The Classroom
537 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10011Judith Arcana and the Janes: Reproductive Health Activism in the Last 50 Years
On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade was decided and abortion was legalized in the United States. Before Roe, options for safe and affordable abortions were extremely limited—underground abortions were often expensive, dangerous, and operated by crime syndicates. One of the rare alternatives was the Abortion Counseling Service of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union, known colloquially as the Janes. Run by women, the service offered abortions for anyone who needed them, at whatever price they could afford. This conversation will draw the necessary parallels between the Janes' work in the late 1960s/early 1970s and organizers in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision revoking abortion rights in 2022. The conversation celebrates the release of a publication reproducing photos, documents, arrest records, manuscripts, and ephemera from the Judith Arcana Archive. Presented by Fugitive Materials.
Hello We Were Talking About Hudson, with Darinka Novitovic Chase, Jimi Dams, Nancy Shaver, and David Shaw, moderated by Jordan Stein
Legendary art dealer Hudson operated Feature Inc. for 30 years on his own terms and ahead of his time, first in Chicago (1984-88) and then in New York City (1988-2014). This event focuses on his legacy and celebrates the release of Hello We Were Talking About Hudson, a new book edited by Steve Lafreniere which explores the striking and varied impact Hudson had on those around him. Moderated by curator and writer Jordan Stein, the conversation brings together artists who worked with Hudson to remember him. Presented by Soberscove.
How High the Moon, with Stanley Whitney and Cathleen Chaffee
This conversation brings together painter, Stanley Whitney, and curator, Cathleen Chaffee, to discuss and launch Whitney's major monograph, Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon, which is published in conjunction with the traveling retrospective of Whitney’s work organized by the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. They will discuss the breadth of Whitney’s practice from the early 1970s through today and talk about the artist’s work in relation to his artistic community as well as his influences—from the history of art and architecture to quilting, textiles, and jazz. The artist will explore his vibrant, abstract paintings, works on paper, and sketchbooks, shedding new light on his practice—what drawing means to him, how color can be transformative—as well as reflect on his prolific fifty-year career. Presented by DelMonico Books.
Dance History(s): Imagination as a Form of Study, with Annie-B Parson, Thomas F. DeFrantz, Bebe Miller, Ogemdi Ude, and Alice Chung
To deepen our understanding of what dance is and how it has functioned throughout human history, Parson and DeFrantz have created a prismatic book project dedicated to an artist-centric perception of dance history. The program animates this new set of twelve booklets that complicate dance history and point to potential futures through the subjective, poetic perspectives of working choreographers mayfield brooks, Thomas F. DeFrantz, maura nguyễn donohue, Keith Hennessy, Bebe Miller, Okwui Okpokwasili, Eiko Otake, Annie-B Parson, Javier Stell-Frésquez, Ogemdi Ude, Mariana Valencia, and Andros Zins-Browne. A scored book dance performed in 60-second reiterative loops by DeFrantz and Parson accompanies readings by Bebe Miller and Ogemdi Ude and notes on the book design by Alice Chung of Omnivore Inc. Presented by Dancing Foxes Press.
Flowering Wound: A Photo-Jay Session, with Martha Naranjo Sandoval
Flowering Wound is a new riso-printed photobook by artist Martha Naranjo Sandoval. In this live photo essay, Martha shares a curated selection of images, accompanied by her insightful reflections. "My dad took a lot of pictures of me when I was a kid. That’s when I learned taking pictures could be a love language. When I moved to the US in 2014, I was alone, fully aware that I would have to photograph myself if I wanted to have any sort of family album. I brought with me a 35mm camera and began photographing my life. I have taken over 460 rolls since then. Most of the pictures were taken in either Mexico or the United States. I do not plan any of them in advance; instead, I take my camera around with me and take impromptu photographs. These pictures are also my family album. The modes of photography range from candid to performative." - Martha Naranjo Sandoval. Presented by Calipso Press.