Sunday, October 8, 2017

A vision for PS122 — 'a really lively building'


[Photo from Friday]

The New York Times today takes a look at five major contemporary dance hubs below 23rd Street, including PS122 on First Avenue at Ninth Street.

PS122, which opened in the former school in 1980, has been presenting performances from other venues since gut renovations — including the addition of an elevator, new stairwells and full ADA compliance — started in February 2013 at the 122 Community Center.

According to the Times, PS122 "is poised to reopen soon."

Here's more from today's article on Jenny Schlenzka, the first female director of PS122, who previously served as a curator of performance at MoMA and MoMA PS1.

The dance and visual art worlds have become increasingly entwined over the past decade. So Ms. Schlenzka’s appointment as executive artistic director of PS122, a haven for dance experimentation since 1980, was not a shock. Her first season, tentatively scheduled to begin early next year, will focus on the history of the East Village and of PS122. She said that until she has keys to the renovated building, a former public school on First Avenue, she couldn’t elaborate further.

Her larger vision, she said, is for “a really lively building” where people come and go all day for performances, talks, rehearsals and exhibitions.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's the sidewalk bridge-free corner of 9th Street and 1st Avenue — and the 122 Community Center

Come along on a tour of the under-renovation 122 Community Center on 1st Avenue


[The final rendering via Deborah Berke Partners]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is really exciting news. Anything that makes the East Village a center for the arts is positive.

cmarrtyy said...

Maybe it will help stem the outward flow of the creatives and bring in a different more broad-based type of resident other than the frat-rats that come piling in trashing of our community. GREAT NEWS.

My one warning to PS122's new leader. Don't price the community out of the building. And don't follow the undemocratic digital divide and sell tickets on line for people with smart phones, Apps and credit cards... like so many snobbish cultural institutions.

But other than that...BRAVO! Welcome back!

Anonymous said...

12:02 - all financial transactions must serve the National Security interest first. Your choice of culture must be tracked and recorded by the financial/government oligarchy. Forever.

Anonymous said...

Are you for real. Dancers make the least amount of money. The new concept will boost real estate values here. Think LIC.