On first appearances alone, it’s hard to imagine any similarities between visual artist Nick Cave and the more widely recognized macabre rocker of the same name than that they share a name. For one, visual artist Nick Cave is courted by Vogue Magazine executives, has a professional dancer’s background, and…

Quick survey: You see an empty room. Do you: (a) relish the simplicity offered by the spartan space, or (b) imagine just how many sock monkeys can fit on the windowsill and how many bodies will fit cross-legged on the floor for a successful sewing-circle night? If you answered b,…

Your introduction to a full-moon party went something like this: Acting on a whim, you met a handful of women (let’s call it a coven) for a backyard party with promises of potluck, pleasantries, guided visualization, and just enough wackiness to make you a card-carrying member of your own Ya-Ya…

For many, the importance of having a good bartender at one’s disposal rests somewhere between having an expert family doctor and an honest mechanic. You instill your trust in them for their sage-like advice, decent pour capabilities, and, on more nights than you’d care to remember, your home address, debit…

Recently there was a moment, one of those Oprah “aha moments,” when you swore off human beings as suitable drinking buddies for good. There you were gingerly holding back your coworker’s daiquiri-soaked ponytail, crammed into a bathroom stall overlooking a porcelain throne, and it just came to you: Humans can…

Let’s dust off an oft-quoted nugget of feminist truth from the mouth of Lake Worth-born Robin Morgan: Sisterhood is powerful, people. It’s quite possibly the only reason to explain a dastardly phenomenon like the Red Hat Society or the perennial possibility that at any given moment during a 24-hour period,…

Family, work, or a tight-knit group of overly enthusiastic mommy friends could be blamed for us women having a stranglehold on our ovaries. Although you’ll find feminist works both on disputing and applauding the importance of becoming a mother, a new art show helps to broaden the scope of what…

If given the chance to dress themselves (assuming opposable thumbs are no longer an issue), would your canine companion choose cowboy fringe, superhero chic, naughty nurse, or rugged pirate? Trick question: The answer is most always none of the above, which is why to fulfill man’s great desire to see…

Call it a perfect alignment of the stars, because there has been an awful lot of mid- to late-’90s love upon us lately, like the recessionary return to lumberjack plaid fashions and the overcorrection of Courtney Love’s meds, leading to the recent triumphant reunion of Hole. While the grunge revival…

When it comes to recycling paper, plastic, and glass, the Solid Waste Authority could call us model citizens. But when clothing enters the picture, some of our ethical choices would make Ed Begley Jr. shove his head into his homemade solar oven and refuse to come out. Regrettably, when examining…

Try as you might to avoid it, there comes a time in adulthood when you will absolutely break your parents’ hearts. For the supportive, rainbow-flag-waving parental unit in the Nicole Pandolfo play I Thought I Liked Girls, that moment comes when their young, single lesbian daughter comes home to tell…

Dear Reader: While you may be far too wet behind the ears to remember the first onslaught of swing dancing — the cultural phenomenon that grew out of juke joints in the 1920s and ’30s — you’re regrettably just old enough to remember its mainstream revival in the late ’90s…

Ladies, we still consider ourselves proud feminists, right? When talking shop on matters of childcare, housework, and paycheck inequities, our biting critiques would make Simone de Beauvoir smile. So why is it that, even with all of the gender studies under our collective garter belts, we still feel the tight…

While it remains to be seen if the BP oil spill will make our pristine waters forever look like the contents of a bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian dressing, the importance of its recovery is undeniable. If you feel helpless in the process, turn off the TV and come out…

The bin of haphazardly selected Halloween costumery that includes plastic handcuffs, magician wands, red foam noses, and any other accessory that screams “You really didn’t put a lot of thought into this one” also includes masquerade masks. And, unfortunately for this, the mask has lost its power of symbolism and…

Whether it’s scrawling phone numbers on bathroom stalls, sharing a low-lying dormant STD, or tying your adulterous husband to a motel bed and supergluing his nether region (What’s up, ladies of Wisconsin!), everyone has a revenge fantasy. In “Served Cold,” the new group art show at Pinkghost, local artists reveal…

The 2010 Census questionnaire pointed out an unnerving observation on how we see ourselves: a mass of checked and unchecked boxes. For those of us with familial roots in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala, the qualifier is Hispanic — but contrary to the questionnaire, the Latin American experience often has…

Every day, millions of brave souls board public transportation in the form of buses, subways, and trains. This act is done mostly sober — and you find yourself typically boxed in with people who’d rather lick a rusty turnstile than be cordial. Although that type of bus loop might not…

Sure, any reasonable person with a subscription to Juxtapoz Magazine and a penchant for complimentary wine and cheese can call themselves an art lover. But, if you’re looking for art you can spoon, it’s best not to turn to your framed, limited edition Hope poster (that Shepard Fairey has sharp…

Beanie babies. Grandpa’s LP collection. Home movies. Of all the things to store away for a later date when they’ll be greatly appreciated, wine is the last thing that comes to mind. Because, for most, wine storage has meant little more than making Monday’s four-liter jug of Carlo Rossi last…

Try as he might to perfect his aim, sometimes Cupid misses. But Saturday, Cinema Paradiso nailed the bull’s-eye by hosting two killer events. Although this weekend’s V-Day expression will focus heavily on love of the human, romantic type, there is a place for those whose true love lies in art,…

Maybe it’s the glut of He’s Just Not That Into You/Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus crap advice floating around lately, but doesn’t it seem like we all waste far too much time trying to figure out the opposite sex? If current circumstances make you misty-eyed for simpler…