Family Art Tour & Workshop: The Real World

Join Battery Park City Parks Conservancy’s Contemporary Art Historian and an artist/educator for an interactive conversation and exploration of Tom Otterness’ first major public installation, The Real World. Both kids and adults will get to create their own clay figure inspired by their favorite pieces from The Real World.

The Real World is located on a terrace in Rockefeller Park and includes groupings of sculptures that in turn make up a bustling society populated by animals and people, bankers and robbers, laborers and pilgrims, plus predator and prey.  It is imaginative, fun and full of things to touch. Yet, kids as well as adults quickly discern what Otterness calls “the park’s second edge”- the social satire that lurks with devilish geniality in each of the mini-dramas created by the sculptor.

Go Fish! featuring Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Join us on Saturday, May 16th for fishing and family fun. 

CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHING 10am-2pm

Join BPCPC’s Master Anglers and drop a line for some of the 30-plus species of fish that live in New York Bay (the Hudson River’s estuary). During Go Fish, barbless hooks minimize injuries to both fish and participants. Fish are placed in saltwater tanks for observation and identification before being released back into the Hudson. Live demonstrations and displays teach fish anatomy and heighten awareness of the ecology, flourishing marine life and current state of good health of the Hudson River and its estuary. Rods, reels and bait are provided for those who don’t bring their own. 

ART PROJECTS 11am-2pm

Drop in on 
fish-related art projects. All materials are provided. 

BIRD WATCHING 11am

Search with an experienced birder for species that live in or migrate through BPC Parks. Binoculars available to borrow. 

FAMILY PERFORMANCE 12pm

Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem. Harmony, rhythm, indelible songs – these are the hallmarks of Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, the New England based folk quartet now in its 15th year. From bluegrass barnstormers to sultry swing, old-time gospel to bluesy folk-rock, they consistently turn in lush arrangements with “stylish, unexpected choices.” Upbeat and inspirational, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem make music that charms the entire family.

Cuban Family Dance

As the new chapter in Cuba-US relations unfolds, celebrate the cultural impact that Cuban music and dance has had on New York.  “Pepito” Gomez performs music that encompasses the history of his native Cuba, from the son and rumba of the Buena Vista Social Club era, to the modern sounds of timba, a very danceable, post-salsa, high-energy style. For 20 years he has been astonishing worldwide audiences, with his strong, beautiful tenor voice.

Move, shake and get into the rhythm with this free all-ages community dance.  Fuákata Cuban Salsa NY will both perform for, and instruct, attendees so there should be no worries about knowing the steps. They will perform salsa and Rueda de Casino, a visually spectacular dance combination which involves the constant movement of partners. After their performance everyone will be invited to get up and dance!

Stories for All Ages

Storytelling – humankind’s oldest art form – teaches as well as entertains both young and old. Tucked away in the nooks of magical Teardrop Park, this event will excite your imagination and encourage an interplay between the stories being told and the unique features of the park.  Sitting on the park’s green grass, listeners embark on a wonderful journey as Laura Simms weaves adventure-filled stories showing how people and animals share the natural world around us.

Described by the New York Times as “Irresistible!  A major force in the revival of storytelling in America,” Laura Simms returns to Battery Park City Parks Conservancy on May 9th. Laura has a cutting-edge performance style that bridges ancient oral tradition and performance art. Her storytelling is meaningful and uncannily entertaining at the same time. With a dynamic voice and range of characterizations- along with warmth and humor, Laura’s technique will surely delight both children and adults!

Laura SimmsLaura Simms is an award winning performer, writer, and educator advocating storytelling as compassionate action for personal and community transformation. She is a Senior Research Fellow for the International Peace Institute at Rutgers University Newark under the auspices of UNESCO. She performs worldwide for adult and young audiences.

 

 

Sunset Singing Circle

Sunset Singing Circles are a relaxing way to end the busy week and a wonderful opportunity for people to get together and sing in a casual and welcoming atmosphere. So raise your voice and join singer/guitarist Terre Roche as the sun sets over the Hudson River for enchanted evenings of folk songs and more. Novice and experienced singers of all ages are welcome.  Players of acoustic instruments are encouraged to add their skills to the mix.

As Terre says, “Sunset Singing Circles are one of my very favorite events!  New Yorkers, sitting in the grass, watching the sun go down over the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty, singing This Land is Your Land and other favorites — or just listening.  Soulful, fun and surprising — people tell me what a great time they have unwinding from the work week.”

Each season – 2015 is the fourteenth – BPCPC produces a songbook that people know or can easily learn.  The songbook ranges from classic American folksongs like “Down in the Valley,” to songs of the 1960’s, to future classics like “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Attendees are encouraged to bring their suggestions to add to the songbooks for 2015.

Terre Roche has played guitar since the age of eleven, and with her two sisters, Maggie and Suzzy, produced 12 albums as The Roches. Terre’s first solo album, The Sound of a Tree Falling, was described by Sing Out! as “…luminous…enchantingly hypnotic…playing [that] is both complex and foundational, setting up solid but delicate rhythmic structures for each song on which her vocals can soar.”

*Sunset Singing Circle will not meet 5/22 and 6/19

Play at the Park House

Drop by the Rockefeller Park House and have fun playing in the park! Adults and children can borrow toys and play equipment to use free of charge. Smaller kids can let their imaginations go wild with the play kitchen and pretend food or invent a game with hula hoops, bouncy balls and blocks. There are many fun kids’ books available for those who wish to sit on the grass and enjoy a quiet read. Older children, teens and adults can play billiards, Ping-Pong, Chess or Scrabble. Stop in and challenge your friends to a game of knock-hockey, basketball, or backgammon!

Play at the Park House

Drop by the Rockefeller Park House and have fun playing in the park! Adults and children can borrow toys and play equipment to use free of charge. Smaller kids can let their imaginations go wild with the play kitchen and pretend food or invent a game with hula hoops, bouncy balls and blocks. There are many fun kids’ books available for those who wish to sit on the grass and enjoy a quiet read. Older children, teens and adults can play billiards, Ping-Pong, Chess or Scrabble. Stop in and challenge your friends to a game of knock-hockey, basketball, or backgammon!

Advanced Group Swimming Lessons

Learn advanced skills such as the turns that link the four competitive strokes and the butterfly. All swimmers will need to bring a towel, a swim cap, goggles and a lock.

This ten-class series is held on each Sunday from March 22nd through May 31st, 2015, 3:15-4:00 pm.

This class is open to swimmers ages 6 and up. $220 for Members, $250 for Non-Members.

To register call 646-210-4292 or email.

 

 

Intermediate Group Swimming Lessons

Learn intermediate swimming skills such as full underwater body rotations and the breast stroke. All swimmers will need to bring a towel, a swim cap, goggles and a lock.

This ten-class series is held on each Sunday from March 22nd through May 31st, 2015, 2:30-3:15 pm.

This class is open to swimmers ages 6 and up.

To register call 646-210-4292 or email. $220 for Members, $250 for Non-Members

 

Advanced Beginner Group Swimming Lessons

Practice basic strokes and learn important new skills such as butterfly kicking on back and front, freestyle touch-ups and the backstroke. All swimmers will need to bring a towel, a swim cap, goggles and a lock.

This 10 session class meets Sundays, March 22nd through May 31st, 2015, 1:45-2:30pm.

For ages 6 through adult. $220 for Members, $250 for Non-Members.

To register call 646-210-4292 or email.