Marking the end of World War I which launched the period known as the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, Harlem One Stop, a destination marketing organization, and tour operator in Harlem and the Harlem Cultural Collaborative Partners is set to launch a two-year coordinated community celebration of the Harlem Renaissance Centennial beginning in Fall of 2018 – Spring, 2020. The celebration will include an extended series of programs, events, and cultural activities by cultural and academic institutions, houses of worship, music venues and restaurants.
The Collaborative will host a Harlem Renaissance 100 Open House preview for the media and travel trade on Friday, October 19th, 2018. The Open House will showcase Harlem/Upper Manhattan’s cultural resources and introduce new Harlem experiences to the travel trade, media, and general public, setting the stage for upcoming programming over the next two years in commemoration of the Harlem Renaissance.
The Harlem Open House will take place on Friday, October 19th from 11 am – 3 pm in the Great Hall of the Shepard Hall building, located on the campus of the City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue in Hamilton Heights, West Harlem. Enter at Convent Avenue and 140th Street.
Event Schedule:
11:00 am – 3:00 pm Harlem Open House, Great Hall –music,theater, and movement performances
1:30 pm – 1:45 pm Welcome remarks by the Manhattan Borough President and the Harlem Cultural Collaborative
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm Meet Cultural Presenters of Harlem experiences
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Harlem Renaissance historical Neighborhood Tours for the travel trade & media.
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Harlem Cultural Collaborative Reception for the travel trade and press.
The Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. Harlem then was a cultural center and drew writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars of African descent to the area. Harlem Renaissance 100 will celebrate the achievements of the era and bring the conversation forward as we consider its impact today.
Over 20 cultural institutions and community-based organizations including the Apollo, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Harlem Stage, Jazz Museum of Harlem, Museum of the City of New York and more will introduce their venues and public programs and tourism products for 2018/19. Displays of art, music and interactive sessions followed by neighborhood tours will channel the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance period.
Following the neighborhood tour, the Harlem Cultural Collaborative will host a reception at a local restaurant and rum bar where you will enjoy a complimentary drink and Hors d’oeuvres. There you will experience one of our unique neighborhood and emerging destination in West Harlem.
Please RSVP here no later than October 12th. We look forward to seeing you.
Harlem Renaissance 100 Open House Participants:
THE APOLLO THEATER is a commissioner and presenter; catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.Learn more about the Apollo Theater and its upcoming season at https://www.apollotheater.org/
BERTA INDEED PRODUCTIONS, Berta Indeed, jazz promoter, has brought jazz to St Nicholas Avenue once again. In the tradition of the famed St Nick’s Pub, you can find Berta and Patience Higgins and the Sugar Hill Quartet on Monday nights at 735 Bar & Grill Lounge in West Harlem.
CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS serve as a cultural hub that builds a sense of community both within the school and its surrounding neighborhood, while inspiring creativity and diversity. It will also provide a premier venue for local and national performers and for art patrons in the tri-state area. http://adhatccny.org/
DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a performing Ensemble, a leading arts education center and Dancing Through Barriers®, a national and international education and community outreach program. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts. http://www.dancetheatreofharlem.org/
ECHOES OF OUR ANCESTORS, African-American History & Song is an event-based program of music, workshops, talks, literature, and more recently: art, theater, and curated events
HARLEM PRIDE is Harlem’s premier LGBT organization, presenting the community’s annual June PRIDE celebration, along with fostering partnerships around informational, health, and cultural and forums throughout the year. In 2019 we are proud to be celebrating the LGBT community’s historic role in Harlem’s Renaissance 100 and New York’s Stonewall 50!
HARLEM ONE STOP is a 501(c)3 community-based destination marketing organization and tour operator for upper Manhattan–Harlem & Washington Heights-Inwood, committed to the preservation of Harlem’s cultural and historic assets while contributing to the economic development of the area. Harlem One Stop is designed to boost tourism, strengthen Harlem/New York’s ability to draw diverse visitors, give tourists a greater choice of authentic experiences and foster exciting collaborative opportunities to market ethnic and artistic traditions. www.harlemonestop.com
HARLEM OPERA THEATER performances include all types of musical offerings: opera, oratory concerts, recitals, Negro Spirituals and varied forms of American music, in keeping with our mission “to provide performance opportunities for professional and developing gifted artists within Harlem and communities where opera is seldom performed; and to cultivate and expand audience appreciation for opera and classical music through creative programming.” Particular focus is given to the works of African-American composers and to projects that link different aspects of the performing arts. https://www.harlemoperatheater.org/
The HARLEM SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, dedicated to providing center stage opportunities for classically trained actors of color, produces a theatre festival at venues across Harlem, featuring the works of William Shakespeare and contemporary playwrights with master classes, panel discussions, workshops, international symposiums, artist talk-backs, Shakespeare4Kids, ShakespeareInMusic, ShakespeareOnFilm, and Shakespeare-In-The-Open-Air. http://harlemshakespearefest.org/
HARLEM STAGE is a performing arts center that celebrates and perpetuates the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. We provide opportunity, commissioning and support for artists of color, make performances accessible to all audiences, and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement and inspiration of the performing arts. https://www.harlemstage.org/
HI NYC is part of Hostelling International USA, a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to inspiring a genuine understanding of people, places, cultures and the world. More than a place to stay, HI NYC is a place to experience the city and neighborhood through community events, partnerships, tours, and social gatherings. www.hiusa.org
i, too, arts collective preserves Langston Hughes’ legacy and builds on it by providing programming for emerging writers. Housed in the Harlem brownstone Langston Hughes lived and created during the last twenty years of his life, the house is open for community visits on Saturday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The Langston Hughes House, 20 East 127th Street. http://www.itooarts.com/
JAZZMOBILE is the oldest charitable organization in the country created with a mission just for Jazz. Founded in 1964 by NEA Jazz Master, Dr. Billy Taylor, Daphne Arnstein and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath, we still continue the Jazz Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are just three of the artists of this era that previously performed with Jazzmobile. Today, many of the performers we present are of their caliber; and were influenced by the men and women of the Harlem Renaissance. Jazzmobile’s education and performance programs present, preserve, promote and propagate this great American music, Jazz!http://www.jazzmobile.org/
JOHN REDDICK COLLECTION HARLEM. The collection curated by historian an scholar, John Redick, seeks to offer the best preserved and most unique items of Harlem and African American ephemera, which include posters, graphic art, and printed documents. Aided by historical research, Reddick has combed archives, flea markets and estate sales in order to present an array of unique offerings. It’s his hope that items once purchased will serve to enhance a buyer’s home or collection, and thus find an extended life in their care.
MORRIS-JUMEL MANSION MUSEUM, Manhattan’s oldest residence, presents American life from the colonial era to the present by preserving, collecting, and interpreting history, culture, and the arts to engage and inspire diverse audiences. http://www.morrisjumel.org
NEW YORK AFRICAN CHORUS ENSEMBLE is a Harlem based award winning organization that teaches and performs African traditional and Arts songs and produces concerts including the annual NYC Multicultural Festival. http://www.nyafricanensemble.com/
THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE in Harlem is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture. https://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg
SHRINE WORLD MUSIC VENUE is a bar and live music venue in the heart of Harlem. Housed in the old Black United Fund Plaza building it perfectly steeped in Harlem tradition while also serving as a gathering place for up-and-coming artists.
SILVANA is a cafe and boutique on the ground level, atop a bar/lounge and live music venue in the basement. All in one day, you can enjoy organic coffees and teas, pick up unique gifts from around the world, eat delicious Middle Eastern food, listen to live music, and drink craft cocktails. https://silvana-nyc.com/
SUGAR HILL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF ART & STORYTELLING a place that celebrates learning, creativity and culture, the story of Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling is now part of the Sugar Hill neighborhood’s too. https://www.sugarhillmuseum.org/
TASTE HARLEM FOOD & CULTURAL TOURS specialize in historical food & cultural experiences in a non-tourist approach so that after the tour you will be able to explore Harlem like a local. http://tasteharlem.com/
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE DIVINE the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, is chartered as a house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership. It serves the many diverse people of our Diocese, City, Nation and World through an array of liturgical, cultural and civic events; pastoral, educational and community outreach activities; and maintains the preservation of the great architectural and historic site that is its legacy. https://www.stjohndivine.org/
THE HARLEM CHAMBER PLAYERS is an ethnically diverse collective of professional musicians dedicated to bringing high-caliber, affordable and accessible live classical music to people in the Harlem community and beyond. https://harlemchamberplayers.org
THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future. Open daily 10am-6pm and located 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street. Go to www.mcny.org to learn more.
THE NATIONAL JAZZ MUSEUM IN HARLEM a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a thriving center for jazz that stimulates hearts and minds, and reaches out to diverse audiences to enjoy this quintessential American music. Through exhibitions, concerts, community programs, education workshops and tours we preserve, promote and present jazz by inspiring knowledge, appreciation and the celebration of jazz locally, nationally and internationally. http://jazzmuseuminharlem.org/
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE in New York City preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. Two of the 11 National Parks in New York City are located uptown: The Hamilton Grange National Memorial and the General Grant National Memorial. Open to the general public. Scheduled guided tours are also available. https://www.nps.gov/npnh/index.htm
THE ROMARE BEARDEN FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization, established to promote Bearden’s legacy by serving as a catalyst to encourage creative expression and innovation, high quality exhibitions, scholarly publications and forums, as well as opportunities for artists to develop their craft. www.beardenfoundation.org
THREE ON 3 PRESENTS at the historic Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church located in the Mount Morris Historic District, offers live music on the third Sunday in each month at 3pm. The offerings include jazz, opera, gospel, musical theater and spoken word. https://www.facebook.com/Threeon3Presents/
YATENGA FRENCH BISTRO & BAR offers French comfort food in a delightfully shabby chic, world bohemian vibe. You’ll feel right at home in this space beloved by both Harlem locals and newcomers alike. http://www.yatengabistro.com/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
For the resources, support and encouragement extended on this project, Harlem One Stop, is eternally indebted to The Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Staff, in particular, Athena Moore, Director, Northern Manhattan Office. The Harlem Cultural Collaborative meets monthly at the Northern Manhattan Office at the courtesy of the Manhattan Borough President. Ms. Moore who is also a member of the Harlem100 Planning Committee has provided guidance, given the benefit of her experience and has kept us focused during the process for which we are most appreciative.
Harlem One Stop extends thanks to the collaborative cultural partners who contributed their expertise, creativity and time n order to realize the vision of the Open House and the collective potential of the 2-year celebration of the Harlem Renaissance, and for understanding the importance of bringing the conversation forward through the lens of today.
Special mention and appreciation to Debra Ann Byrd, collaborative partner and planning committee member for being a second ‘pair of eyes’, assisting with our online presence and creating the Harlem Renaissance logo.
Many thanks to LaZette McCants and the Volunteer Divas/Divos Plus for providing front of house management support for today’s Open House event.
Harlem One Stop would like to extend our gratitude to the West Harlem Development Corporation, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and City Council Members Mark Levine and Bill Perkins for funding in part the Harlem Renaissance 100 Open House and to The City College of New York for opening up the historic and elegant Great Hall in Shepard Hall for our enjoyment today.