Art galleries and their openings are a delight for enthusiasts, but the art world encompasses much more than just exhibitions. Step beyond the fine wine and mingling at the latest openings, and discover an array of exciting art-related events happening in New York City this fall.
1. “Edges of Ailey” Performances
Alvin Ailey, hailed as the father of Black modern dance will be celebrated in a major exhibition at the Whitney Museum. This six-year project features over 90 live dance performances, classes, and engaging discussions in the museum’s third-floor theater. The program will highlight the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, along with a diverse lineup of artists who honor Ailey’s legacy.
One highlight is "Deathbed" by Trajal Harrell, a prominent contemporary choreographer known for blending voguing with post-modern dance. This work explores Japanese Butoh dance from the '50s and '60s, intertwining it with early modern dance theories to delve into themes of memory and culture.
- Place: Whitney Museum, third-floor theater
- Time: Starting September 25,
- Tickets available now: Buy tickets, here
2. Live Orchestral Film Scores
John Williams’s iconic score for Jaws not only made the film a global sensation but also created a lasting sense of tension. To celebrate the film's 50th anniversary, the New York Philharmonic will screen Jaws for three nights, accompanied by a live orchestra performing the score as part of the Art of the Score series. Future screenings will include "Elf", "Back to the Future", and "The Empire Strikes Back".
- Place: Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York
- Time: September 26 – 28, starting at 7 PM
- Tickets available now: Buy tickets, here
3. Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" Light Trail
This fall, the New York Botanical Garden, in collaboration with Disney, will present the "Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail" for a limited nine-week engagement. The 45-minute to one-hour trail will feature light installations, interactive video projections, intelligent LED lighting, and 3D sculptures of the film's beloved characters and scenes, all set against the garden's historic backdrop. This dazzling nighttime display is perfect for visitors of all ages.
- Place: New York Botanical Garden
- Time: September 27 – November 30
4. Pioneer Works Pioneer Works Returns!
After a transformation, Pioneer Works, located in a former 19th-century ironworks factory in Red Hook, is reopening with expanded programs and greater capacity. One of its inaugural events will be the premiere of "Voyage Into Infinity" by the Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Narcissister. This marks her first large-scale commissioned performance in over a decade, featuring physical feats, lo-fi magic tricks, and indoor pyrotechnics.
Other noteworthy events include the Ragas Live Festival in October, promising 24 hours of sublime music, and a performance by Shintaro Sakamoto, frontman of the underground Japanese psychedelic rock band Yura Yura Teikoku.
- Place: 159 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn
5. Massive Attack Live
The British trip-hop group Massive Attack is set to return to New York for their first outdoor show since 2019. They recently kicked off their European tour in Sweden, where longtime collaborator Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins surprised the audience with a mesmerizing performance of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren.”
Rumors swirl that Robert Del Naja, the group’s founder and constant member known as 3D, is Banksy, but this connection remains speculative.
- Place: Forest Hill Stadium, Queens
- Time: October 24, 7:00 PM
6. Gallery Hopping Fuel: Baked Goods
Art lovers in Dimes Square and Henry Street will soon flock to Elbow Bread, the neighborhood’s highly anticipated bakery. Founded by Zoë Kanan, known for her nomadic pop-up Zoë’s Doughies, the bakery will offer delights like challah croissants, ladyfinger cream cakes, and pletzels—focaccia-style bread topped with sautéed onions and poppy seeds. Located at 1 Ludlow St, keep an eye on Elbow Bread’s social media for the exact opening date.
7. Art and Poetry Walk
Cuban-born artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons, whose work grapples with colonialism, will lead the "Procession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity" on September 20. This event will unite artists, musicians, poets, and the public as they walk through Manhattan, stopping at significant sites for Black, Cuban, and Cuban American communities. Each stop will feature readings by notable poets, culminating in a concert at Carnegie Hall Citywide in Madison Square Park by Grammy-nominated jazz singer Daymé Arocena.
- Place: Meet at the Monument to José Julián Martí, south Central Park
- Time: September 20
Sayart / ReaA JUNG queen7203@gmail.com
