Love Letter Lounge - Pop-Up Gallery for Valentines - Jan 20 to Feb 9, 2015
LOVE LETTER LOUNGE
Jester of the Peace
Barbara Ann Michaels
chashama 266
266 West 37th Street, New York, NY
Jan. 20 - Feb. 9
Mon.-Sat. Noon-6p & Sun. 11a-12:30p
& by Appointment
Love Letter Lounge is a participatory performance installation about Love. Gallery guests can write love letters of joy or loss to flames present, past, and future, or letters to beloved family and friends and colleagues - just in time to post for Valentine's Day. There will be a bowl at the door for guests to leave love letters for strangers. Each day, guests can practice habits of healthy love as part of the daily Lasting Love Practicum, with themes changing every few days. While In the gallery, Ms. Michaels will write her book on what she has learned about love as an award winning legal wedding officiant in New York City for the last five years, as well as from her own eccentric path of love. She offers legal weddings and symbolic ceremonies of devotion throughout the exhibition. Legal weddings require a valid New York City wedding license.
LOVE LETTERS
Bring your happy-in-love heart, your eager-to-love heart, your almost-healed heart, or your still-bitter one. Ms. Michaels offers all you need to create a letter to your love: real, imagined, or gone. Pen your affection to a romantic connection, to a dear friend, a family member, even a co-worker you want to appreciate. Or, leave a love letter for a stranger who needs one, in the basket by the door. A shredder will be on hand for hurt/hate mail, if you need to free yourself.
LASTING LOVE PRACTICUM
Each day, Ms. Michaels also will engage visitors in practicing a quality of healthy love via her Lasting Love Practicum. For example, on relationship communication, Be Seen or Be Heard lets guests choose to either be listened to and reflected for five minutes, or receive compliments for five minutes, directly from Ms. Michaels.
SHE’S WRITING A BOOK IN THE GALLERY
While in residence at chashama’s gallery, Ms. Michaels will write her book on what she has learned about love as an award winning New York City wedding officiant over the last five years. She’ll include stories and excerpts from her gay and straight ceremonies, which currently number about 300, and wisdom and wit from her own eccentric path of love so far. Her book is her Love Letter to all our hearts.
WEDDING CEREMONIES - LEGAL OR SYMBOLIC
Pledge your devotion to any person, practice, object, place, or way of being in an improvisational ceremony guided by Ms. Michaels. If you wish to legally marry your partner at Love Letter Lounge, bring a legal wedding license!
ABOUT BARBARA ANN MICHAELS
As a theater clown and performance artist, Barbara Ann Michaels has performed at the New York Clown Theatre Festival, Susan Eley Fine Art, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Museum of Science, Figment Festival and in many parades and festivals. Ms. Michaels also is an award winning wedding officiant in New York City. She recently was inducted into The Knot Hall of Fame, for winning in their Best of Weddings category for four years in a row. She is the subject of a documentary film in progress by filmmaker Carlos Marquez Perez, about how a theater clown naturally makes a good wedding officiant. She’ll be delighted to see you.
photo: courtesy of Barbara Ann Michaels
Jester of the Peace
Barbara Ann Michaels
chashama 266
266 West 37th Street, New York, NY
Jan. 20 - Feb. 9
Mon.-Sat. Noon-6p & Sun. 11a-12:30p
& by Appointment
Love Letter Lounge is a participatory performance installation about Love. Gallery guests can write love letters of joy or loss to flames present, past, and future, or letters to beloved family and friends and colleagues - just in time to post for Valentine's Day. There will be a bowl at the door for guests to leave love letters for strangers. Each day, guests can practice habits of healthy love as part of the daily Lasting Love Practicum, with themes changing every few days. While In the gallery, Ms. Michaels will write her book on what she has learned about love as an award winning legal wedding officiant in New York City for the last five years, as well as from her own eccentric path of love. She offers legal weddings and symbolic ceremonies of devotion throughout the exhibition. Legal weddings require a valid New York City wedding license.
LOVE LETTERS
Bring your happy-in-love heart, your eager-to-love heart, your almost-healed heart, or your still-bitter one. Ms. Michaels offers all you need to create a letter to your love: real, imagined, or gone. Pen your affection to a romantic connection, to a dear friend, a family member, even a co-worker you want to appreciate. Or, leave a love letter for a stranger who needs one, in the basket by the door. A shredder will be on hand for hurt/hate mail, if you need to free yourself.
LASTING LOVE PRACTICUM
Each day, Ms. Michaels also will engage visitors in practicing a quality of healthy love via her Lasting Love Practicum. For example, on relationship communication, Be Seen or Be Heard lets guests choose to either be listened to and reflected for five minutes, or receive compliments for five minutes, directly from Ms. Michaels.
SHE’S WRITING A BOOK IN THE GALLERY
While in residence at chashama’s gallery, Ms. Michaels will write her book on what she has learned about love as an award winning New York City wedding officiant over the last five years. She’ll include stories and excerpts from her gay and straight ceremonies, which currently number about 300, and wisdom and wit from her own eccentric path of love so far. Her book is her Love Letter to all our hearts.
WEDDING CEREMONIES - LEGAL OR SYMBOLIC
Pledge your devotion to any person, practice, object, place, or way of being in an improvisational ceremony guided by Ms. Michaels. If you wish to legally marry your partner at Love Letter Lounge, bring a legal wedding license!
ABOUT BARBARA ANN MICHAELS
As a theater clown and performance artist, Barbara Ann Michaels has performed at the New York Clown Theatre Festival, Susan Eley Fine Art, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Museum of Science, Figment Festival and in many parades and festivals. Ms. Michaels also is an award winning wedding officiant in New York City. She recently was inducted into The Knot Hall of Fame, for winning in their Best of Weddings category for four years in a row. She is the subject of a documentary film in progress by filmmaker Carlos Marquez Perez, about how a theater clown naturally makes a good wedding officiant. She’ll be delighted to see you.
photo: courtesy of Barbara Ann Michaels