“Bernie Sanders Asks Anyone Who’s Serious About Breaking Up Big Banks To Meet Him On Corner Of Canal and Bowery At Midnight.” That Onion headline from a couple of days ago all but became a reality today when the presidential candidate dropped into an art opening on the Bowery— pretty, pretty close to Canal.
As we noted earlier this week, “The Art of Political Revolution”, a traveling group show of Sanders-inspired art, is parking at The Hole this weekend. A press invite indicated Bernie’s wife, Jane, and her son David Driscoll would be stopping into the opening tonight, but not even the organizers knew whether Bernie himself would join. Lord knows he’s probably jet lagged— plus, would a presidential candidate (and big fan of the Pope) really stop into an art gallery that, just a couple of days ago, had papier mâché boobs on display?
But, sure enough, Bernie rolled in just after 7 p.m., and, during a quick loop around the gallery, pondered worshipful works by Ron English, Jeremyville, Jermaine Rogers, and other artists who were there for the opening along with DJs Tommie Sunshine (an avowed Sanders supporter) and Lady Miss Kier.
Ron English (left) and Jermaine Rogers.
Rostarr had spent about 12 hours doing a piece much like the mural he created for our B+B Newsroom, painting from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Rostarr’s mural.
“I’ve gotta tell you, on a personal level,” Bernie told the crowd as he stood in front of Steven Arroyo’s piece consisting of triangular American flag cut-outs. “It is a little bit weird to see all these guys that look like me on the wall.” Not to mention, the encased muppet (no, not that Bernie muppet) created by Donny Miller.
Jason Fields (@fasonista) on Instagram.
“The fact that so many people would volunteer the time to come up with this really creative and beautiful stuff is precisely what we are trying to do,” Sanders said. “We’re trying to unleash the energy and the potential of the American people, and that’s what this is about.”
Some of the artists, organizers, and DJs.
Sanders went on to say that he expected 15,000 to 20,000 people to show up at tomorrow’s rally in Prospect Park, where Grizzly Bear will perform and the Mac guy, Justin Long, will presumably try to convince people that Hillary is a PC. But for the moment, Bernie said, he was heading to “a forum with some religious leaders talking about morality in politics – a weird idea, is it not?”
After an obligatory “I think we’re going to win this thing on Tuesday,” the underdog left the gallery to chants of “Bernie! Bernie!”
Bernie on the Bowery.