For months, the Director of MoMA PS1, Klaus Biesenbach, has been teasing a Rockaway-centric event on his Instagram. The photos always include this little abandoned yellow house in the sand, and the words: "Save the date: June 29th," with no other information. Sometimes James Franco is in them:
Turns out this has all been in anticipation for "Rockaway! Opening Day," which takes place on the 29th of this month, from noon to 8 p.m. at Fort Tilden's Gateway National Recreation Area. A press release explains that the event—which will include arts and crafts, film screenings, kayaking, baseball games, and more—is "an opportunity for the National Park Service, Rockaway Artists Alliance, the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, and MoMA PS1 to join other Fort Tilden partners, festival supporters and Rockaway residents to kick-off the Rockaway! public art festival and celebrate the reopening of historic Fort Tilden, which has been closed due to damage from Hurricane Sandy." The June 29th event at Fort Tilden will close out with a reading from Rockaway resident Patti Smith and non-Rockaway resident James Franco, with an after-party at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club. Here's the rundown:
Noon - 6 p.m.: exhibitions on view at Fort Tilden
7 p.m.: A poetry reading of Walt Whitman by James Franco and Patti Smith followed by acoustic songs: Patti Smith with special guests Lenny Kaye and Jesse Smith
8 p.m. to midnight: after party at Rockaway Beach
The Rockaway public art festival will run through Labor Day, and will involve "existing and new, site-specific works by local and internationally acclaimed artists."
