ART/PUNK Show Erupts On New York's L.E.S.

NEW YORK - June 13, 2015 - PRLog -- In a highly anticipated pop-up art show called "Springtime Surge" curated by fellow artists Johnny Velardi aka JohnnyV and Ned Lindsay from the band Damn Kids, New York's Lower East Side will come alive with music and art from some of the region's most vibrant and eclectic artists and music legends, including Fly, Boxtopus, Iconicide, Damn Kids, and Coffin Daggers.

Over 50 carefully selected artists will display their works at the Rivington Music Rehearsal Studios at 188 Stanton Street in New York's Lower East Side on Friday, June 19, from 6 to 10 pm. The exciting show will combine the dark, subversive elements of Peter Missing, Amy Toxic and Berta Mueller (Girl Gangs Against Street Harrassment) with the familiar and iconic work of Hubert Kretzschmar (illustrator of the Rolling Stones "Some Girls" album cover), photographer, artist and film maker Katrina Del Mar (Gang Girls 2000), with Paul Kostabi's angst filled self-portraits.

Firmly rooted in the Lower East Side community and very much a part of its artistic history, Velardi and Lindsay are excited to create a haven for their artistic vision in this iconic space. "Over the years, the crumbling storefronts and tenements have given way to glistening curtain wall structures and high-end retail," said Lindsay. "But despite these changes, the spirit of the Lower East Side lives on, and this group of artists and musicians stand as testament to that."

"The Lower East Side has been, is, and will continue to be a source of vitality in the arts," observed Velardi. "We are expressing, embodying and encouraging that vitality in this special event that reflects the true spirit of this community as a Mecca of creativity."

The show will also bring the best of featured artwork from artists including Pete Missing, Amy Toxic, Bob Barry, Tony Wells, Renna Mae, Rev. Jen Miller, Dr. Zian Saxon, Tessa Lou Fix, Jenny Gonzalez Blitz, Linus Coraggio, Leslie Lowe, Darryl LaVare, John Nikolai, Morrie Cramer, Fur Dixon, Scott Mitchell Putesky aka Daisy Berkowitz (Marilyn Manson Guitarist), Jeff Brandt aka Bat (former lead singer of pUbLiC NuIsAnCe), Rick Hunt, Ned Lindsay, Paul Kostabi, Johnny V., Jeff Doucette, Chris Caggiano, Katrina Del Mar, Anne Hanavan, Zoe Hansen, Rob Friedrich, Liz Kresch, Berta Mueller, Maca Moreno, Rob Ehrler, Lynne Von Pang, Surge, Olivia Larraine, Tim McVicker, Songe Riddle, Shawn McVicker, Brett Kahler, Kelly Forsyth, Sonny Vincent,  M. Apparition, and Cam De Leon.

The far-reaching group of artists and musicians will celebrate the Lower East Side as a creative and vital center for artists of all genres and media. "We are truly an eclectic group with a common thread, in keeping with the old tradition of performance, art, and live music all together," said Velardi. "Ours is the Underground. We are the rebel voice, which lends itself to the madcap spark of Dada and Absurdist theater."

About the curators

Johnny Velardi lives and works in the East Village, New York City. He is and has been an artist, curator, and musician for over 30 years. Known well as the guitarist for the notorious pUbLiC NuIsAnCe, his art shows include Attack Art (1988 Stockwell Gallery), Metropolis Apocalypse (Supreme Trading 2008) Metal=Heavy and Twisted (Anita Durst Chashama 2009) and She is still herE (RMRS 2014). Links to all at http://www.johnnyvnyc.com.

Ned Lindsay is a master builder, musician and artist. He is a member of the band Damn Kids with former members of White Zombie, Action Swingers and Hammerbrain. He was a contributor to Boji for the Mentally Ill Fanzine and an artist in Attack Art. Metropolis Apocalypse and She is still herE.

Multimedia/Music Director/Writer

Chris Caggiano, a legend in the New York punk scene and well known for his band Iconicide, began as publisher of Someplace Like Earth, Trading Post and The First Stone zines, and staff writer for Bad Newz. Iconicide has hosted over 100 members, and has ties to music groups as diverse as Plasmatics and the Fifth Dimension, and among his published works are the novelization of the post-apocalyptic comic book SickWorld! Aside from acting as performance coordinator for a number of JohnnyV's Art shows including Metropolis Apocalypse and She is still HerE, he continues to organize and host such concert series as Puke Island, the female fronted Punk showcase Iconicide Presents: A Witches' Night Out, and, alongside Chris Flash of the Shadow underground newspaper, the anniversary commemorations of the Tompkins Square Park Riots, which served as a harbinger for how drastically this vital and thriving lower and working class artistic community would change over the next twenty years.