Women-Run Artists Collective to Launch Salon Series & #PuntoArts on International Women's Day

NEW YORK - March 6, 2017 - PRLog -- Nettles Artists Collective (NAC), an award-winning art and theater organization in residence at PUNTO Space, has joined the three-level venue to launch a Nettles Salon Series as a part of the #PuntoArts initiative. NAC and PUNTO Space, both women-run entities, will kick off the first salon, which is also the official launch of the PUNTO Arts initiative in honor of International Women's Day on March 8, 2017.

NAC will host the offline quarterly series, which exists in the spirit of the 17th century French salons that inspired, provoked, and engaged through thoughtful conversation. The salon series aims to unify art and theater enthusiasts through offline engagement. NAC members will moderate salon themes, also revered by salon producers as "art interventions," to include topics on women, physical theater, translation, and technology. A seasoned guest presenter will join each complimentary salon, which will also have music and light refreshments.

Debora Balardini and Sandie Luna, who are affiliated with both NAC and PUNTO, are behind the #PuntoArts movement, which began as an extension of PUNTO Space's arts mission. Balardini, an award-winning creative disruptor, states that the two switch between daily operations for the business of both organizations and their work in the arts, which now includes the salon series. Balardini states, "For us, it is very important not to depend on an audition or depend on being discovered by a director but rather create your own art and your own future. Being autonomous is the key. So practicality and a business mindset come in handy and help us sustain our missions for both NAC and PUNTO Space."

Balardini, long inspired by the concept of a salon series, comments on the purpose of PUNTO Arts: "...to create bridges between artistic communities. Sandie and I always had the dream of having a space where we could foster upcoming artists of different mediums along with running a for-profit event venue with social good in mind." NAC and PUNTO uphold an agreement to exchange new resources, techniques, and educational opportunities to foster an arts community that has thrived for a decade.

Balardini comments on the intended guests as well: "The salons are for everyone. Really, the more mixed, the better. This is a place for exchange. Someone may be more familiar with the specific theme, but another person may have a life experience that may change the way others think. So we want them all—the expert and the seekers of expertise."

The NAC Salon Series schedule:

Wednesday, March 8, 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. / Women: Endurance

July / Physical Theater

September / Translations

December / Technology

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About Debora Balardini (www.deborabalardini.com) -

Performer, director, educator and producer Debora Balardini is the co-founder of PUNTO Space, Nettles Artists Collective, and the founder of Group.BR. Balardini is a SheROCKS 2017 Art Innovator of the Year honoree and is one of the newest members of the League of Professional Theater Women.  Balardi is currently a Brazilian International Press Award 2017 Best Actress nominee for the 2016 production she co-created, co-produced and performed, Inside the Wild Heart.

About Nettles Artists Collective (http://nettlesartists.com/):

NAC imbues the American art scene with authentic, global voices and multidisciplinary collaborations by providing a platform for the performing and visual arts. Nettles is a NYC-based, non-profit, artists collective run by Latinas devising and producing new works. We are visual and performance artists moving and creating together.

About PUNTO Space (www.PuntoSpace.com):

Founded in 2014 by Debora Balardini, Duke York and Sandie Luna, PUNTO is a three-story, event raw space in Midtown West. With its unique storefront feature, over 3,500 square feet of space and over 4,000 square feet of clean, white walls, PUNTO is a versatile canvas that can fit any event. Punto offers a variety of rental options, customizable packages, state-of-the-art facilities and attentive customer service to make any event a beautiful and successful one.