The Shed, as it has been bluntly named, is a new, soon-to-be-opened multi-purpose arts center located in the industrial Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan. The 200,000-square-foot modular building is scheduled for a grand opening this coming spring on April 5th, and hopes to offer New Yorkers with a wide range of entertainment and artistic-based programming for its inaugural season in 2019.
The Shed’s artistic director and chief executive, Alex Poots, recently shared details on what New Yorkers and tourists can expect out of the massive new performance space in its first year. The Shed’s 2019 schedule will feature over a dozen exhibitions, performances, and lectures from both well-established and emerging artists. The new venue hopes to be more than just another music or performing arts center, as it looks to include a rich diversity of programming including theatrical productions, dance, visual art, poetry, film, classical and pop music. The building itself will feature a pair of column-free galleries, a 500-seat theater which can be subdivided into multiple spaces, rehearsal rooms, and the McCourt space which can be covered with a moveable shell. The Shed cost an impressive $475 million to build, with $75 Million coming from former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg alone. Anyone else got that kind of cash laying around? Didn’t think so.
The Shed NYC – Interior Design Plans
[Video: Dezeen]
“We wanted this to be a building that could bring parity across pretty much all art forms,” Poots mentioned in a new report with the New York Times. “People like opportunities, not instructions.”
The main headline one is presented with when visiting The Shed’s website is a mission statement reading, “Made to commission, produce, and present the full spectrum of performing arts, visual arts, and pop culture.” According to The Shed’s 2019 schedule, 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen will present the first in a series of concerts called “Soundtrack of America” for the venue’s opening day. Other scheduled events and exhibitions to take place this spring and summer include “Reich Richter Pärt,” an art installation by Gerhard Richter and music by Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt; An “Open Call” project, which presents various works from 52 emerging artists from around the city; A kung fu musical titled “Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise”; And a theatrical concert performance courtesy of Björk.
New Yorkers and inquiring tourists can visit The Shed’s website for more info on what to expect in its inaugural year.
[H/T New York Times]