BY GABE HERMAN | A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting was held Monday at Hudson Yards’ The Shed, ahead of the art center’s April 5 opening.
The April 1 ceremony was attended by city officials, artistic directors and artists. They braved cold weather and whipping winds to praise the building’s design and the varied arts programs it will host.
The Shed is a 200,000-square-foot structure with a retractable outer shell. It will host all types of programs, including performing arts, visual arts, theater, dance and music from hip hop to classical. A performance space called the McCourt can hold 1,250 in a seated audience or 2,000 standing.
The Shed was created from $500 million of public and private investment.
“New York City is the greatest arts and cultural center in the world,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the ceremony. “And today it got greater.”
De Blasio said he liked The Shed’s focus on accessibility and affordability for all New Yorkers, with ticket prices for some events starting at $10.
The Shed will also host a program called Open Call, which is free and will feature 52 emerging local artists. It will run from May 30 to Aug. 25.
“I love that the focus will be on the newest artists of every background,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio said that along with the city needing more affordable housing, it also needs opportunities for artists to make a living.
“There’s nothing more crucial to the identity of a city than a thriving cultural community,” he said.
Kiyan Williams, a multidisciplinary artist who explores the history of migration in the African diaspora, will be featured in The Shed’s Open Call program. Williams said The Shed gives opportunities for artists who are trying to earn a living.
“I’m grateful that The Shed allows us to pursue and practice our artistic visions,” Williams said.
Musician Kelsey Lu performed at the ceremony. Lu will be featured in the “Soundtrack of America” program at The Shed, which runs April 5 to 14.
Poet Anne Carson read an excerpt from her work “Norma Jeane Baker of Troy,” a spoken and sung performance piece which will run at The Shed from April 6 to May 19.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose district includes Hudson Yards, applauded a teaching-artists program that worked with nearby Landmark High School and residents in the NYCHA Chelsea-Elliot Houses.
“We are excited and lucky to now have The Shed as a crown jewel of the city,” Johnson said. He said he was also excited at the agreement that the building’s lobby and bathrooms would be open to the public.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer lauded the technical feat of the building itself and its programming for supporting emerging artists. She noted that low-cost and free tickets will be available to public-housing residents, and that The Shed is the only institution that has done that.
The Shed was also praised by Steve McQueen, the acclaimed film director who conceived and is directing “Soundtrack of America.” The concert series celebrates the impact of African-American music on contemporary culture.
McQueen called The Shed “a place for experimentation, for things to happen,” adding, “It is now in our culture.”
Other upcoming programs at The Shed will include “Bjork’s Cornucopia,” a staged concert running May 6 to June 1, and “Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise,” a futuristic “kung fu musical” running June 22 to July 27.
