Dario Calmese is a true Renaissance Man. A multi-hyphenate, Calmese is an artist, writer, director, and brand consultant whose work reaches across the fields of art, academia, and fashion. In fact, he is no stranger to our industry, having worked with the CFDA, Public School, and LaQuan Smith, for example, and collaborated with Kerby Jean-Raymond on his groundbreaking Pyer Moss shows.
Now, Calmese is also on the host committee for The Bronx Museum of the Arts’ inaugural The BxMA Ball. Held on Oct.3, the event, co-hosted by Angel Otero and Jerome LaMaar, will honor artist Mickalene Thomas and Bonx-born curator and collector Racquel Chevremont, with Bronx culinary collective Ghetto Gastro curating the dinner.
We checked in with Calmese to talk about his involvement and how the borough inspires him.
How are you involved with the Bronx Museum of the Arts?
My initial involvement with the Bronx Museum of Arts was as a patron. I’m a huge fan of their exhibitions and programming which give voice to many underrepresented artists, and are rooted in the community in which they find themselves, unlike many other museums in the city. When my friend and colleague Deborah Cullen, its new Museum Director, asked me to be on the host committee for its Fall Ball, it was a no-brainer.
Tell us about the inaugural Bronx Museum of the Arts ball. How it came together? What is its mission?
The BxMA Ball is the brainchild of Deb Cullen as a way to engage the uptown community in supporting and celebrating the Bronx Museum’s commitment to accessibilty by offering free admission to all visitors. Their traditional gala is held downtown and this ball not only activates the museum space, but offers a lower price point and offers museum membership with each ticket, allowing for an extended and on-going relationship between the museum and the local community.
What are you looking forward to the most?
Obviously I’m looking forward to the fashion! It’s rare that uptown residents and communities of color have access to events that allow them to sartorially flex, which is ironic considering that fashion and cultural trends are birthed in these very communities. I’m also looking forward to the collaborations and relationships that are birthed out of these worlds of art, fashion, activism, and music colliding.
It appears to also be a celebration of The Bronx and all the great, inspiring talents from the borough.
Tell us about your connection to The Bronx and what you love about it the most.
I’ve maintained and worked out of an art studio in the South Bronx for almost six years, and to be honest, without it I may have left NYC a long time ago; it’s a way of being a part of the city without being IN the city. It’s also refreshing to exist in a community of people who aren’t pretending to be something they are not. They show up and get to work. They say hi to you on the street. It’s life on a human scale.
How does The Bronx inspire you?
I’m inspired by both its history and potential. It’s where Richard Avedon and James Baldwin met and schooled together. It’s the birthplace of hip-hop. And although it’s been historically underserved by the city government (and dealt a great blow with Robert Moses’s Cross Bronx Expressway), divestment breeds creativity. There’s a host of local organizations and residents who are committed to staking their claim in the borough they call home, and protecting it from rapid gentrification and developer “rebranding.” I’m also inspired by the local community of Black and Brown artists, who like me, live uptown, and have found in the Bronx a space to create, convene, and converse.
