Summer has begun and the arts are thriving. We’ve highlighted a few events taking place on the Upper West Side over the next couple of weeks.
For those looking for a family activity:
Children’s Museum of Manhattan: Inside Art: Create, Climb, Collaborate
The family-friendly museum continues its “tradition of providing families access to beautiful, complex and challenging art.” Kids and families can interact with and even create art in this multi-faceted interactive exhibition.
When: Starts June 28
Price: Free for members; $15 for non-members; $16 for non-members starting on July 1
Location: 212 West 83rd Street
Tickets and more info: https://cmom.org/exhibitions/
Advertisement
For lovers of film:
New Plaza Cinema at The West End Theatre
A slew of great films are playing at The West End Theatre, from New Plaza Cinema (the once-famed Lincoln Center area group). These are all mostly independent films you won’t run into at your local AMC. Every film has received significant critical acclaim.
Here are a few recommendations:
Tahara: If you’re looking to explore pride-month themes this weekend, you can check out Tahara, a hebrew-school comedy which one reviewer stated, “has the danger of the best queer art.” 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Man of Integrity: A seething film about governmental corruption from the perspective of a goldfish farmer, trying to be a good man within a broken system. The Hollywood Reporter calls it, “An uncompromising drama from one of Iran’s most outspoken directors.” 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Petite Maman: Nelly, an 8-year-old girl, returns to her mother’s childhood home after her grandmother dies. A mediation on grief, memory and connection transpires as they sort through the contents of a past life. The Washington Post says, “Petite Maman is what every film should be: powerfully, even arrestingly original; grounded in emotional truth; hyper-specific; deeply universal; strange; mesmerizing; and not a minute longer than necessary.” 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Northman: Prince Amleth’s father, the king, is killed by his uncle. The following is a revenge-seeking journey. The storyline will absolutely feel familiar (it doesn’t shy away from its Shakespearean roots) but the suspenseful storytelling from Robert Eggers (director of The Witch and The Lighthouse) is filled with haunting and hypnotic imagery which feels striking and original. If you missed its recent theatrical run, don’t make the same mistake twice. 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
When: Thursday – Sunday
Price: $15 for General Admission; $12 for Seniors, Students, and Disabled Persons
Location: 263 West 86th Street
Tickets and more info: https://newplazacinema.org/showtimes/
Advertisement
For fine-art lovers looking for casual but high-quality inspiration:
Art on The Avenue: Creating Tomorrow
Art on The Avenue is back in our Neighborhood after traveling around Manhattan. Their galleries in the windows of empty storefronts sprawl along Columbus Avenue from 69th street to 84th. Even if you haven’t heard of them before, you’ve probably come across their work. They are an artistic force working to revitalize neighborhoods across NYC and beyond. Check them out before they disappear from our blocks on July 1.
When: Running until July 1
Price: Free
Location: 495 Columbus, 338 Columbus, 330 Columbus, 301 Columbus, 100 West 72nd Street, 189 Columbus
Tickets and more info: https://www.artontheavenyc.com/
For the theater folk:
2nd Stage Theater: 53% Of
By Steph Del Rosso; directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene
The renowned On/Off-Broadway Theatre company is back in our neighborhood, in their old home at the McGinn/Cazale Theater on Broadway and 76. Within this intimate space, 2nd Stage is presenting 53% Of, a play responding to playwright Steph Del Rosso learning that 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Describing her inspiration, she says, “I found that with myself and other liberal identifying women, it was easy for us to really judge and look down upon those women, so I was interested in writing a play that sort of critiques white women across the political spectrum.”
When: Runs through July 10
Price: $30- $50
Location: 2162 Broadway
Tickets and more info: https://2st.com/shows/53-percent
Advertisement
For those who love dance, movement, and performance art:
The Center at West Park: King Lear in The Forest
Created and performed by G^2
Dance and movement artists Beth Graczyk and John Maria Gutierrez have toured this multi-disciplinary performance/dance piece around the world. From The Center at West Park to Seattle to Shanghai. This multi-disciplinary performance art/dance piece “acts as a lens to explore identity and perception”.
When: Thursday June 23 @ 7:30 and Saturday June 25 @ 7:30
Price: $20
Location: 165 West 86th Street
Tickets and more info: https://www.centeratwestpark.org/events/king-lear-in-the-forest-2022
