Sicily through a new mirror

Above, "Le cupole rosse della chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti Palermo," by Ida Saitta.

Just around the corner and down a block or two from our apartment, there's a storefront that is, more often than not, shuttered. But every so often, I walk by and see something a little bit magical in the otherwise unassuming area: an exhibition of photographs, say, or an invitation to take classes to learn Italian.

Today, a lovely little exhibition of paintings closed."Sicily Through a New Mirror," which presented a selection of Ida Saitta's work, was a breath of fresh air; the paintings were lively and colorful and made me want to learn more about Sicily, and Saitta, and the Cultural Association of the Molise Region (the organization responsible for the gallery and event space, which is at 31-16 36th Ave. in LIC).

If you missed out, fret not: there are more shows coming up. From October 22 to 29, "Colori d'Italia" will showcase photographs of Danilo Susi; in November, an exhibition on Jackson Pollack is planned and will feature the photojournalism of Tony Vaccaro; and in December, there will be something from Angela Grancagnolo.

Wild colors at Welling Court

We've been by a few times before, but it's always fun to stop and see the art at Welling Court (near 30th Avenue and 12th Street in Astoria). This was the second year that art (under the aegis of Ad Hoc Art) was splashed across buildings in the area; the new pieces were unveiled in June. Artists include Alice Mizrachi, Fumero (who did Einstein, below), Darkclouds, Lady Pink, OverUnder, Ron English, Stormie Mills, TooFly, and many, many more.

On the street: sunk

The balloons, they sag. On 36th Avenue, near Cafe Triskell.

Roo

Loved this stencil -- saw it on some plywood on 35th St., near 35th Ave., in Astoria. (Anyone know the artist? Credit where credit's due!)

Out and about after Irene

Our backyard looked to be in pretty good shape: a few fallen figs and a bottle of prescription cough syrup that somehow blew our way; no real damage to report. After the rain stopped and the wind died down, we decided to take a long walk through Astoria and Long Island City. The abandoned umbrella, on Vernon Boulevard, brightened up a desolate stretch. Ditmars Boulevard was surprisingly lively; a number of restaurants found a way to open, and though a few trees were down, none of them seemed to have done much structural damage to buildings. Astoria Park was a nexus of activity -- two short stretches of Shore Boulevard were submerged, and the atmostphere was festive. Children splashed in the puddled water, bikers braved crossings, and people picnicked. Across the East River, with no public transit to speak of, Manhattan felt a world away.

Warning signs

We bought our supplies yesterday and secured the plants and furniture in our backyard this morning, so we decided to walk around Astoria this afternoon. Eerily quiet; many businesses closed, and very few people on the streets. The signs were quite interesting, though.

Here comes the rain again

Rain showers before Irene: what are we in for?

On the block

Most street fairs, at least in Astoria, are fairly standard: whether you're on 36th Avenue or Ditmars, you can bet you'll see mozzarepas, cheap sheet sets, and Time Warner guys trying to sell you on cable. Was there a time when these were a bit more distinct, a better reflection of neighborhood culture? Perhaps, but it seems those days are long gone.

The Japan Block Fair held today was a break from the norm; yes, there were those comforting sweet corn cakes stuffed with mozzarella, but there was also a short stretch of Broadway devoted to Japanese food, crafts, and culture. Very cool; if only it had been a bit bigger! It looks like there will be another such event later this summer in Manhattan -- I could be wrong, but I think this site suggests that on August 21 there'll be vendors and performances around 44th St. and Madison Ave. You should go!

Today, at the farmer's market

We headed again to the greenmarket at Socrates Sculpture Park (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday until mid-November); this afternoon looks like it will be perfect for a barbecue. The boys got smoked duck breast, but I mooned over the beautiful garlic, lovely new carrots, and lush heads of lettuce. We looked out over the water, then watched the Saturday morning open-air yoga class for a bit, and adjourned home.

Summer on the sidewalk

This fellow was camped out on a green folding chair, shirt off, thick magazine in hand. No one else was on that stretch of 30th Street, walking or biking or sitting on stoops; he looked something like the king of the Queens summer.