Is New York City getting its own Banksy? For those who do not know who or what Banksy is, it is a pseudonymous England-based street artist and political activist. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls, and bridges throughout the world. Right now going around the court house where the Trump’s trial is taking place are trucks baring the following messages.

If you google the QR code you are taken to a twitter account for a Mr. Black

Other trucks have the following art and statements.

Here is the poster that caught my attention.

So the questions I want answered is who is Mr Black? What are the eyes? What is his message? Why the Trump court house? Why is nobody reporting this? Is Mr. Black the new Banksy? Only time will tell.

Mr. Black curious minds want to know.

This week in New York City a dazzling luncheon took place at Museum of Arts and Design. The famed museum celebrated the annual artisan jewelry exhibition and sale, MAD About Jewelry.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 6: Barbara Waldman, Fern Mallis and Jennifer Brown attend MAD About Jewelry Luncheon Hosted by Tiffany Dubin, Barbara Paris Gifford, Barbara Tober at Museum of Arts and Design on May 6, 2024 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC)

Hosted by MAD’s Chair Emerita Barbara Tober, the glorious day showcased a special lecture with arts and jewelry expert Tiffany Dubin, and MAD Associate Curator Barbara Paris Gifford.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 6: Phillip Bloch and Tinu Naija attend MAD About Jewelry Luncheon Hosted by Tiffany Dubin, Barbara Paris Gifford, Barbara Tober at Museum of Arts and Design on May 6, 2024 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC)

Guests included Roberta Amon, Jeffrey Banks, Phillip Bloch, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Pat Cleveland, Cece Cord, Will Cotton, Barbara de Portago, Lauren Ezersky, Han Feng, Barbara Flood, Michele Gerber Klein, Barbara Hoffman, Gemma Kahng, Harold Koda, Martha Kramer, Sally Lee, Laura Lobdell, Fern Mallis, Marsy Mittlemann, Tinu Naija, Katrina Pavlos, Emma Snowdon-Jones, Benny Tabatabai, Kay Unger Pitman, and Barbara Winston.

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 6: Barbara Tober and Tim Rodgers attend MAD About Jewelry Luncheon Hosted by Tiffany Dubin, Barbara Paris Gifford, Barbara Tober at Museum of Arts and Design on May 6, 2024 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)

“Tim and I are happy you are here”, said Barbara Tober standing alongside MAD Director, Tim Rodgers. “MAD is a place of joy, it is a place of ideas, a place of breaking the rules.” The discussion engaged with handpicked examples of artworks, exploring topics such as the usage of unconventional materials and shapes, and jewelry as a form of expression. “It’s not about precious stones. It’s not about platinum or gold.”, said Tiffany, “It’s about alternative materials, found objects – they tell stories.”

Following the luncheon, guests were led to the MAD About Jewelry pop-up, which featured the works of 50 jewelers and artists, all from 20 different countries, both on display and for sale. Barbara Paris Gifford noted “Our collection includes artists who experiment with the boundaries of jewelry.”

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 6: Francoise Delaire attends MAD About Jewelry Luncheon Hosted by Tiffany Dubin, Barbara Paris Gifford, Barbara Tober at Museum of Arts and Design on May 6, 2024 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)

MAD prides itself on being NYC’s finest collection of artists’ studio jewelry. Their Craft Front & Center exhibition series explores the thematic touchpoints in craft art history. Their current exhibition OUT of the Jewelry Box features works that explore ideas of identity, such as queerness, PTSD, and politics.

Tickets for this exhibition are available at www.madmuseum.org/exhibition/out-jewelry-box.

Visitors can also stop by The Store at MAD, the Museum’s retail arm, to see RE:FINE Spring 2024, featuring 13 forward-thinking international artists who are redefining the world of fine jewelry.

Starting today Sugar Factory, located at 44th and 8th Avenue is offering a special Mother’s Day menu that is out of this world. If you are looking for a place to celebrate mom, this is definitely the place.

To start with, their cocktail menu is refreshing and packs a punch. We tried all four of the speciality drinks at ($17) and thought they were a great bargain. “The Fuzzy Fizz”, tastes just like a fresh picked peach and was so thirst quenching. “The Mixed Berry Gin”, brought out the taste of fresh picked berries and comforted the soul, The “Sugar Runner” has dark rum, pineapple and banana giving it that tropical New Orleans feel. Last but not least (or the first picture) “Ay mi Madre”, with fresh grapefruit juice, tequila, lime and sparkling wine. All four of us tried each others drinks and couldn’t make up our mind which we liked best.

For appetizers there is the New England Seafood Chowder, with scallops, shrimp, cod and potato ($13). This is rich, decadent and very filling.

For lighter fare the Field Green Salad ($15). This has pecans, blue cheese, strawberries and is in a sherry vinaigrette. One of the things I love about Sugar Factory is their sizing. You are definitely not leaving hungry, but fully sated.

The Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail ($22) is a work of art. Six tasty shrimp, with cucumber in a delicious, spicy, tomato, onion delight.

For entree’s, the tables favorite was the Shrimp Scampi Penne ($25) served with garlic toast. This dish had a sweet butter with a lemony hint that bursted with shrimp.

I also loved the Seared Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon ($36), Now I am not a fish person but this dish would have me ordering it again. The salmon was crispy on the outside and succulent in the inside. No fishy taste here. Also those vegetables are roasted slightly al dente and were amazing, especially the asparagus.

Splurging, we tried the Angus Filet & Main Lobster Surf and Turf ($79) perfectly done medium rare. Sugar Factory just really knows how to cook food. The steak had a light crust and was so tender and was melt in your mouth perfect, The lobster had Ilene, Craig and Roger in 7th heaven. The only reason I wasn’t sending out heartfelt ahhh’s is I am allergic, however those fabulous asparagus’s had me in the same mind set, with the mashed potato’s sending me over the edge. It is amazing when food is done really well, how the simplest of things make your day.

For Dessert the Strawberry Cheese cake Waffle ($21) had me purring.

The Strawberry Brownie Shortcake ($21) served with Ice Cream did it for the rest of the table.

My favorite server Anthony made our service impeccable, as did the managers Amara and Michael.

I seriously love this place and was thrilled when we walked in to see the Producer Pat Addis and fellow critic, playwright and producer Lauren Yager. They came because I was so thrilled and told them how good the food is. Sugar Factory is not just for sugar, though they also do that well.

If you want to treat someone special in your life, I highly recommend the Sugar Factory.

Sugar Factory, also has locations in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, as well as The Bahamas.

Sugar Factory Times Square on 44th and 8th is the perfect location with truly wonderful food that gives you your money’s worth.

This menu is on from Thursday May 9th until Mother’s Day May 12th.

To see our other review of Sugar Factory click here.

De Niro Con​, a celebration of 80 years of Robert De Niro, today unveiled its programming lineup. Coinciding with the 2024 Tribeca Festival, this three-day tribute takes place at Spring Studios in New York City from June 14-16. De Niro Con is powered by Webex Events, allowing fans to download an exclusive app to make the most of their Con experience.

Programming includes a screening series with 13 classic De Niro films, including the 50th anniversary of Mean Streets; live conversations with long-time collaborators; a career-spanning exhibit consisting of never-before-seen materials from De Niro’s personal archive; the world premiere of the immersive short film De Niro, New York; and exclusive fan experiences and activations.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 80 years of Robert De Niro, my dear friend and co-conspirator for the past 35 years, than by throwing a big bash for his fellow New Yorkers,” said Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “From conversations with legends like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and David O. Russell to fan experiences, it is going to be a truly historic weekend as we pay tribute to a great talent.”

Film screenings include the world premiere of A Bronx Tale: The Original One Man Show with an introduction by Chazz Palminteri; Jackie Brown, followed by a conversation with director Quentin Tarantino and De Niro; Analyze This, followed by a conversation with stars Billy Crystal and De Niro, moderated by Whoopi Goldberg; Silver Linings Playbook followed by a conversation with director David O. Russell; New York, New York with an introduction by Kathrine Narducci; The Good Shepherd with an introduction by John Turturro; Goodfellas followed by a conversation with screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, moderated by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon; The Deer Hunter with an introduction by star Christopher Walken; Meet The Parents with an introduction by Ahmed Ahmed; as well as screenings of The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull, and Taxi Driver.

“Robert De Niro is an acting icon,” said Billy Crystal. “He is one of my closest friends and working with him was one of the great experiences of my career. I’m really excited to honor him and his fantastic career this June.”

The 50th Anniversary of Mean Streets, presented by City National Bank, includes a post-screening conversation with Martin Scorsese and De Niro, moderated by Nas at the Beacon Theatre.

Expanding beyond the De Niro Con weekend and spanning the duration of the Tribeca Festival, fans can experience the never-before-seen De Niro Is an Icon: An Exhibit & Immersive Film. This career-spanning gallery will feature more than 300 curated items from De Niro’s personal archive, including rare photographs, annotated scripts, costumes, research materials, and storyboards. Accompanying the exhibit is the world premiere of De Niro, New York, a first-of-its-kind short film produced by Little Cinema that forges new connections and dialogues by weaving together De Niro’s iconic characters from more than 40 films. Presented within the Hexadome, a cutting-edge structure and format crafted by Berlin’s Institute for Sound and Music, this immersive installation with six screens and 52 channels of sound, seamlessly merges pop culture with high art. The three-day celebration also includes a talk with French artist JR.

Capping off the De Niro Con celebration are a range of fun-filled interactive activations based on some of De Niro’s most beloved films, including Max Cady’s prison tattoo parlor from Cape Fear (where fans can get real or temporary tattoos), Travis Bickle’s bedroom from Taxi Driver, and Jack Byrnes’ infamous polygraph test from Meet The Parents. Additional fan events include a De Niro Trivia Night and the De Niro Hero Sandwich Competition.

The full De Niro Con lineup is below. For the latest updates follow @Tribeca and #DeNiroCon on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and to become a Tribeca Member or purchase passes and tickets for De Niro Con, go to https://tribecafilm.com/denirocon.