This was one of the best operas I have seen in my lifetime! I cried and I NEVER CRY in operas. I was left completely speechless. I wish I has been able to see this opera in person. If by some chance the opportunity presents itself with the same key cast- I’m there!!! PROGRAM: Courtesy […]
Author Archives: Layla
January
11
THE HIGH: WITH DRAWN ARMS: GLENN KAINO & TOMMIE SMITH
posted by Layla
A half century before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee, gold medal sprinter Tommie Smith raised a fist at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico to protest abuse of human rights around the world and in response to the struggle for civil rights in the United States. His historic gesture, and its reverberations […]
December
15
MET OPERA LIVE IN HD: LA TRAVIATA
posted by Layla
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 19th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time since 2015 to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is […]
December
13
2018 CAS POETRY SLAM
posted by Layla
My first Poetry Slam for a CAS Project on social justice at school. My poem did not win because it did not have the cadence of a slam perse but I enjoyed writing, submitting and participating. My poem is called SHEEP.
December
07
THE HIGH: Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors
posted by Layla
The High is proud to present the most significant North American exhibition in twenty years of work by Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, born 1929), one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists. Organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, this exhibition will take visitors on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through more than sixty years of Kusama’s […]
December
01
POSH KIDS MAGAZINE
posted by Layla
Posh_Kids_Magazine_Layla_Felder_s_Cover_Issue_12 Pages 28-41
November
30
MET OPERA: IL TRITTICO (IL TABARRO & SUOR ANGELICA
posted by Layla
Jack O’Brien’s epic production of Puccini’s triple bill features first-class casting: tenor Marcelo Álvarez and soprano Amber Wagner are the illicit lovers of Il Tabarro, with baritone George Gagnidze as the spurned husband; soprano Kristine Opolais sings the shattering title role of Suor Angelica, alongside mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the Principessa; and the ageless Plácido Domingo takes […]
November
30
IL TRITTICO BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET WITH KRISTINE OPOLAIS
posted by Layla
Zipped backstage after Suor Angelica to see Kristine for a quick hello and completely lost track of time catching up! Completely stunned by her performance! So great to reconnect! Missed most of Gianni Schicchi but it was worth it. PHOTOS: VIDEOS: […]
November
29
MET OPERA: LA BOHEME BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
This performance of La Boheme left me speechless! So great to reconnect with Angel, Duncan & Ailyn after and debrief the performance, and just talk opera with my people! Dinner was amazing! Another wonderfully late opera night in NYC! PHOTOS: VIDEOS:
November
29
MET OPERA LIVE: LA BOHEME
posted by Layla
“A thrilling La Bohème … radiating warmth … luxury cast” (New York Times). Puccini’s timeless masterpiece of love and loss features two casts of young stars. Sopranos Nicole Car (in her highly anticipated Met debut) and Ailyn Pérez share the role of the ill-fated Mimì, opposite tenors Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano as the ardent […]
November
20
DAVID BUCKINGHAM LA STUDIO VISIT
posted by Layla
It is with this collection of metal that Buckingham carves, bends, bolts and welds his assemblages. With skilled craftsmanship, he breaths life into these discarded forms. Part sculpture, part assemblage, David Buckingham’s bold, provocative art begins in the California desert, where he scours remote landscapes for what he calls “beautiful, battered metal, material that’s had […]
October
27
LAYLA’S 15TH BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT FRIENDS OF AFRICAN ART AT THE HIGH MUSEUM
posted by Layla
My 15th Black Panther Birthday Party was epic! I want to thank everyone for being so generous with their gifts to benefit my friend Carol Thompson, Curator of African Art at The High Museum’s Friends of African Art. $1533.33 was donated to Friends of African Art in my name. Carol will be purchasing pieces from […]
October
23
STUDIO NOIZE PODCAST INTERVIEW
posted by Layla
Creative Conversations with Creative People in Creative Spaces As an artist we have conversations with all kinds of creative people all the time. We love visiting other artist studios, going to shows and talking with people about their processes and their lives. Jamaal wanted to start to capture these conversations and share them with the […]
October
20
MET OPERA HD: SHADOWING GARY HALVORSON & MEDIA DEPARTMENT FOR HD BROADCAST OF SAMSON & DALILA
posted by Layla
The Met invited me behind the scenes of the Met Opera Live in HD Broadcast of “Samson & Dalila” to shadow Director Gary Halvorson and his media team as they prepared for and mounted the Live in HD Broadcast. I got to watch all the live rehearsals, and then watch the live feed from inside […]
October
06
KAOP AIDA DINNER AT DOHWA
posted by Layla
We followed Aida with a raucous and extremely yummy Korean meal full of laughs and fun conversation. POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
October
06
MET OPERA LIVE: AIDA MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
Because of the craziness backstage after the Aida HD Performance and staff and singers getting set for the evening opera performance, backstage was crazy so we did not go backstage after the opera. We happily waited at the Stage Door for the singers to come out. It was super exciting. You definitely had to try […]
October
06
MET OPERA LIVE: AIDA
posted by Layla
Soprano Anna Netrebko and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili reprise their incendiary partnership as Aida and Amneris—a highlight of the 2018–19 season—with tenor Piotr Beczała completing the greatest love triangle in all of opera as Radamès. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for his first Opening Night performance as Met Music Director, leading director Michael Mayer’s grand new […]
October
06
MET OPERA LIVE: AIDA BRUNCH AT THE GRAND TIER
posted by Layla
Perfect way to start the day with my girlies and adult friends at The Grand Tier before Aida!!! POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
October
06
MET OPERA LIVE IN HD: AIDA ACT 2- HD TRUCK- WITH GARY HALVERSON & MEDIA TEAM
posted by Layla
Before the opera started, I was asked if I wanted to come watch Act 2 of Aida from inside the HD Truck. It was a great honor because Mr. Gelb does not let people inside the HD Truck where the magic happens. It was a great experience and the perfect opera for this because I […]
October
05
MET OPERA: SAMSON & DALILA BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
I have waited 10 years to meet Roberto Alagna! Meeting him finally did not disappoint. He is a true professional and beautifully kind person. He had about 30 people waiting outside his dressing room. He greeted, took pictures with, and signed autographs with true joy and an effervescent demeanor. After such a tough week with […]
October
05
MET OPERA LIVE: SAMSON & DALILA
posted by Layla
When mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna joined forces for a new production of Carmen at the Met, the results were electrifying. Now this star duo reunites for another sensual French opera when they open the season in the title roles of Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic Samson et Dalila. Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award for Best […]
October
05
JUILLIARD BOOKSTORE VISIT
posted by Layla
On a quest to dig deeper into opera- I think I need complete scores. Friends suggested that I go to the Juilliard Bookstore. OMG- HEAVEN!!! My world, my people… my music!! PHOTOS: VIDEOS:
October
05
KAOP SIRIUS XM MET OPERA RADIO INTERVIEW WITH MARY JO HEATH
posted by Layla
A dream come true! I was asked to appear on Met Opera Radio and be interviewed by Mary Jo Heath! I’ve listened to Mary Jo Heath for years in our car on the way to and from school and to all my activities, and I cannot. believe she interviewed me for Sirius XM!! Definitely another […]
October
03
MET OPERA LIVE: LA BOHEME
posted by Layla
Puccini’s La Bohème, the most-performed opera in Met history, returns to the repertory This performance features three much anticipated Met debuts: American conductor James Gaffigan will lead two rising stars of the international opera stage, Australian soprano Nicole Car as Mimì, and her Canadian husband, baritone Étienne Dupuis, as Marcello. They perform alongside Vittorio Grigolo as Rodolfo, the role […]
September
23
KAOP 6TH ANNUAL RING CYCLE ENDURANCE WALK
posted by Layla
Our 6th Annual Ring Cycle Endurance Walk was GREAT! Thankfully there was no rain, but it was hot. We had a great time working together to raise money for The Met Opera HD Live in Schools Program! VIDEOS: PHOTOS:
September
23
MASON FINE ART: ATLANTA CELEBRATES PHOTOGRAPHY LUCINDA BUNNEN- GATHERED
posted by Layla
POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
September
21
THE HIGH: OUTLIERS AND AMERICAN VANGUARD ART
posted by Layla
Outliers and American Vanguard Art focuses on three key periods when the intersection of self-taught art with the mainstream has been at its most fertile: The First Wave includes the interwar years—particularly the aftermath of the Great Depression—through World War II; the Second Wave covers the “long” decade of the 1970s in the wake of […]
September
20
THE HIGH: OUTLIERS AND AMERICAN VANGUARD ART
posted by Layla
Outliers and American Vanguard Art focuses on three key periods when the intersection of self-taught art with the mainstream has been at its most fertile: The First Wave includes the interwar years—particularly the aftermath of the Great Depression—through World War II; the Second Wave covers the “long” decade of the 1970s in the wake of […]
September
16
SPELMAN MUSEUM OF FINE ART GALLERY WALK: Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness
posted by Layla
In partnership with Autograph, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art is proud to present the United States premiere of Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness. In this internationally acclaimed exhibition featuring more than 70 photographs, visual activist Muholi, whose whose pronouns are they, them, and their, uses their body as a canvas to […]
September
14
ART PAPERS LIVE: Zanele Muholi in partnership with Atlanta Celebrates Photography
posted by Layla
Photographer and visual activist Zanele Muholi, will be in conversation with Renée Mussai, curator of Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness. A book signing and reception follow. VIDEOS: PHOTOS:
September
13
THE HIGH: WITH DRAWN ARMS: GLENN KAINO & TOMMIE SMITH
posted by Layla
A half century before NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee, gold medal sprinter Tommie Smith raised a fist at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico to protest abuse of human rights around the world and in response to the struggle for civil rights in the United States. His historic gesture, and its reverberations […]
September
10
THE HIGH: SONIC PLAYGROUND BY YURI SUZUKI
posted by Layla
Presented on the High’s outdoor Sifly Piazza, this installation by internationally renowned designer Yuri Suzuki features ingenious, colorful sculptures that modify and transmit sound in unusual, engaging and playful ways. Sonic Playground continues the High’s multiyear initiative to animate its outdoor space with commissions that engage visitors in participatory art experiences. It is the High’s […]
September
01
SEASON OF THE WITCHES FUNDRAISER
posted by Layla
Season of the Witches is a psycho-social crime thriller following three American PhD students volunteering in post-hurricane Puerto Rico who accidentally kill a local playboy in a revenge scheme gone wrong. When the “doing good on the Island” women try to cover up the murder, they are pursued by a local detective with demons of […]
September
01
DRAGON CON PARADE 2018: BLACK PANTHER
posted by Layla
Bringing Wakanda to Dragon Con 2018 and riding on Occasional Superstar’s Black Panther Float was EVERYTHING! We!! POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
August
28
ADULT ART POSSE: BLACKKKLANSMAN MOVIE & DISCUSSION
posted by Layla
Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.imdb.com The adults had an incredible honest & open conversation after the movie with artists […]
August
23
THE HIGH: WINNIE-THE-POOH: EXPLORING A CLASSIC
posted by Layla
The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh—a much-loved bear with a weakness for honey—have delighted both children and adults for more than ninety years. Generations of readers have been captivated by the adventures of Christopher Robin and his bear, and today Pooh remains one of the most popular children’s characters of all time. Pooh and his companions Piglet, […]
August
18
FUTURE DEAD ARTISTS GALLERY: DUBSTAR – Dubelyoo + Fabian Williams: Duo Art Exhibition
posted by Layla
Dubelyoo + Fabian Williams: Duo Art Exhibition, FUTURE GALLERY, 08/18/18 A duo art show with North Carolina’s highly skilled and most socially awkward dynamic duo. With over 84 years in hilarious art related experiences. VIEWERS STEPPED INSIDE THEIR WORLD. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.futuredeadartists.com POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
August
10
THE HIGH: OUTLIERS AND AMERICAN VANGUARD ART WITH MAJOR DODSON & MICHAEL ROOKS
posted by Layla
On our off day from shooting Tyson’s Run, I took Major to The High to check out Outliers & Sonic Playground with the Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art Michael Rooks. Major said he didn’t know much about art but he has a really good eye and very good taste. We had a blast! Outliers […]
July
28
AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: WHIPPED CREAM
posted by Layla
Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Libretto and Score by Richard Strauss Sets and Costumes by Mark Ryden Scenery Supervisor: Camellia Koo Costume Supervisor: Holly Hynes Lighting by Brad Fields Running Time: 105 minutes From the delicious imaginations of Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky and pop surrealist visionary Mark Ryden comes a second helping of this dollop […]
KIDS OPERA & ART POSSE 
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