Return of In-Person Programming Highlighted by Free Events & Exhibitions this June, July, and August
The Battery Park City Authority this week released its Summer 2021 event schedule detailing dozens of free public programs and events – including art, music, dance, comedy, walking tours, virtual screenings, and more – taking place across Battery Park City from June through August. BPCA’s full Summer 2021 schedule can be found online, with all events to be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance (for more information visit forward.ny.gov). Subscribe to the BPCA mailing list online, by phone at (212) 267-9700, or at any program or event.
“We say it often and we mean it every time – but it really holds special significance this season: We can’t wait to see you in our parks!” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “Please join us in safely enjoying long-time community favorites like our River & Blues outdoor concerts, Sunset Jam drumming circles, and the Battery Dance Festival, as well as the return of the River to River Festival, Strings-on-Hudson, and our annual Juneteenth celebration, and so much more!”
“I am delighted to see in-person free events returning to Battery Park City this summer, and I thank the Battery Park City Authority for presenting programming to enrich and inspire the Lower Manhattan community,” said Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick. “Their events reflect the breadth and diversity of New York City and will provide a much-needed opportunity to safely celebrate arts and culture after a challenging year.”
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, in April 2020 BPCA transitioned to an all-virtual programming lineup, utilizing its YouTube Channel to share videos produced by its Parks Programming team – including music, art, athletics, nature, cooking, culture, and more. With its Summer 2021 event schedule, Battery Park City marks a return to the large-scale, in-person programming that has been an annual community highlight for decades.
Highlights of the BPCA’s Summer 2021 event schedule include—
JUNE
Interventions – Mildred Howard: “In the Line of Fire” and Ned Smyth: “Moments of Matter and Life.” In partnership with the Shirley Fiterman Art Center (SFAC) at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Interventions features works by internationally recognized artists Mildred Howard and Ned Smyth – both of whom also have works on display in Battery Park City. The exhibition will be viewed from the exterior of the SFAC galleries through the large, street-front windows on Barclay Street, Park Place and West Broadway.
Howard’s “In the Line of Fire” consists of numerous, repeated life-size figures, which are made up of cut-out plywood soldiers that together form a standing regiment. The figures have been silkscreen-printed with a single recurring image – a young man in his teens, who was a distant relative of the artist and who had been drafted or enlisted into the U.S. Army during the First World War. Howard’s work not only points to the history of racism in this country, but also raises fundamental questions surrounding what it means to be American.
Smyth’s “Moments of Matter and Life” pairs some of the artist’s early post-Minimal work from the 1970s with a group of his most recent sculptural and photographic investigations on the shapes and textures of stones and twigs that he has been continuously collecting. Experimenting with large format, black and white photographs, as well as sculpture, Smyth obsessively explores aspects of definition, texture, and scale.
Exhibition runs June 3-September 25 at SFAC (81 Barclay Street). Read more.
In addition, Mildred Howard’s “The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own” is on view at Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City through Spring 2022. Ned Smyth’s “The Upper Room“ is permanently on view at the entrance to the Battery Park City Esplanade at Albany Street.
Sunset Singing Circle. Folk singer Terre Roche leads weekly communal singing sessions of well-known classics and contemporary hits as the sun sets over the Hudson waterfront.
Fridays, June 4-18 @ 7PM in Wagner Park
Gotham Cheer. Celebrate Pride Month with this fabulous group of spirited LGBTQIA members as they cheer, dance and defy gravity, sharing their joy with all.
Saturday, June 5, 11AM @ Esplanade Plaza
River-to-River Festival: Processions. Processions is a series of three outdoor processionals in areas around Battery Park City, engaging some of the most interesting choreographers in New York. Curated in collaboration with Movement Research, this series will include a time of transmission from the artist to the participants and an extended time for a procession that can be witnessed by the public. RSVP beginning June 1.
June 13: Miguel Guitierrez (Teardrop Park)
June 20: Okwui Okpokwasili (Rockefeller Park)
June 25: The Illustrious Blacks (Belvedere Plaza)
Pride Silent Disco. Queer DJs from QuietEvents play the hottest beats pumped through light-up headphones. Headphones are free; ID required.
Thursday, June 17 @ 7PM in Wagner Park
Juneteenth Celebration. Meet The Federation of Black Cowboys, learn about Juneteenth, and ride a horse! Make art inspired by Mildred Howard’s “The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own.” Music and stories by Allan Harris & the Cross That River Band.
Saturday, June 19, 2-4PM @ Belvedere Plaza
Laughter in the Park. Laughter in the Park from NY Laughs features hilarious comedians enriching lives and making the world a better place at this community building comedy event.
Sunday, June 20 @ 2PM in Wagner Park
JULY
River & Blues Concert Series. For more than 20 years River & Blues has presented incredible musical talent framed by summer sunsets on the Hudson. Join us on four Thursdays this July @ 7PM in Wagner Park:
July 8: Nicole Atkins
July 15: Devon Gilfillian
July 22: Ranky Tanky
July 29: Rev. Sekou & The Freedom Fighters
Sunset Jam on the Hudson. Maguette Camara leads a weekly sunset drumming circle in the tradition of West African rhythm and dance. Drums provided.
Fridays, July 9-August 13 @ 6:30PM in Wagner Park
AUGUST
Strings-on-Hudson: Publiquartet. The Grammy-nominated string quartet presents genre-bending programs ranging from 20th century masterworks to newly commissioned pieces.
Thursday, August 5, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
Battery Dance Festival. After a series of stunning, audience-free performances in 2020, including on the Battery Park City waterfront, the Battery Dance Festival returns with in-person shows this summer. Enjoy an entire week of free evening performances featuring top-tier dance artists from the U.S. and around the globe, including debuts and premieres.
August 15-20 @ 7PM in Wagner Park
For more information visit: batterydance.org
These special events are in addition to BPCA’s weekly recurring programs for all ages, including art, fitness, sports, gardening, and more.
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