Noah Becker on the Whitehot Magazine X Not For Them Art Party

Whitehot Magazine X Not For Them Art Party
Every Tuesday Night 9pm to 2am
Jane Hotel Penthouse Roof Bar (former home of RuPaul)
RSVP to: noah@whitehotmagazine.com
113 Jane St. New York, NY

By NOAH BECKER, June 2019 

My adventure began when artist Patrick Meagher asked me to join him at Paul’s Casablanca, a bar near the Ear Inn on the west side of Manhattan. I had been to this bar before when it had a Smiths night every Sunday of all Morrisey and the Smiths songs. I was there in 2010 with a famous art dealer and the artist and Whitehot Magazine writer Joe Heaps Nelson - long before Joe eventually died of brain cancer. Paul of Paul’s is the brother of Chloe Sevigny, a fashion plate former “it” girl who was one of the stars of Larry Clark’s movie “Kids." Back in those days I wasn’t that known in New York’s downtown scene so it was fun for me to be invited to these exclusive parties. 

Fast forward to 2019, I’m at home in Brooklyn Heights being a general misanthrope, working on my paintings and and I get a text from Patrick Meager: “I’m going to Casa, wanna join?” It was a Sunday night and I was in a rather dour mood so I thought ok, I’ll go. When I got to Paul’s Casablanca, Patrick was there talking to the actor Cuba Gooding Jr. at the bar. Excited, Patrick pulled me over, “Noah, this is Cuba Gooding Jr.” he announced. I had a nice chat with Cuba about his history in New York and even his friendship with Basquiat.

Patrick pulled me over to another part of the club and said, “This guy over here is a great artist, you should meet him.” It was there that I met Mark Carson aka Not For Them NYC, Mark is a mysterious figure, wonderful painter and his brand “Not For Them” is a great brand. Mark and I kept in touch during the time I went to Canada and was mostly in the hospital watching my father die for a month. Upon my return to New York, Mark suggested that we meet up in Soho. During that meeting we thought of an idea for a party that would be the next important art party in New York City. We had arrived at a party connection between fashion people, art people, media and general party people each week and it felt like something much needed. 

The art world had forgotten how to party, was our thought and this was the cure. With all the art fairs and gallery openings, it all seemed too professional and no fun. It was time to take the nightlife in New York and return it to the art world. This all sounds like a pretentious Noah Becker daydream, but in actual fact what I’m saying is true. The bars in New York have become racist and discriminatory in their door policies and the art world has become too “pro" in the face of an overly gentrified New York City.

Mark Carson suggested The Jane Hotel as a perfect place to do a weekly art party so Mark and I began to promote it. It was Mark’s idea to do every Tuesday night in the penthouse roof bar. At this point we have a hit party with at least a few people getting thrown out for bad behavior each week. It's been perfect seeing art dealers, curators, artists, magazine publishers and functional alcoholics doing art business with no art on the walls. Anthony Haden-Guest calls it, "The best art party since Studio 54." WM