Park Avenue Armory

Part palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory fills a critical void in the cultural ecology of New York, supporting unconventional works in the performing and visual arts that cannot be fully realized in a traditional proscenium theater, concert hall, or white wall gallery. With its soaring 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall and an array of exuberant period rooms, the Armory enables a diverse range of artists to create, students to explore, and audiences to experience epic, adventurous, relevant work that cannot be done elsewhere in New York. The Armory both commissions and presents performances and installations in the grand Drill Hall and offers more intimate programming in its historic period rooms through its acclaimed Recital Series, which showcases musical talent from across the globe within the intimate salon setting of the Board of Officers Room; the Artists Studio series curated by MacArthur “Genius” and jazz phenom Jason Moran in the restored Veterans Room, which features a diverse array of innovative artists and artistic pairings that reflect the imaginative improvisation of the young designers and artists who originally conceived the space; and Making Space at the Armory, a insightful series of cutting-edge conversations, performances, and installations curated by professor and Guggenheim fellow Tavia Nyong’o that make space for new points of view and unique perspectives from a diverse array of artists, scholars, cultural leaders, and social trailblazers; and the Malkin Lecture Series that features presentations by scholars and writers on topics related to Park Avenue Armory and its history. In addition, the Armory also has a year-round Artists-in-Residence program, providing space and support for artists across genres in the creation and development of new work and expansion of their practices. Each artist sets up a studio in one of the Armory’s period rooms, providing a unique backdrop that can serve as both inspiration and as a collaborator in their project development. Residencies also include participation in the Armory’s Arts Education program with artists working closely with the Armory’s Youth Corps interns. Current Artists-in-Residence include director, choreographer, and dancer Raja Feather Kelly; flexn dance pioneer Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray and his company the D.R.E.A.M. Ring; playwright Lynn Nottage; playwright and director Tina Satter and her collective Half Straddle; composer and film maker Du Yun; and a shared collective of artists including choreographer Steven Hoggett, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, set designer and director Christine Jones, and performance artist Carmelita Tropicana. The Armory’s Arts Education initiative offers creativity-based programs at no cost to thousands of students from underserved New York City public schools. The Armory provides access to its wide range of performances, workshops taught by a talented corps of Teaching Artists, and in-depth, customized residencies that support the schools’ curriculum. Youth Corps, the Armory’s year-round paid and closely mentored internship program, begins in high school and continues into the critical post-high school years, providing interns with mentored employment, job training, and skill development, as well as a network of peers and mentors to support their individual college and career goals.