NEW YORK, NY.- This weekend, Creative Time and artist Rashid Johnson opened their latest public art project, Red Stage, a participatory steel sculpture that celebrates the vibrancy and creativity found in New York’s public spaces.

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of New Yorkers attended Red Stage to celebrate resurgence as New York City awakens from the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests participated in a wide breadth of activations, mingled with friends, and danced throughout the evenings to live performances and DJ sets.

On opening day, visitors enjoyed an instrument-making workshop made from scavenged items at Astor Place from artist and beatmaker Nelson Bandela; a performance by choreographer Emily Johnson called The Rising Stomp, which featured 12 female dancers that called upon the land through melodic repetition; and celebrated resurgence through music and dance with an opening night party featuring live music from South Asian DJ's.

The weekend culminated with a full-day takeover by QTPOC nightlife collective Papi Juice for The Portal, an eclectic day of programs with performances, games, and live music.

Red Stage will be on view from June 5 – July 4, 2021 on the South Plaza of Astor Place.

Red Stage features over 300 hours of programs and drop-in activations, from dance and music to workshops and painting classes to double dutch and drum lines. The stage will be brought to life through Creative Time-organized programs, artist-curated day-long takeovers, and The People’s Platform, multiple times per week where the stage is open to all to sign up for a time slot to activate the stage in performance, rehearsal, gathering, and all forms of creative expression.

Throughout June, Red Stage will support the making, improvising, and collaborating of artists and publics as the city builds toward a post-pandemic future.