10,000 Pink Balloons to Empower and Inspire

Want to make a difference in someones life in a war-torn city? Don’t have the funds or time to go? Join me and thousands of others in a campaign to share 10,000 pink balloons with the people of Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Project

NY-based artist Yazmany Arboleda is taking his 10,000 Balloons public art project to Kabul, Afghanistan. The project is live right now! People from all over the world are purchasing balloons so that on a surprise Saturday morning, Arboleda and a team of 130 Afghani volunteers will hand out 10,000 pink balloons in Kabul. (Afghanistan is one of five countries that start their work week on a Saturday.)

This is an awesome and creative project that’s meant to bond a war-torn city.

Why Pink?

Pink represents the feminine voice, which in Afghanistan has always been beaten down and disenfranchised. It takes a “suspension of belief,” Arboleda says, to imagine a woman talking to a man in public space, but that’s exactly what his team is going to do (half are men and half are women). On Saturday, May 11 (date embargoed cause it’s a surprise), the start of the Afghan work week, Arboleda’s team will surprise the city with the bio-degradable balloons and personal messages written inside.

Arboleda is a Columbian-born, NY-based artist and has done similar projects in Bangalore, Nairobi and Yamaguchi. The difference is that those were funded by cultural groups and this time he wanted to make it global + crowdfunded.

It’s $1 to buy a balloon and write a message and be included on the WeBelieveInBalloons mural. Arboleda has already gotten approval from Afghani gov to put the mural up permanently at Afghanistan International Airport after the project is done.

How can you help?

10,000 Balloons For $1

Visit the Participate Now page where you can buy one balloon, upload your picture, and write a message. Or, you can collaborate on behalf of colleagues, teammates, family, friends, social media audiences, clients, partners, by buying multiple balloons and uploading pictures. Please retweet and share this project with your friends, family, and on your social media outlets! I purchased my balloon yesterday. See if you can find me on the mural!

Until next time! -xo AGT

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6

Go Local – Art After Dark

What better way to enjoy a museum than during one of its after hours events? Music, art, drinks, and there’s typically an age requirement of 21 and up. This is one of my favorite times to visit some of the museums in New York City either solo, with friends, or for date night.

Art After Dark at The Guggenheim
1071 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10128

Hours:  9 pm–midnight

$18 guests and general public (credit card only at the door); cash bar

At its Art After Dark program, the Guggenheim transforms into a cocktail-driven, DJ-studded, fashion-forward event designed to introduce the masses to the museum’s art collections without the formality of daylight the first Friday of most months. The DJs change frequently and often bring a highly loyal fan base with them.  Lines can be long, so it’s best to arrive early. http://www.guggenheim.org

Target Saturdays at Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11238

Hours: 5pm – 11pm

Free

On the first Saturday of every month, the Brooklyn Museum hosts Target Saturdays, an evening of special events and drinks.The  is transformed into a DJ-thumping, bodies moving, fun dance party. Attendees also enjoy live music, special programs, and access to all of the museum’s exhibits until 11pm! Each month is a different theme i.e African Dance, Hispanic Culture, Pride, etc…Children are welcome at attend this event and there is special programing for them as well. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org

K2 Nights at Rubin Museum

150 W 17th St., New York, NY 10011

Hours: Fridays, 6pm – 10pm

Free

Every Friday night, the Rubin Museum’s Serai Restaurant morphs into the K2 Lounge, serving cocktails and Asian tapas.  Admission to the galleries is free from 6-10pm, and you can stroll the museum’s Himalayan-themed exhibits while DJs spin accompanying tunes. The museum hosts special curated exhibits, film viewings and live music performances. Arrive early for the 2-for-1 drink specials offered from 6-7pm. http://www.rmanyc.org

Late Nights at the MOMA

11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019

Hours: Fridays, 4pm – 8pm

Free

Admission is free for all visitors during UNIQLO Free Friday Nights, held every Friday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Your UNIQLO Free Friday Night ticket permits you to all other Museum galleries, exhibitions, and films. http://www.moma.org

Uptown Fridays! At the Studio Museum in Harlem

144 West 125th Street, New York, New York 10027

Hours: Fridays 6pm – 9pm

Free

Join friends and neighbors to dance to the sounds of the DJ in the Studio Museum’s courtyard, check out the exhibitions on view during guided tours, browse through the innovative items in the Museum Store, and enjoy great food and creative cocktails at the Atrium Café.Uptown Fridays is FREE and open to the public. Visit their website for the next Uptown Friday event. http://www.studiomuseum.org 

Until next time! -xo AGT

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Adventures in Philly

I was up for a small road trip, I had a Living Social Adventures deal for yoga and wine tasting, and my friend had never been to Philly so we set the dates, packed up the car, and headed south on the good old Jersey Turnpike. The weather was perfect for our trip – not too windy, the sun was shining, and temps were in the mid 70’s. We arrived in Philly around 2:30pm and found an awesome parking spot on the street near the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Now, I’ve been to Philly several times before and I always park in the garage. It’s easy, it’s convenient, and it’s cheaper than most parking garages in NYC (enough said). Don’t ask me why, because I’m not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to deviate from the norm, but have you only live once right?

We visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, then decided to take a bus tour. I moved the car into the garage where I should have left it for the night because we knew we wouldn’t be back to feed the meter and we had already seen several cars get towed.

The bus tour was a really relaxing way to see the city and we were able to get on an off when we wanted to spend time more time at a particular location.

After the bus ride we explored on foot

Full bellies, new ink, and a desire to dance with picked up the car from the garage and looked for places to go dancing. The sounds of salsa and bachata drew us in to a cute little place in Old City. We parked the car, put on our heels,and went inside to dance the night away. We emerged from the club around 2:30am only to get to the block where I parked the car and found that is was no longer there, and there was actually someone else parking in the spot.

Yes, it happened (que dramatic music). I had become a victim of parking wars….we reread the sign 3 times to try and determine the reason for towing and finally found the answer midway down the pole….a handicap sign the size of my iPhone. Awesome. Clearly my fault, but a bigger sign or perhaps some verbiage where the rest of the parking guidelines were would have been helpful.

We cabbed it over to the impound lot where many others were waiting, all victims of the Philly parking system. Everyone had a different story and only a few people seemed to be in bad spirits. I think most of us were all so tired that all we could do was laugh at the situation, and I laughed until I nearly cried. $150 and an hour or so later we were able to pick up the car, but not before receiving an additional fine of $301 to be paid within 30 days.

Exhausted, we head back to the house and ended up falling asleep before setting any alarms. When we finally woke up we realized that we completely missed the Living Social Yoga Adventure so we cracked open a bottle of champagne, made breakfast, and laughed over mimosas. In the end, the trip was definitely one for the books. We’ll never forget it that’s for sure lol.

Philly was an adventure, but we couldn’t wait to get back to NYC. Do you have any trip disaster stories? How did you turn the situation around?

Love AGT :)