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Celebrate the best of the west—the west side, that is—at the first-ever West Side Fest, a free day of cultural experiences.
This brand new event includes free admission to museums, live performances, art-making activities and more on Saturday, September 30. The festival's hosted by The West Side Cultural Network, a group of more than 19 museums, parks, performing arts centers and cultural institutions located within a half-mile portion of historic New York.
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Some events planned for the day include:
- Free admission, neighborhood tours, and art-making for kids from 11am-3pm at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Several exhibitions are on view, including a permanent collection show with works by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jay DeFeo, Alexander Calder, Lee Krasner, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and more.
- Free admission and tours of newly opened exhibitions "Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde" and "We Tried to Warn You! Environmental Crisis Posters, 1970–2020" will be available at Poster House, plus live performances and printing activities for all ages at Hudson River Park Pier 63.
- The Submerge Marine Science Festival at Hudson River Park Pier 84.
- A puppet show, open studios, and live music at Westbeth Artists Residence.
- A creative break, free art-making activities for all ages at Little Island.
- An open rehearsal with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater at West Village Rehearsal Co-op.
- An evening block party at The Shed featuring dance sets by The Dragon Sisters in partnership with Poster House, Ladies of Hip-Hop and Chelsea Factory, as well as ongoing DJ sets by Riobamba, BEARCAT and Ashley Venom.
- A free film festival at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center in partnership with Queer Voices NYC that centers & celebrates Queer-BIPOC voices.
- A presentation of Arthur Russell’s 1973 composition "City Park" at the New York City AIDS Memorial Park.
- A free exhibition of paintings, archival materials, audiovisual elements, and ephemera by multidisciplinary artist Matthew Lutz-Kinoy presented by The Kitchen.
- Free admission and exhibition tours at the Rubin Museum of Art, and a drop-in art workshop from 1-3pm led by art therapy graduate students from New York University.
- A poetry reading on the High Line inspired by Pamela Rosenkranz’s Plinth commission Old Tree, featuring New York-based poets.
- The opening of solo exhibition by artist and choreographer Ligia Lewis at Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA), featuring a live performance of the artist’s newest work.
Here's the full schedule along with a map.
The festival is the result of four years of neighborhood collaboration, according to Tamara McCaw, chief civic program officer at The Shed.
"The Hudson River's West Side is a dynamic cultural hub," said Jane Carey, director of government and community affairs at the Whitney Museum of American Art and a lead planner of West Side Fest. "Each year, millions of people are brought together by the dozens of arts organizations, parks and performance centers in the area, sparking curiosity, giving space for conversations, and providing joy—all while driving societal and economic progress. Cultural communities like the West Side solidify New York as a global arts destination."