The Opening of the “Corn Flakes Boxes” Show and Other News!
Busy Spring Coming Up!
The opening of Bobby Grossman’s “Corn Flakes & More” show at the Ki Smith Gallery on 3/8/25 was an unqualified success, and one of the most fun gallery openings I’ve ever attended.
For details, here’s the LINK to the Ki Smith Gallery:
https://www.kismithgallery.com
Unfortunately, I had a problem with my jholmstrom@punk magazine.com email account during (and after) the event (which is almost 100% fixed as I write this). As a result, I don’t have photos of people from the event (and several people promised to email photos to me, dammit!)… We had an amazing crowd! So if anyone out there has photos from the show? Please email them to me and maybe I can post them next week.
Meanwhile, here are some images of the Corn Flakes boxes in the show:
Bobby’s photos time-traveled me to those bad old days of the late 1970s and early ’80s, when people were always up to do something weird, and we supported each other’s attempts to do fun things together. I’ve always thought that this was the special thing that held the East Village scene together back in the day: We weren’t “careerists” trying to get rich from working together, we were just having fun, while trying to create interesting stuff together.
If you’re interested in purchasing a Corn Flakes box (which contain an art print and maybe a toy?) and/or a Bobby Grossman photo, contact the Ki Smith Gallery:
1.917.292.3572
info@kismithgallery.com
The price list is available at their Website.
Like I said, it was an amazing party! Some of the people who attended: Michael Gramaglia (Director of End of the Century, the best Ramones film); Luis Accorsi (Toxic Tito lead singer, who recorded a song for the upcoming Ramones Tribute album); Steven Hager (Former Editor-in-Chief of High Times Magazine, who also wrote Art After Midnight, the seminal book about the East Village art scene, and I worked with for many years); Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads musician); Cynthia Ross from the B-Girls and many more people I can’t remember right now.
Stay tuned: Ki Smith and I are working on a 50th Anniversary of PUNK Magazine event that will take place before too long. My new intern/personal assistant Nour will be assisting us on putting it together.
The Underground Museum/Archive Project
In other news, the Underground Museum project is on life support. The message I am getting from big donors is that the economy has been so bad, and now looks like it could get much worse, that no one wants to risk any money on anything. Which sucks. But that’s reality.
We are still reaching out to possible big money donors, so if you know anyone who would like to establish a cultural institution in the East Village to highlight and inform people about punk rock and its roots in the counterculture, let me know? Thanks.
If you contact me at: jholmstrom@punkmagazine.com I can reply with the “pitch deck” and answer any and all questions.
Meanwhile, don’t worry if you’ve donated to the GoFundMe project: All funds will be returned if it doesn’t come together in time. So feel free to donate again, and to encourage anyone else to donate. You have nothing to lose:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-new-york-underground-museum-punk-lives
And special thanks to everyone who has donated so far. I really appreciate it.
The Battle of the Bands Rematch/Joey Ramone Birthday Bash
Nour S. And I have made several attempts to get the original six bands from the September 28 Rainout Event at Tompkins Square Park, but since some of them have been involved in international tours and recording projects it looks like we won’t be able to put it back together.
Meanwhile, we have been able to get two of the bands to perform at the upcoming Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, and there are plans to have other bands perform at an upcoming Tompkins Square event. We appreciate their cooperation and involvement in the TSP show, and will have more news about future shows.
Dark Matter?
As most of you know, Miss Debra “Raffles” Trizzini and I have worked together on a few projects (in addition to being Joey Ramone Birthday Bash (JRBB) co-hosts for many years). Our show at the Metropolis vintage clothing store last year was kind of epic, a triumphant success and a bitter failure all rolled into one. We’re planning to put together another exhibition for this year’s JRBB! So Watch This Space For News.
Check out the latest t-shirt designs: Soon to be available worldwide!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I sent out a newsletter that went to “paid subscribers only” by accident, but I’ll be sending out more exclusive stuff to them as I get more supporters.