On September 30, the first-ever edition of the West Side Fest: a day of free admission to a dozen museums, parks, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. On the West Side of Manhattan, New Yorkers of all ages can enjoy special indoor and outdoor activities, artmaking, crafts for kids, an evening dance party and many more. The event aims to highlight the city’s newest cultural destination, a historic area with a welcoming and unique mix of fresh, fun activities, and open gathering spaces. Visitors will get to know organizations that have been on the West Side for decades as well as newer arrivals, such as the soon-to-open 5.5-acre Gansevoort Peninsula.
The complete listing of events can be found at the event website at westsidefest.nyc, but some of the events planned for the day include:
- Free admission, neighborhood tours, and artmaking for kids from 11 am to 3 pm at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Several exhibitions 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 for the fall season, 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 and Ladies of Hip-Hop in partnership with 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 pm to 3 pm 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.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this community and offer New Yorkers a full day of free creative activities and beautiful views during the first-ever West Side Fest”, 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. At the Whitney, we are proud to be part of this vibrant, growing community dedicated to arts and culture!”
The festival is made possible thanks to partnerships among local sponsors, including Chelsea Market, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District, Pier 57, Wix Playground, which donated the event website, and COLLINS, which developed the West Side Fest brand and design program. It is organized by the West Side Cultural Network, which includes more than 19 museums, parks, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions located within a half-mile portion in this neighborhood, including: the Atlantic Theater Company, Center for Art, Research and Alliances, Chelsea Factory, Dia Chelsea, the High Line, Hudson River Park, The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Little Island, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, New York City AIDS Memorial, Poster House, Print Center New York, the Rubin Museum of Art, The Shed, Westbeth, West Village Rehearsal Co-Op, White Columns, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
