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I don’t know Johnny Depp—like most people on this planet, I have never met him—but a walk through his new exhibit in Chelsea feels like a one-way conversation with the actor. Him speaking to me, that is. 

Set up inside the Starrett-Lehigh Building on 27th Street by the western edge of Manhattan, “A Bunch of Stuff,” as the exhibition is called, looks and feels exactly like the personality that the 61-year-old award-winning actor has been broadcasting to the public since first landing on the scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street four decades ago.

Expect a moody atmosphere in a space filled with dark colored pieces and an eclectic mix of gothic elements (including loads of skulls) that feel both edgy and artistic.

It is also impossible to disconnect the art in front of you—created entirely by Depp and on display to the public for the very first time—from the media spectacle that the actor was a part of two years ago, when he sued ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation following an article she wrote in which she claimed that he had physically abused her. 

In a way, the exhibit feels like Depp’s special turn at the stand, where he gets to speak his mind without interruption by Heard, paparazzi or anyone else.

Set up in a circular pattern, with a black box in the middle (more on that later), “A Bunch of Stuff” wants to be recognized as an immersive experience and not a traditional exhibit. In addition to the variety of paintings on the walls—including many that usually reside in Depp’s village estate in Provence in the South of France—the space is filled with objects from the actor’s studios: couches, desks, painting paraphernalia and more.

Perhaps the most striking work on premise is that of Depp’s own mother Betty Sue Palmer: a beautiful portrait produced back in 2006, the painting is covered in Depp’s favorite rolling paper by Rizla (it all feels very Depp although I don’t know Depp, of course).

Depp also pays homage to his late dog, Mooh, with a massive works towards the end of the exhibit that leads into a merch shop filled with the sort of objects that guests might feel inclined to purchase after walking through the space: including stuffed animal versions of Mooh, matches with Depp’s face printed on them, sweaters and smaller versions of some of the works on display.

But it’s the kickoff to the exhibition that will likely stay with you long after you’ve left the space. Upon entering, guests find themselves face-to-face with a series of framed paintings featuring seemingly simple sentences and thoughts. 

“Her beauty a spectacle,” reads one.

“It’s hard to speak when you’re frozen in scream,” reads another.

If those sound like commentary on the legal troubles that the actor faced, perhaps thoughts Depp might have related to family and friends, that is because they probably are.

“The objective of the show is to take the visitors on an emotional journey going through Johnny Depp’s creative world,” said Anne-Sophie Villemin, an art consultant that worked with the artist closely to set up the exhibition. “Thanks to the concept that marries physical and digital, the artworks, the personal artifacts and the animation, Depp is able to share his personal story and show the scope of his creative mind, resulting in a total immersive experience. The goal is to inspire others to create and not limit themselves by traditional boundaries.”

Given the drama surrounding the defamation case, where Heard was eventually found guilty, and the doubt that many people now cast on the actor, it feels almost wrong to look through the paintings, like taking a stance in an argument that doesn’t directly relate to us. 

But is that really wrong? If the show’s raison d’etre is to catapult viewers into Depp’s brain, at least through the artistic portion of his cerebellum, then the decision to kick off the production with such clear statements makes total sense.

That deep dive is complemented by the exhibit’s central (literally, it’s found in the middle of the space) proposition: a 14-minute clip playing inside a curtained-off section of the exhibit in which Depp discusses his inspirations, his relationships with a blank canvas and his musings on life in general.

“I’ve been most people than most people have been,” he says in the video. “Is there anything that I can offer? Is there anything uniquely me that I can add to something?”

Clearly, Depp is trying his best to stand out from the crowd of people—of characters—that he has brought to life throughout his long spanning career. Perhaps, embracing himself wholeheartedly and presenting himself as Johnny Depp, and not as Johnny Depp playing someone else, might end up becoming the most important and difficult role of his life. The jury is still out on whether the public will believe and embrace him. 

“A Bunch of Stuff” runs through November 30. Tickets are available for purchase here. 

* This article was originally published here

In 1999, Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa felt the history of Italian Americans needed a home after a temporary New-York Historical Society exhibit captured the community’s achievements and contributions. After a stint in a CUNY facility in midtown, Scelsa packed up his artifacts, signed a lease at the location of the former Banca Stabile, a bank patronized by Italian immigrants and opened the single-room Italian American Museum in 2008.  

A new museum of Italian American history will open at the same location in Little Italy next Monday, October 14, coinciding with the Columbus Day holiday. Construction began in 2018 on a new building at 155 Mulberry Street, which now includes exhibits focused on Sicilian puppet theater’s history, Italian Americans who worked in the clothing industry and the journeys of Giovanni da Verrazzano in parts of the new six-story building.

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“It has not always been easy but we have much to be proud of, for our contributions to American society are enormous,” said Scelsa, the museum’s president, in a letter on its website. “Now we will have a secular cathedral for all to see, experience and appreciate where we came from and what we have achieved.”

To kick things off, the primary exhibit is of puppets from the former Manteo Theater in Little Italy. Titled “Puppet Homecoming: The Historic Sicilian Manteo Marionettes Return to Mulberry Street,” the display includes evocative, wooden marionettes that date back to the 1920s and 1930s. 

“We were given 32 of these puppets by Michael Manteo, the son of the [Manteo Theater’s] founder, Agrippino Manteo, which we promised that we would bring back to Mulberry Street,” continued Scelsa.

In celebration of the museum’s opening after years of construction and reorganization, an opening event was held on Tuesday, October 1, with appearances from representative Jerry Nadler and governor Kathy Hochul, who helped secure $1 million in state funding for the museum in 2022. 

“After several years of construction, it is a great source of satisfaction to be present at the opening of the new Italian American Museum,” said Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in New York. “This place highlights and celebrates not only the rich cultural heritage of Italian Americans in NYC, but also their significant contributions to the history and society of this great nation.”

The museum’s permanent collection will be installed through the spring, while walking tours are available for schools, individuals and other groups. Admission to the museum is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 12. The hours are noon to 5pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while visits on Wednesday and Sunday are by appointment only.

* This article was originally published here