Open Arts LES: La Tribu
2025-07-10 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
La Tribu is a dynamic 9 piece ensemble of musicians from Argentina and Uruguay that blends the rich musical traditions of South America with the sophisticated sounds of New York jazz. Their repertoire includes legendary songs from their homelands as well as original compositions that stay true to their roots. Featuring singer Carmen Borla plus a cuerda de tambores (tambores chico , repique y piano , the holy trinity of Afro Uruguayan music ) La Tribu transforms nostalgia into joy, creating a powerful connection between the stage and the audience

Open Arts LES: New York Theatre Workshop Celebrates Photographer Alex Harsley
2025-07-17 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Alex Harsley has lived and worked on the block since the 1970s, and has been documenting life in NYC since the 1950s. His astonishing archive includes street photography of the Lower East Side, Coney Island and Harlem, among others, as well as event and portrait photography with a particular focus on Black luminaries including John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Coretta Scott King, Angela Davis and many, many others.
The celebration includes:
A solo performance of NYC artist Brigitte Barnett-Loftis takes the stage with a timely and personal performance that weaves together her journey and Alex’s story, in the context of East 4th Street. Directed by Jasmine Mitchell, NYTW’s Black Theatre Coalition Artistic Director Fellow.
On This Spot Interviews: Grab the mic and add your story to the archive of NYC stories on our block.
Screening of 4th Street Stories: Go back in time with video interviews of people lived, worked, made art, and been part of the rich history of East 4th Street, as we reflect the voice and memory of our community then and now.
A Photo Gallery: An exhibition of Alex’s photography, documenting the evolution of the block over the years and highlighting the families who have lived here for generations.
Live Portrait Painting: Artist Joi Sanchez paints a live portrait that celebrates Alex’s life and legacy.
Food and sweets in celebration of Alex’s birthday!

Open Arts LES: Wen-Ting Wu Trio
2025-07-24 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
NY-based drummer, composer, and educator Wen-Ting Wu is a diverse artist from Taiwan with a background ranging from jazz to contemporary music. Besides being a member in Grammy-winner Frank Lacy’s Septet and AAPI Jazz Collective currently, she has also shared the stage with jazz artists such as Ed Cherry, Helen Sung, Bertha Hope, Lonnie Plaxico, contemporary artists Eunbi Kim, Gina Izzo and synth-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster. She has toured in the US and internationally in Asia at festivals and performed in prestigious venues in NY such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz Club, Small Jazz club and Kupferberg Center for the Arts.
Her original composition and arrangements blend the style of jazz and avant-garde, with a taste of groove and imagination telling her own story and how she views the world through her artistry filled with love and uplifting energy. Write what you wish for -said Wayne Shorter is always a guidance she follows when she creates. Her past release includes a trio project “Pause & Effect” on ESP-Disk, and a 19 mins jazz suite “As a Women…” which she created in 2022 when she was granted the Silver lining New Artist Awards to compose a commissioned piece that tells the story of Women Entrepreneurs. Wen-Ting is endorsed by Canopus Drums.

Open Arts LES: Amawta Roots
2025-08-07 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Amawta Roots is part of a musicians program at the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center’s initiative to amplify Ecuadorian American musical genres, instruments and talent.
Amawta Roots is a musical group in charge of disseminating the different Ecuadorian musical genres for New York City community and beyond, which wants to project Ecuador as a cultural power and invite communities of other cultures to learn about the diversity within Ecuadorian music.
Our mission is to promote Ecuadorian music through a fresh vision, strengthen our identity and promote musical works by Ecuadorian composers and musicians, as well as contribute new music to attract audiences from different generations.

Open Arts LES: Jamile Staevie Ayres
2025-08-21 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Born and raised in Brazil, but thriving in New York, Jamile’s artistry includes a love of language, a closeness with genre, a deep feeling for style—and a demand to throw all of these aside for the pleasures of transcendence. Jamile specifically loves mixing modern jazz and Brazilian jazz, as well as her original compositions, in a unique set of music that is rarely heard.
Jamile is a vocalist, composer, and educator from Brazil based in NYC. Her versatility is sharply pronounced in her unique repertoire choices, combining modern and Brazilian jazz into a sound of her own.
She has two critically acclaimed albums featuring the great Steve Wilson and was the opening act for Rosa Passos, Ron Carter, and Kenny Barron at JALC in 2023.
Jamile also collaborates with Grammy-nominated pianist Mike Holober, the latest project being “This Rock We’re On: Imaginary Letters”, where she was featured alongside Chris Potter and John Patitucci.
She has performed at world-renowned venues, including Mezzrow, Smalls, Birdland, and Dizzy’s, and received high praise for her performances internationally.
Throughout her career, Jamile has performed with veterans of this music, including Toninho Horta, Duduka da Fonseca, Hélio Alves, Ray Gallon, and Jay Leonhart, as well as current NYC jazz luminaries such as Miki Yamanaka, Yotam Silberstein, and Russell Hall.

Open Arts LES: Koku Gonza
2025-09-04 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Koku Gonza, a Tanzanian-American Afro-soul artist, will offer a deeply resonant and genre-bending set blending Afrobeat, R&B, highlife, and jazz influences. Her music—performed in English and Swahili—bridges continents and cultures, reflecting the spirit of global Black solidarity and diasporic creativity.
About Koku Gonza: A Tanzanian-American Afro-soul artist who blends Afrobeat, R&B, and Neo-soul into a unique sound. Known for her sultry style, she has performed at major events like Italy’s Umbria Jazz Festival, Egypt’s Creative African Nexus Canex Festival, and the Women Deliver conference in Rwanda. Her top songs, including “Zanzibar,” “Utamu,” and “Motto,” feature Swahili, Soul, and Ghanaian Highlife influences. Koku celebrates her African roots through her music.

Open Arts LES: Erli Perez Jazz
2025-09-13 13:30 - 14:30 UTC | Avenue B Open Street, Avenue B between E 8th Street & E 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
As a former Californian, Erli began his career as a Jazz vocalist a few years after moving to New York City. With the likes of his mentors such as Jay Clayton, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy, Marilyn Maye, & Marianne Solivan, Erli has quickly created a style and a reputation all his own. His style ranges from straight-ahead Jazz/Bebop to more modern styles

Open Arts LES: DASO y el Grupo Cemí
2025-09-13 15:00 - 16:00 UTC | Avenue B Open Street, Avenue B between E 8th Street & E 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
David Soto [AKA DāSo] started on his musical journey as a child while performing with his mom in the Puerto Rican folkloric dance troupe, Grupo Cemí. He grew up Loisaida amidst a flourishing culture of Nuyorican poets back in the early 70-80s. Learning from mentors which include his mother María Hernández, Bimbo Rivas, TatoLaviera and Luis Guzmán, he honed his craft in front of live audiences performing in places like the Nuyorican Poets Café, Tompkins Square Park, local community garden parties and CHARAS fundraisers.
In 2005, DāSo focused his musical energies on creating a cross-cultural fusion music steeped in uplifting affirmations and spiritually rooted themes of unity and healing. The music is a bi-lingual fusion of hip hop, bomba, house, plena, reggaeton, R&B, salsa, and rock topped with some ballads that is often hard to categorize.
DāSo has spent over two decades as a community organizer, dedicating his time to youth services, counseling, advocacy & activism. He founded DASO Entertainment & organized New Village Music Festival as a promo outlet for young musicians, artists and their creations. In 2022, Daso founded the Piragua Art Space, featuring visual art installations, intimate performances, music rehearsals & vocal recordings. The space serves as the physical flagship store for the Piragua Clothing Brand, which launched online in 2017.

Open Arts LES: Sundate
2025-09-18 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | East 4th Street Open Street, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Sundate is an ensemble rooted in the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City. Our group offers live music that blends modern jazz, soul, Latin, and global influences into a sound that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Led by Victor Solano, and joined by members Alfredo Colon, Jonathan Paik, Justin Henery, Mason O’Donnell, Carter Yasutake, Sundate reflects the diversity of the city that raised us. Each of us brings our unique cultural identity and musical experience to the table, making their performances a powerful celebration of multicultural expression and connection.
Our music is a reflection of their families, their neighborhoods. One example is a piece Victor Solano composed in memory of his aunt, Mary Carmen, who passed away in the Dominican Republic. Sundate thrives on live performance. They’ve played at venues such as Mintons, Dada, Kato Sake Works, Bad Therapy, Fiction, Williamsburg Music Center, and have played the Brownsville Jazz Festival and the West Harlem Jazz Festival.

Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House 2025
2025-10-18 | Various locations around the Lower East Side!
Free!
Saturday October 18, 2025
FULL PROGRAMMING & LINE-UP HERE
ABOUT
Organized by Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House is now in its third year, welcoming folks into cultural spaces without a ticket to a show or the cost of admission. All organizations will have staff available to greet you & answer questions about their programs!
On East 4th Street, you can grab maps & plan your route — and meet folks from 16 different organizations tabling on the block! Check out live music, poetry and theater performances on our stage, plus hands-on arts activities good for all ages.
Then, with a map in hand, you can venture out into the historic Lower East Side to visit 13 more organizations who are opening their doors for you to explore exhibits, artist studios, theaters, a zine library, and more!
Join us to choose-your-own-adventure around the neighborhood and learn more about Lower East Side Arts & Culture organizations straight from the people behind the scenes!

ORGANIZATIONS
ABC No Rio | Abrons Arts Center | Arts Loisaida Foundation | Artists Alliance Inc. | Bond Street Theatre | The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center | Cooper Square Committee | CultureHub | Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) | Green Map System | IATI Theater | International Center of Photography | La MaMa Experimental Theater Club | Loisaida, Inc. | The Lower East Side Preservation Initiative | Magnum Foundation | Movement Research | New Museum of Contemporary Art | New York Theatre Workshop | Nuyorican Poets Cafe | The Performance Project @ University Settlement | Relative Arts | Rod Rodgers Dance Company | Swiss Institute | Tenement Museum | Think!Chinatown | The Ukrainian Museum | WOW Café Theater

Open Arts LES: Yi-Yi
2025-10-25 13:30 - 14:30 UTC | Avenue B Open Street, Avenue B between E 8th Street & E 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
YiYi, a Ukrainian folk group composed of Caroline Kuhn, Katie Pawluk, and Zoya Shepko, breathes new life into traditional Ukrainian songs through unconventional arrangements and a diverse mix of instruments, including the bandura, violin, banjo, hutsul drum, cello and accordion. Their performances are characterized by three-part polyphony, creating rich sonic tapestries that transport audiences from lively party vibes to poignant moments of heartbreak.

Open Arts LES: Nolan Nwachukwu Project
2025-10-25 15:00 - 16:00 UTC | Avenue B Open Street, Avenue B between E 8th Street & E 9th Street, New York, NY, 10009, United States
Nolan Nwachukwu Project’s music features a combination of diverse original compositions and new, funky interpretations of contemporary songs and jazz standards. The compositions and arrangements performed by the group are infused with a blend of African-American genres, including gospel, jazz, R&B, soul, funk, and other world music.
About Nolan Nwachukwu
Nolan Nwachukwu is a bassist, composer, and producer based in New York City. Originally from South Florida, Nolan studied Jazz at the Dillard Center for the Arts under the direction of Christopher Dorsey. With Nolan on bass, the DCA band achieved 2 straight top-3 finishes at the Essentially Ellington national competition, including an award for outstanding rhythm section and an honorable mention on bass. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, under the guidance of Buster Williams, Marc Cary, Kendrick Scott, and John Benitez.
Since relocating to New York, Nolan has begun collaborations with acclaimed artists and musicians such as J’Nai Bridges, Damien Sneed, Michael Mwenso and the Shakes, Tyreek McDole, Miles Lennox, Savion Glover, Miki Howard, Jon Batiste, Ruben Fox, Willerm Delisfort, Tina Fabrique, Brandon Woody, Cisco Swank, FORAGER, Jillian Grace, Imani Rouselle, Reuben James, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Nolan has performed at many notable venues and festivals including Dizzy’s @ Jazz at Lincoln Center, Mintons Playhouse, Smalls Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, MET Art Museum, City Winery (New York, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia), NPR Tiny Desk (Home), Monterey Jazz Festival, Montclair Jazz Festival, South Beach Jazz Festival, Umbria Winter Jazz Festival, and Burlington Discover Jazz Festival amongst others.
Nolan currently performs throughout various venues in NYC and tours nationally and internationally between different groups, including FORAGER, Michael Mwenso & The Shakes, and Electric Root’s Production: The Sound of (Black) Music.

Democracy as Creative Practice
2025-12-10 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Presented by Village Preservation in collaboration with FABnyc
Democracy is fragile, as we are learning. Can we renew it by fostering more democratic ways of interacting in our neighborhoods? The East Village has long been home to cultural institutions that play a key role in bringing communities together. What role might they play in promoting a more vigorous form of everyday politics and stimulating a collective commitment to democratic engagement?
Join us as we grapple with these questions around a Long Table, a format created by artist Lois Weaver to foster open-ended, non-hierarchical participation. We will be joined at the table by neighbors, representatives from many of our leading arts organizations, and, we hope, you.
Our host for the evening will be Dr. Andrew Zitcer, an urban planner and cultural organizer based in Philadelphia. He is the co-creator of Democracy as Creative Practice: Weaving a Culture of Civic Life. Dr. Zitcer will facilitate our Long Table conversation and help us prepare for the event with prompts that get us thinking about the relation between arts and political engagement.
Join us at the Long Table as we engage in a collective practice of democratic co-creation. Participants thus far include:
Pepe Flores (Co-Founder, La Sala de Pepe)
Molly Garfield (Co-Director, City Lore)
Andrea Gordillo (Cultural strategist and local civic leader)
Judy Hussie-Taylor (Executive Director, Danspace Project)
Lyn Pentcost (Co-Founder, La Sala de Pepe)
Sara Zatz (Artistic Director, Engagement, Pink Fang, formerly known as Ping Chong and Company)
C. Joi Sanchez (artist, WOW Cafe Theater)
maura nguyen donohue (Great Jones Repertory Company)
Andrew Zitcer is the director of the Urban Strategy graduate program, and an associate professor of Arts Administration. He teaches courses in civic engagement, research design and methods, creative placemaking, and cultural policy. Andrew’s research focuses on cooperative social and economic practices, as well as the role of arts in sustaining democracy. He is the author of Practicing Cooperation: Mutual Aid Beyond Capitalism (University of Minnesota Press, 2021) and co-edited with Tom Borrup, Democracy as Creative Practice: Weaving a Culture of Civic Life (Routledge, 2024).

Raul Ayala: Creative Action with Immigrant Communities (Creative Action Network workshop)
2026-04-01 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
RSVP here
Raul Ayala’s practice bridges art, social engagement, and pedagogy through large-scale paintings, site-specific installations, collaborative murals, performance, and other public interventions. Raul has an extensive history collaborating with immigrant and indigenous communities on installations, murals, community ritual, and direct action campaigns in NYC and Quito, Ecuador.
Recent local projects include collaborations with Green-Wood Cemetery, El Museo del Barrio, Make the Road NYC, and the weekly vigil at the Brooklyn Detention Center.

Sign up for Creative Action Network (CAN) Workshops!
FAB is a offering a series of workshops for artists and cultural organizers — with opportunities to learn from experienced artist/activists about their work and how they approach it.
All workshops are free; advance reservations are needed. Spaces are limited.
All workshops take place at FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York NY 10003.
This is a fully accessible building.

Theatre of the Oppressed NYC: “Starter Kit” (Creative Action Network workshop)
2026-04-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
RSVP here
Theatre of the Oppressed is a global practice based on the work of Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, and informed by the teachings of Paulo Freire. It engages people’s innate abilities at physical storytelling to spark dialogue, analyze power dynamics, and rehearse future actions. By pairing accessible games with thought-provoking discussions, the tools support groups in making connections between personal lived experience and systems of oppression. During this workshop, we’ll explore core activities that can be easily adapted to bring creativity and play into discussions that community organizers want to hold. The workshop will include discussion of strategies to adapt the activities to fit access needs, your facilitation styles and your organizing work.

Sign up for Creative Action Network (CAN) workshops!
FAB is a offering a series of workshops for artists and cultural organizers — with opportunities to learn from experienced artist/activists about their work and how they approach it.
All workshops are free; advance reservations are needed. Spaces are limited.
All workshops take place at FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York NY 10003.
This is a fully accessible building.

Open Arts LES: Sonido Costeño
2026-05-07 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Open Arts LES is back on 4th Street. Stop by for Latin music and salsa with our neighborhood favorite, Sonido Costeño!
Sonido Costeño (SC) is a modern day latin band in New York City. Their high energy music is a creative fusion of latin music and salsa along with other world music and their fabulous concerts transform their club audiences into dance hall performances. Sonido Costeño’s “staying power” is seen by the ensemble’s growing loyal fan base from not only the New York City area (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens) but also the tri-state area and abroad.
JuanMa Morales, founder of Sonido Costeño is a Cornell Graduate and Julliard alumni. Morales leads the band as vocalist and plays guitar as well as the Puerto Rican cuatro (the island’s national instrument). Las Gaviotas (The Seagulls) and Senora (My Lady), two of Morales’ original songs, have won the Billboard Songwriting award. Under Juan Ma’s dynamic leadership, Sonido Costeño play diverse salsa rhythms, enticing “salseros” and non-salsa dancers alike to move onto the dance floor. The band’s dance repertoire includes: Son Cubano, Nueva Trova, Boleros and Ballads, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Guaguanco, Latin Jazz, and the band is known to play a Merengue and Bachata or two. Their unique sound appeals to broad and diverse audiences from all generations.

"On the ground where we might find": 2026 LES Young Artists of Color Fellowship Exhibition
2026-05-15 18:00 - 2026-05-17 17:00 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
An exhibition of works by FABnyc’s 2026 Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellows
70 E 4th Street, New York NY 10003
FREE with RSVP
Opening Reception: Friday, May 15th, 6-9pm
Open Gallery Hours
Saturday, May 16th: 1pm-5pm
Sunday, May 17th: 1pm-5pm
Featured Artists: Benji Hsu, Coralis Rivera, Daniel Marte, Jewel Champbell, Kendall Greene, Mei Bock, Natalia Boumatar & Nia Blue
In On the ground where we might find, the eight artists experiment with ways of being with others, caring for each other, and remembering together. The pieces are participatory in nature: some are directly inspired by existing community archives, while others attempt to break the ground for one. Anchored in feelings that are meant to be shared: camaraderie, gratitude, nostalgia, and grief, the exhibit explores emotional complexities within a sense of community.

FAB’s 2026 Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellowship supports early career artists in exploring creative practices centered on community engagement and cross-sector collaboration. The 2026 LES Young Artists of Color Fellowship was facilitated by Ari-Duong Nguyen.
Graphic design by Coralis Rivera. This fellowship is supported in part through funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

Shaun Leonardo & Pastor Isaac I. Scott: Workshop with the Arts Justice Safety Coalition (Creative Action Network workshop)
2026-05-20 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
RSVP here
Shaun Leonardo is a multidisciplinary artist whose work negotiates societal expectations of manhood, most often definitions surrounding black and brown masculinities. His work has been featured at the Guggenheim Museum, the High Line, and the New Museum, he recently joined Socrates Sculpture Park as its Executive Director.
Pastor Isaac I. Scott is an artist, researcher, minister, and organizer, serving as Director of Community Initiatives at Another Choice Youth and Family Outreach and youth minister at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church where he leads the Confined Arts program, an initiative using art as a tool for public safety, reentry, and advocacy.

Sign up for Creative Action Network (CAN) Workshops!
FAB is a offering a series of workshops for artists and cultural organizers — with opportunities to learn from experienced artist/activists about their work and how they approach it.
All workshops are free; advance reservations are needed. Spaces are limited.
All workshops take place at FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York NY 10003.
This is a fully accessible building.

Open Arts LES: Mencius Society for the Arts
2026-05-21 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
Mencius Society for the Arts presents its very own Cantonese Opera Circle — a sampling of the Chinese music and songs of the Cantonese opera repertoire, showcasing a time-honored tradition of communal music making that remains popular in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Chinatowns all over the world. This program will feature both romantic and vibrant (warrior) musical styles in a distinctive interplay of melody (kookpaai) and rhythmic structure (bonging).
Mencius Society for the Arts, a nonprofit arts service organization rooted in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Lower East Side, dedicated to sustaining traditional Chinese arts among immigrant communities. https://menciussociety.org/

Loisaida Festival 2026
2026-05-24 12:00 - 17:00 UTC | Loisaida Avenue, Avenue C, New York, NY, United States
As is tradition, FAB will be at the Loisaida Festival this year!
Since 1987, the Loisaida Festival has been celebrated the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend in the Manhattan neighborhood known as Alphabet City, the East Village, or “Loisaida.” Presented in the Avenue C cultural corridor — renamed Loisaida Avenue in 1989 — it is considered the largest community festival in the neighborhood.

FAB25! Celebrating 25 years of Fourth Arts Block!
2026-06-17 18:00 UTC | FABnyc, 70 East 4th Street, New York, NY, 10003, United States
A community party and benefit for FAB celebrating our 25th year!
Reserve your tickets here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/fourth-arts-block-inc/fab25-celebrating-25-years-of-fourth-arts-block
