Loren Munk: “I am a big fan of art history, and I believe the lack of this knowledge is a prime reason that many artists will linger in careers of derivative mediocrity. Another fascination, and one that drives much on my current practice is the question of: what is art history? How is it made and who gets to decide what gets in and what doesn’t. In essence, who controls it?”

Cities have always beena major inspiration for arts and literature. New York City and its neighborhoods are based on the stories of their people. We want to invite you to share your personal stories with us, together we discuss the soul of our neighborhood and our hometown. The idea of mapping cities by their literature is also part of Thomas Kohlwein’s new project lit.nyc, a community-based website where literary spots can be placed on New York’s city map.

Several years ago, S. H. and I were discussing a photograph I’d taken. He asked me to articulate what was on my mind when I took the image. “I like green,” I replied. He said that wasn’t enough. I said “Yes, it is.”

Manuel Sander is a graduate from the School of Visual Arts, MFA Photogaphy and Related Media Program, class of 1997. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, the artist and videomaker, Stefanie Koseff. His images can be seen at www.manythespaceman.tumblr.com.

In addition to our monthly exhibitions, on Sundays, we will establish the “Church of Monika” with the intention of communicating and demonstrating the role art can and should have on community. Our experiences with the Soap Box Derby Camp and subsequent race, as well as our annual Soup Kitchen in December, have validated our desire to move forward in this direction. We are located in a Brooklyn neighborhood underserved by the arts and we hope to remedy the situation in whatever small way we can.

The “Church” will be a moderated town hall type of meeting rather than a sermon with topics varying each week. Snacks and coffee will be served, doubling the event’s function as it becomes an alternative to brunch with bloody marys. Without doubt, Park Slope has an abudance of writers, including our friends at the Brooklyn Writers Space. Readings will be included on a regular basis. On the September 17th Brain Lehrer Show on WNYC, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq were guests. Inspired by their Ramadan journey through NYC’s Muslim Community ( http://30mosques.tumblr.com ), we have contacted them with the hopes that they might want to join us one Sunday. A neighbor and fellow artist friend of ours sings weekly in her church choir and we have invited them to perform in our gallery. Of course, this is an art gallery and that will be the general focus, but we are open to performers and thinkers of any ilk. The schedule is yet to be completed but these are some initial ideas.

The origin of our concept stems from our mutual admiration of the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas. This profound monument to the freedom and pursuit of self-reflection is a model of art as a surrogate for religion. We take a non-denominational and tolerant attitude in our journey through life and our hope is to build an alliance with people of all faiths and world-views. We suffer no delusions of grandeur, we only seek to inspire and be inspired by the art of life and community.

The Artists in residence Sebastian Koch and Severin Hagen will host all Sundays in June. You are welcome to stop by and see the progress of their work, have a coffee and enjoy a conversation with them.

above: Severin Hagen: Bergwetter, Alpenglühen, mixed media, ca. 70x20x35cm
right: Sebastian Koch: The Beatles, Acrylic on wood, 40x50cm

“If we were able to in a quick flight over the United States in 1950 to look carefully at our nation’s children- what would we see?” How would the picture be different from what it was fifty or even ten years ago? What can we expect in the future? These are questions that can, at least in part, be answered.”
–Leona Baumgartner, M.D.

From the short essay, A Look at Children in The U.S.A., this quote has served as inspiration for Miho Suzuki’s ongoing photographic exploration of the glorious diversity of children in New York City. The artist will be sharing some of her images and ideas, and hopefully inspiring young and old to join her in a discussion of what it means to be a child. Please feel free to bring toys or favorite objects from your childhood to this May 30th edition of the cHURCH OF MONIKA.

http://www.miho-suzuki.com

During a period of self-reinvention, artist James Leonard began a visual exploration of four and five dimensional cubes. Arcane maybe, though not unheard of. Mathematicians have worked in higher dimensions for generations. Computers have allowed the construction of pristine, yet often impenetrable, renderings of “cubes” in ten dimensions and more. Unique from these predecessors, Leonard conducts his daily drawings by hand without device. He seeks to gain direct sensorial knowledge of these shapes and the higher dimensions they represent. The result has been a cognitive gymnastics best described as a strange form of Pythagorean transcendental meditation. After one year of private devotion, Leonard will share his technique with congregates at the cHURCH OF MONIKA.

If you are mathematically challenged, do not fear! This presentation will be step-by-step, interactive, and provide you with all the tools you need to draw your own higher dimensional shapes.

http://www.jamesleonard.org/

We have tried to host the duo once before in April, but Todd Isler unfortunately was sick. This Sunday you have another chance to hear them!

Drummer, teacher and author Todd Isler is based in New York City, where he has been active in the jazz and world music scenes for over 20 years. He has released two original CDs, Two Step: Duets and Beyond, and his current Soul Drums, as well as his book You Can Takadimi This, published by Gerard and Sarzin in 2005.

Saxophonist and composer Lily White has released 3 CDs under her own name: Somewhere Between Truth and Fiction, No Pork Long line, and Big Blue Line.

She and Todd have been friends for over 20 years.

Leigh Davis recently spent time with the aged members of a religious order living on the grounds of a former military hospital in New Mexico. Only five men remain, and all but one has lived there for over 60 years. She will present photographs from The Brothers, a work-in-progress documenting these men and the rituals they adhere to, their relationship to their physical surroundings, and the spiritual community they foster among themselves and in tenuous connection with the outside world.
www.leighdavisprojects.com