Zig's Transfiguration

ZIG'S TRANSFIGURATION

Opening Reception Thursday, June 12th

7-11pm

at TOAST COFFEEHOUSE

242 E Main St Port Jefferson

Artist Andrew "Zig" Leipzig brings his Digital Pop-Surrealist works to Toast. Featuring anachronistic themes and visions, Zig weaves together the visual language of fine art and the media driven realities of the modern world into an extraordinarily powerful synthesis and an incisive comment on art, perception and the human condition.

"Influenced by society’s increasing commercialization (and, as graphic designer, a minister of it) this artist creates surrealist works that are acutely intuitive but do not take themselves too seriously. Commentary on modern life can be interpreted with or without a sense of scorn—a lack of condescension on the artist’s part leaves it to the viewer to decide." – Pulse Magazine

Through June 29th

Failing To Hesitate In The Studio

Failing To Hesitate In The Studio

Selected paintings from 2008-Present from FRESH founder and co-curator

Robert Edwin.

Opening Reception Thursday, May 20th
7pm-11pm

Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Electro-Funk & Psychedelic Sets by Derek Muro

Plus! Try the legendary Dreamachine designed by Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs in the 1960's. Opening Night Only!!

GIBBERISH 3-D

The GIBBERISH Poetry Experiment returns to Toast Thursday Night, April 15th from 8-11pm. This is an open-mic event and anyone and everyone is invited to read. At GIBBERISH, poets have the opportunity to jam with musicians and take their spoken word pieces to a whole new level.

Featuring poets such as Russ Green, Barbara Ann Branca, Doug Swezey and a very special performance by Mr. George Wallace.

Holding it down will be the Toast house band led by Scotty Gropper of The Others & Delicious Trees.

Join us for a unique night of improvisational performance art and music!

The Subtle Art Of Transition

Michael Cursed

THE SUBTLE ART OF TRANSITION

Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Opening Reception Thursday, April 8th

7pm-11pm

"The Subtle Art Of Transition" is a solo exhibition of recent works by artist Michael Cursed. The series began through the exploration of watercolors and later on ink. The two mediums seemed like a natural fit. In working with the watercolors and ink, Cursed was able to find his love for drawing again, but on a whole new level. The two mediums play off of one another creating a interesting contrast of vibrant washy colors and black ink. His process began with laying down the paint and finding his way with the ink with no sketch, planning or subject matter in mind. Mixed within the show are some larger paintings done in acrylic and spraypaint.

Michael Cursed has exhibited in various small art bars on Long Island and in the East Village in NYC. FRESH is pleased to once again feature the work of this extremely talented, up and coming local artist.

IRELAND

The Paintings of

Daniel O'Sullivan

Daniel O'Sullivan's "Ireland" series presents memories of his beloved homeland. Like images floating through dreams, O'Sullivan digs through the past to bring forth a place seemingly untouched by time.

Opening Reception Thursday March 4th @ Toast Coffeehouse in Port Jefferson from 7pm-11pm.

Irish Folk Music by Victor Cunneen

ELECTRIC WOMB

FRESH is pleased to announce the opening of "Electric Womb", a multi-media exhibition of new works by artists Aleks Degtyarev (FreakCast) & LuLu (Happymooncake Artworks). The show will include paintings, collages, video stills, and a Live Video Performance by FreakCast.

Opening Reception Thursday, February 4th at Toast Coffeehouse from 7pm-11pm

Toast is located at 242 E Main St in Port Jefferson, NY

FRESH featured on L.I. Pulse Magazine Art Blog

FRESH on the L.I. Pulse Magazine Art Blog. Thanks to Pat Rogers!

Photograph By Eric Kaczmarczyk from "If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen"

FRESH featured on BRASK ART BLOG

FRESH was recently featured on the Copenhagen-based Brask Art Blog for "If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get out Of The Kitchen". This is one of our favorite art resources on the internet. It's also an amazing blog to see great new graffiti works from the city of Copenhagen.

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN

FRESH ART LONG ISLAND PRESENTS:

"IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN"

is a group exhibition of all new FRESH artists. Since 2006, FRESH has focused on showing the island's most innovative and productive artists. Over the past year, we have received some incredible submissions and we thought it was about time to pick our favorites and start the new year off right by adding a few new family members.

The show will include new works by Paul Braun, Jeremy Grand, Eric Kaczmarczyk, Lucinda Lin, Oliver Peterson, John Stack, Emma Wasielke, & Ian Ziobrowski.

Opening Reception Thursday, January 7th From 7pm-11pm

Live Music By The Michael Jazz Trio


Come Out And Support Your Local Art Scene!!

Diminished Capacity

FRESH Art Long Island Presents:

DIMINISHED CAPACITY

The Work of Albert Lee

Opening Reception Thursday, December 3rd From 7pm-11pm

at Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Artist Albert Lee invades Toast Coffeehouse with his gritty molotov cocktail of photography and vector graphics. With an ability to push buttons and disorient the viewer, Lee ( who is in fact color-blind ) is a self-proclaimed paparazzi of his own surroundings. Influenced by Photojournalism, Video Games, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Heavy Metal, and Surrealist Art Culture, Lee's graphic experiments play with our ideas of what's real and what is staged. A resident of Port Jefferson and first generation Korean-American, this is Albert Lee's first solo exhibition.

Live Music By The Barking Men

GIBBERISH

FRESH Art Long Island Presents

GIBBERISH

Thursday, November 19th from 8pm-11pm

Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

GIBBERISH makes its long over due return to Toast Coffeehouse this Thursday Night. GIBBERISH is an experimental mix of spoken word, poetry, performance art, and improvisational music inspired by The San Francisco Beat Poet Scene and the current Bowery Poetry Cafe events. Come down and share your words and ideas with some like-minded souls. Music will once again be provided by Scotty Groper and Paul Mica of The Others.

TREACHEROUS: New Work By Michael Ramirez

FRESH Art Long Island Presents:

TREACHEROUS

New Work by Michael Ramirez

Opening Reception Thursday, November 5th From 7pm-11pm

at Toast CoffeeHouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

"Treach•er•ous-
adjective
1. hazardous because of presenting hidden or unpredictable dangers
2. characterized by faithlessness or readiness to betray trust; traitorous.
3. unstable or insecure.

Most artists' in this extremely demanding/fast paced society tend to look over what is important and push aside what they truly feel to keep up with the competition. This showing is an attempt to slow down for a bit of self evaluation. Inner most secrets and struggles are revealed when you pay close attention.
There is no graphic work here to cover up mistakes and re-touch imperfections, this is just the opposite- this is the glorification of error, for it is what we learn our greatest lessons from.

"As a young expecting Father, a Lover, a Brother, a Son- Just as a person in general I fear of one day becoming 'treacherous'. I do not want to let those I care most about down. Hopefully by putting these personal pieces out for the general public I can find the strength I need to become as strong of a person as I need to be right now."

Treach•er•ous. is artist Michael Ramirez's first solo exhibition. Michael Ramirez is a student at the School of Visual Arts, and Art Director for the online publication New York Twist Magazine."

Through December 1st, 2009

Falling Into Place

FRESH Art Long Island Presents:

FALLING INTO PLACE

New Collaborations By Michelle Posner & Stelios

Opening Reception Thursday, October 1st From 7pm-11pm

at Toast CoffeeHouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

With 2 beers and 1 sketchbook, alone or surrounded by friends, Stelios and Michelle pass the book and pen. They draw and giggle and remain on their own bizarre wavelength. Over the past year this bird-mouse and chipmunk-squirrel have filled their sketchbooks with drawings and paintings of each other and their relationship to the world. Whether it was the time, the right place or alignment of the stars; they came together one year ago. The work on these walls is the record of the good times they spent looking into each other’s eyes. Join us on Thursday, October first for the opening reception of their year-long journey as their lives together fall into place.

Through November 3rd, 2009

8:45 a.m. Where Were You?

FRESH Art Long Island will be co-curating a special group exhibit with Studio East Gallery in Greenport, N.Y. The show will feature artists' interpretations and memories of the attacks on NYC on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Eight years have passed. The world has changed. We have a new president. We are still at war. People are still suffering from the day that shook the world.

With over twenty FRESH artists, the exhibition will be an examination of individual feelings and collective thoughts of how one moment in time can change the course of our lives forever.

The Opening Reception will be held Friday Evening, September 11th from 6pm-9pm.

STUDIO EAST GALLERY

120 Front Street Suite # 9

Greenport, NY

FRESH and Studio East will be donating a portion of the art sales to the Families Of 9/11 Charity.

Live music by Union Jazz

I Am The Cosmos

I AM THE COSMOS

Experimental Video Installation by CHAD KUSHINS

Opening Reception Thursday September 3rd From 7pm-11pm

at TOAST COFFEEHOUSE

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Live Music by Absent Listeners

Long Island-based filmmaker Chad Kushins will be presenting his one-man video-art installation, "I Am The Cosmos". The show features a projection of six separate short abstract works, each based on video feedback and media theory, making for an experimental and unique cinematic experience. In addition, to the shorts, the show features a full-length video art piece based on the writings of Japanese artist Yukio Mishima. This is Kushins' first exhibition with FRESH.

FRESH Fan Mail

Mr. Edwin:

As an artist and collector, I found it very interesting that you felt the need to insult other kinds of art in your article meant to promote your strengths, calling Long Island a "cultural wasteland of sports bars and cover bands, lighthouse and floral paintings, strip malls and nail salons."

Is it really necessary to denegrate other forms of art to make your organization's purpose more meaningful? Can't you just promote your art on its own merit?

If you know your art history, you'd know that even the Impressionists were considered scandalous and "out there" when they first developed their methods of painting. Perhaps one day your members' art will be considered traditional too. Do they then deserve to be insulted by the next big thing? I think not.

So open up your mind a little more Mr. Edwin - art is subjective and there's room for all kinds.

From Cortona2@Optonline.net

Received Tuesday, August 18th

Altered States: Clayton Orehek & Jon Duci

Altered States

New Work By Jon Duci & Clayton Orehek

Opening Reception Thursday August 6th From 7pm-11pm

at Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Soundscaping By

Kevin & Colin of "The Point"

Orehek, who's hero is Nikola Tesla, uses a mixture of neon, found objects, and electronic savvy to create illuminated sculptures. The show also features a new kaleidoscope installation that is sure to blow some minds. Clayton has collaborated with FRESH many times, most notably, with his 10ft light up vagina from Respect...What It Is last summer at Painter's Art & Food Bar.

Jon Duci is new to the FRESH fold. His swirling, mind-bending optical images twist the brain in and out. It's not hard to get lost in Duci's world.

Through September 1st

GIBBERISH

In the tradition of the Beat Poet, coffeehouse gatherings in San Francisco and the Bowery Poetry Cafe in downtown NY, FRESH is pleased to announce our newest project: GIBBERISH. GIBBERISH will be an open-mic poetry and performance art experiment, blended together with live music. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come down and read their work. We hope that, after lighting the fuse, that it will explode in all different directions and evolve into whatever it will eventually become.

Thursday Night, July 16th

8pm - 11pm

at TOAST COFFEEHOUSE

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted."
William S. Burroughs

FRESH @ Toast Coffeehouse Promo Video 3

The next installment of FRESH at Toast Coffeehouse, featuring the art of Mike Carbonaro and the music of The Michael Jazz Trio. Thanks, once again, to Chad Kushins of AKA LIONSFILMPRODUKTIONS. Coming next month: Clayton Orehek and Jon Duci.

THE JUDGE AND JURY

FRESH Art Long Island Presents:

THE JUDGE AND THE JURY

New Paintings By Mike Carbonaro

at Toast Coffeehouse

242 E Main St Port Jefferson, NY

Special Performance By

The Michael Jazz Trio

Through August 4th