ArtRx NYC
You want to know how to finish off 2015 right? Our suggestions include a concert for peace, an experimental sound quilt, a warehouse extravaganza, fireworks in Grand Army Plaza, and maybe chill out in the new year with a silent Chaplin film program.
You want to know how to finish off 2015 right? Our suggestions include a concert for peace, an experimental sound quilt, a warehouse extravaganza, fireworks in Grand Army Plaza, and maybe chill out in the new year with a silent Chaplin film program.
Concert for Peace
When: Thursday, December 31, 7–9pm (free seats first-come, first served; $100 tickets also available)
Where: Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Avenue, Morningside Heights, Manhattan)
After a long year filled with so much violence and death, ringing in 2016 with thoughts of peace sounds perfect. Spend New Year’s Eve at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, where you can take in the splendor of the setting as you listen to music meant to inspire peace of mind and spirit. (Just arrive early to avoid the unwanted stress of not getting in.) —JS
An Experimental Sound Quilt
When: Thursday, December 31, 9pm–1am
Where: Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street, Meatpacking District, Manhattan)
Sound artist Matana Roberts has been engaging with the Whitney Museum’s exhibitions and new building all year, improvising in response to a work by Eva Hesse and setting up a five-day open studio, among other endeavors. Her explorations will culminate in a New Year’s Eve performance of “red, white and blue(s),” a score she composed over the course of 2015 that ponders “the perplexities of what it means to be American in the twenty-first century.” (The performance is also inspired by Archibald Motley, whose work is on view at the Whitney right now). This should be a truly inspiring way to ring in 2016. —JS
The Casino Battle Royale
When: Thursday, December 31, 9pm–5am (Tickets $65/$75)
Where: Location to be disclosed only to ticket holders
Rubulad is renowned for their epic parties in Brooklyn, and this time they appear dedicated to continuing their commitment to complete sensory overload. The theme of this year’s New Years Eve party is “Classic Bond,” so partygoers are encouraged to dress 1960–70s glam — with a heavy dose of international intrigue. The schedule is pretty epic, and arrangements include a “secret lair.”
Fireworks Fit for a County of Kings
When: Thursday, December 31, 11pm–12am (free)
Where: Grand Army Plaza (Flatbush Avenue at Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn)
New Year’s Eve in Times Square? Fuggedaboudit! Think about it, do you really want to kick off 2016 cheering on a giant ball of glowing crystals as it impales itself atop a mediocre Midtown skyscraper? The borough of Brooklyn’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza, with its triumphal arch, cascading fountain, proximity to the park, ample bike lane access, and hot chocolate, is the tasteful European alternative to Manhattan’s garish American extravaganza. This year’s pre-fireworks festivities will feature the Brooklyn Mash It Up Band and a set by DJ C. Live. —Benjamin Sutton
Last Chance: Kongo
When: Closes Sunday, January 3
Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan)
As we head into the new year, do not miss your last chance to see the Met’s Kongo: Power and Majesty exhibition, a well-researched and incredibly compelling gathering of 146 objects from the kingdom of Kongo. Dating from the 15th century to the 20th, and encompassing everything from gorgeous abstract textiles to potent religious figures, the pieces here tell a story that’s both too familiar — the destruction of West African life at the hands of European colonialists — and not familiar enough: the details, realities, and experiences of a set of African peoples. —JS
A Quartet of Charles Chaplin Films
When: Saturday, January 2, 2016, 1:30pm
Where: T2, Titus Theater 2, Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53rd Street, Midtown, Manhattan)
It’s a few days after New Years Eve, and you’re looking for something to do. May I suggest a unique silent film program? Between 1914 and 1916, Chaplin was being wooed by film studios across the US. He was lured away from California-based Keystone Studios in 1914 by Chicago’s Essanay Company, but Chaplin couldn’t tolerate the Chicago winters so he moved on to Mutual Film Corp., where he was paid $10,000 per week. These four films (Getting Acquainted, 1914; In the Park, 1915; By the Sea, 1915; The Pawnshop, 1916) cover that same period when he was at the pinnacle of his silent movie powers and the darling of the burgeoning motion pictures industry. The 65-minute MoMA program will have musical accompaniment.
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With contributions by Jillian Steinhauer and Benjamin Sutton
