Category Archives: arts festivals

NY PopsUp Festival Ushers Return of Performing Arts to NYC With 300 Events Throughout City, State in 100 Days

Tap Dancer Ayodele Casel at the NY PopsUp performance at the Queens Museum.

NY PopsUp, an unprecedented and expansive festival featuring hundreds of pop-up performances, many of which are free of charge and all open to the public, is now running in various locations through Labor Day. The series – some 300 events across New York City and state in the next 100 days – is intended to revitalize the spirit and emotional well-being of New York citizens with the energy of live performance while jumpstarting New York’s struggling live entertainment sector.

The Festival, a private/public partnership overseen by producers Scott Rudin and Jane Rosenthal, in coordination with the New York State Council on the Arts and Empire State Development,  serves as a “pilot program,” creating the state’s first large-scale model for how to bring live performance back safely after this prolonged COVID-related shutdown.

The programming for NY PopsUp is curated by the interdisciplinary artist Zack Winokur, in partnership with a council of artistic advisors who represent the diversity of New York’s dynamic performing arts scene. NY PopsUp is running through Labor Day. The Festival will reach its climax with the 20th Anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival and The Festival at Little Island at Pier 55, bringing the total number of performances to more than 1,000. NY PopsUp is being coordinated in lock step with state public health officials and will strictly adhere to Department of Health COVID-19 protocols.

“Cities have taken a real blow during COVID, and the economy will not come back fast enough on its own – we must bring it back,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.”Creative synergies are vital for cities to survive, and our arts and cultural industries have been shut down all across the country, taking a terrible toll on workers and the economy. We want to be aggressive with reopening the State and getting our economy back on track, and NY PopsUp will be an important bridge to the broader reopening of our world-class performance venues and institutions. New York has been a leader throughout this entire pandemic, and we will lead once again with bringing back the arts.”

The events produced by NY PopsUp, in addition to being free of charge, will be staged across every type of neighborhood and district in all five boroughs of New York City, throughout Long Island and Upstate New York, and in all regions of the state. As the current realities of COVID-19 make mass gatherings and large, destination-style events impossible, NY PopsUp will meet New York City and State residents where they are, infusing their daily lives with the surprise and joy of live performance. The hundreds of free, pop-up events that constitute NY PopsUp will make stages out of New York’s existing landscapes, including iconic transit stations, parks, subway platforms, museums, skate parks, street corners, fire escapes, parking lots, storefronts, and upstate venues, transforming everyday commutes, local communities, and locations never used for performances into canvases of awe and exhilaration. Instead of there being masses of audience members at a handful of events, this Festival is a mass of events, each for a safe and secure ‘handful’ of audience members.

The public will encounter a range of artists representing all areas of performance – from theater to dance, from poetry to comedy, from pop music to opera, and so much more. Among the confirmed artists are Hugh Jackman, Renée Fleming, Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin, Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Isabel Leonard, Nico Muhly, Joyce DiDonato, John Early and Kate Berlant, Patti Smith, Mandy Patinkin, Raja Feather Kelly, J’Nai Bridges, Kenan Thompson, Gavin Creel, Garth Fagan, Larry Owens, Q-Tip, Billy Porter, Conrad Tao, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, Tina Landau, Rhiannon Giddens, Aparna Nancherla, Anthony Rodriguez, Jonathan Groff, Savion Glover, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Chris Celiz, Christine Goerke, Kelli O’Hara, Dev Hynes, Phoebe Robinson, Sara Mearns, George Saunders, Caleb Teicher, Danielle Brooks, Jeremy Denk, Idina Menzel, Sondra Radvanovsky, Gaby Moreno, Davóne Tines, Jerrod Carmichael, Taylor Mac, Sutton Foster, Jessie Mueller, and Courtney ToPanga Washington, among many others. The events themselves will ignite imaginative collisions of different artforms.

Rudin and Rosenthal said, in a joint statement“As two lifelong New Yorkers, it has been utterly devastating to see our creative community brought to an absolute standstill for a year. It’s inconceivable. We both spend our lives generating opportunities for artists, so we were both thrilled to be asked by Governor Cuomo to try to ignite a spark to bring art and performance back to life for the State. The passionate enthusiasm of every person we asked to join us in this incentive is going to make this a labor of both love and invention. We’re honored to be spearheading this campaign. Frankly, our most profound hope is that by the time NY PopsUp culminates on Labor Day, New York will be fully on the way to being reopened and revitalized and that this initiative, having served its purpose, will no longer be necessary. It’s the spark, not the fire — the fire is the complete return of all the arts, in their full glory, standing as they always have for the rich, emotional life of the city and state in which we both live.”

During the run of the festival, NY PopsUp will grow in its scale, volume of performances, and geographical footprint, with events throughout New York State, from the Bronx to Staten Island, from Buffalo to Suffolk County, from the Hudson Valley to the Capitol.

NY PopsUp will reach its apex over the summer, celebrating both the 20th Anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival (June 9 through 20) and the opening of one of New York’s most highly anticipated projects: Little Island (June).

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Rosenthal and Robert DeNiro in the aftermath of 9/11 to revitalize Lower Manhattan. Tribeca has come to symbolize the resilience of New Yorkers, the importance of our artistic communities, and their impact on the economic activity of our city. This year’s 20th event will be the first in-person film festival in the entirety of North America since the pandemic began to host its filmmakers and their premieres in front of a live audience. With over 300 ticketed and non-ticketed events, the film festival will have screenings, panel discussions, concerts, and more, in parks, on piers, on buildings, and on barges. Tribeca will reach all five boroughs in celebration of the spirit of New York with a closing night celebration of Juneteenth.

The idea for Little Island, a soon-to-open, first-of-its-kind public park on the Hudson River that merges nature and art, was dreamt up as a solution to repair and reinvigorate New York’s West Side after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy. A Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation project, this is yet another example of the unique power of the arts to revitalize New York in the aftermath of crisis. Little Island, which will begin hosting performances in June, will serve as a permanent, year-round home for easily accessible, multidisciplinary programming, and it will continue bringing artists and audiences together long after NY PopsUp hosts its final performance. Little Island will host its own festival, The Festival at Little Island, in conjunction with the final weeks of NY PopsUp. The Festival at Little Island, which kicks off August 11, 2021 and runs through September 5, will host an average of 16 events per day, for a total of 325 performances by approximately 500 artists.

More details about NY PopsUp will be announced soon. Please note that, given the impromptu nature and surprise element of the pop-up format, not all performances will be announced in advance. Please follow @NYPopsUp on Twitter and Instagram for the latest.

The first performances include, among others still to be announced, the following:

The series began on Saturday, February 20 with members of the artists council leading a performance at the Javits Center as a special tribute to our healthcare workers. The performance featured Jon Batiste, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ayodele Casel, and additional special guests joining forces for a one-of-a-kind live performance. 

Throughout the day, the performers traveled around New York City, meeting audiences at various locations throughout all five boroughs in courtyards, workplaces, parks, and street corners, at the footsteps of locations such as, Flushing Post Office, Elmhurst Hospital, and St. Barnabas Hospital. Saturday will conclude with one of Jon Batiste’s signature Love Riots beginning at Walt Whitman Park and ending at Golconda Playground in Brooklyn.

On Sunday, February 21, legendary choreographer Garth Fagan’s company lead a special performance at the MAGIC Spell Studios at the Rochester Institute of Technology as a tribute for the staff who have made it possible for RIT to stay open and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also:

Patti Smith performing at the Brooklyn Museum in remembrance of the passing of Robert Mapplethorpe.

Partnership with “Works & Process” at the Guggenheim, that will take brilliant new performances beyond the famed Rotunda to locations around the boroughs. These collaborations include George Gershwin’s anthem to New York City, Rhapsody in Blue, performed by New York’s own pianist and composer, Conrad Tao, with new choreography by Caleb Teicher; The Missing Element, a beatbox and street dance collaboration, featuring Chris Celiz and Anthony Rodriguez’s “Invertebrate”; and Masterz at Work Dance Family performing a brand-new dance by choreographer Courtney ToPanga Washington.

A series of performances in storefront windows, amplified out onto the street, from artists Gavin Creel, J’Nai Bridges, Davóne Tines, Bobbi Jene Smith, Or Schraiber, and more.

A new live radio show hosted by Chris Thile, broadcast from stoops all over New York State, from Brooklyn and the East Village to the steps of Albany’s Empire State Plaza across from the Capitol building.

A series of dynamic and participatory performances created by Ayodele Casel taking place in the lobbies of free museums throughout the City of New York, including the Brooklyn Museum and Queens Museum.

NY PopsUp, the Tribeca Film Festival, and The Festival at Little Island will together bring a total of more than 1,000 performances to New York State, signaling an event unmatched in scale and unrivaled in scope.

As COVID restrictions begin to loosen, the model that NY PopsUp builds for holding safe live events will pave the way for the reopening of multidisciplinary flexible venues (“flex venues”) throughout New York State to open and participate in the Festival. These will be the very first indoor performances since the pandemic began and will mark a major moment in New York’s recovery efforts. Not only will these indoor events be a symbol to the entire world that New York is back, they will also be a key step in the long process of getting tens-of-thousands of arts professionals around New York State back to work; and a bridge to getting Broadway and all of the New York cultural world open. These Flex Venues are established performance spaces without fixed seating and are thus able to be adapted for social distancing. Examples of these venues would include The SHED, The Apollo, Harlem Stage, La MaMa, and The Glimmerglass Festival’s Alice Busch Opera Theater. All indoor events will strictly follow Department of Health public health and safety guidance.

“Having artists call on other artists as a means to build this festival’s giant creative community will spur opportunities for wild, bold, and intimate collaborations that would never otherwise have been possible. As a result, the work presented will represent a near limitless range, colliding disparate styles, disciplines, and points-of-view to infiltrate the daily lives of New Yorkers in genuinely surprising and unprecedented ways,” Zack Winokur said.”Ultimately, this Festival is about using art as a means of reestablishing human connection. With NY PopsUp, there is no mediating force between artist and artist, or artist and audience. It’s humans in direct contact with each other, and the context of this particular moment will make that connection all the more profound.”

The council of artistic advisors, who are all collaborating and co-curating NY PopsUp, is comprised of New York’s premier artistic visionaries, all hailing from different disciplinary backgrounds and each a leader in their own field. These advisors are charged with inviting other artists to join the NY PopsUp community. The artists they engage will, in turn, engage their own networks, ultimately populating the festival with the broadest, most diverse coalition of performers ever united around a single mission. In short, NY PopsUp is being built by artists asking artists to participate.

The council includes renowned choreographer and MacArthur Fellow, Kyle Abraham; three-time Grammy Award nominated jazz musician, Jon Batiste; choreographer and Hoofer Award-winning tap dancer Ayodele Casel; Grammy Award nominated singer, actor, and international opera star, Anthony Roth Costanzo; the playwright of Slave Play, the most Tony Award nominated play in history, Jeremy O. Harris; Tony Award-winning set designer Mimi Lien; the legendary nine-time Grammy Award-winning musician, Wynton Marsalis; two-time National Book Critics Circle Award-winning poet, essayist, and playwright, Claudia Rankine; Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist, Cécile McLorin Salvant; leading member of the Punch Brothers and four-time Grammy Award winner, Chris Thile; acclaimed “Saturday Night Live” writer, comedian, and actor, Julio Torres; and acclaimed director and musician, Whitney White. 

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Adirondacks Covid Getaway Features Glass-blown Pumpkins in North Creek; ‘Glass Pumpkin Patch’ Weekend, Sept 25-27

While in North Creek (Gore Mt ski area) for an Adirondacks getaway, Marty takes a class with artist-in-residence glassblower Greg Tomb. Last day for classes this season is September 23, 2020. © Laurie Millman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Laurie Millman and Martin Rubin

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

For a COVID getaway, which we just did over Labor Day, enjoy fall foliage colors and no quarantining required (if you live in the Northeast) in New York State’s Adirondacks State Park. 

While in North Creek (Gore Mt ski area), visit and/or take a class with artist-in-residence glassblower extraordinaire, Greg Tomb — last day for classes this season is  September 23, 2020.

In cooperation with North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center, Tomb has made hundreds of colorful, glass-blown pumpkins that will be sold at the “Glass Pumpkin Patch” weekend, September 25-27, 2020, from 10am – 6pm daily. Each pumpkin has been hand-blown by Tomb, giving them their unique and distinctive sizes and designs (starting price of $35). A sizable percentage of all sales goes towards the arts and operations of North Creek’s Tannery Pond Center, North Creek, NY.

For more info, visit https://tannerypondcenter.org/event/fundraiser-glass-pumpkin-patch/).

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The Shed, New York’s Newest Iconic Cultural Center, Opens April 5 with Commissioned New Works

The opening commissions at The Shed feature the world premiere of Reich Richter Pärt, an immersive live performance installation from iconic artists Steve Reich, Gerhard Richter, and Arvo Pärt, featuring new works by Richter and a new composition by Reich, performed with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, here in rehearsal, that showcase The Shed’s support for mixing cultural disciplines © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

NEW YORK—The Shed, New York City’s new arts center that commissions, develops, and presents original works of art, across all disciplines, for all audiences, will open to the public on April 5 with the world premiere of Soundtrack of America. The five-night concert series, conceived and directed by Steve McQueen with a creative team led by Quincy Jones and Maureen Mahon, celebrates the unrivaled impact of African American music on contemporary culture with performances by a new generation of artists. A free live stream of the April 5 concert will be available on The Shed’s website, TheShed.org, and its social media channels.

The opening commissions continue on April 6 with new work by artist Trisha Donnelly and the world premiere of Reich Richter Pärt, an immersive live performance installation from iconic artists Steve Reich, Gerhard Richter, and Arvo Pärt, featuring new works by Richter and a new composition by Reich. The world premiere of Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, a specially commissioned spoken and sung dramatic work by poet and scholar Anne Carson, starring Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming, directed by Katie Mitchell, will be performed on April 9 (with previews on April 6 and 7).

In development for more than a decade, The Shed is a nonprofit cultural institution located on city-owned land on West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues on Manhattan’s west side, where the High Line meets Hudson Yards. It is housed in The Bloomberg Building—designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Lead Architect, and Rockwell Group, Collaborating Architect–an innovative, movable structure that adapts to support new work of all kinds. The Shed’s primary program spaces include two floors of expansive galleries, the versatile 500-seat Griffin Theater, and The McCourt, a multiuse hall for large-scale performances, installations, and events for audiences ranging from 1,250 seated to more than 2,000 standing. A rehearsal space, lab for local artists, and event space are located in The Tisch Skylights on the top floor.

“As a commissioning home for artists from the worlds of performance, visual arts, and pop, The Shed is a place for all artists and all audiences to meet,” said Artistic Director and CEO Alex Poots.

Dan Doctoroff, Chair of The Shed’s Board of Directors said, “The Shed is doing something very different: a new idea of a cultural institution; an unprecedented building in a new part of the city; a new team commissioning all new work. It is uniquely of New York, dedicated to the pursuit of boundless artistic ambitions across all art forms for all audiences.”

Elizabeth Diller, of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, said, “Eleven years in the making, The Shed is opening its doors to the public as a perpetual work-in-progress. I see the building as an ‘architecture of infrastructure,’ all muscle, no fat, and responsive to the ever-changing needs of artists into a future we cannot predict. Success for me would mean that the building would stand up to challenges presented by artists, while challenging them back in a fruitful dialogue.”

David Rockwell, of Rockwell Group, said, “The Shed was conceived as an adaptable and structural palette that will allow an extraordinarily diverse group of creators and artists to incorporate the building into their work. After what has been a wildly satisfying collaboration, we are thrilled to hand The Shed over to the artists and audiences who will carry it forward. I couldn’t be prouder. It’s an exciting addition to the long lineage of institutions that have kept our city on the cutting edge of the arts. Ultimately, it is a testament to the energy of New York City.”

In recognition of a $25 million gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, The Shed announced earlier this week that its 11,700-square-foot, 500-seat theater has been named The Kenneth C. Griffin Theater. “The Shed will create new opportunities for artists and audiences to join together in unique experiences. Over a decade in the making, this space reflects New York’s determined commitment to fostering artistic expression and the idea that the arts should be accessible to everyone,” said Griffin. Including this gift, The Shed has raised $529 million toward its capital campaign goal of $550 million, which includes building costs, organizational start-up expenses, and support for the creation of new work.

Opening Commissions

Soundtrack of America, April 5–14, The McCourtConceived and directed by Turner Prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen and developed with music visionaries and academic experts including Quincy Jones, Maureen Mahon, Dion ‘No I.D.’ Wilson, Tunji Balogun, and Greg Phillinganes, Soundtrack of America is a five-night concert series celebrating the unrivaled impact of African American music on contemporary culture with performances by today’s most exciting emerging musicians.

The headline performers for Soundtrack of America are:

April 5 at 8 pm: PJ Morton, Rapsody, Sheléa, and Victory, featuring special guest Jon Batiste

April 7 at 8 pm: Braxton Cook, Kelsey Lu, Jade Novah, Smino, and Tank and The Bangas

April 9 at 8:30 pm: Samm Henshaw, Judith Hill, ill Camille, Emily King, Fantastic Negrito, and serpentwithfeet

April 12 at 8:30 pm: Cory Henry, Melanie Faye, Terrace Martin, Oshun, and Sy Smith

April 14 at 8 pm: Keyon Harrold, Eryn Allen Kane, Phony Ppl, Moses Sumney, and Tamar-kali, featuring special guests Richard Bona and Natasha Diggs, plus and appearance by Aja Money.

Special guest performers include: Natasha Diggs, resident DJ for all five nights, tap dancer Michaela Marino Lerman (April 5), and jazz harpist Brandee Younger (April 7), banjoist Dom Flemons (April 9), Vy Higginsen’s Sing Harlem Choir (April 12), Cameroonian Grammy-winning bassist Richard Bona (April 14), and poet Aja Monet (April 14).

A free live stream of the April 5 concert will be available on The Shed’s website, TheShed.org, and its social media channels. Major support for Soundtrack of America is provided by the Ford Foundation.

Reich Richter Pärt, April 6–June 2, Level 2 Gallery

An immersive live performance installation in The Shed’s galleries, Reich Richter Pärt explores the shared sensory language of visual art and music. Composer Steve Reich and artist Gerhard Richter will debut a world premiere commission, as two New York groups—Ensemble Signal and International Contemporary Ensemble—will alternate performances of Reich’s new score in counterpoint with Richter’s new work, including a new moving picture work created by Richter and filmmaker Corinna Belz. Each presentation of Reich Richter begins with a performance of Richter Pärt, a collaboration between Richter and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. Two New York-based choirs—the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street—will sing Pärt’s music within an installation of Richter’s new work, in the form of tapestries and wallpaper. The Richter Pärt partnership builds on a concept originally developed by Alex Poots and The Shed’s senior program adviser Hans Ulrich Obrist for the Manchester International Festival in 2015. The Reich Richter composition and film were newly commissioned by The Shed as part of Reich Richter Pärt, and co-commissioned for a concert setting by The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Gustavo Dudamel, Music and Artistic Director; Cal Performances, University of California, Berkeley; Barbican Centre and Britten Sinfonia; Philharmonie de Paris; and Oslo Philharmonic.

Trisha Donnelly, April 6–May 30, Level 4 Gallery

New work by artist Trisha Donnelly. Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, April 6–May 19, The Griffin TheaterIn 1964, an office manager has hired one of his stenographers to type out his translation of Euripides’s Helen but his obsession with the recently dead Marilyn Monroe kidnaps the translation. Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming star in this spoken and sung performance piece by poet, essayist, and scholar Anne Carson, directed by Katie Mitchell with music composed by Paul Clark. (Preview performances April 6 and 7; opens April 9).

IN FRONT OF ITSELF, ongoing, The Plaza

A large-scale, site-specific work by artist Lawrence Weiner is embedded in The Shed’s plaza, serving as a walkable outdoor area when the movable shell is nested over the fixed building, or as the base of The McCourt when the shell is extended to the east. The 20,000-square-foot work is titled IN FRONT OF ITSELF and features the phrase in 12-foot-high letters fabricated with custom paving stones.

The Bloomberg Building

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Lead Architect, and Rockwell Group, Collaborating Architect, The Shed’s Bloomberg Building is an innovative 200,000-square-foot (18,500 m2) structure that can physically transform to support artists’ most ambitious ideas.

When deployed, The Shed’s telescoping outer shell creates a 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2), light-, sound-, and temperature-controlled space, The McCourt, named in recognition of Shed Board Member Frank McCourt, Jr., and his family. The space can accommodate an audience of approximately 1,250 seated or more than 2,000 standing. Large operable doors on its north and east sides allow The McCourt to function as an open-air pavilion. When the shell is nested over the base building, the 20,000-square-foot (1860 m2) Plaza will be open public space that also can be used for outdoor exhibitions and events.

The Shed features two expansive and flexible, column-free galleries on Levels 2 and 4 of the base building, totaling more than 25,000 square feet (2,340 m2) of museum-quality space with 19-foot-high (6 m) ceilings. Operable east-side walls can conjoin the galleries with The McCourt to accommodate space or seating needs for large-scale installations and performances.

An 11,700-square-foot (1,080 m2), sound-isolated black box space on Level 6, The Kenneth C. Griffin Theater, can be used as a single large theater with 500 seats or subdivided into two smaller theaters that can host concurrent events.

The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Skylights and The Tisch Lab (Level 8) feature a 1,700-square-foot (160 m2) creative lab for local artists, a 3,300-square-foot (305 m2) rehearsal space, and a 9,500-square-foot (880 m2) flexible, multipurpose space for events.

Additional 2019 Opening Season Commissions

Björk’s Cornucopia, the multidisciplinary artist’s most elaborate staged concert to date, directed by Lucrecia Martel (May 6–June 1, The McCourt).

Art and Civil Disobedience with Boots Riley, a one-night-only lecture by the director of Sorry to Bother You in conjunction with The Shed’s DIS OBEY program (May 10, The McCourt).

POWERPLAY, a women-centered celebration of radical art and healing, created by multimedia artist LATASHÁ in collaboration with special guest artists including Nona Hendryx and Ashley August and participants in The Shed’s DIS OBEY program for NYC high school students, which explores themes of civil disobedience through poetry (May 18 and 19, The McCourt).

Open Call, an unprecedented opportunity for 52 New York City-based emerging artists and collectives to develop and showcase their work throughout The Shed’s primary spaces, free to the public (May 30–August 25, and continuing in 2020, Level 2 Gallery, The Griffin Theater, The Plaza).

Collision/Coalition, a series of three distinct commissions with intersecting themes on the nature of historic, present, and future collaborations between antithetical forces. Artist Oscar Murillo will create a new body of work using Diego Rivera’s famed, and destroyed, murals at Rockefeller Center as his starting point. Tony Cokes will explore the relationship between artist, studio, and gentrification. And the third, a new documentary by Yanina Valdivieso and Vanessa Bergonzoli on Beatriz González’s monumental public artwork Auras Anonimas—now under threat of being demolished by Bogotá’s city administration. Organized by Emma Enderby, Senior Curator (June 19–August 25, Level 4 Gallery).

Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise, a futuristic kung fu musical co-conceived by Chen Shi-Zheng and Kung Fu Panda screenwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, with songs by Sia remixed by Arca and The Haxan Cloak, choreography by Akram Khan, martial arts direction by Zhang Jun, and production design and costumes by Tim Yip (June 22–July 27, The McCourt).

Maze, a new production from street dance pioneer Reggie ‘Regg Roc’ Gray, co-directed by Kaneza Schaal (July 23–August 17, The Griffin Theater).Mutant;Faith, a premiere of the first act of an experimental performance cycle created by Venezuelan artist, singer, and electronic music composer Arca (opens September 25, The Griffin Theater).

Agnes Denes: Absolutes and Intermediates, the most comprehensive survey of the artist in New York to date, featuring more than 130 works on paper, sculptures, and newly commissioned works for the exhibition. Organized by Emma Enderby, Senior Curator (October 9–January 2020, Level 2 and 4 Galleries).

William Forsythe: A Quiet Evening of Dance, featuring new and existing work by the inventive choreographer set to the sounds of music and the dancers’ breath (October 11–25, The Griffin Theater).

Mirrors and Memory, a collaboration on a new live production about memory between Joan Jonas and pianist Hélène Grimaud (November 2–9, The McCourt).

Manual Override, a group exhibition with artists Lynn Hershman Leeson, Sondra Perry, Simon Fujiwara, Martine Syms, and Morehshin Allahyari. Organized by Nora N. Khan, Guest Curator (November 13–January 2020, The Griffin Theater).

Requiem, a performance of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem by Teodor Currentzis and his orchestra and chorus musicAeterna, from Perm, Russia, in their North American debut, accompanied by a specially commissioned cinematic artwork of moving image by the late avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas (November 19–24, The McCourt).

The Wells Fargo Foundation is the leading sponsor of Maze and FlexNYC. William Forsythe: A Quiet Evening of Dance is a Sadler’s Wells London Production co-commissioned by The Shed; Théâtre de la Ville-Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet ,and Festival d’Automne à Paris; Festival Montpellier Danse 2019; Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; Onassis Cultural Centre-Athens; and deSingel international arts campus (Antwerp). Winner of the FEDORA – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Prize for Ballet 2018.

Cedric’s at The Shed

Opening to the public in mid-April, Cedric’s at The Shed is a new bar from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Located in the street-level Lobby at the West 30th Street entrance, Cedric’s serves a menu of daytime and evening fare including cocktails, craft beer, wine, and coffee, accompanied by shareable bites, sandwiches, and salads. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to midnight, Cedric’s draws on the creativity and inventive spirit of The Shed, offering a welcoming and casual experience for locals and visitors alike.

Tickets and Operating HoursAdmission to exhibitions at The Shed is $10, which includes entry to all exhibitions on view that day (admission is free for children and teens 18 years and under, and for Shed Members at the Builder level and above). Ticket prices for live productions vary by show. Tickets for the first half of the opening season (April–August 2019) are available now at TheShed.org and via phone at (646) 455-3494. Tickets for fall-winter programs will go on sale later this year. Exhibition hours are Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11 am to 6 pm; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm. Times for live productions vary by show.

The Shed, The Bloomberg Building, 545 W 30th Street, New York, NY 10001

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Travel-loving Museum-Goers Have New ArtGeek.art Search Engine to Help Locate Trip-Worthy Exhibitions


The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, one of 1000 museums around the country followed in the new ArtGeek.art online directory © 2017 Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

This holiday season, check out “Behind the Screen: Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas” at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, “An Antique Christmas” at the Taft Museum in Cincinnati, “A Brandywine Christmas” at Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford PA, explore “Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World” at the Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI, or “Home for the Holidays at Carolwood” at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. These are just a few of the 18 holiday-themed exhibits from around the country showcased on the new ArtGeek.art  search engine.

For the first time, art-lovers have one-stop access to exhibition listings around the country, to help plan vacation travel as well as spontaneous weekend excursions and day-trips.

Developed by two travel-loving museum-goers (and Santa Fe locals) for people like themselves, ArtGeek.art is the first free, constantly-updated on-line directory of the thousands of temporary art exhibitions scheduled at more than 1000 US museums.

ArtGeek.art’s robust search functionality makes it easy to discover compelling exhibitions, to bookmark favorites, and to maintain a personal list of possibilities.

What this means is that instead of visiting a city and searching for what exhibits may be going on, you can check what major exhibits are underway around the country, and design a trip around it.

By using ArtGeek.art as a one-stop search engine for exhibits, art-lovers have free access to:

  • 1000s of exhibition listings all in one place, simplifies discovery
  • 1000+ museums nationwide, including hundreds of lesser-known gems
  • The ability to search by location (state, city, museum), dates, genre, medium and artist with results displayed in a simple, easy-to-navigate format
  • Bookmarking, to capture appealing listings to the user’s personal list
  • Exhibition catalogs and other art book suggestions, with purchase link to Amazon
  • On-the-go discovery with the site’s fully-optimized mobile platform

To demonstrate the power of ArtGeek’s searchable database, and as a tribute to the many spectacular holiday displays around the country, its editors curated a wonder-filled list of holiday activities: 12 holiday-themed exhibitions and displays

And because there are some “must-see” art exhibitions scheduled at US museums this Winter—from Caravaggio, Michelangelo and Vermeer, to Aztecs, to Oscar—its editors created a second list of highly-recommended shows art lovers will want to know about:18 outstanding exhibitions to see this winter

“Whether planning a trip to California, New York City, or anywhere in-between, ArtGeek makes it easy and fun for art-lovers to discover art exhibitions of any type, anywhere, any time. It’s a site art-lovers will return to time and again to plan vacation travel and special art trips.”

Visit www.ArtGeek.art/.

 

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Iceland’s Secret Solstice Festival Announces World’s Most Expensive Festival Ticket: A Cool $1 Million

The ultimate festival experience is Reykjavík, Iceland’s Secret Solstice Festival, held over the summer solstice with almost round-the-clock sunlight.
The ultimate festival experience is Reykjavík, Iceland’s Secret Solstice Festival, held over the summer solstice with almost round-the-clock sunlight.

The ultimate festival experience, Reykjavík, Iceland’s Secret Solstice Festival, held over the summer solstice with almost round-the-clock sunlight, made headlines in 2015 for offering up a $200,000 festival ticket for only two people – at the time, the most expensive festival ticket on Earth. Obviously intent on outdoing themselves, they’ve gone all-out in 2016 with a festival ticket that’s now on sale for the princely sum of $1 million USD. And no, that’s not a typo. (Keep reading to learn how you can get much more affordable access pass.)

For the $1 million, you get a return flight in a private business jet from anywhere on the planet for you and five other guests, 24/7 access to two private luxury cars (including drivers and security) for a week in Iceland, two private concerts by prominent Icelandic musicians, helicopter transfers, complete access to the main Secret Solstice 2016 event, a private aerial tour of Iceland, access to the world’s first (and already sold out) concert inside the dormant magma chamber of a volcano, access to the world’s only party inside a glacier, private access to Iceland’s world-famous Blue Lagoon reserved for only your travel party, and so much more.

The international music festival is already boasting some world-class names on their general bill, though there will be two performances that only the purchaser of this ultra-premium ticket will be able to attend.

Part of the million-dollar ticket are two private performances during the buyer’s time in Iceland, by two different prominent Icelandic acts. Although both artist’s names are yet to be announced, one will entail an intimate show at the Reykjavík residence in which the guests will be staying, the other being a special show in the middle of an Icelandic lava field, of course with helicopter transfers to the location.

The festival states more will be announced before the event, though here is what’s currently listed as being included in the world’s most expensive festival ticket:

  • Private chartered business jet (Gulfstream G300 or similar) return to Iceland from any destination on Earth for 6 people
  • 24/7 access to two luxury cars, personal drivers, and private security for the entire week in Iceland
  • Luxury 6-room villa for 7 nights in the center of Reykjavík over the Secret Solstice 2016 festival week
  • Exclusive admittance to Secret Solstice 2016, including chaperoned access to off-limits areas of the festival site where possible
  • Access to the sold out Secret Solstice presents Inside The Volcano event, the world’s first concert inside a volcano over the Secret Solstice 2016 weekend, including helicopter transfers from Reykjavík
  • Private viewing areas for all major acts at Secret Solstice 2016, where possible
  • Access to the private VIP artists bar on the festival site, only accessible by main stage artists and super-VIP guests
  • The world famous Blue Lagoon reserved privately for an evening for the ticket purchasers and their invited guests, plus helicopter transfers for the ticketholders to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavík
  • Access to the sold out Secret Solstice presents Inside The Glacier event, the world’s only event inside Langjökull glacier, including. helicopter transfers from Reykjavík
  • Access to the Secret Lagoon party in a 120+ year-old geothermal lagoon (Iceland’s oldest), including helicopter transfers from Reykjavík
  • Access to Secret Solstice 2016’s Midnight Sun Boat Party
  • Private concert outside Reykjavík by prominent Icelandic act in a lava field, including helicopter transfers to the location
  • Private show at the guests’ holiday residence in Iceland by prominent Icelandic act
  • Private half-day Icelandic nature helicopter tour, to experience Iceland’s incredible natural sights from the air, with champagne lunch at a geothermal hotspot
  • Personal engraved and framed memorial ticket for each guest, made from Icelandic lava rock
  • 24/7 access to personal assistants during your stay in Iceland
  • Private Icelandic dining experience with a prominent Icelandic chef personal chef at your holiday residence on a chosen night during your stay
  • Private Icelandic food experiences on site at Secret Solstice 2016 on request
  • Introductions where possible to Secret Solstice 2016 artists
  • All food/drinks at Secret Solstice 2016, including hyper-premium drinks
  • Private whale & dolphin watching tour
  • Private airplane day tour over Iceland’s south coast, including Vatnajökull glacier and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
  • Midnight sun glacier walk on top of a glacier in Iceland with the sun still up after midnight, including helicopter transfers from Reykjavík, and a private glacier snowmobile experience
  • Private tours of any additional Icelandic holiday/tourist experiences where possible, with time permitting

Despite the extraordinary nature of the million dollar festival ticket Secret Solstice is offering, the event itself is already extremely special. Held over the summer solstice weekend in Iceland, the sun never fully sets over the entire event weekend, due to Iceland’s close proximity to the Arctic Circle. The incredible never-ending daylight has already resulted in the four-day event being called the most unique festival on Earth by several media outlets.

Of course, more reasonably-priced tickets are on sale for people with more modest budgets, starting at 24,900 Icelandic krona (approx. £143/$202/€177) for a full festival pass, or 34,900 Icelandic krona (approx. £200/$283/€249) for a VIP pass to the entire event.

Full details on the world’s most expensive festival ticket can be found at secretsolstice.is.

Secret Solstice 3 Day Passes, VIP, Camping and special side event tickets are on sale now at secretsolstice.is, while supplies last!

Stay connected with Secret Solstice!

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SNAPCHAT: SecretSolstice

 

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Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Partners with the Pageant of the Masters on Packages

At the Pageant of the Masters, audiences are enchanted by tableaux vivants (“living pictures”), incredibly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces.
At the Pageant of the Masters, audiences are enchanted by tableaux vivants (“living pictures”), incredibly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is partnering with the Pageant of the Masters to present two extraordinary overnight experiences for the 2016 season. Both packages are available July 7 through August 31, 2016.

The Pageant of the Masters is arguably one of the most unique productions in the world. Audiences are amazed and enchanted by 90 minutes of tableaux vivants (“living pictures”), incredibly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. A live narrator guides patrons through the story of each living picture accompanied by a full orchestra. The Pageant of the Masters is produced by the Festival of Arts, a non-profit organization that also produces the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show. Proceeds support the arts in Orange County.

Ritz-Carlton’s Behind the Velvet Rope offers an exclusive opportunity for guests to see how this grand production comes together behind the curtain and offers a peek into the mystery of how art comes to life. The experience is available for Saturday night only and starts at $1,999 per couple.

The package includes:

  • The Ritz-Carlton Club Level Ocean View Accommodations
  • Behind the Scenes Tour of the Pageant of the Masters
  • Two Premier Loge Center tickets to the Pageant of the Masters performance
  • Admission for Two to Festival of Arts, one of the nation’s oldest and most highly acclaimed juried fine art shows
  • Private Docent Tour of Festival of Arts
  • Welcome Amenity and Pageant of the Masters Program

The Pageant of the Masters “Partners” experience starts at $849 per night and includes:

  • Overnight Accommodations
  • Two Premier Loge Center tickets to the Pageant of the Masters stage performance
  • Admission for Two to Festival of Arts, one of the nation’s oldest and most highly acclaimed juried fine art shows
  • Welcome Amenity and Pageant of the Masters Program

The history of art is filled with stories of solitary artists abandoning society to pursue their creative expression. The 2016 Pageant of the Masters sets out in search of stories of compelling collaborations that led to the creation of unforgettable artworks in this summer’s presentation of “Partners.” Filled with provocative and passionate tales of some of art’s dynamic duos – artists and patrons, models, muses, even dance partners, be sure to bring someone special with you, as “Partners” pulls back the curtain to reveal the significant others without whom the creation of great masterpieces might not have been possible.

Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is a Five Diamond seaside resort exuding the spirit of Southern California. A playful approach to true California luxury fills the air at this distinguished Dana Point address, resting atop a 150-foot bluff along the coastline. Travelers seeking a personal journey can rejuvenate in the hotel’s ocean-inspired spa or tee off on the greens. Adventure seekers can choose from one of 15 eco-excursions or set out for a day of surfing on the Pacific.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, One Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point, California 92629, 949-240-2000, www.ritzcarlton.com.

 

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