimes. This postulation was adopted by the New York City Police Department and led to the criminalization of poverty and the over-policing of Black and Brown communities at disproportionate rates. The theory has never been proven to be effective at reducing crime.
It is time for a change. New Yorkers are coming together for important conversations on policing and what it means to feel and be safe. Using art and creativity, the Museum of Broken Windows provided a powerful and emotional experience that critically looks at the system of policing in New York. The Museum of Broken Windows is a project of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Michael with Steve Schmidt and Charles Blow at Real Time after party
As the featured guest, my friend, Malcom Nance invited me to the August 3rd, 2018 taping of Real Time with Bill Maher. I hung out with Malcom and panelists, John McCain’s campaign manager Steve Schmidt, New York Times columnist Charles Blow and professor/author Nancy MacLean. As you might expect, the conversation was wonderfully engaging, especially that with Nancy and Bill’s fascinating producer, Scott Carter.
Malcom very generously gave his valuable endorsement of my art and distributed new book to the other guests at the party who gladly accepted them. Unfortunately Bill was unable to make it to the party but Scott was kind enough to make sure he received a copy. The show itself was one of the better ones (which is a high bar) with Malcom setting the record straight concerning the danger of Trump and his allies’ attempts to shield our traitor-in-chief from justice and userp democracy. Steve and Charles gave offered their thoughts on the lack of integrity in the GOP. Nancy offered insights into the conservative movement to thwart the democratic system that have come before the Trump administration..
I will be premiering my film, “BLACK INJUSTICE AMERICA” at the 5th Annual Beacon Independent Film Festival on September 17th in Beacon, NY. See the trailer here.
Starting on the 15th, they will screen features, shorts, documentaries and more. Panel discussions, food vendors, green space and activities for kids and adults will make it fun for the whole family. For more information visit http://beaconindiefilmfest.org/.