Weekend Arts Planner: Earth Day, The Walkmen reunite and a world premiere from Moor Mother

Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day and whether you want to pitch in as a volunteer or catch an exhibition that highlights nature, there are plenty ways to celebrate in and around New York City. WNYC's Culture and Arts Editor, Steve Smith joins Weekend Edition host David Furst with his latest arts picks - from Earth Day and beyond.

Steve's picks:

1. In putting together Gothamist's guide to Earth Day activities, we made sure to include opportunities to get outside and actually appreciate nature. You could spend an entire day just enjoying the abundant opportunities available in "Earth Day on Governors Island," from birding walks and bicycling lessons, to insect ecology and immersive performance art. Activities run on April 22 from 10 am to 3 pm.

You can also head up to the Bronx to plant trees and flowers in Woodlawn Cemetery, which is an accredited arboretum, or sign up for a shift to tidy up and paint at John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

But there are also indoor activities to consider. The Whitney Museum of American Art is hosting a convergence of three exhibitions that all touch on some aspect of our relationship to nature, and it's your last chance to see one of those shows, "no existe un mundo poshuracán," a showcase of works made by Puerto Rican artists in the wake of Hurricane Maria — which closes Sunday, April 23. The museum is open free of charge all day Saturday, April 22 and hands-on programming for kids is running from 11 am to 3 pm.

That's just scratching the surface, and we haven't even mentioned the open streets programs happening throughout the five boroughs. So I'll definitely recommend listeners to check out our guide on Gothamist.

2. The Walkmen reunite

The Walkmen were one of the most emblematic bands of the New York City indie rock scene before they took an extended break starting in 2013. Now, a decade later, they're back together.

In a former life I spent 13 years working as a music editor at Time Out New York, and The Walkmen were a fixture of my entire run... truly one of the most popular and creative bands active from Y2K onward. Their appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week proves they haven't lost anything, and they're playing FIVE reunion shows April 24th through 28th at Webster Hall in the East Village. The first four are said to be sold out... but is anything really ever sold out in New York City? Fans who want to get in will find a way.

3. A world premiere from Moor Mother

Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center on the Upper West Side has been hosting some of the most original and creative concerts in the city for a long time now under the banner "Ecstatic Music." And next Friday, April 28 at 7:30 pm they'll host a program by the poet, composer, and bandleader Moor Mother, a Philadelphia artist who bridges the worlds of free jazz, hip-hop and concert music with an activist spirit. Her Merkin concert features her bandmates from her blistering jazz combo Irreversible Entanglements, the iconic saxophonist and composer Henry Threadgill, and other guests in the world premiere of a new piece called "6 Movements." The concert is jointly presented by New Sounds Live, so WNYC's own John Schaefer will be on hand to host.