Ribbon Cutting
La MaMa artist Harvey Fierstein has generously pledged a matching grant to support La MaMa's renovated building at 74A East Fourth Street.
HELP US REBUILD 74A EAST FOURTH STREET
On Thursday, February 9 at 11AM, we celebrated the reopening of our 74 East 4th Street building!
When La MaMa founder Ellen Stewart purchased 74 East 4th Street, the building had no roof, no flooring, and no back wall. She founded La MaMa with the belief that space is vital to the creative process and art can be a powerful vehicle for communities to come together. That belief is at the heart of La MaMa’s mission.
Today, this building that Ellen rescued from demolition decades ago, is a New York City landmark undergoing a major capital renovation. La MaMa is restoring its historic façade and remaking the interior top to bottom. For more than a decade La MaMa has been harnessing the internet and digital technologies to experiment with imaginative ways that artists and audiences can engage and experience art. The building-wide data network gives artists the tools to support new forms of art-making and exchange going beyond the four walls of the spaces. This renovation fundamentally shifts how La MaMa and other arts and cultural organizations interact with their communities across the US and beyond.
ADA accessibility to all floors, an enlarged lobby area, dedicated community space, an outdoor terrace, and a building-wide data network will allow La MaMa to maintain two versatile sound-separated theater spaces that host performances and art experiences as well as create expanded opportunities for community-driven and educational programming.
We are excited to welcome you into the building. We want you to experience the new spaces, and see how artists and audiences can engage through new models of connectivity that exponentially increase access to the arts for all.
Iconic theatre-artist André De Shields was the special guest for our ribbon cutting at 74 East 4th Street, his artistic home starting in the '70s. He was joined onstage by Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, Council Member Carlina Rivera, and more. Immediately following the ceremony, we invited everyone to come inside to see performances and installations as they explored and experienced the renovated spaces.
PIX11: La MaMa theater reopens in East Village after $24M renovation
BroadwayWorld: Andre De Shields & More Gather to Celebrate the Re-Opening of La MaMa
Follow this link to learn more about the renovations and help us close our funding gap.
Photos by Bronwen Sharp
