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How to be a Novice

An ARGU Collective Exhibition @ All Street Gallery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

How to Be a Novice

December 1st - December 7th, 2024

All Street Gallery: 77 E 3rd Street 

ARGU Collective is pleased to present its first group exhibition, How to Be a Novice, in collaboration with All Street Gallery. This collection, featuring works from upcoming artists studying at Parsons School of Design, includes video and fine artworks responding to their process of worldmaking as a novice in the art world.

About the Artists:

Sebastian Guerrero’s work delves into the complex connections and behavior across species. This representation goes from creating his own biomaterials to figurative paintings. It has a focus on perspective, which explores these interactions though a very tactile and materially strong practice. With organic and bodily textures, each work invites the viewer to engage with the physicality of the materials. By blending abstraction with figurative elements, his work is in defense of opacity and difference, encouraging a deeper reflection that evokes curiosity and awareness of the intricate relationships that shape all his life.

Beer, 2024 (Beer and Glycerin substrate)

Jah Levy is an artist and art student from Westchester, New York, currently living in Manhattan. Through conceptual art that often incorporates familiar objects, she explores the complexities of the human spirit. Her work addresses themes such as excessive consumption, the glorification of war, and the dehumanizing effects of modern communication. Jah's artistic practice is rooted in the belief that art should provoke introspection and catalyze a shift in societal awareness. She seeks to inspire dialogue around critical issues, encouraging viewers to question the norms and values that influence our collective 

behavior. Currently, Jah is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Design History and Practice, with a focus on Art History and Fashion Studies.

Post No Bills, 2023 (Mixed Media Collage on Wood)

Faith Waller is a multidisciplinary art student from rural New Jersey currently residing in Manhattan. Through her photographs, oil paintings, and video work, she seeks to communicate the higher connection individuals experience through the collective, their creations, and the nature surrounding. She seeks to explore how conscious perception impacts and creates the collective spaces that we inhabit. Faith is currently pursuing a BFA in Design History and Practice from Parsons School of Design while concentrating in Curatorial Studies and Communication Design.

Bodies are Lonely but Minds Can Meet, 2024 (Oil on canvas)

Annie Winter is an art student living and working in New York City, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. Her artwork often manifests in a variety of different mediums and materialities, but is most often confined to a 4D realm of installation, video, and sound. Her work explores her interest in identity, temporality, physicality, memory, femininity, womanhood, and history. In the investigation of these themes, she hopes to better understand her own body, sense of self, humanity, and position within the world, space, and time. She is currently pursuing a BFA at Parsons School of Design in Fine Arts with a minor in Art and Design History.

Metamorphose, 2024 (Two Channel Video Projection with Original Soundscape)

About ARGU: ARGU Collective is a growing creative community dedicated to revitalizing youth and art culture in New York City. Our mission is to create an inclusive platform that uplifts emerging artist, and visionaries, amplifying their voices and contributions to the city’s ever-evolving cultural landscape. We are committed to fostering collaboration and connection through community events, fashion shows, artist mixers, and exhibitions. By providing essential resources—such as studio space, materials, and access to equipment—we empower underrepresented artists to thrive, develop their craft, and reach the broader art market. ARGU has been dedicated to the community for close to two years now, and there is so much more that the collective is excited to do. ARGU strives to address the gap in artistic support, ensuring that every voice is heard and every artist can grow and succeed.

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Trophy Husband MA at The Wood Shop 09202024

taken by: Jah Levy

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Clean Up with Faith Waller and Jah Levy

Erin Earthman and Trinity Kopan

Douglas James Farr

ARGU Friendsgiving 111824

all photos taken by Aidan Watson

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Silueta Series, 1973-1977 by Ana Mendieta

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Peak Lapel, 09072024

at ARGU, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the brains behind the ingenious duo behind Peak Lapel, Jack Milkes and Ben Stedman. head to our YouTube Channel (@ARGU-Tv) to learn about the brand's ethos, the road to their first runway show, and future plans to look out for.

special thanks to Paul James and Faith Waller

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Peak Lapel at Georgia Room 09072024

photos by: selena

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stills from Blue Movie trailer by Andy Warhol, 1971

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Stolen Eye Exam 102024

edited by Jah Levy

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Supper Club Series #001

Before heading over to the decaying heart of the East Village, I crushed a six pack of Modelo. I had to ease the nerves a bit, afterall, I had a huge part to play tonight. We had to tell everyone what the dinner party is really for, the club, ARGU.

I go over the main points in my mind; ARGU is counter culture. ARGU is trying to revitalize the youth and art scene in New York. ARGU picks things back up from a time we weren't from, yet crave. ARGU is the attempt at progress through revision.

I walk through the streets, passing a red cup of my final beer from hand to hand so that my fingers don't freeze off.

Black shirt and blue jeans, that’s the outfit I have on - my old reliable, it’s non-threatening. Before I’d left I promised I’d bring a few plates from my place so I brought about three in an orange tote bag. Anyway, I checked my phone when I got to Houston and Avenue B and picked my feet up when I realized that I was already 10 minutes late. In a blur I passed bars I’d forgotten about, restaurants I’ve had first and final dates at, and corner stores I’ve wandered into at all hours of the day and night of every season.

Once I finally arrived at the address on the invitation, (ADDRESS REDACTED), I called ARGU’s founder and one of my favorite people - Jah - because I misread the apartment number. She corrected me and I buzzed up. I walked in to music, conversations in flux, and food being prepared, all mediated by wine and good company.

As I let myself melt into the room and more guests started to arrive, it became extremely clear that we were in the process of achieving exactly what we wanted to with this dinner. We wanted to bring people together, we wanted to form connections, we wanted to make ARGU feel more real. After answering and asking the routine questions - “what’s your name?”, “what school do you go to?”, “what’s your major”, etc., it was off to the races for everyone there. It felt like something special was happening, some divine grand union of creativity, a masterclass in the human experience unfolding in front of my eyes. People talking about their passions, their projects, and perfect strangers bonding over mutual friends and shared experiences.

The meal was prepared over the course of an hour and a half, with bruschetta and a charcuterie board to start followed by steak and clams with linguini - utter ambrosia. The entire room was intoxicating, it was a petri dish of talented degenerates that had eager eyes set on each other and on the future. After eating a bit while observing the room, Jah came up to me in distress, “Marco.” she said, touching my arm. “Hey Jahdae!” “What do I say later?”

“Just tell them what you’d tell me. Everything we’ve talked about.” And she nodded yes. “Alright - you’re right. I’ll start the speech later. You have to finish it though.”

I say okay and turn around to roll my eyes and continue a conversation about something I don’t remember, but was probably about a bar or a restaurant or something like that.

There are little things that I disdain more than having to speak to a group of people and get them to emote. I’m cursed with being monotone, which is not helpful in getting a reaction from a crowd. But, I know that it’s for the greater good and is necessary for the growth of the club and the collective and blah blah blah yadda yadda I needed some more liquid courage to deal with this.

I got a glass of wine and I talked to Sami about her band, Jack about ketamine, McKayla about New York, Zay about my house party last week, and Masai about FIT. We took some photos of the night and one way or another wound up all sitting around the dinner table for the aforementioned speech to begin.

Thankfully it all went fine. I didn’t get a big reaction from my words but I wasn’t expecting one. Hopefully they were strong enough to evoke an internal spark in the group, though I’m not sure. Regardless, the night continued as it had gone, as time fell away and we all fell deeper into the night. We ate, we laughed, and all celebrated with Mike Dough as his single dropped at 12.

Eventually people started to find their way home, but not before embracing one another before leaving - people that before the night started were complete strangers that would walk by each other the street without a glance, strangers that if you’d met at a bar or a club you’d talk to and then disperse from without a trace. I hoped that those hugs were a sign that those experiences were not this. I hoped that ARGU could be a rarity of this city and isn’t something that’s disposable.

I hope we’re building something real

[M.M.]

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"Banks in Flames" Series by Alex Schaefer