CULTURE SHOCK at the High Line 

Saturday, April 21, 2018

3rd annual day-long festival of free performances and activities taking place at various locations along the High Line

Featuring Tommy Pico, DJ April Hunt, Parcon NYC, Najee Omar, Nick Water, Ander Mikalson, Tim Duwhite, Sonia Guiñansaca, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, “Simply Rob” Vasilarakis, Los Cumpleaños, Hugo Rojas, Falu’s Bazaar, Michael & the Rockness Monsters

All activities are free and open to the public. In case of rain, the event will take place on Saturday, April 28.

To RSVP for Culture Shock events or for more information about the participating artists and the schedule of events visit thehighline.org/activities.

New York, NY (March 29, 2018) – Friends of the High Line today announced the line-up for the 3rd annual “Culture Shock” festival, a day of free, hands-on cultural activities for the whole family. On Saturday, April 21, from 1 to 7 pm on the High Line between Gansevoort and 26th Street, participants can experience the wide range of curated public programming available at the High Line. The day also highlights the sprouting spring gardens and the newly installed High Line Art group show Agora. Culture Shock events include music, dance, and spoken word performances, as well as artist projects that are inspired by the High Line’s gardens, public art, and design.

“The High Line is a space that should be enjoyed by all people, and the artists that we’ve assembled for Culture Shock offer a wide variety of work that supports our mission to further engage and celebrate our neighborhood and continue our advocacy for creative expression in New York City,” said Risë Wilson, Friends of the High Line’s Chief Programming Officer. “We hope by participating in Culture Shock that New Yorkers will get a taste of the kinds of programs we offer at the High Line and continue to come back throughout the season.”

“Culture Shock, at its core, is a celebration of a multitude of voices, perspectives, art forms,  and people,” said Solana Chehtman, Friends of the High Line’s Associate Director of Public Engagement. “We are proud to host such incredible emerging and established artists, each of whom will present work that, when displayed or performed on the High Line, brings an entirely distinctive experience to the audience and hopefully will inspire them to think about public spaces in new ways.”

Culture Shock activities include:

Ongoing: Brooklyn-based Native American poet Tommy Pico has created a spoken word soundscape inspired by the High Line’s plants and microclimates. Using the lens of reconciliation, Pico explores the relationships between the city and nature, the city’s present and past, familial relationships, and what it means to be indigenous in America. The soundscape will be available for download starting April 21 free of charge at thehighline.org.

• 1 – 5pm: DJ April Hunt presents a musical palette that weaves through a variety of genres and time periods from the 1970s to present, while visitors can grab a bite to eat from one of the food vendors in the Chelsea Market Passage, on the High Line at 16th Street.
• 1 – 2pm: Parcon NYC will lead a multigenerational group of High Line neighbors in creative movement performance. A mix of parkour and contact improvisation, their technique offers clues to connect to others and the environment through weight sharing. The performance will take place at the Seating Steps on the High Line at 22nd Street.
• 2 – 3pm: Join poets Najee Omar and Nick Water, as they bring new young voices to the stage for a thought-provoking and memorable poetry performance. Participating youth: Kayla Jacobs, Miami McCormick, Muñeca Mowla, Tiama Nakiya, and Denzel Valdez. At the Sunken Overlook, on the High Line at 17th Street.
• 3 – 4pm: Meet on the ground level of Gansevoort Plaza and join performance and visual artist Ander Mikalson with members of PitchBlak Brass Band. They will move north on the park playing popular love songs that have been selected to serenade the artworks from High Line Art’s group show Agora.
• 4 – 5pm: Hear original works from the powerful voices of Tim Duwhite, Sonia Guiñansaca, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and Roberto “Simply Rob” Vasilarakis as they explore the subjects of immigration, feminism, and social justice. At the Sunken Overlook, on the High Line at 17th Street.
• 5 – 7pm: Dance along with Los Cumpleaños who will perform Cumbia, Porro, Son Caribeño, Salsa Criolla, and Bullerengue from Colombia with the energy of a downtown punk rock band. Grab a drink from Terroir and join the dance party at the Chelsea Market Passage, on the High Line between 15th and 16th Streets.

Family Activities will be offered from 1 – 5pm at 14th Street:

• Join Mosstika Mexican artist Hugo Rojas and make graffiti animals out of moss and plant materials that are found along the High Line. Learn about the connections between native plants and animals who share the High Line as their habitat.
• Go on a musical journey with Falu’s Bazaar to learn about South Asian music and culture. The live shows from 1 to 1:30 p.m. and 2 to 2:30 p.m. will celebrate instruments made from plants and animals.
• Preschool of Rock founder Michael Napolitano presents Michael & the Rockness Monsters, an interactive, super-galactic-funk-inspired, rock-n-roll experience for families. Live performances will take place from 3:30 to 4 pm and 4:30 to 5 pm.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE

Friends of the High Line (FHL) is a nonprofit organization that oversees public programming, public art, maintenance and operations for the High Line as well as provides nearly 100% of the High Line’s annual budget.

FHL was founded in 1999 to prevent the elevated rail track on Manhattan’s west side from being demolished. Today the space has transformed into a public New York City park where nature, art, and design intersect. Working closely with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, FHL strives to ensure the High Line remains a great public space where every New Yorker and visitor feels welcome. FHL also facilitates a national learning community for leaders of similar public space projects.

For more information visit thehighline.org