La Casa Azul Bookstore Announces Events for July 2014

Independent bookstore La Casa Azul Bookstore released the program schedule for July 2014. The events include workshops, readings, book clubs, family days and include events with award winning authors and illustrators - all event listings are below.

El Barrio's Reading Oasis!

Tuesdays: July 1st - August 19th, 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Want to escape the office and enjoy some time in the sun and a good book in hand? Looking for a place to bring your kids to that offers greenery, games and stories?

La Casa Azul Bookstore had just the place for you: our reading oasis! Come in Tuesdays anytime between 12:00pm - 5:00pm to enjoy your lunch, read a book or just relax in our beautiful patio, an oasis this summer from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Rice and Beans Book Club

Wednesday, July 2, 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Song of Water Saints by Nelly Rosario follows three generations of Dominican women that are bold, real and complex. Be sure to pick up this novel for a dose of powerful realness. Visit our website for a complete list of book club selections.

Curso de diseño de interiores de un día, aprenda a diseñar interiores por sí misma/o!

Sábado, 5 de Julio de 2014 de 10am 5pm

Este curso/taller está dirigido a principiantes y no requiere ningún conocimiento previo. Es para cualquier persona que quiera añadir un acabado profesional a su propio hogar y también para los que están interesados en el diseño de interiores como una carrera. Anna es una diseñadora de interiores con más de 10 años de experiencia de trabajo en Sevilla, España. Ella le enseñará la manera de formular sus ideas, la forma de crear un espacio, cómo encontrar inspiración y cómo utilizar las herramientas básicas de diseño.

El contenido del curso: Introducción al diseño de interiores, cómo hacer un plano sencillo a escala, cómo usar los colores.

Precio: $85 Para registrarse o si tiene preguntas, envíe correo electrónico: anna@annazeibig.com

Craft Talk / Reading with Jennine Capo Crucet

Monday, July 7, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Jennine Capó Crucet will kick off Kweli's Annual Writers Conference. Crucet will read from her forthcoming novel Magic City Relic and her award winning short story collection How to leave Hialeah. Join Crucet and Kweli's Editor-in-Chief Laura Pegram for a conversation on craft. Crucet is a former sketch comedienne, so this promises to be a fun evening. Seating is limited. Preference is given to those who have registered for the conference. This event is in partnership with Kweli Journal. Visit www.kwelijournal.org for conference information and registration.

Art Opening: "A Ribbon Around A Bomb" by Suhaly Bautista, The Earth Warrior

Friday, July 11, 2014, 6:00pm-9:00pm

Frida Kahlo's art was once described by André Breton, surrealist movement founder, as reminiscent of "a ribbon around a bomb." Breton's description serves as the motivation behind this photographic document / portraiture series, which examines the myriad of dualities featured in Frida Kahlo's life and work and mirrors them against womyn featured in the work as political revolutionary and feminist. The series contains 21 color portraits and the accompanying written reflections of womyn who Bautista considers vivacious, unapologetic, passionate and courageous - all qualities shared with the legendary Kahlo. It is an ode to the femininity and grace Frida embodied, coupled with the strength, pain, aggression and revolution, which were unvarying constants in her life. Free event.

Family Day: Music by ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés!

Saturday, July 12, 2014, 11:00am-1:00pm

Andrés Salguero's ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! presents an interactive celebration of Latino culture for kids and families. Dance with us to salsa, bachata, plena, mariachi and more! Free event, perfect for families with children ages 2-8! Presented in partnership with the LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference) - www.latinalternative.com

3rd annual Frida Kahlo's birthday celebration!

Saturday, July 12, 2014, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

This year we will be celebrating the Mexican artist with our annual look-a-like contest with contemporary inspiration. If Frida were alive in 2014 what would she look like?

Come with your best modern Frida inspiration and show her spirit still lives on! Event will include music, photo booth, and art inspired by Frida. Can't come with flowers in your hair? No problem! You will be able to create your own flower head piece at our art-making station. $10 fee per person, advance ticket purchase recommended.

Breaking the Mold: Male Characters in Latino Young Adult Literature [panel]

Saturday July 19, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Join us as we explore the role of Latino male characters in Young Adult (YA) literature. A discussion will be lead by bookstore staff and will include a panel of local male YA authors Torrey Maldonado and Matt de la Peña, recent recipient of the 2014 Pura Belpre Honor Award. We will discuss what makes the protagonists relatable to teens today, why it is important to keep writing more Latino male leads in the future and how we can encourage our young men to be active lifelong readers. A Q&A session will follow in addition to a book signing by authors. Free event!

Music and poetry with Mahina Movement

Saturday July 19, 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Join Mahina Movement, the phenomenal women trio (Gabriella Callender, Lorena Ambrosio and Vaimoana LItia Makakaufaki Niumeitolu) and Friends for this homecoming event. Based in NYC, Mahina Movement create music and poetry tied to flesh and bone, straight from the heart. Mahina taken from the Tongan word for Moon and from the Spanish word imagine, Mahina Movement are World Citizens who come from Peru, Ireland, West Africa and Tonga. Mahina Movement have performed on over 500 stages including having performed with Angela Davis, Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Hillary Clintom and countless others. Spend an exhilarating evening of music and poetry by Mahina Movement and friends and come share food and drinks in celebrating home, family and community!

Book Party for Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

Wednesday July 23, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Tiphanie Yanique has been listed by BookPage as one of the 14 Women to watch out for in 2014. Her first novel, Land of Love and Drowning, has been praised by Edwidge Danticat who says "it will astound you and leave your breathless" and by Tayari Jones who calls it "a tour de force." She has been listed by the Boston Globe as one of the sixteen cultural figures to watch out for and by the National Book Foundation as one of the 5 Under 35. Tiphanie is from the Virgin Islands and teaches at the New School. Free event.

Create your own masterpiece!

Sunday, July 27, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Bring your favorite bottle of wine and you release your inner-artist with our painting class. You will walk away with a beautiful painting to hang in your home or give away as a gift. No prior experience needed.

Come with a group of friends or come alone and make new friends + you take home one 12"x16" painting!

All material included in art class. Fee: $25 (3 hours) - bring wine, beer or other drink of choice, must be 21 or over at attend event. Pre - registration recommended, limited seating.

Using Crowdfunding For Your Dream Project [workshop]

Wednesday, July 30, 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Are you an artist, author, an organization, or just someone with a really great idea for a product and you need funding?

Join us for a practical crowdfunding workshop aims to enable you to understand what crowdfunding is and how it works and to learn from best practice in the field. It will help you to clarify your project or venture and how to start to plan a campaign using crowdfunding campaign.Speaker: Aurora Anaya-Cerda founder of La Casa Azul Bookstore, lead a successful campaign "40K in 40 days" via Indiegogo. The White House recognized Aurora as a Champion of Change based on her experience as an entrepreneur who is pioneering the use of crowdfunding.

Workshop fee: $20 at the door

Poetry Reading that Recalls and Reclaims: Irene Perez and Silvia Siller

Thursday July 31, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Listen to Irene Perez read from her new collection: Encounter Between Cuentos and Versos. These poems show us a childhood lived in Puerto Rico, and they uncover a heart awakening to meet the complexity of a new life in the U.S. The Spanish dispersed throughout adds a necessary pulse to the poet's love and care for language.

Silvia Siller will debut an intimate poem collection just released in Spanish, De Mariposas y Mantis. Her collection encompasses universal feminine feelings ranging from love, melancholy, to motherhood and flamenco. De mariposas y Mantis "is a neo-romantic expression to use literary labels, fed by romanticism but in a more contemporaneous and current form, more contained, with an intriguing and fair word, without dramas, or excess. Silvia will be accompanied by a guitar player and will share some of her flamenco dancing poems. Free event.

Summer Concert Series at La Casa Azul Bookstore

Saturdays in July and August

Enjoy high-quality musical entertainment on Saturday afternoons in July and August at La Casa Azul Bookstore! From tribute artists to jarocho music and classical music, the Summer Concert Series showcases professional musicians from a wide range of musical backgrounds and is a perfect event for the entire family.

Food will be available for sale, as a fundraiser for the Becas Scholarship Program.

Becas is a program that offers scholarships that range from $4500 to $6030 to CUNY undergraduate and graduate students who meet three criteria: academic excellence, financial need, and commitment to service in the Mexican community. The scholarship primarily aids students with little or no access to other funding sources.

Concert ticket fee: $10, if pre-purchased online, or $12 at the door, free for children under 4

Radio Jarocho-Saturday, July 19, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Radio Jarocho plays son jarocho music fashioned after the towns, musicians, and swampy countryside that created it in Veracruz, Mexico. They also write their own songs and tailor them with assorted influences, creating a contemporary repertoire that captures the spirit of the traditional style.

Cassandra Oliveras-Saturday, August 2, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Cassandra Oliveras considers the Bolero repertoire a blazing counterpart to the American Songbook; its melodies timeless, and truths universal. She has performed as a soloist and choral singer in venues throughout NYC and in Paris.

She is both artist and arts administrator, currently working at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in NJ.

Chelsey Green-Saturday, August 16, 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Having studied classical technique and repertoire for over 20 years, Chelsey Green incorporates principles of standard classical music performance into the performance of original tunes and re-identified popular favorites in genres across the board including Soul, Gospel, R&B, Jazz, Funk, Rock, and more! Named an Artists-in-Residence at The Music Center at Strathmore in 2010, Ms. Green is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland College Park.