February 11, 2020
On November 22, the Frick hosted its annual Community and Cultural Partnerships Evening to honor the museum’s many partner organizations across the city. The evening included remarks from Ian Wardropper, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, as well as performances by American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, the East Harlem School Slam Poets, and the Juilliard School Drama Division.
Enjoy photos and a short video from the evening below.
The evening sparked a number of new initiatives between the Frick’s partner organizations:
- Sanctuary for Families: Economic Empowerment Program and Columbia University: Narrative Medicine—Rita Charon, Executive Director of the Program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, collaborated with the Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Executive Director of Sanctuary for Families, to create a teaching program led by Columbia Narrative Medicine graduate students at Sanctuary’s residences for survivors. Rita Charon also invited a speaker from Sanctuary for Families to give a plenary talk at a health-sciences interprofessional event at Columbia in March.
- Columbia University: Narrative Medicine and The East Harlem School—Rita Charon visited the East Harlem School in January to experience a student-led tour of the school and to discuss future collaborations. She and Anna Warren, Humanities Teacher at the East Harlem School, remain in touch about future collaborations.
- The East Harlem School and The Juilliard School Drama Division—Eighth graders from the East Harlem School attended a rehearsal of Juilliard Drama Division second-year students’ Romeo and Juliet, which the eighth graders had studied in the fall. Anna Warren remains in touch with Richard Feldman, Associate Director of the Juilliard School Drama Division, about future collaborations.
Other thanks and accolades:
- "I want to sincerely thank you all for featuring EHS in last night’s event, and for opening your doors to all of our students and families. I know our students—poets and otherwise—will forever be changed by our partnership. You have created for them a home away from their homes in Spanish Harlem. The impact of this is tremendous. They see the possibilities, the doors that are open to them."—Anna Warren, Humanities Teacher, The East Harlem School
- "ABT Studio Company was honored to perform as part of the Frick’s Community and Cultural Partnerships Evening. Engaging the local community and reaching the broadest possible audience are key facets of ABT Studio Company’s mission, and doing so in the beautiful and historic setting of The Frick Collection was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Our dancers learned a great deal from and deeply enjoyed the experience."—Claire Florian, Managing Director, American Ballet Theatre
- "Thank you for the opportunity to participate in tonight’s event. Sharing our work, especially with the students who were there for the second performance, was affirming and deeply meaningful. Congratulations on this evening. And thank you for all you do bringing the Frick to the wider world, and that world into the Frick."—Richard Feldman, Associate Director, The Juilliard School Drama Division
- "Rika, again, it was magic. You and Vincent were so wise and insightful to give us examples of beauty and experiences of creativity instead of just talking about them. All participants I’ve talked with after the evening were charmed—in the deep sense of having been brought to another plane of being. The Frick leads in so much more than art."—Rita Charon, Executive Director, Program in Narrative Medicine, Columbia University
The Frick’s Community and Cultural Partners to date are The Academy for Teachers, Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, Apex for Youth, Columbia University in the City of New York: Art Humanities, Columbia University: Narrative Medicine, The Creative Center at University Settlement, Culture Pass, The East Harlem School, Exploring The Arts Internship, Ghetto Film School, Office of the Arts at Hunter College, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, Job Path NYC, The Juilliard School Drama Division, Mannes School of Music, Prep for Prep, Sanctuary for Families: Economic Empowerment Program, and Studio in a School: Arts Intern.
View more photos from the evening on the Frick’s Facebook page.
Photos: Lucas Chilczuk Photography