NEW YORK, NY.- Park Avenue Armory announced today that it has appointed Meiyin Wang as Curator of its expanding Artist-in-Residence program—an initiative that supports the development of new, collaborative, and explorative works by artists creating at the intersection of different disciplines. Wang, renowned for her on-going work as Co-Director of The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival and Director of the Devised Theater Initiative, has deep experience working with emerging and established artists. In this newly created position, Wang is responsible for the development of the Artist-in-Residence program in coordination with Armory President and Executive Producer, Rebecca Robertson, and oversees the Under Construction series, which showcases works developed during the residencies.
The Armory has awarded seven residencies for the 2015 season, and will launch its Under Construction series on April 8, 2015, with a performance by multi-Grammy award winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. Additional artists-in-residence this season include inventive theater company 600 Highwaymen; self-taught animated filmmaker and artist Brent Green; theater artists Taylor Mac and Machine Dazzle; New York City-based writer, director, and production designer Andrew Ondrejcak; vocalist, composer, and cultural worker Imani Uzuri; and comedian and musician Reggie Watts. With eight artists in residence at the Armory simultaneously, the intention is to create an electric environment for collisions of diverse practice, experimentation, and dialogue.
“Expanding the Artist-in-Residence program and continuing to provide opportunities for artists across genres to develop and present new work in non-traditional settings remains at the heart of the Armory’s mission and program,” said Rebecca Robertson. “Last year, we were able to provide our artists-in-residence with expanded space in our historic second floor period rooms; this year we are thrilled to bring on a new curator to further support the program and the Under Construction performance series. Meiyin Wang has deep experience working with emerging artists from around the globe, and her passion for experimentation makes her the perfect fit for this position.”
“I look forward to working with the diverse array of talented artists that come to the Armory to embark upon unconventional projects and push their practice to unexpected places,” said Wang. “As one of the world’s most innovative cultural centers, the Armory’s commitment to living artists is remarkable. I am honored to be part of the next phase of the Artist-in-Residence program and thrilled to broaden my support of adventurous artists and expand on my continuing work at The Public. With the historical Regiment rooms as their studios, it is my hope that the artists will be fueled by the history, community and propulsive creative energy of this landmark building.”
Meiyin Wang is the Co-Director of The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival, where she has worked since 2006. Wang also serves as the Director of the Devised Theater Initiative at The Public Theater, which was launched in 2013 to enhance Under The Radar’s year-round programmatic structure by serving as an incubator for independently produced work. She was also the lead curator of Arts Emerson’s TNT Festival 2012 and the associate producer of RADAR L.A. 2011.
Wang has served on numerous adjudication panels including National Endowment for the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts National Theater Project, New York Foundation for the Arts, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, The MAP Fund, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Boska Komedia Festival (Krakow). She is a new appointee to the board of Theater Communications Group, and received TCG’s Young Leader of Color award in 2008 and the Josephine Abady Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women in 2014. Born and raised in Singapore, Wang served as resident playwright and director with Singapore Repertory Theatre before moving to New York. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Theater Studies from Yale College and an M.F.A. in Directing from Columbia University.
