This month, cultural institutions around the city are paying respect to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks through literature, visual arts, theater, dance, music, and film. Here's our guide to what's happening around town:
VISUAL ARTS
September 11 at MoMA PS1 At its September 11 exhibit, PS1 will show more than 70 works by 41 artists, including many pieces made before 9/11 that explore how the attacks have changed perceptions and worldviews. Featured artists include Diane Arbus, Mary Lucier, Susan Hiller, Harun Farocki and Janet Cardiff. September 11 will occupy the second floor of PS1, and some pieces will be displayed elsewhere in the building and in Long Island City. Opens on Sept. 11., in Queens.
Michael Richards and Christoph Draeger, "Ten Years Later: Ground Zero Remembered" at the Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum remembers 9/11 by displaying a sculpture of a Tuskegee airman by Michael Richards, who himself was a victim of the attacks, and a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, “WTC, September 17,” by Christoph Draeger. The puzzle is made up of press images post-9/11. Opens on Sept. 7, in Brooklyn.
“9/11: A Uniform Response” at the New York City Police Museum This show includes images by award-winning Associated Press photographers taken on the morning of the attacks, shots of first responders in the days and weeks afterward, and pictures of the construction of 1 World Trade Center. The show also includes a documentary featuring interviews with AP photographers represented in the exhibit. Opens on Sept. 9, in Manhattan.
Faith Ringgold and NYC students, "The 9/11 Peace Story Quilt" at the Metropolitan Museum The Met has "The 9/11 Peace Story Quilt" on display, which was designed and made by artist Faith Ringgold and a group of New York City students aged 8 to 19. The quilt is made up of three 72 x 50-inch panels of 12 squares that depict themes of peace and cross-cultural understanding. The squares were inspired by pieces of art done by the students. Lectures, readings and a concert will accompany the exhibit. Through Jan 22., in Manhattan.
Xu Bing, "Where Does the Dust Itself Collect?" at the Spinning Wheel Building The Museum of Chinese in America and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council present the first U.S. installation of "Where Does the Dust Itself Collect?" The installation is a 25 x 20 foot field of dust that Xu collected from Lower Manhattan after the WTC attacks. A Chan Buddhist poem is outlined in the field. Opens on Sept. 8., in Manhattan.
Elena Del Rivero, "[Swi:t] Home: A CHANT" at the New Museum Although Elena Del Rivero was in her native Spain on 9/11, her home on Cedar Street across from the WTC was full of burnt and dusty office memos, personal notes and scraps from the twin towers when she got home. This exhibit in the lobby of the New Museum is made up of these items that Del Rivero subsequently sewed onto 500 feet of cotton mesh. Opens on Sept. 7, in Manhattan.
"Remembering 9/11" at the New Jersey State Museum 9/11 left 677 New Jersey residents dead. Along with artifacts and reflections from New Jersey residents, this exhibition will include oral histories from families touched by 9/11, survivors, rescue workers and volunteers. A memorial will also be dedicated on Sept. 10 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Opens on Sept. 8, in Trenton, NJ.
"What Matters Now? Proposals for a New Front Page" at the Aperture Gallery This exhibition space will begin with blank walls. Over the course of two weeks, six artists will fill the walls with crowdsourced images, video projections and multimedia works reflecting what they believe are today's most pressing issues. The six artists are Wafaa Bilal, Melissa Harris, Stephen Mayes, Joel Meyerowitz, Fred Ritchin and Deborah Willis. The gallery will blog and tweet what comes out of the show online (hashtag: #whatmattersnow). Opens on Sept. 7, in Manhattan.
"The Twin Tower and the City: Photographs by Camilo Vergara" and "The Twin Tower and the City: Painting by Roman de Plas" at the Museum of the City of New York The Museum of the City of New York has two shows dedicated to the tenth anniversary of 9/11. One displays four decades of pictures of the World Trade Center by Camilo Vergara, a MacArthur Award-winning photographer. The prints are taken from various locations in and around New York City and show the silhouette of the twin towers before they fell and the subsequent changes to the city skyline. Another exhibit features eight paintings by Roman de Plas that depict the twin towers in various moods. Opens on Sept. 3, in Manhattan.
"Remembering 9/11" at the New York Historical Society A collection of hundreds of photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 will soon be on view at the New York Historical Society, along with letters written to policemen and firemen, excerpts from The New York Times "Portraits of Grief" series, and drawings of the 9/11 Memorial. Along with the exhibition, there will be a free reading by Vin Panaro (bugler for the Fire Department of New York) and by Museum Educator Katie Fuller, who will read from Maira Kalman's book Fireboat. (Pictured above, a work in the show: "Untitled" by Gulnara Somoilova.) Opens on Sept. 7, in Manhattan.
"SuperTall! Exhibition" at the Skyscraper Museum The Skyscraper Museum has on view an installation of model skyscrapers that have been completed or have been under construction since 2001. The exhibit includes a special model installation of the twin towers, the WTC site and of the lower Manhattan. It also includes photographs of the World Trade Center by John Bartelstone. Through Jan. 2012, in Manhattan.
Joe McNally, "Faces of Ground Zero — 10 Year Later" at Time Warner Center This collection is more than 50 life-sized portraits of everyday people affected by 9/11, including firefighters, survivors, families and victims, caregivers, politicians, and other uniformed rescuers. McNally took the photos in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Through Sept. 12, in Manhattan.
"Remembering 9/11" at the International Center of Photography The ICP and the National September 11 Memorial Museum (see below) have organized a five-part photography and video show that focuses on how firefighters, transit workers, police officers, construction workers, artists, photographers and WTC neighbors worked together in the aftermath of the attacks. Opens on Sept. 9, in Manhattan.
MEMORIALS
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center The 9/11 Memorial honors the some 3,000 people killed in the attacks of 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. It also pays tribute to the six people who died in the WTC bombing in 1993. On Sept. 11, President Barack Obama is expected to host a ceremony at the memorial for families of the victims of the attack. Visitors to the site can expect waterfalls, twin reflecting pools, bronze panels with the names of the victims, and a large pavilion with a glass atrium. The museum will give visitors more information about the men, women and children who died. Preview the museum and memorial by clicking here. Both open to families of victims on Sept. 11, and will be open to the public on Sept. 12. In Manhattan.
NYC Memorial Field in Battery Park In Battery Park, 3,000 flags will fly with the names of 9/11 victims. Runs from Sept. 7 through 13., in Manhattan.
Flight 93 National Memorial Dedication and Commemoration in Shanksville Musical tributes and wreath layings will be part of the dedication of the Flight 93 Memorial on Sept. 10. On Sept. 11, there will be a memorial service there to remember the 40 people aboard United Flight 93 who died. On Sept. 10 and 11, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Tribute in Light This installation made of 88 search lights will create two vertical columns of light from dusk to dawn next to the WTC site. The two columns should be visible on Sept. 11 from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey.
HAPPENINGS
"Hand in Hand—Remembering 9/11" in Downtown Manhattan The public can be part of a human chain that will stretch from lower Manhattan along the Hudson from Battery Park to Canal Street. The chain, meant to symbolize the indomitable spirit of New York now and 10 years ago, was conceived by the chairperson of Manhattan Community Boar One, Julie Menin. The chain will connect the moment the first plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 A.M. After the chain breaks up, participants are invited to visit the Wall of Remembrance and a tree planting ceremony in Battery Park. On Sept. 10, in Manhattan.
Remembrance of September 11 at the Alice Austen House Museum The museum and the Fire Department Retirees of Staten Island will remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives during 9/11 with refreshments on the front lawn and a water display. On Sept. 11, in Staten Island.
Peace Crane Day at Battery Park City Library The public can learn to fold origami peace cranes in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Instruction and paper are provided by the library. After they are made, participants can write remembrances of 9/11 on the cranes, which will be strung up throughout the library. On Sept. 10, in Manhattan.
Wind Elegy—Remembering 9/11 at Wave Hill The public is invited to put reflections of 9/11 on strips of natural-fiber paper, which will be attached to the Wave Hill pergola. The strips will be left to wave in the breeze and then will be composted at the end of the week. On Sept. 11, in the Bronx.
MUSIC
Cyndi Lauper and Queen Latifah, 9/11 Memorial Tributes at the U.S. Open There will be several 9/11 tributes during the tennis grand slam, which runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11. Before the women's singles final on Sept. 10, the Queens rocker and actress Cyndi Lauper will perform a tribute. Newark's own Queen Latifah will perform a pre-match 9/11 tribute at the men's final, which falls on Sept. 11. Latifah also did a 9/11 tribute at the U.S. Open in 2002 (pictured right). On Sept. 10 and 11, in Queens.
The New York Philharmonic, "A Concert for New York" at Avery Fisher Hall Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic performs Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," featuring Dorothea Röschmann, Michelle DeYoung, and the New York Choral Artists — for free! On Sept. 10, in Manhattan. (Full disclosure: WNYC's sister station, WQXR, will be broadcasting the show.)
The Sherman Chamber Ensemble, "September 11 Memorial Concert" at the Brooklyn Public Library The Sherman Chamber Ensemble will play elegies by Gabriel Faure, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Bedrich Smetana's Trio in G Minor opus 15 in the Dweck Center in the library's central branch. On Sept. 11, in Brooklyn.
Musicians for Harmony, "Concert for Peace" at the Merkin Concert Hall Musicians for Harmony is an collective of more than 30 musicians and quartets that was founded in the aftermath of Sept. 11 to promote peace and harmony through music. This year's Concert for Peace will feature the Juilliard String Quartet, Kinan Azmeh with the City Band, Kojiro Umezaki, and Bassam Saba with the New York Arabic Orchestra. On Sept. 11, in Manhattan.
"Remember to Love" at Trinity Wall Street The Trinity Wall Street Choir, the NYC Master Chorale, the Young People's Chorus of NYC, The Washington Chorus, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Copley Singers and the Chiara String Quartet are just some of the groups performing at St. Paul's Chapel and Trinity Church to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Concerts run from Sept. 5 through 12, in Manhattan.
Gerard Placide, "10th Anniversary September 11 Concert" at Grace Christian Church Brownsville residents can hear a soul-stirring, gospel 9/11 tribute from Army veteran Gerard Placide on Sept. 11. Although Placide sings classical, contemporary and gospel music, his songs are likely to have a Caribbean flair since he is a native of Trinidad and Tobago. Concert starts at 6 P.M. at Grace Christian Church on 434 Dewitt Ave. between Malta and Louisiana. On Sept. 11, in Brooklyn.
"A Concert of Commemoration" and "A Global Sing for Peace" at Avery Fisher Hall Composer and conductor Karl Jenkins, Soprano Erika Powell, Mezzo-Soprano Charlotte Daw Paulsen, Tenor Brian Cheney, Bass-Baritone Bradley Ellingboe and "The Really Big Chorus" from the UK perform "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace," which was inspired by the Kosovo conflict, and the U.S. premiere of "For the Fallen: In Memoriam Alfryn Jenkins." Composer and conductor Rene Caulsen and the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International and Distinguished Concerts Singers International will present "Memorial." Choirs can get in on the action by clicking here. On Sept. 11, in Manhattan.
THEATER
"The Collective Memory" by Sheryl Oring at Bryant Park During this participatory play by Sheryl Oring ("I Wish to Say"), the public will be asked "What would you like the world to remember about 9/11?" at which point ten typists in black vintage will tap out the answers on manual typewriters. The answers will become part of an exhibit that will be displayed at college campuses across the country. "The Collective Memory" will take place outdoors -- on the upper terrace of Bryant Park. Runs from Sept. 9 through 11, in Manhattan.
"9/11 Memorial Project" by Roundabout Theater Company and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High Schoolers Since this past spring, 30 students at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis have been working with the Roundabout Theatre Company to create a 9/11 memorial play that will include interviews from individuals affected by 9/11, live music and visual elements. The students, in grades 10 through 12, will present their work at the school on Sept. 9, in Manhattan.
"More or Less I Am" by Compagnia de' Colombari The Italian New York-based theater group Compagnia de' Colomabri stages a music-theater adaptation of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself." (The Brooklyn poet is pictured left.) The work is directed by Karin Coonrod, known for her innovative work in the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Public Theatre, and Theatre for a New Audience. Music for the production is composed by Colin and Eric Jacobsen, members of the celebrated string ensemble Brooklyn Rider and Kyle Sanna. Runs from Sept. 8 through 11, in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
"110 Stories" by Sarah Tuft at Skirball Center F. Murray Abraham, Lauren Ambrose, Andre Braugher, Mario Cantone, Billy Crudup, Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa Leo, Aasif Mandvi, James McCaffrey, Vincent Piazza, Jeremy Piven, Andre Royo, Stelio Savante, Pablo Schreiber, Tony Shalhoub, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tamara Tunie, Kathleen Turner, Ben Vereen and Merritt Wever are among those who will perform Sarah Tuft's play, "101 Stories." The work is based on what Tuft saw and heard while volunteering after the 9/11 attacks. Proceeds from the show at NYU's Skirball Center go to the New York Says Thank You Foundation. On Sept. 8 and 9, in Manhattan.
"The Guys" by Anne Nelson The Flea Theater presents Anne Nelson's "The Guys," a post-9/11 play made up of a dialofue between a fire captain who has lost most of his men during the WTC attacks and an editor writing their eulogies. Starring Sigourney Weaver and Tom Wopat, and directed by Jim Simpson. Runs from Sept. 6 through 9, around town.
"Performing Tribute" by Donna Kaz In "Performing Tribute," six people whose lives were heavily influenced by 9/11 come together to talk about the disasters. They are: Gerry Bogacz, an MTA worker who survived both the 1993 WTC bombing and the 9/11 attacks; Disiree Bouchat, a survivor from the South Tower; Bridget Damiano, who lost her cousin in South Tower; Gail Langsner, a Liberty St. resident; Paul McFadden, a retired firefighter; Ann Van Hine, the widow of a firefighter who worked for Squad 41 in the Bronx who was killed in 9/11. Through Oct. 2, around town.
"Sweet and Sad" by Richard Nelson at the Public Richard Nelson's world premiere is set in the present -- in Rhinebeck, NY on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The family, which is reunited for the first time in almost a year, talks about loss, memory, remembrance and the meaning of compensation. Starring Jon DeVries, Shuler Hensley, Maryann Plunkett, Laila Robins, Jay Sanders and J. Smith-Cameron. Runs from Sept. 6 through 25, in Manhattan. (Alec Baldwin moderates a panel about how the attacks changed New York after the Sept. 8 performance.)
DANCE
"In Performance: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 9/11" at the Joyce Theater The Joyce presents two free outdoor dance performances with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, as part of InSite: Art+Commemoration. The commemoration features the Limón Dance Company performing with Voices of Ascension and the Paul Taylor Dance Company performing with the Orchestra of St. Luke's. There will also be performances of "A Song For You" by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Matthew Rushing and a world premiere by Jessica Lang Dance. Musicians Yacouba Cissoko (playing the kora) and Sam Dickey (playing the ngoni lute) will also play. On Sept. 10 and 11, in Manhattan.
"9/11 Dance: A Roving Memorial" by Sarah Skaggs Dance Sarah Skaggs dancers will perform 11-minute dance installations in New York, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The piece draws on Skaggs's solo piece, "Dances for Airports," which was choreographed right after the 9/11 attacks. The New York performances will be at Union Square Park, Washington Square Park and Battery Park. On Sept. 11, in Manhattan.
READINGS & LECTURES
Together We Are New York: Asian Americans Remember and Re-Vision 9/11 at Fordham Law School Nine poets perform work crafted from interviews with Asian Americans who talked about how their lives have been shaped by 9/11 over the past decade. The poets — Hossannah Asuncion, Tamiko Beyer, Marlon Esguerra, April Heck, Eugenia Leigh, Bushra Rehman, Zohra Saed, Purvi Shah, R.A. Villanueva — are part of a group called Kundiman Opening Performance. On Sept 13., in Manhattan.
Ten Years After 9/11: Remembrance and Reconciliation Through Poetry at Trinity Church Poets including Marie Howe, Major Jackson, Lawrence Joseph, Cornelius Eady, J. Chester Johnson and Martha Rhodes will read work about grief, remembrance and reconciliation. The reading is presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Poets House and Trinity Wall Street. On Sept. 10, in Manhattan.
9/11: Ten Years After at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center NJPAC and The Star Ledger commemorate the tenth anniversary with a short film ("State of Reflection"), poetry, photos and music. There will also be a panel discussion with some big names: former governor and 9/11 Commission co-chair Thomas Kean, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Holl Lute, former Secretary of the Navy and 9/11 Commissioner John Lehman, and 9/11 widow and advocate Virginia Bauer. On Sept. 9, in Newark, NJ.
FILM
"Ten Years of Terror" at the Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim screens the 70-minute film "Ten Years of Terror," which was directed by Brad Evans and Simon Critchley, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The film is made up of reflections on violence and states of terror by big-time thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Saskia Sassen. Runs from Sept. 9 through 13, in Manhattan.
"Man On Wire" at the Museum of the Moving Image James Marsh's 89-minute documentary tells the story of how Philippe Petit walked on a cable strung between the World Trade Center towers. On Sept. 11, in Queens.
"Out of the Ashes: 9/11" at the New York County Lawyers' Association Learn about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which was started 11 days after the World Trade Center attacks to compensate surviving 9/11 family members, in this 101-minute documentary. The Fund is the largest public entitlement program to date. On Sept. 12, in Manhattan.
"Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football" at AMC theaters This feature length documentary film is set at Fordson High School in Detroit, which is 98 percent Arab-American, during Ramadan. As the F.H.S. football team gets ready to compete with its rival, the community is also trying to hold onto its Islamic faith while struggling to gain acceptance in a post-9/11 world. Runs from Sept. 9 through 15, In Manhattan, West Nyack and New Brunswick, NJ.
"Tribute and Remembrance: Asian Americans After 9/11" at The Museum of Chinese in America From its economic impact on Chinatown to deportation as felt by South Asian and Muslim communities, this doc focuses on how the Asian-American community has been affected by 9/11. Co-presented by the Asian American Federation and narrated by David Henry Hwang. On Sept. 8., in Manhattan.
"Rebirth" at Count Basie Theater This documentary film by Jim Whitaker follows the lives of nine people in the aftermath of 9/11, including an advocate for religious tolerance of Muslims, a fireman who lost more than 300 colleagues, and a man who lost his 14-year domestic partner. The film shows footage of each interviewed at every anniversary since the catastrophe. On Sept. 8, in Red Bank, NJ.
"Manhattan" at BAMcinématek BAM commemorates the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with free screenings of Woody Allen’s classic "Manhattan." On Sept. 11, in Brooklyn.
To view more 10th anniversary 9/11 commemoration events sponsored by WNYC, WQXR and The Greene Space, click here.