Mister Welfare

Dez'Mon Omega Fair is an interdisciplinary artist and poet living in Long Beach, California. Their work explores storytelling and self-reflection, through several different processes, including: painting with water, brushless watercolor, ink on washi, collaborative documentary film projects, and experimental forms of poetry. http://www.dezmonomegafair.com/

Colin Asare-Appiah is a world-renowned bartender and brand ambassador in the world of spirits and cocktails. One of the founders of the London Academy of Bartending, he even starred in his own show on the Discovery Channel, "The Cocktail Kings." Born in Ghana, and raised in the U.K., Colin currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and sons.

Louisa Brown is a screenwriter, content producer, and a mentor for youth and film. Born and raised in London, Louisa has lived and worked in New York City for over 20 years, and has been screenwriting for over 10 years. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons. https://www.louisabrownfilm.com/ https://www.katcroft.com/native-sisters instagram: @lulub1

Toyin Ojih Odutola is a visual artist, currently living and working in Brooklyn, and known for her multifarious, detailed drawings that play with storytelling. Her works are included in the public collections of MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and Studio Museum Harlem to name a few. http://toyinojihodutola.com/ https://www.instagram.com/toyinojihodutola/

Nick Groepler is a screen printer by trade, sometimes artist, and the guy who does all of the web-related stuff for us here on Mister Welfare. He forgot to mention that this took place a day or two before Hurricane Sandy hit New York. When he's not screen printing, he's in a band called DORKS (@dddorks) along with the two friends mentioned in his story. https://dorksdorksdorks.bandcamp.com/

Patricia A. Patton, a.k.a. the CannaBoomer, is a Market Consultant for wellness companies looking to reach out to baby boomers, who may be uncertain about what cannabis & hemp legalization means for them. https://cannaboomer.net/

Rahsaan Gandy is the founder of Gandyland LLC, and our illustrious host here on Mister Welfare and New York Minute. http://www.gandyland.co/ https://www.misterwelfare.com/

In this New York Minute, learn what it takes to get into high school in NYC; a free lesson from Wyatt & Jedediah Sahl. Wyatt is a middle school student. When he's not reading and listening to podcasts, you can find him stressing about the NYC high school process. This is his first time on a podcast. Jedediah is currently enrolled in an NYC high school. He is a keen observer of the teenage culture around him, and while he enjoys his classes, he is not very fond of the resulting workload.

Jerome Lagarrigue is an artist who currently lives and works in Brooklyn. Born to a French father and an American mother, he was raised in Paris and moved to the U.S. in 1992. His work can be found in the collections of Swizz Beats, Alicia Keys, Carmelo Anthony, and Reginald Lewis, to name a few. Instagram: @jlagarrigue http://www.jeromelagarrigue.com/

Yayoi Shionoiri is an art lawyer. She currently serves as Executive Director to the Estate of Chris Burden and the Studio of Nancy Rubins, where she is responsible for stewarding Burden’s art-historical legacy and promoting Rubins’ artistic practice. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yayoi_shionoiri/

Here's another minute from Mr. Welfare's time at SPACE on Ryder Farm, with Dylan Pickus, Operations and Programs Associate.

Chiara Ibrah is a multimedia artist based in Brooklyn New York. She likes going to the park and is skeptical of the world.

Jahna Ferron-Smith is a graduate of Boston University College of Fine Arts with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts and Performance. She is currently a Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at the Juilliard School, as well as a member of the Obie Award-winning playwrights collective, Youngblood. She shared this minute with Mister Welfare during their time at SPACE on Ryder Farm. https://newplayexchange.org/users/27868/jahna-ferron-smith

Jennifer Petrisko has been working as a professional in the Magazine industry for more than two decades. This is her story of a taxi ride turned rotten.

Jen Jamula is an actor, comedian, and host of 2 Girls 1 Podcast, along with her cohort Alli Goldberg. The creative duo are also the founders of GoldJam Creative, a group that uses comedy to facilitate workplace training and workshops, covering topics of effective communication, public speaking, inclusion, sexual harassment, and much more. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-girls-1-podcast/id1285444706 https://www.goldjamcreative.com/

Keisha Dutes, a.k.a. "TastyKeish," is a radio personality, and one of the founders of Bondfire Radio, where she hosts 'TK in the AM' on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 am (EST). Throughout her college career, she found her niche in college radio stations and began honing her personality as an energetic, opinionated, funny programmer and thorough interviewer. Leisha went on to a 7-year tenure at WBAI 99.5 FM in New York, becoming a leader within the ever-changing group of hosts on Rise Up Radio; touching on police brutality, race, independent music, and artists from all over the world. She helped found Bondfire Radio in 2013 and is currently a producer at Glitch Software, as well the EP consultant for Hear to Slay on Luminary. http://bondfireradio.com/ http://tastykeish.net/ instagram: @TastyKeish

In 2009, Emily Simoness, a 7th generation Ryder, became involved with Ryder Farm upon recognizing that her own artistic community could both benefit from, and contribute to, the long-standing but aging family farm. In 2011, she co-founded SPACE on Ryder Farm with the two-fold mission of providing time and space for artists and innovators to develop new work, while contributing to the sustainability and resourceful preservation of Ryder Farm. With the help of an army of inspired artists, volunteers, friends and family, SPACE was born. https://www.spaceonryderfarm.org/

https://isaacgillespie.com/ Instagram: @badisaacdotcom

Alex Chowaniec is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY and Co-Founder of Chowaniec Projects, visualizing climate action through art. http://alexchowaniec.com/

Michael Chernus is an actor in films and television. He is also on the Advisory Board of SPACE at Ryder Farm, where this story was recorded. Find him on Twitter: @MichaelChernus, as Edward Tavner in the Amazon Prime Original Series Patriot, and as Cal Chapman in Netflix's Orange Is The New Black.

A kind gesture that doesn't go as planned, as told by the anonymous giver.

Ely Battalen is a Sustainability Consultant, Educator, and founder of EWB Consulting, specializing in organic textiles. He has a decade of experience creating standards, consulting and performing audits of sustainable programs around the world. Working with textiles, biofuels, seafood and recycled commodities in a wide spectrum, he has been engaged in over a dozen programs and is a member of the International Organic Inspectors Association. https://www.ewbconsultingllc.com/

At the tail end of Mr. Welfare’s residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm, he gets to sit down with Farm Director Julie Noble. They discuss her role on Ryder Farm, her journey through various types of farms over the past 8 years, seed varieties, goats and much more! https://www.spaceonryderfarm.org/

LaTonia Allen is a Painter and Graphic Designer. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, she attended Texas Southern University, in Houston, and graduated with her BA in 2015. After working for various small businesses as a graphic designer, she decided to become independent, and created her own design business, called Allen Illustrations. LaTonia was recently accepted into the School of Visual Arts MFA Fine Arts program. She now lives in Brooklyn and works out of Chelsea in Manhattan, NYC. http://latoniaallen.com/ Instagram: @latoniashanee

Pena Verde is from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He started playing Capoeira when he was 15 years old with Mestre Sabia, the coordinator of The Association of Ginga Mundo Capoeira. Pena has been teaching Capoeira to adults and children for over a decade. Pena believes that Capoeira has been responsible for transforming the lives of people all over the world. For this reason, he is thankful for the opportunity to teach Capoeira in New York City. http://www.penaverdecapoeira.com/

Kathy Thornton-Bias is the recently appointed President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Thornton-Bias is a highly respected executive in the business and retail space with a career that spans almost three decades. During that time, she has held senior leadership roles for more than 15 years in large organizations and possesses a wealth of fundraising experience. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Rhetoric and Communications, she joined Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, where she would eventually become the first African American to hold the title Vice President for Divisional Merchandise. She then served as the President of the Retail Division for New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she doubled revenues and tripled profits. After 11 years at MoMA, Thornton-Bias became Bang & Olufsen’s President of North America, launching a new revenue stream which would ultimately produce 30 percent of the overall sales for the company. She later moved to Milwaukee to become the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Verlo Mattress franchise.

Nestor Leon Fortanel is the owner of El Kallejon, a Mexican fusion restaurant in East Harlem. El Kallejon is exactly what you would expect of its name, except this is New York City and the experience of El Kallejon is anything but traditional. Here, you will enjoy the rich flavors of fresh Mexican ingredients with twists that are reflective of this diverse city. Latin, Mediterranean, Japanese and French culinary influences all shape the menu that their guests love. The wine bar has a special selection of wine and sangrias, and in the warmer months, the backyard becomes the setting for live world music and grilling. https://elkallejonlounge.com/

This week, Mister Welfare sits down with Drea Cofield and Gaby Collins-Fernandez, the Co-Directors of BombPop!Up, an artist-run initiative that seeks to bring together artists of all walks in the creation of dynamic art events and spaces. They chat with Mr. Gandy about the beginnings of the collective, its DIY ethics/attitude, and its accomplishments thus far. http://bombpopup.com/

Alice is the Chief Curator and Museum Director for 21c Museum Hotels. She curates exhibitions and oversees commissions, cultural programming, and museum operations for 21c’s multiple venues, in addition to collaborating with Steve and Laura Lee on art sourcing and acquisitions. Prior to this role with 21c, Alice was Director of artwithoutwalls, Adjunct Curator for the Speed Art Museum, and has served in various editorial roles for ARTnews, Contemporanea, and Art & Auction.

Christophe Roberts is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist working in sculpture, painting, design and installation work. Coming of age in the bloom in hip-hop, Roberts’ early practice was influenced by music and salon culture. His designs and figures acknowledge his own fraught relationship to capitalism, while his practice explores complex masculinities, rebel origin myths, and the commodification of identity through meditations on mass culture iconography. The larger project of these pieces considers the impermanence of physical artifacts and the fluidity of identity. Roberts remains committed to found and footprint-free pieces, communal healing through public beautification, and participatory art. www.christopheroberts.com

This week, Mister Welfare sits down with Chef Selassie Atadika, ahead of her participation at the James Beard House's Iconoclast Dinner, which serves to honor a global group of trailblazing chefs of color. The conversation ranges from her food enterprise Midunu, her passion for sustainable eating, and her menu for the Iconoclast Dinner, which will be happening Saturday, June 8th.

David Anthone is an artist whose practice focuses on painting, conceptual work and readymades. He and his partner, Ron Norsworthy, make art as DARNstudio, exploring themes of institutional racism, as well as the many facets of their life together. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows. He received a B.A. in Architecture and Art History from University of Nebraska as well as attended Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture with a focus on Planning & Historic Preservation.

Mr. Gandy met Tommy Mintz exiting his former professor, Maureen Connor's, talk on Race and Revolution: The Speculum Project. While looking for the B/Q/A/C train, they walked and talked together. Tommy is an artist, professor of photograpy, husband, and father. When Mr. Gandy mentioned "A New York Minute," Mintz was excited, and asked if he could tell the story of one specific, and historically significant, 6th Ave apartment. "I am interested in the rapid pace of construction, displacement, and efforts of preservation, both in the physical world and the digital world, where there are interesting parallels in our anxiety of the increasing amount of information being retained or, possibly worse, lost." - Tommy Mintz

Renee Cox is one of the most controversial African-American artists working today using her own body, both nude and clothed to celebrate black womanhood and criticize a society she often views as racist and sexist. No stranger to controversy, her 2001 piece "Yo Mama's Last Supper," which featured Cox herself in the seat of Jesus, and a cast of Black disciples (with one white Judas) sparked outrage from Catholics and then-mayor Rudolph Guiliani. Cox continues to push the envelope with her work by using new digital photography technologies, working from her archives and shooting new subjects in an effort to "unleash the potential of the ordinary and bring it into a new realm of possibilities." Learn more at https://www.reneecox.org/ and see her work featured in "Beyond the Cape! Comics and Contemporary Art" at the Boca Raton Museum of Art from April 16-October 6 https://www.bocamuseum.org/exhibitions/beyond-cape-comics-and-contemporary-art

This week, Mister Welfare is joined by Merele Williams-Adkins as they visit the DARNstudio, to speak with artists David Anthone and Ron Norsworthy. The conversation delves into the duo's project, "Another Country," in which they construct quilts from custom-printed matchbooks and thread. These quilts harken back to the quilts of the Underground Railroad, and contain visual symbolism relating to different components of structural and institutional racism. David and Ron go in-depth on the symbolism and the process of making these quilts, along with poignant reflections on the history and transformations of institutional racism in America. For more info, please visit https://www.darnstudio.com/

Jet Toomer loves self-care, storytelling, and having a high style IQ. If you don't believe it, just check out her Instagram. She is black af, queer af, and she DGAF; she is an outsider. Through her self-care practice, she is working on being the best version of herself: Jet Izdabes. “Is-The-Best;”  a nickname she gave herself when she was 10 years old, because even back then, Jet knew she was the shit. She loves quality experiences, time spent with good friends, and adorning herself. While she chronicles her journey, you can follow along, buy cool things she’s found during her travels, from artisans and makers of color. You can also get that skin poppin’ with her exclusive line of skin care products. Check her out at www.izdabes.com/ and instagram.com/izdabes/

Mimi Plange is an award-winning fashion designer who launched her own ready-to-wear label in 2010, after a decade working in the New York fashion industry. Guided by the principle she refers to as “The Democratization of Luxury”, she creates clothes that are very much inspired by the modern American luxury sportswear tradition, with an infusion of dark romance and aimed at the new, international and democratically-minded consumer. Africa remains a limitless font of inspiration for the Ghanaian-born designer, who constantly seeks out the unusual and the lyrical found in African traditions, landscapes and lore, and reinterprets these themes in a refreshingly modern way. Follow her on instagram @mimiplange Website: Mimiplange.com

WE NEED YOUR HELP! The Governor and legislators don't think we care about Cannabis Legalization. They think it's just a matter of getting a new tax revenue stream, so if it's in the budget, great! If not, Oh Well. NO! We need legalization to protect us and our youth from criminalization, to reinvest monies back specifically into our communities, and to create a safe space for everyone to have access to the benefits of marijuana with or without a medical card. We NEED YOU to JOIN US IN ALBANY THIS WEDNESDAY or CALL THE GOVERNOR, Your ASSEMBLYMEMBER and Your STATE SENATOR NOW. Please visit our IG (@taintedlovebk) or FB (https://www.facebook.com/TaintedLoveBK/) for websites, information, and scripts to walk you through the process. CALL: Governor Andrew Cuomo's office - 1-518-474-8390 This week, Mister Welfare sits down with Saki Fenderson, a cannabis educator, social advocate and co-founder of Tainted Love BK, to discuss the push for getting marijuana legalization on the New York State budget, the deadline of which is April 1st. They discuss the importance of not only legalizing marijuana use, but the other things that should come with it, including the expunging of criminal charges for past offenses, and giving the communities that have been targeted by the war on drugs the first opportunities to benefit from prospective marijuana business.

This week on Mister Welfare, the team visits internationally renowned jack-of-all-trades Alvin Hall in his fabulous New York City apartment. A man with an incredibly rich experience, Mr Gandy, Sherry, and Ronald were able to delve into some standout points of Hall's life and career, including his upbringing on a farm, his love of James Baldwin, his time working for the BBC in England, and his ever-evolving collection of fine art. All this and more in a Mister Welfare packed full of goodness! alvinhall.com

This week, Mr Gandy and Sherry sit down with the other half of DD-Pro, Dee TrannyBear, hair stylist extraordinaire! The trio delves into Dee's upbringing in Italy and Germany, and how he pursed his hair dreams all the way to America. www.dd-pro.com

This week, Mister Welfare was invited to participate in Montez Press Radio's summer takeover at Mathew Gallery in Chinatown, NYC. Mr. Gandy and his cohosts bring in Alexandra Morris and Laura Saenz, the team behind PROXYCO - a gallery showing Latin American artists - and Miguel Cárdenas, an artist featured in their recent exhibition, "Totems and Trophies." Together, they discuss the importance of having a space dedicated to showing Latin American art, how it builds a community, and how they arrived at their current state. https://www.proxycogallery.com/

This week, Mister Welfare sits down with Deja Smith in her new makeup and hair styling studio, DD-Pro in Manhattan, NYC. Mr. Gandy and co-hosts delve into Deja's journey from aspiring dancer to intersectional, award-winning makeup artist, who has gone on to style Laverne Cox, David Byrne, and a host of other celebrities. http://www.dd-pro.com/

Happy Birthday Mister Welfare! To celebrate a year of podcasting, our host and co-hosts sit down with DJ Manchildblack and performance artist Monstah Black, the musical duo (and married couple) known as The Illustrious Blacks. Recorded at The Public Theater, where Mr. Gandy first witnessed the Illustrious Blacks perform, the group dives into Manchildblack and Monstah Black's separate origins, their cosmic collision, and what they seek through the creation of their infectious Afro-Futurist music. See them at Joe's Pub June 23rd (https://www.publictheater.org/reserve/index.aspx?performanceNumber=37330) and at Central Park's SummerStage June 24th! (https://cityparksfoundation.org/events/nicky-sianos-hallelujah-disco-with-harlem-gospel-choir-and-melba-moore-the-illustrous-blacks/)

This week, Mister Welfare and company chat with the minds behind MYÜZ, the first and only independent content label for visual arts. Craig Shepherd, Corrine Gordon, and Jonathon Beckles discuss how they all met, and their motivations for starting MYÜZ, including the lack of paid royalties in the secondary art market, and trying to find ways to distribute art, building a wider audience. myuzq.org

This week, Mister Welfare and his co-hosts join Dermatologist Dr. Natalie Moulton-Levy in her SoHo office, where they discuss her practice of Cosmetic Dermatology. They go over different procedures, what happens during them, and what they accomplish, as well as other tips for your home skincare routine. http://www.integrativedermnyc.com/

This week, Mister Welfare chats with April Hunt and Paola Zanzo, the duo behind Spark Plug PR: an art-world marketing, event-planning, network-fostering, brand-building team. They discuss their company's goals, how they got to where they are, and discover some surprising connections with co-host Sherry B. Bronfman. Stay tuned after the episode for a brand new segment of art-themed Gandy Trivia! http://sparkplug-pr.com/ https://misterwelfare.com/gandy-trivia

This week on Mister Welfare, we are joined by Maureen Connor and Eugenia Manwelyan, both artists, and the minds behind How To Perform An Abortion, a workshop and source of information on Herbal (non-medical) abortions. They discuss the philosophies and history of the project, as well as their goals for its growth. After listening, find out more at www.howtoperformanabortion.com/.

On this week's episode, Mister Welfare and Ronald take a trip to NYC's SPiN, a Ping-Pong social club that serves up drinks and eats, in addition to sporting fun. They meet up with SPiN's co-founder Franck Raharinosy, and chat about his journey from childhood to becoming a world-famous entrepreneur.

This week, Mister Welfare welcomes Mashonda Tifrere to the show. Starting her career as a singer, Mashonda has since completed her education at the prestigious Christie's, and has started her own platform, ArtLeadHer. Through ArtLeadHer, her goals include celebrating and bringing awareness to the women creating, curating and thriving in the male-dominated art world. In this conversation, Mashonda touches on her humble beginnings and grapples with her newfound title of 'curator.' ArtLeadHer's next exhibition, "Her Time Is Now," opens on International Women's Day, March 8th, at Donna Karen's Urban Zen Center in NYC (705 Greenwich St).

This week, Mister Welfare presents a lost-and-found gem from Season 2! It was recorded one sunny afternoon in Pasadena, CA, where Mister Welfare was enjoying a walk with artist/counselor Adia Millett. They discuss her art, her counseling, and how the two practices compliment and contribute to each other. www.adiamillett.com www.creativecounselingwithadia.com

On this week’s Mister Welfare, co-host Ronald Sosinski takes us to the Noho Star restaurant to chat with manager Julia Lisowski. Noho Star and its sister spot, Temple Bar, recently closed their doors on December 31st, ending their tenure as New York mainstays since the late 1980’s. Julia and Ronald talk about these spots, as well as others owned by restaurateur George Schwarz (who passed away in December 2016); how they are an integral part of their lives and history in New York. With Noho Star and Temple Bar’s closings, you can find Julia over at Keens Chop House, and find more food at Elephant & Castle (NYC and Dublin).