June 23, 2014

Painters Andy Hammerstein + Tom Christopher are making it on Broadway


B R I L L   B U I L D I N G   P R O J E C T
Times Square, 2014
June 17 - July 4
M-F 4-10 p.m.
1619 Broadway @ 49th Street

Hammerstein and Christopher are live on Broadway! Not in the theater, but in a unique pop-up-gallery-studio space called the Brill Building Project. 

Andy Hammerstein and his painter friend, Tom Christopher, have occupied the street-level windows of the venerable Brill Building -- the most famous music building in New York (RIP Gerry Goffin) -- and can be seen painting paintings of Times Square in full view of the Times Square public.

"Thousands of people have stopped to watch us paint," Andy said. "Musicians, ticket hawkers and street artists have been drawn by the crowds."

"At first the prospect of painting on public view seemed frightening," he added. "But, to Tom's and my surprise, it has become addictive!"

                                                       Painting: Andy Hammerstein

The lights, traffic and bustle of New York at night has long been a central theme in Andy's expressive-realist style. He has also written a book, The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family which chronicles his family's impact on American theater and the Great White Way we have today. (If you are a Broadway junkie, check out my interview that appeared in Bedford Magazine,"Getting to Know You: Oscar Andy Hammerstein III. Don't be daunted by the length of the piece ... it's chock-full of colorful first-hand Broadway history told in Andy's ever-inimitable manner of speaking.)

Though the paintings created during the Brill Building Project are not for sale, click here and here to see the artists in the process of their craft.
                                                        Painting: Tom Christopher

Andy Hammerstein and Tom Christopher are taking up studio residence from Monday- Friday, 4-10 p.m. -- until July 4 -- at 49th and Broadway. You can't miss them. 

2 comments:

Tom Christopher said...

Great article, thanks for writing it!

Here are some videos to check out about the project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ensXhYQLoE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTkIzl3_SIA

Bonni Brodnick said...

My pleasure, Tom. Thanks for your note.

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