Phoebe Legere's New Art Exhibition "Body Worship/New Abstraction" in NYC

 

BODY WORSHIP/NEW ABSTRACTION   Peel Me A G_ Lavender Oil, Polyester, Egg_58x68_2022

A New Voice_Wood, Linen, Pastel, Lavender Oil, Egg_58 x 72_2022 Body Worship_Lavender Oil, Egg_16x20_2019  Leg Man_Lavender Oil, Egg, Polyester_36x42_2022    Fresh from her “Retrospective: Evanescent Landscapes, Vanishing Women” exhibition at The Bundy Museum, multidisciplinary artist Phoebe Legere is showing a new collection of paintings “Body Worship/New Abstraction” at her ArtLab Gallery, 324 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017 through July 10. You are cordially invited to meet the artist and view her new works.   The latest collection focuses on paintings that celebrate the spiritual relationship between the Body and non-objective painting.   The works feature a cosmic approach to gesture and chance.   Phoebe Legere (Abenaki/Cajun) is a multidisciplinary artist whose paintings will be on view at the Bundy Museum of Art, 129 Main Street, Binghamton, NY, through August 7.    Legere uses old master techniques like dissection, perspective, glazes, lavender oil and egg as well acrylic, ink, collage, digital performance and embedded sound files.   Born to artist parents and trained to paint in oil and egg tempera from age 5, Legere had formative friendships with some of the greatest artists of modern times. Her parents met Larry Rivers in Provincetown when they were studying modern abstraction with Hans Hoffman. Many years later, Larry became Phoebe’s teacher, mentor, collaborator and friend. Rivers had this to say about Legere: “She is an intellectual with the heart of child. Legere is what art is all about.”     Legere’s paintings are deeply contemporary; each painting is a comment on the high value of the coordinated action of hand,  body, and  eye; as well as the aleatory gesture as a gateway to the Unknown.   “Computers have colonized and occupied our minds. The only cure, the only way to restore the health of the Human Soul, is to return to the well spring of all human endeavor: Art and Music,” according to Legere.     Phoebe Legere is also the founder and executive director of the Foundation for New American Art, an arts education nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the visionary artists of tomorrow. She teaches the children traditional Old Master techniques she learned at age 5. Legere is also an Apple Certified Art teacher, bringing digital art skills, video, animation and image manipulation to underserved children who get no art training in their schools.   The Foundation is hosting a two-day cultural diversity “Festival de la Posibilidad” July 16 & 17th at the Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk St., New York, NY 10002. The festival is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment from The Arts.   According to Founder and Executive Director of FNAA, Phoebe Legere, “We have no words to express our gratitude to the people who helped us and fortified our resolve on our beautiful journey: fourteen years of service as a grassroots nonprofit charity organization! Now, the National Endowment for the Arts joins us as partner. Gracias a todos nuestros amigos y vecinos.”   FNAA grew from a curating and presenting arts organization called the New York Underground Museum to an arts education and cultural resource for children and families.    “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from Foundation for New American Art that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers.   “Foundation for New American Art in NYC is among the organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy through the arts.”   I would be happy to arrange a visit to Phoebe’s ArtLab to meet Phoebe and see her new collection.    Visit phoebelegereart.com and phoebelegere.com to learn more about the multidisciplinary visual art and performance art of Phoebe Legere.     Thank you for your time and consideration.   At your service,   Xander…for Phoebe Legere Art

Phoebe Legere's Masterful Art Work on Display at the Bundy Museum, Binghamton, Through August 7

Evanescent Landscapes/Vanishing Women is the name of a beautiful and thoughtful Art Exhibition by The Legendary Phoebe Legere in Binghamton, NY.

­ ­ ­

Phoebe Legere (Abenaki/Cajun) is a multidisciplinary artist whose paintings of Binghamton area landscapes and Native American subjects will be on view at the Bundy Museum of Art through August 7.    The Bundy Museum of Art is located at 127-129 Main Street, in Binghamton. Phone: 607- 772-9179. Website: bundymuseum.org   Legere is a versatile painter who works in oils, acrylic, mixed media, resin and egg tempera, creating semi-abstract works inspired by her passion for anatomy and landscape.    “Phoebe Legere is a virtuoso. Legere’s line is meticulous, incisive, sensuous, and vibrant. Her works are politically engaged and inspire conversations about women’s issues, diversity, inclusiveness, cultural equity, Native American issues, respect for the environment, and the volatility of consciousness.” – Linda Nochlin    Legere’s paintings are deeply contemporary; each painting is a comment on the validity of handmade painting in a world where we are increasingly dominated by machines.    “Machine-made, mechanistic art and music have colonized and occupied our minds. The only cure, the only way to restore the health of the Human Soul, is to return to the well spring of all human endeavor: Art and Music,” according to Legere.  Visit phoebelegereart.com to learn more.   Legere’s music has been compared to “Edith Piaf, Jerry Lee Lewis and Maria Callas” (NY Times) and Frank Zappa (Billboard). Studs Terkel, during a radio broadcast profile of Phoebe on National Public Radio said it best: “She is an American Original.” Legere studied music at Juilliard and painting at Vassar College.   Some of Phoebe Legere’s noteworthy milestones include the following:   -Legere is a grant recipient of a New York State Council of the Arts award for her musical about the Native American Holocaust of New England, “Queen of New England”   -Legere received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her musical epic poem about Water issues,  “The Waterclown”   - She is an Acker Award recipient for her musical “Hello, Madame President” about the first African American female president of the U.S.   -David Bowie chose Phoebe Legere for the support act spot on his National Tour    -Legere has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC, HBO, NPR, PBS    -The 2022 “Best of Manhattan” Entertainment Award was presented to Legere   -Legere co-starred on Nickelodeon’s “Naked Brothers Band”   -Legere scored and starred in the most popular cult movie of all time- “Toxic Avenger’   -As the Creator, Executive Producer, Featured Performer, Host, Writer, and Set Designer, Legere’s educational children’s TV show, “The Color Wheel” has been viewed by tens of thousands   -Legere can be seen playing & singing in “Ghostbusters 2” and can be seen on the “Golden Anniversary Ghostbusters Collectors” DVD   -Legere has collaborated with friends and colleagues considered to be the most creative people of our time: Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Johnny Depp, Hunter Thompson, Allen Ginsberg and Billy Joel to name a few…   -Legere has written, produced and performed on 17 albums of original songs.  Proceeds from sales of her paintings & music go to fund the Foundation for the New American Art, a nonprofit that brings free art and music to at-risk children of low-income communities. “After the financial crisis of 2008 they eliminated art & music to children in most NYC public schools. I believe free access to art & music is every child’s birthright. That’s why I founded the Let Every Child Sing Chorus, Paintbrushes Not Guns and Music Teachers Without Borders which offers free art & music lessons to underserved children,” says executive director Legere.   Legere’s charity was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for their important work bringing cultural equity to communities and recently received a New York Community Trust grant to carry on the Foundation’s work in arts education.  ­ ­

Phoebe Legere's Heart of Love Album

Heart of Love is Phoebe Legere’s 17th collection of original songs; she continues to build on her legendary reputation as an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and artist.

Studs Terkel at NPR called Phoebe Legere “an American original” whose “beautiful voice will take your breath away.”

Phoebe Legere, from an Acadian/Cajun and Native American family, has been playing Americana with “La Famille Legere Band” since she was five years old. Her cousin Ray Legere, a Canadian bluegrass/acoustic fiddling and mandolin legend, joins her on this album.

Heart of Love album is a paean to freedom from the outlaw ecstasy of life on the road to the changes in relationships. Legere writes songs that are folk-country tall tales. Legere twists grief into humor and counters existential angst with a whoop of joy. The song “Heart of Love” is about being on the road, and “Men From Boys” is the freedom to choose an inspirational loved one. “Hello Friday,” which features Phoebe’s powerful piano chops, is the freedom we all need to enjoy the weekend.

Legere deals with family, romance, disillusion, birth, homecoming and death, such as “Mama,” “Brother (Love Is Everywhere),” and “NY Nightmare.”

Her French-English “Cajun Moon” begins with Legere singing a chanson about a woman in a hurricane; then she suddenly changes the channel to spin a yarn about riding an alligator while making love and drinking bourbon out of a to-go cup! “OK Cupid” is a song about computer dating with a surprising twist.

Legere’s Native American heritage is the basis for much of her flashing nature imagery: In “Blue Canoe Blues,” we hear her singing in Abenaki, the language of her ancestors.

On “Wrong Honky Tonk,” Legere plays masterful honky tonk piano throughout, and wields her accordion like a spiritual sword.

Phoebe brings it home on Hank Williams’ classic song, “Jambalaya,” adding new lyrics and some French singing to the song.

Known for her singing, and piano and accordion playing, Legere’s down-to-earth Lightnin’ Hopkins-influenced blues guitar playing can be heard on the Heart of Love album. She has surrounded herself with some of the best musicians in the business including Dave Malachowski (Guitar, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Shania Twain), Eric McDonald (Mandolin), Ray Legere (violin), Paul Smitty Smith (Lap Steel Guitar), Rob Mitzner (drums), and Dae Bennett (background vocals).

Legere’s voice goes easily from a “soprano of winsome sweetness” to a “low down blues growl.”

Legere has performed thousands of shows, from Country Fairs to NPR, from Folk Festivals to the Pow Wow circuit, from Songwriter Circles to a CBS Sunday Morning feature about winning First Runner-Up in “America’s Hottest Accordionist Contest” in Branson, MO. Her live performances have included opening for David Bowie’s National Tour, and recently for Activist signer-songwriter John Hall, and blues greats The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Martin Barre (Jethro Tull guitarist).

Phoebe Legere’s previous radio hits have included: “Trust Me,” “Marilyn Monroe,” and “Amazing Love.”

####

www.PhoebeLegere.org
www.twitter.com/legere

For more information or tax-deductible donations, please mail:  Foundation for New American Art, 224 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003.  
Visit:  www.foundationfornewamericanart.org