Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio
Present Fourth Annual
UPTOWN BOUNCE
FREE Summer Block Party Series
Celebrating East Harlem at the Top of Museum Mile
Featuring Live Music, Art, Food, and More
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS:
July 19, July 26, August 2, and August 9
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Uptown Bounce is a FREE summer block party series.
RSVP required. For more information, visit Uptown Bounce.
Wednesday, July 19 | The Kick Off
@ the Museum of the City of New York | Rhythm and Power
In the spirit of our new exhibition, Rhythm & Power: Salsa in New York, celebrate the powerful cultural fusion that is New York salsa. DJ Joey Carvello of Mobile Mondays! and Christian Martir of Sociedad Records will spin a fiery mashup of Latin-infused beats from salsa, boogaloo, and merengue to cumbia and Latin disco and conga player Tito Sandoval will perform. Participate in an all-levels salsa dance lesson with legendary instructor Franck Muhel and try art-making activities inspired by salsa’s often overlooked ties to social activism.
@ El Museo del Barrio: Ashé
El Museo kicks off Uptown Bounce with Ashé (or àse)! Learn more about the African philosophical concept through which the Yoruba people of Nigeria conceive the power to make things happen and produce change, and create your own wearable art inspired by the symbols that are found in the artwork of our featured artist Belkis Ayón. Artist-in-Residence Lourdes Bernard will give a brief artist talk while Miguel Lucianostops by with his piragua (Puerto Rican shaved ice) cart. DJ Bembona will spin some Latinx & Afro-Diasporadical beats.
Wednesday, July 26 | Night Two
@ the Museum of the City of New York | I Love the 90s
Throwback to the 90s with DJ Misbehaviour and Joey Carvello of Mobile Mondays! spinning the anthems you loved when you wore snap bracelets and butterfly clips. Experiment with classic 90s moves in an all-levels dance lesson with Viva Body Roll and revel in the looks that defined the decade with a pop-up installation of 90s-inspired fashions from 5001 FLAVORS, a Harlem-based apparel company. From grunge to gangsta rap, bubblegum pop to black nail polish punk, this party promises to be all that and a bag of chips.
@ El Museo del Barrio: Hecho en El Barrio
El Barrio comes alive at El Museo del Barrio! Inspired by our neighborhood, visitors will be invited to create a community mural. Artist-in-Residence Lourdes Bernard will give a brief artist talk and DJ Geko Jones will be on deck spinning’ tropical bass’ beats.
Wednesday, August 2 | Night Three
@ the Museum of the City of New York | Icons of the 80s
Celebrate the decade when hair was big, fashion was bold, and pop superstars reigned in this tribute to late great musical legends Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, and George Michael. DJ Misbehaviour of Mobile Mondays! and Boogie Blind of X-Ecutioners will spin a mashup of all of your favorite 80s classics from hip-hop jams to dancefloor hits and there will be an all-levels dance lesson with choreographer Karen NG featuring the moves that defined the era.
@ El Museo del Barrio: Palo Pa’lante
El Museo is bringing positive “palo” energy to Uptown Bounce! Rooted in Africa’s Congo region and later brought to the Caribbean, the “palo” (stick) was created and used to reinforce the power of the Congo spirits. Join us in creating your very own ‘palo’ embedded with the energy to bring positive change in unity. DJ Bembona will spin some Latinx & Afro-Diasporadical sounds.
Wednesday, August 9 | The Finale
@ the Museum of the City of New York | Icons of the 80s
Celebrate the finale of Uptown Bounce with this sizzling Latin-infused 70s dance party inspired by the Museum’s exhibition, Rhythm & Power: Salsa in New York. Featuring DJ Joey Carvello of Mobile Mondays! and DJ Nego of AI Records (aka Woof) spinning Latin disco and your favorite Fania classics, as well as New Style Hustle dance lessons from legendary instructor Jeff Selby.
@ El Museo del Barrio: New Rican Soul
‘Uptown’ is in the house at El Museo! Check out the ‘Puerto Rican Debt Fair’ presented by Occupy Museums at this year’s Whitney Biennial, and special performance by artists La Chiquita Brujita with DJ Geko Jones.
Press Release
(New York, NY) This summer the Museum of the City of New York and El Museo del Barrio will present the Fourth Annual Uptown Bounce, a joint series of summer block parties featuring musical performances, leading NYC DJs, gallery talks, art-making workshops, and dancing lessons for all ages and skill levels.
Uptown Bounce takes place on the front terraces of both Museums, on Fifth Avenue, and throughout the galleries of each institution on four consecutive Wednesday nights. This year Uptown Bounce takes place on July 19, July 26, August 2, and August 9, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Both museums, located next door to each other on Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, will offer free admission and extended hours. The block parties are open to visitors of all ages and advance registration is required. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.mcny.org or www.elmuseo.org.
“If it’s summer in the city, that means it’s time for Uptown Bounce in East Harlem,” said Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director of the Museum of the City of New York. “Uptown Bounce is a unique opportunity for New Yorkers to enjoy the vibrancy of a summer block party along with the world-class art and history exhibitions on view in our galleries and across the street at El Museo. This year, we hope visitors will join us to explore our groundbreaking new exhibition Rhythm and Power, which traces the roots of New York salsa right to our backyard in East Harlem.”
“We are thrilled to be co-hosting Uptown Bounce, once again, with our neighbors the Museum of the City of New York. Stop by El Museo and experience the energy of ‘uptown’ through our new exhibitions: NKAME: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón, and uptown: nasty women/bad hombres, a powerful group show of local artists living and working in Northern Manhattan. We invite everyone to El Barrio for a summer of música, food, art, and unity,” said Carlos Gálvez, Deputy Director, El Museo del Barrio.
About the Museum of the City of New York
Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. The Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City, and serves the people of the city as well as visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections. To connect with the Museum on social media, follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @MuseumofCityNY and visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MuseumofCityNY. For more information please visit www.mcny.org.
About El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio, New York’s leading Latino cultural institution, welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to discover the artistic landscape of Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures. Their richness is represented in El Museo’s wide-ranging collections and critically acclaimed exhibitions, complemented by film, literary, visual and performing arts series, cultural celebrations, and educational programs. El Museo del Barrio is located at 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104 Street in New York City. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am until 6 pm, and Sundays from 12:00pm–5:00pm. Admission is suggested. For more information on El Museo del Barrio, please visit www.elmuseo.org. To connect with El Museo del Barrio via Social Media, follows us on Facebook at Facebook.com/elmuseo, and using @ElMuseo on Instagram and Twitter.
