My NYC Book Launch at DWR Featured “Art Therapy” + “Cocktail By Number”

So, when my book launch for Yes: Transform Your Life with Color By Number was planned, the date November 8 was picked and no one seems to know why…? I embraced the idea, thinking the day would be historic and a double-celebration. But it didn’t EXACLTY play out that way….

I was happy to have a cushion day in between the election and the party, which was Thursday the 10th, but honestly, if it hadn’t been my party, I might not have gotten out of the house. But I have good friends who always coame out to support me, even though they might not have been in a festive mood on Thursday, lots of planning had already gone into the night, so we had a party! (On the way there my Uber was stuck in traffic for nearly an hour trying to cross Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower protests… annoying and inconvenient but I was happy they were happening.)

My friend Sandra Hansel is an exec at Design Within Reach and she offered their New York flagship store to host the event and what a great place for a party. Chic, open and lots of places to sit. VDKA 6100 was kind enough to enlist their brand and expertise to help me create “Cocktail By Number” which I will say was what we all needed. Delicious cocktails! The book features four of my prints produced by artist’s platform, Twyla, and curator Heidi Lee Komaromi brought along my new Exactly print to show off.

Lots of pals, from curator Natalie Kates, who brought along the Whitney‘s I.D. Aruede to photographers Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Johnny Rozsa and Idris Rhuebottom + Tony Craig, to Vogue‘s David Byars (whose own new book, Our Time at Foxhollow Farm is in it’s second printing already) Regan Arts publisher, the amazing Judith Regan made an appearance and her crack team was in full-force selling books and making things run smoothly.

My dog, Lamonte (which I share with my ex, art director Roswell Hamrick) is in the book and stars in the Paw By Number video (below), so he made a guest appearance and I have to say, he was kind of the hit of the party. Look at that face!

Besides signing books and drinking, there were two coloring tables with flower and Statue of Liberty blanks to color along with a chalkboard and giant blow-up to get creative with. I was happy to hear that the art therapy aspect of my book actually works. Idris told me the next day he went home that night and colored for hours.

Big thanks to everyone who made it a fun night, especially Alex Smith who captured the fun in these great pics. And that’s not the end of it. DWR is hosting another book signing during Art Basel Miami Beach next month and then two more in L.A. and Austin.

And stay tuned Wowlebrties and World of Wonder fans, there’s more exciting news coming with regard to my book too…. that’s all I’m saying.

(Photos, Alexander Kushak Smith)

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