Lincoln Center’s Restart Stages Transforms Plaza into Green Open Space

Lincoln Center has a brand new art installation “The GREEN” that fully transforms the iconic plaza into welcoming, playful space. Lincoln Center aims to honor the return of New York City with the new programming, “Restart Stages.” The outdoor performing arts center has 10 outdoor performance, rehearsal, and civic activation spaces across its 16 acres.

Part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Lincoln Center Agora Initiative, “Restart Stages” revitalizes public space for a post-COVID world. Opened yesterday, the space will hold more than 150 events for New Yorkers emerging from their homes. During the opening ceremony, Martha Redbone and Norman Lewis held a performance, welcoming all to the space. Pop-up performances of this nature will be available on “The GREEN” all summer.

Set designer and MacArthur Genius winner Mimi Lien created “The GREEN” aspect of the space, which is in the Josie Robertson Plaza. As the public explores the new Lincoln Center space, they can interact with 14,000 square feet of Biobased SYNLawn material space in Lien’s installation. From 8 a.m. to the evening, visitors can immerse themselves in the space until it closes in September 2021.

In a statement for Restart Stages, Lien considered how she would make the space more accessible for New Yorkers. She said that she “immediately thought that by changing the ground surface from hard paving stones with no seating to a material like grass, suddenly anyone would be able to sit anywhere.”

To find free tickets for performances, guests can visit The TodayTix Lottery website two weeks in advance to reserve tickets. These events include performances by Percussion Ensembles, Brass Quintets, and more from the Juilliard School and Poets on the Plaza. Red Baraat, a group that fuses North Indian bhangra with elements of hip-hop will perform an event for children.

You Are Here is yet another exhibit that visitors of “Restart Stages” can immerse themselves in. Designed by award-winning choreographer and artistic director of movement-based production company GALLIM Andrea Miller, the installation presents portraits of Lincoln Center Staff members. The portraits in the public sculpture, sound, and live performance installation eventually lead to live performances. By the end of the summer, all performers will be on-site for the performances. Sound artist Justin Hicks designed the audio aspect of the installation, while the live performance will feature these portraits brought to life and choreography by Andrea Miller and performed by GALLIM dancers

“Faces of the Hero: From New York to Athens,” a free, transatlantic visual arts exhibition will open in July 2021. Featuring artwork by the Parsons School of Design and Athens School of Fine Arts students, the exhibition will display interpretations of heroism.

All photographs © Sachyn Mital, courtesy of Lincoln Center

As Governor Cuomo announced that New York City will open 100% by July 1st, New Yorkers must not proceed unsafely. While in the space, visitors are asked to wear masks at all times and to social distance. If all comply, the artists, community organizations, and audiences who share the “Restart Stages” space will be able to do so at their whim!

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