Family Arts Resources
New York City is one of the great cultural capitals of the world. Hardly any other city offers so much in the way of museums, theater, dance, or music. Many of these institutions are ideal for family outings and, in fact, more and more arts organizations are providing programs specially designed for families. Below are just a few institutions that provide family oriented outings, search www.nyc.com for even more ways to enjoy the arts with your family!
BRONX BROOKLYN MANHATTAN QUEENS
BRONX
Bronx River Art Center and Gallery
1087 East Tremont Ave. (at 177th St.), Bronx, NY 10460
www.bronxriverart.org
Located a few blocks from the Bronx Zoo, overlooking the Bronx River, the gallery presents exhibitions by professional contemporary artists from the Bronx community and the New York metropolitan area as well as national and international loan shows. Free guided tours of the exhibitions are offered Mon-Fri from 11AM to 3PM and Saturdays 12-4 (reservations required).
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
Grand Concourse and East Kingsbridge Rd., Bronx, NY 10458
www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org
This simple cottage was the last home of the celebrated 19th-century American author Edgar Allan Poe. He created some of his most famous works --including the haunting poem Annabel Lee - while living here. The house has been restored to look the way it did during Poe's residence and includes what is believed to be the poet's rocking chair and bed.
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
1040 Grand Concourse (at 165th St.), Bronx, NY 10456
www.bronxmuseum.org
The museum presents rotating exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Emphasis is on works that feature Bronx artists or relate to the Bronx and its cultural communities. The museum also offers special programs of film, dance and music.
Pregones Theater
571-575 Walton Ave., 2nd Flr., Bronx, NY 10451
www.pregones.org
This Puerto Rican theater ensemble presents a varied repertory of drama, comedy and musical theater that explores Latino life and culture. More information can be found on their website.
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BROOKLYN
651 ARTS
651 Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.651arts.org
Founded in 1989, 651 ARTS has grown to be a vibrant presence in the Brooklyn community and beyond. In addition to presenting performances by emerging and established artists such as Donald Byrd, Anna Deavere Smith and Casandra Wilson, 651 ARTS has an Artist Residency Program to support African-American performers and organizations and to send artists into the community to teach and perform through family master classes. In 1999, they inaugurated an annual dance series, Black Dance: Tradition and Transformation (BDTT), featuring black dance companies from around the world. Each year, 651 ARTS hosts school groups from New York for a special performance of BDTT. Humanities events such as panel discussions, pre-performance talks with the artists, film programs and workshops are often presented in conjunction with their stage productions in order to extend the impact of their programming.
Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Ave. (between St. Felix St. and Ashland Pl.), Brooklyn, NY 11217
www.bam.org
BAM, as it is affectionately called, is one of the nation's premier presenters of the performing arts. Its facilities include the Howard Gilman Opera House, the BAMCafe (presenting live performances most Friday and Saturday nights), the nearby Harvey Theater and the BAM Rose Cinemas (four screens). Its programs are acclaimed not only for their high quality but for their diversity and originality. They present performers of international renown as well as programs that reflect the interests of the Brooklyn community. BAM's acclaimed Next Wave Festival focuses on contemporary and experimental work. Past seasons at BAM have included authentic stagings of 18th-century operas, theatrical performances by the renowned Comedie Francaise, cutting-edge as well as classical dance, theater and music performances. A popular annual event is BAM's Memorial Day weekend DanceAfrica Festival, featuring African music, theater, dance, film, and an African bazaar. BAM also offers performances and residencies for school groups and humanities programs for adult audiences. Free outdoor music performances are presented in the summer.
The Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont St. (at Clinton St.), Brooklyn, NY 11201
718 222 4111
www.brooklynhistory.org
Founded in 1863, BHS is a nationally renowned urban history center dedicated to the exploration and preservation of documents, artwork and artifacts representative of Brooklyn's diverse cultures past and present. BHS provides access to its unparalleled collection through extensive educational programs, exhibits, neighborhood history guides, community outreach and its distinctive Brooklyn Walks and Talks series. Brooklyn's young and old develop pride in their own cultural traditions while fostering an appreciation for their neighbors' differences and similarities.
The Brooklyn Historical Society's main exhibit is Brooklyn Works: 400 Years of Making a Living in Brooklyn, New York City's first major exhibition spanning the metropolitan area's history from its beginnings to the present day. Brooklyn Works is about the working people of Brooklyn - the industries in which they worked, the many challenges they faced, and how this work shaped their daily lives over Brooklyn's 400-year history.
Throughout the year a full calendar of special events, presentations, workshops and programs offers families wonderful opportunities for learning and getting involved. Visit the website to learn about current changing exhibits and upcoming programs. The Society is also an important research tool, and features the Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Library, which features the largest collection of Brooklyn-related books, graphic images, and newspaper clippings in existence.
The Puppetworks - Park Slope
338 6th Ave. (at 4th St.), Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.puppetworks.org
Performances by this well-known puppet theater company feature hand-carved wooden marionettes, music and lavish sets and costumes. The repertory features classic folk and fairy tales. Programs are recommended for children ages 3 and up.
UrbanGlass: New York Contemporary , Glass Center
647 Fulton Street (enter at 57th Rockwell Place), Brooklyn, NY 11217
www.urbanglass.com
Glass, glass, everywhere at the largest artist-access glassworking studio in the world. Any qualified glassworks artist may rent time and equipment to work here. Visitors may watch glass being blown; see some of the art produced at the studio displayed in its Robert Lehman Gallery of Contemporary Glass and purchase newly created pieces in its gift shop.
MANHATTAN
92nd Street Y
1395 Lexington Ave. (at 92nd St.), New York, NY 10128
www.92ndsty.org
The 92nd Street Young Men's and Women's Hebrew Association - simply known as the 92nd Street Y- is one of the City's leading cultural and community centers. Its music and dance performances feature classical as well as jazz and cabaret artists. The Y's lecture series often includes celebrities from the world of the arts, literature, media, politics and sports. The Y also offers hundreds of different classes of an educational, artistic and recreational nature for both children and adults. A catalogue of events and courses is available free upon request and via the Y's website.
The New Victory Theater
209 West 42nd Street, just west of Broadway / 646-233-3010
www.NewVictory.org
The New Victory Theater -- a project of The New 42nd Street -- presents a range of professional productions at affordable ticket prices ($12.50-$35) including Member tickets ($8.75-$24.50). In addition, it also offers daytime school performances ($2 per student), family workshops and jobs to high school and college students. Interactive Lower Lobby Activities, FYIs (performance-related exhibits) and Talk-backs with the artists are offered in conjunction with select performances throughout the season. The theater's website, NewVictory.org, continues to be an excellent resource, providing video clips and more information about each production in the season, as well as show-related activities. The New Victory Theater sparked the subsequent revitalization of 42nd Street when it opened its doors in December 1995.
Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Ave. (at 70th St.), New York, NY 10021
www.asiasociety.org
The Asia Society is one of the City's most important centers for learning about the variety and richness of Asian art and culture. Its galleries offer year-round temporary exhibitions that in the past have ranged from displays of the ancient art of the Indus Valley (Pakistan) to political cartoons of modern India. Exhibitions frequently showcase the society's superb permanent collection of Asian art, which includes Indian sculpture and manuscripts, Japanese and Buddhist paintings, Korean ceramics, ancient bronzes and Indonesian textiles. The Asia Society also presents lectures, poetry readings; performances of Asian dance, theater and music and screenings of films.
Children's Museum of the Arts
182 Lafayette St. (betw. Broome and Grant Sts.), New York, NY 10013
www.cmany.org
Specifically designed for children 12 months to 12 years, the museum features interactive and other hands-on exhibits and activities related to the visual and performing arts.
Dance Theater Workshop, Bessie Schonberg Theater
219 West 19th St. (betw. 7th and 8th Aves.), New York, NY 10011
www.dancetheaterworkshop.org
Dance Theatre Workshop presents modern dance performances by new and emerging choreographers in a variety of styles, themes and formats. (Some programs may be too sophisticated for family audiences. Box office personnel can help you make appropriate selections.)
Gracie Mansion
East 88th St. and East End Ave., New York, NY 10128
www.nyc.gov
Now the official residence of the Mayor of the City of New York, this historic mansion was built in 1799 as the country estate for the wealthy shipping merchant Archibald Gracie. The rooms have been beautifully restored and decorated with period antiques, paintings and other works of art (along with such modern necessities as a TV and projector for the Mayor's meetings). The guided tours (approximately 45 minutes) explain the history of the house, its furnishings and the role it plays today in the City's history and current affairs. The front lawn has a dramatic view of Hell's Gate, a treacherous strait of water where the East River, the Harlem River and Long Island Sound converge.
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway at 60th St., New York, NY 10023
www.jalc.org
Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts feature music of many of the great jazz artists both past and present. In addition to concerts, the programming includes educational programs for young people age 2 and up and a competition and festival for high schools across the U.S. and Canada.
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Administrative Office: 520 8th Ave, Ste. 314, 2nd Floor, NY, NY 10018
Theater: The West End Theatre, 263 West 86th St., 2nd Flr., New York, NY 10024
www.panasianrep.org
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is a professional nonprofit theater committed to producing work that celebrates the talent, skills, and creativity of professional Asian American theater artists in new intercultural plays that reflect the evolution of Asians in American, in translations of Asian masterworks, and in innovative adaptations of western classics. Through its work, the company strives to educate and entertain audiences of all ages from the various cultures of our world.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library
515 Malcolm X Boulevard (at 135th St.), New York, NY 10037
www.nypl.org
The Schomburg Center, a research library of the New York Public Library, is one of the world's leading centers for the study of black history and culture. It also sponsors a year-round series of exhibitions, which in the past have explored such diverse subjects as the sacred art of Ethiopia and the jazz culture of Harlem. Many of these are drawn from the Center's own important collection of art, photographs and literary and historical documents relating to the people of Africa and the African diaspora. In conjunction with its exhibitions the Center presents lectures, music and dance performances.
TADA!
15 West 28th Street (betw. 5th and Broadway), 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001
www.tadatheater.com
TADA! produces original musical theater productions three times a year performed by members of the year-round Resident Youth Ensemble (40-50 NYC kids ages 8-18 who receive free pre-professional training and youth development services), renowned arts education in-school residencies and after-school programs, theater classes for kids of all ages taught by professional teaching artists, and an annual play writing contest and staged reading series for teens.
The Hispanic Society of America
Audubon Terr., on Broadway betw. 155th and 156th Sts., New York, NY 10032
www.hispanicsociety.org
The rich artistic legacy of Spain, Portugal and Latin America is the focus of this jewel-like museum. Paintings by such world-famous artists as El Greco, Goya and Velazquez are on view along with beautiful examples of Hispanic ceramics, metalwork and sculpture.
The Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave. (at 75th St.), New York, NY 10021
General information: 1 800 WHITNEY
www.whitney.org
The Whitney is one of the country's foremost museums of 20th-century American art. Selections from its renowned permanent collections, which include major works by such artists as Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper, are always on view in the fifth-floor galleries. A popular attraction with youngsters is Alexander Calder's Circus, a whimsical wire sculpture of "big top" entertainers (a nearby video shows the artist playing with his creation). The Museum also presents a regular program of temporary exhibitions and installations, often featuring video art and photography.
Yeshiva University Museum (YUM)
15 West 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Aves.), New York, NY 10011
www.yu.edu/museum
Yeshiva University Museum is a teaching museum providing a window into the intellectual and artistic achievements of the Jewish people through exhibitions, public educational programs and publications. The museum offers exhibition tours, family craft workshops, public lectures, films, videos, concerts, and performances for both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences of all ages. For current programs and exhibitions refer to their website.
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QUEENS
Alley Pond Environmental Center
228-06 Northern Blvd. (off the Cross Island Parkway), Douglaston, NY 11363
www.alleypond.com
The Environmental Center, which is located in Alley Pond Park, a 635-acre New York City park, features a mini-zoo, outdoor classroom, wind pump and numerous nature trails that attract many species of birds and other wildlife while traversing a variety of ecosystems including forest, meadow, pond, salt marsh and tidal creek.
Colden Center for the Performing Arts,
Queens College of the City University of New York
65-30 Kissena Blvd. (near the eastbound service road of the Long Island Expressway), Flushing, NY 11367
www.coldencenter.org
The mission of the Colden Center is to make quality cultural programming accessible and affordable for Queens and metro area residents. Performances are held in its complex of three neighboring facilities on the Queens College Campus - the Colden Auditorium, the LeFrak Concert Hall and the Goldstein Theatre - and tickets range from about $12 to $36. Each season offers a wide range of attractions including dance, classical music, jazz, pop and family theater.
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning
161-04 Jamaica Ave. (betw. 161st and 162nd Sts.), Jamaica, NY 11432
www.jcal.org
For over 30 years, the Center has provided professional arts education and quality cultural programming for the southeast Queens community. The facilities include theatres for dance, drama and musical performances and three art galleries. In addition, each summer the Center presents a series of free outdoor lunchtime concerts which feature jazz, Latino and African-influenced music.
Louis Armstrong House & Archives , Archives: Benjamin Rosenthal Library,
Queens College/CUNY
65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367
www.satchmo.net
The legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong - better known as Satchmo - was one of the world's most famous and beloved entertainers. His life and work is vividly documented in the Louis Armstrong Archives, which includes thousands of photographs, recordings, videos and manuscripts as well as several trumpets he used and other memorabilia. The public is welcome to explore the archives, but appointments are recommended. The archives are housed in the same building as the Queens College Art Gallery (see separate entry).
Poppenhusen Institute
114-04 14th Rd., College Point, Queens, NY 11356
www.poppenhuseninstitute.org
The Poppenhusen Institute, named after one of College Point's leading 19th century citizens, is a cultural and educational facility for the local community. It operates a free gallery, featuring exhibitions about the history of the area, including a Native American exhibit. In addition, theiInstitute also presents music, dance, theatrical performances and walking tours. During the school-year, free drama and karate classes are offered. Group piano lessons are also taught. The institute is housed in a 19th-century landmark building that once served as the first free kindergarten in the United States. The institute also served as the Townhall and Sherriff's Office. Two jail cells remain.
Socrates Sculpture Park
Broadway and Vernon Blvd., Long Island City, NY 11106
www.socratessculpturepark.org
Once an illegal garbage dump, this 4.5 acre site along the East River is now a public park and outdoor museum for large-scale sculptures. Instead of the usual museum "Don't Touch" rule, children (of all ages) are encouraged to touch and even sit on these giant works of art. Among the permanent works on view is Wind Gamelan, a huge windmill-like structure with moving parts that chime in the breeze. Adjacent to the site is a workshop where the public sometimes can watch artists with jackhammers and blowtorches making new works for the Park. Twice a year, in spring and fall, when new exhibitions are installed, there is a public festival at the Park with free dance and music programs. On Wednesday evenings, in the summer, they present a free international film festival in conjunction with the American Museum of the Moving Image. Picnicking and dog walking are permitted. The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (see separate entry) is a short walk away.
Thalia Spanish Theatre
41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside, NY 11104
www.thaliatheatre.org
Founded more than 25 years ago, Thalia is the only Hispanic theatre in Queens. It presents contemporary Spanish and Latin American plays; folklore shows; flamenco, tango and other ethnic dance performances as well as original dance musicals; and zarzuelas, a traditional type of Spanish operetta that is performed with period sets and costumes. (All plays are performed by bilingual casts with alternating performances in English or Spanish). The theatre also offers bilingual acting workshops for youth. Performances take place in the company's 75-seat Theater.
The Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Road at Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11106
www.noguchi.org
Dedicated to the work of the internationally renowned Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (d. 1988), the Museum was designed by the artist himself as the ideal setting for his art. Over 250 works are displayed in 13 galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden. Although abstract in style, Noguchi's objects evoke nature and are intended to harmonize with the natural environment. Free guided tours are offered daily at 2PM. Films about the artist's life and art are shown continuously in the video theater. On Saturday and Sunday there is a shuttle bus service from Manhattan to the Museum, departing from the Asia Society located at the NE corner of Park and 70th street. The fee for the shuttle bus is $10 round trip. This fee does not include the price of admission to the Museum. The shuttle bus departs every hour on the half-hour, from 11:30am to 3:30pm; return service every hour on the hour, from noon to 6pm at the front entrance of the Museum.
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