Come As You Are Event Page 

You’re invited to a historic party! Come As you Are will be held on the evening on May 17, 2023 at Pen + Brush. This fundraising event is in support of our continued work, exhibition, and publishing programs.

The event will feature a live set by DJ April Hunt.

For this event Pen + Brush is joining forces with B&B Italia, a company established in 1966 as the result of the entrepreneurial vision of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, the Group has built its success on the ability to represent contemporary culture through design and to anticipate trends, constantly seeking to respond to changes in taste and living needs. Through this partnership, P+B and B&B Italia aim to elevate the voice of Art & Design celebrating, honoring and elevating women specifically by introducing a collaborative performance by Italian artist, Michela Martello, and B&B Italia’s iconic UP chair.

By purchasing a ticket here, donors and friends will get:

• Live painting performance by Michela Martello in dialogue with B&B Italia’s iconic UP Chair.
• Access to event on May 17th, featuring a live set by DJ April Hunt.
• Hors d’oeuvres inspired by Italian design and contemporary art by JoJo’z Munchiez.
• Signature cocktail(s).
• Support of Pen + Brush a registered 501(c)3.

Special thanks to our community for their support of this event:

Board of Directors

Nette Forné Thomas, President

Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr, Vice President

Liz Cenedella, Treasurer

Anne Dushanko Dobek, Secretary

Elyse Topalian, Director

Athena George, Director

Janice Sands, Director

Heejung Kim, Director

As You Are Host Committee

Deborah Buck

Phong Bui

Jan Cohen

Eden Deering

Amy Deneson

Lola Flash

Monique Frumberg

Julianna Glasse

Monica King

Rick Kinsel and The Vilcek Foundation

Michela Martello

Claire Oliver Gallery

Phyllis and Shannon Sacks

Muys Snijders

Stacey Yael

Young Leadership Host Committee

Shayla George

Julia Rae Yael

Seeing this image of women in a space where you can become and be yourself while celebrating meaningful work of art and advocacy can feel like an esoteric thing, but it is no way intangible.  For decades and throughout our two locations artists, writers, colleagues, and visitors alike have talked about the “feeling”, “atmosphere”, “vibe”, and sense of comfort and security that they feel in our space and at our events. This photograph and Pen + Brush’s history of being an open and safe space is referenced in an article for the Brooklyn Rail in 2019, where writer, Alex A. Jones wonders “if suffrage-era members might be overwhelmed by transgender rights issues in the United States today”. The answer is a resounding no, and Jones uses this 1932 black-and-white image of a festive group of club members and friends gathered with no less than five dressed as men in suits and mustaches, to say that Pen + Brush has been and continues to become a refuge for women and queer artists and writers. This has become part of our institutional memory and we believe that such a safe space is born and fostered out of our dedication to support artists who are creating impactful work that is so engrained in a larger cultural dialogue that to deny it recognition is to perpetuate a corrupt society and incomplete canon of the history of art and literature.

One such artist is Lola Flash. Who, after a lifetime of creating an exemplary body of work, one that transverses art and advocacy, was still, in a sense, an under-represented voice when we met in 2015. P+B proudly worked with Flash on her retrospective exhibition in 2018 and through that experience and our shared dedication of fostering each other’s work, we were able to help make and hold space for Flash’s voice and legacy. Her work is now in the collections of MoMA, The Whitney, and National Museum of African American History and Culture, among others. Once again, Alex A. Jones describes this symbiotic relationship best in their article for the Brooklyn Rail, saying “Flash is one of Pen + Brush’s biggest success stories, and given her expansive exploration of gender identity and race, her work also exemplifies the contemporary mission of Pen + Brush.”

Image: Lola Flash, Bacchanal, 1991, Original cross-colour photograph, Courtesy of the artist and the Sacks Collection

SUPPORT Come As You Are without attending HERE

Your donation donation comes with ONE rare signed and numbered poster by Lola Flash in a closed edition of 500.

Pen and Brush is 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The cost of each ticket is $50. Admission includes hors d’oeuves and wine, with an estimated fair market value of $25. The amount of a contribution that is deductible for federal income tax purposes is limited to the amount contributed, reduced by the value of any goods or services provided by the organization. Accordingly, $25 of the cost of each ticket is a contribution.  Please consult your tax advisor to determine your income tax deduction.  A copy of Pen & Brush’s most recently filed financial report is available from the Charities Registry on the New York State Attorney General’s website (http://www.charitiesnys.com/) or, upon request, by contacting us at 29 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010.   You also may obtain information on charitable organizations from the New York State Office of the Attorney General at http://www.charitiesnys.com/ or (212) 416-8686.