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WHAT’S NEW
This week we’re sharing a new coolstuff playlist to listen to, highlighting our favorite places to view art outside, and introducing you to a cool new friend: Paolo Arao.

CULTURE CORNER 

READ
We’re back with another roundup of what we’re reading online right now! Dive into our favorite short-form pieces from all over the web:

In Defense of Hard Clothes, Noah Johnson — GQ
“True comfort comes from hard, crunchy clothes that don’t coddle you”

Conscious Creativity, Dave O’Brien — It’s Nice That
“There is a false sense of solidarity in the creative industry and it’s down to unpaid work”

A San Jose Rental Apartment Comes to Life With Affordable Hacks, Gabrielle Savoie — Domino Mag 
“This creative couple made (or thrifted) every last thing.”

LISTEN 
It’s been a while since we’ve updated the official coolstuff.nyc playlist™ and let’s be real… there hasn’t been much new music in a minute! This week we’re doing a little back-to-back action of our favorite covers & the original. Listen here.

SHOP
One of our favorite ways to shop locally, and sustainably is buying from small second-hand dealers. Brooklyn Flea brings together a great selection of small dealers — we’ve found great coats, wacky vintage pins, and TONS of records. Check them out in DUMBO on Saturdays!

BEST OF
Cases are on the rise again in NYC and we’re still missing looking at art! So...we’ve rounded up the ~best~ places to view art OUTDOORS in NY. We’ve got a good mix of sculpture parks, public works, and hidden gems all for ur benefit over on our site (click right here!)

COOL FRIENDS: Paolo Arao

Meet Paolo, an NYC-based textile artist whose bold, abstract, geometric works often defy two-dimensional space and embrace the world around us.

How did your career as a textile artist begin?

I was making paintings prior to working with textiles. In 2016 I was invited to be a visiting artist in the Fibers and Materials Studies department at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. I had the wonderful opportunity to create a woven textile based on a painting of mine on a Jacquard TC2 loom. It was my first time weaving and I produced three weavings while I was there! This experience had a profound impact on me and it marked the turning point in my practice from painting to textiles. 

What's your favorite part about the New York creative community?

Studio visits with other artists! These interactions and the conversations that stem from them have been supportive and integral to building and sustaining a creative community. With the onset of COVID, many of these interactions have become virtual, which isn’t the same experience, but it has allowed me to connect with a wider community of artists and makers beyond NYC.

What's inspiring you right now?

Deadlines! I recently finished work for a three person show in LA at Steve Turner Gallery. And I have an upcoming solo project at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia opening in February 2021. Inspiration also comes from daily morning walks around my neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Follow along:

www.paoloarao.com
@paolo_arao on Instagram

PALETTE
Tuesday in Central Park

Read more Best Of articles, Cool Freinds interviews, past Newsletter editions on our website: www.coolstuff.nyc 


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