Our eco-arts partner, NOoSPHERE Arts, founded and directed by the one and only, Sol Kjøk, is ringing in 2022 with a lot of activity, celebration, and fanfare, all designed to delight us with a variety of creative arts productions right in our own backyard. From dance, music and theater – WE ARE NATURE performance series continues – to installations, murals and more, Kjøk and her crew have an amazing line up of artistic presentations planned for our community.

NOoSPHERE Arts Celebrates 11th Anniversary

A cast and crew of supporters, performers and arts aficionados joined together to celebrate 11 years of multidisciplinary creative productions from around the world. NOoSPHERE Arts, a 501c3 organization, is led by Kjøk and a team of international creatives whose backgrounds blend the arts and sciences.  NOoSPHERE Arts engages audiences and builds community through a range of vibrant public events that demonstrate the power and interconnectedness of the arts and nature.

During the 11th anniversary celebration, the winner of NOoSPHERE Arts’ Residency Award was announced. Hundreds of entries hailing from 50 countries were carefully reviewed. There were so many awesome applicants this year that a second award was created for artists who are based in NYC – an annual commission for a site-specific sculpture/installation at Kingsland Wildflowers who will receive the Broadway Stages’ Arts Award. The two awardees are:

• Faith XLVII, a multidisciplinary street artist from South-Africa. As the winner of the NOoSPHERE Arts’ Residency Award, XLVII will spend a month onboard Mothership NYC in 2023.

• Sabrina Barrios, a New York-based installation artist from Brazil. As the winner of the Broadway Stages’ Arts Award, Barrios will receive a commission for a site-specific piece to be installed at Kingsland Wildflowers during the 2022 WE ARE NATURE season.

WE ARE NATURE Performance Series

The NOoSPHERE Arts’ WE ARE NATURE (WAN) 2022 rooftop series has been scheduled. Be sure to mark your calendars with the dates/events listed below and watch the highlight reel from last summer’s WE ARE NATURE for a peek at what you can expect this year.

2022 Calendar:
May 28, WAN 1 – Water Is Life: Season Opener with Blessing Ceremony and Dance
June 25, WAN 2 – Natures Cycles: Inti Raymi Indigenous Solstice Event w. Wawakunas
July 23, WAN 3 – Wildflowers Festival: Dance, Music, Art, and Play across the roofs
August 27, WAN 4 – Breakdown, Breakthrough: Film & Performance by Indigenous Artists from the Arctics
September 24, WAN 5 – Earth Ethics: Climate Week Event

Artist Salons at Last Frontier NYC

After 2 years of events for limited audiences only, indoor artist salons open to all comers are finally back. Informal gatherings for artist friends, colleagues and other arts appreciators, the artist salons include a variety of performances, presentations, discussion, and improvised fun. Save the date for March 22nd to experience an amazing evening of entertainment. Presenting their work at the March salon are: Visual Artist Mai-Britt Wolthers (Denmark-Brazil) and Curator KJ Baysa (Hawaii). Plus live appearances by some favorite locals: the extraordinary Singing String Players, Lenna Pierce & Katy Gunn; and the eminent Literary Couple Natalya Sukhonos, poet, and Ian Ross Singleton, novelist. You can find more information here.