The 11th Annual MORNINGSIDE LIGHTS Tradition Returns In- Person This Fall
This free neighborhood tradition includes a week of community arts workshops prior to the procession to create the "reimagined monuments."
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 15, 2022
The 11th annual MORNINGSIDE LIGHTS, presented by the Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre at Columbia University, returns with The Reimagined Monument, a luminous, moving sculpture garden comprised of 40+ community-built lanterns, each one a unique, personal reflection on how we memorialize, creating newly inspired monuments that speak to the current moment, shared past, and hopes for the future. In a community procession through Morningside Park, the glowing monuments will set forth through the darkness-a shared, collective reimagining of public statuary.
Free lantern-building workshops will be hosted daily at Miller Theatre from September 17-23. Workshops are geared toward teens and adults, but children ages 10 and up are welcome if working with a participating adult.
The workshops culminate in an illuminated procession of community creations that will light up Morningside Park on Saturday, September 24. Information and registration are available at www.morningside-lights.com.
Morningside Lights concept and direction by Processional Arts Workshop. Co-produced by the Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts.
Please note: Miller Theatre and Arts Initiative will act to protect the health and safety of all personnel by following Columbia University guidance and policies. Masks are strongly recommended in all indoor areas. Please visit millertheatre.com for the most updated policies.
Morningside Lights Workshop participants must:
• Provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination along with an accompanying ID
• Stay home if you don't feel well
The Procession
Saturday, September 24, 8 p.m.
The Morningside Lights procession begins in Morningside Park at 116th Street and Morningside Avenue at 8 p.m. Meet at the start to walk in the procession or join in anywhere along the route. The procession route is approximately one mile in distance, and reaches the Columbia campus around 8:45 p.m.
Those who wish to carry a lantern can arrive at 7 p.m. for rehearsal at 120th Street and Morningside Avenue.
Lanterns are assigned first-come, first-served beginning at 7 p.m. sharp.
The Lantern Building Workshops
From Saturday, September 17 through Friday, September 23, daily lantern-building workshops will take place at Miller Theatre, on Broadway at 116th Street. Afternoon and evening workshop sessions will be offered. Those interested in taking part can visit morningside-lights.com for more information, including a detailed schedule, and to sign up for the workshops. Participants are invited to collaborate with others in forming reimagined monuments, while learning techniques for making illuminated art.
Workshops are free and open to participants of all backgrounds and abilities. Activities are geared toward teens and adults, but children ages 10 and up are welcome if working with a participating adult. Materials, tools, and techniques may not be appropriate for children under age 10.
Processional Arts Workshop
Processional Arts Workshop (PAW), under the direction of Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles, creates site-specific parades, processions, and immersive theatre happenings worldwide. Inspired by diverse, global traditions of Carnivalesque street theatre, largescale puppetry, and ritual pageant, PAW uses processional art as means to build and sustain community spirit and awareness, designing original works for established public events and festivals, as well as seeding site-specific pageant traditions in communities where no such events may have existed before. Drawing on regional cultures, history, folklore, ethnicity, and current sociopolitical concerns, PAW engages local residents in every stage of production, empowering them to identify and express the narratives that uniquely define "local" in their own community, against the modern tide of global homogenization.
The Arts Initiative
Since 2004, the Arts Initiative has connected Columbians with incredible arts experiences on campus and throughout the larger arts landscape of New York City. From student arts grants and discounted tickets to world-class performances, to 10 years of Morningside Lights, the Arts Initiative enhances and promotes the vibrant arts community at Columbia. Experiences are inclusive of a wide ranging arts audience, all of whom can enjoy enriching experiences and go deeper, at varying levels of engagement. Since its inception, the Arts Initiative has nurtured strong and collaborative relationships with students, faculty, and staff.
Miller Theatre
Miller Theatre is a leading presenter of new music in New York City and a vital force for innovative programming. Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, opera, and multimedia performances. Founded in 1988, Miller Theatre has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in America. A four-time recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller Theatre's goals are to produce innovative programs, support the development of new work, and connect creative artists with enquiring audiences.
Miller Theatre's 2022-23 Season is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Francis Goelet Charitable Trusts, and by the Howard Gilman Foundation. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
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