National Black Theater Archives

National Black Theatre, ArtBridge, Ray & LMXD Unveil 500-Foot-Long Public Art Exhibition in Harlem with Artist, Xenobia Bailey

ArtBridge, East Harlem, Harlem, LMXD, National Black Theater, Ray Harlem

The National Black Theatre, in partnership with ArtBridge, RAY, and LMXD, is pleased to announce Steal Away, a public art exhibition created by renowned artist Xenobia Bailey. This 500-foot long exhibition is installed on the construction fencing surrounding the future home of the longest-running Black theater in New York City. In addition to NBT’s multi-floor space, the 21-story project, designed by Frida Escobedo Architects and Handel Architects under the direction of Ray, will include 222 units of mixed-income apartments and substantial commercial space along 125th Street. The project is Ray’s flagship location and first foray into building residential spaces that center daily engagement with art and design.

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The Public Theater Mobile Unit ‘Summer of Joy’ Coming to All 5 Boroughs!

Joe's Pub, National Black Theater, Performance, The Public Theater

The Public Theater announced a fabulous schedule of performances for its Summer of Joy Mobile Unit. The Mobile Unit will be touring all five boroughs from July 31 to August 29, 2021 ~ all performances free and open to the public.

Update ~ The August 15th performance on East 125th Street has been CANCELLED.

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National Black Theatre Teams up with ‘Ray’ to Create ‘Ray Harlem’ on National Black Theatre Way

Art, East Harlem, National Black Theater, Ray Harlem

Architect Frida Escobedo. Image via raycommunnity.com

When the National Black Theatre announced its intention to develop its current site, concerns about the interior (and exterior) artistic treasurers were of great concern. The property, which was purchased by the Theatre’s founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer in 1969, houses the largest collection of Nigerian New Sacred Art in the Western Hemisphere. Hand carved wood totems and copper, aluminum and brass relief were created for the Theatre by traditional Nigerian artisans from the Sun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove. They carved these works using tools and methods which spanned seven generations. With its founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, dedicated to the preservation of this unique spiritual tradition, it is no wonder that the upcoming project, demolishing the current structure, and creating a new, would present questions about the preservation of the artwork.

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National Black Theatre ‘Founder’s Month’ with a Letter to the Future

Harlem, National Black Theater

Harlem’s historic National Black Theatre (NBT) is hosting an annual salute to its founder and CEO emerita, the late Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, with NBT’s Founder’s Month, a month-long celebration of Teer, Black theater and community. Running through July 18, the celebration will feature the launch of NBT@Home: A Letter to the Future, a new series of online conversations on theater, current events and Black history with guests including Toshi Reagon, Ebony Noelle Golden, adrienne maree brown, Jonathan McCrory, Sade Lythcott, members of the theater’s original company of “Liberators,” and more, and the launch of NBT’s VISION Forward Fund Campaign, a fundraising drive to support and advance the theater well into the future.

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National Black Theatre Launches NBT@Home for its 51st Season

Harlem, National Black Theater, Online Exhibition Viewing

Claudia Alick courtesy National Black Theatre

The historic Harlem-based theater is resuming its 51^st season with the launch of a new initiative called NBT@Home: Uplifting Communal Resilience on Wednesday, April 22, at 5:30 p.m. ET on its Facebook page and Facebook Live. NBT@Home is a new, free five-part weekly digital series that will present curated, hour-long artist discussions on subjects including the arts and health in the Black community and beyond.

Look for NBT@Home on Wednesday, April 29th, May 6th, May 13th, May 20th.

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Beyond the Walls ~ Conversations with the National Black Theatre at Apple Williamsburg ~ January 31, 2020

Black History Month, Brooklyn, National Black Theater

As part of the Today at Apple series, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre (NBT) and Apple Williamsburg offer an evening of conversation and exploration with artists including Jillian Walker, Makeba Rainey, Jaimee Todd and Jonathan McCrory discussing the use of the arts, tech and indigenous practices to create visual representations of black womanhood and continue the rich legacy of the Black arts community. A panel discussion with the artists will be followed by an live demonstration with Todd showcasing her creative process in the Procreate painting app and her use of layering, color and other techniques to create abstract portraits. Attendees will then have a chance to gain hands-on experience with Procreate by using iPads and Apple Pencil to interact with Todd’s work and create and share their own art as well on the Apple store’s brilliant 4K video wall.

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Join National Black Theatre + Park Avenue Armory for 100 Years |100 Women

National Black Theater, Park Avenue Armory

Chillin’ with Lady Liberty, Renee Cox, 1998. Courtesy Renee Cox

The Park Avenue Armory has joined forces with National Black Theatre to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the 19th amendment in a big way.

The organizations have tapped ten major institutions—The Apollo Theater; TheJuilliard School; La MaMa Experimental Theatre Company; The Laundromat Project; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of the Moving Image; National Sawdust; New York University (Department of Photography and Imaging, Tisch School of the Arts; Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity and Strategic Innovation; and Institute of African American Affairs & Center for Black Visual Culture); and Urban Bush Women—to each commission 10 self-identified women to create works to mark the centennial of women’s suffrage.

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The National Black Theatre Celebrates 50th Anniversary All Year

Harlem, National Black Theater, Performance

Ariel Blackwood dances in 125th & FREEsom. Photo Credit: Garlia C. Jones. Image courtesy NBT

The National Black Theatre (NBT) has been celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019 with a series of performances throughout the city ~ all year long. Next up ~ June 22nd and June 29th

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The Black Body Propelled Through Time at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

by AFineLyne, National Black Theater, The Schomburg Center

Image of Hope Boykin, courtesy National Black Theater

The National Black Theatre partners with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture to present In Perpetual Flight: The Migration of the Black Body as part of Carnegie Hall’s citywide festival.

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