Empire beautifully showcases Vega’s vast bodies of work in a selection of seminal series that speak to his love of the spaces where the symbolic and the vernacular mix and merge. “My ideas come from the streets,” Vega was known to proclaim.
“Paying homage to both the old and new, the gallery can sometimes feel like a heady party . . . the shows also prove that the East Village isn’t dead.”
One of the unique aspects of Howl! Happening is the merging of the old school with younger community members, musicians and artists who are learning firsthand about their roots, while contributing their own work and energy. It is rare to find such a natural sense of inclusion.