Arts Brookfield

With an emphasis on commissioned works, site-specific installations and premieres, Arts Brookfield is the largest year-round, free performing arts and cultural presenter on the East coast.

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19 Related Articles

Brookfield Place’s Holiday Lights Wow NYC

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Dec. 10, 2015


New York’s most spectacular new holiday lighting display is wowing crowds - and the media - at the Brookfield Place Winter Garden. The massive canopy of 650 lantern that pulse and glow with ever-changing colors is providing an unforgettable setting for a range of holiday events - from a Quiet Clubbing Dance Party to The Nutcracker.

PKPR has secured coverage in outlets including The New York Times, Gothamist, Time Out New York, Inhabitat, am New York, Untapped Cities , About.com, and Spoiled NYC.

Permalink | Posted on Dec 10, 2015 at 9:01 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Theatre for One in NY Times, New Yorker, AP

By Chelsea Katz

Jun. 06, 2015

Arts Brookfield’s presentation of I’m Not the Stranger You Think I Am, a collection of six new five-minute plays commissioned for production in Theatre for One’s mobile 4-by-8-foot theater, was a major success, garnering national and local media coverage.

I’m Not the Stranger You Think I Am was reviewed in The New York Times by chief theatre critic Ben Brantley, who said it reminded him “that theater is nearly always about creating an intense intimacy, or the illusion of it.” It was also reviewed in The New Yorker, New York Theatre, and in an Associated Press feature, which was syndicated to several other national and international news outlets.

It was also featured in NY1, and even Modern Family’s Ty Burrell loved Theatre For One. You can see his reaction to the show in this great WPIX segment.

Permalink | Posted on Jun 06, 2015 at 2:33 PM by Chelsea Katz

Sharon Jones Rocks Lowdown Hudson Blues

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jul. 18, 2014

The New Yorker previewed this week’s Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at Brookfield Place Plaza with the full-page opener in the Goings on About Town section.

Other coverage highlights included Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Time Out New York, The New York Observer, NY1, BrooklynVegan, Flavorpill, New York Post, and amNY.

Permalink | Posted on Jul 18, 2014 at 11:13 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Global Beat Fest in New York Times

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jun. 18, 2014

Today’s New York Times features a wonderful review of DakhaBrakha and Poor Rich Boy at the closing night of the first-ever Global Beat Festival at Brookfield Place Winter Garden.

Other coverage of the festival included two segments on WNYC’s Soundcheck Gig Alert, a Perfect Weekend pick in Time Out New York, and a preview on NY1.

Permalink | Posted on Jun 18, 2014 at 11:01 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Canstruction Charms NYC

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Nov. 07, 2013

Canstruction, the world’s coolest art competition and food drive, once again transformed Brookfield Place into pop art wonderland with over 25 sculptures created from 100,000 cans of food. 

PKPR secured coverage far and wide—from national outlets like ABC News, USA Today, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Mediabistro Unbeige to NYC media like Time Out New York, New York Post, Gothamist, am New York, CW11 Morning News, and Curbed.

Permalink | Posted on Nov 07, 2013 at 1:39 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Lowdown rises with B.B. King, Los Lobos

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jul. 23, 2013

The third annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at Brookfield Place featured two days of free music with the legendary B.B. King, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Alejandro Escovedo and The James Hunter Six.

Pre-festival media coverage in outlets like the New York Times, PIX Morning News, and DNAinfo helped bring an audience of 20,000 people to lower Manhattan.

The Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival has now been established as one of New York City’s premiere music festivals as Time Out New York declared that it’s “hard to argue with a sweet free fest like this one.”

AM New York crowed “if you’re feeling blue, this music festival is sure to lift your spirits.”

And the New York Daily News raved that the free festival would produce “the greatest night of Latino roots rock New York will see this year.”

Permalink | Posted on Jul 23, 2013 at 10:37 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Major feature on Arts Brookfield in NY Times

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Oct. 01, 2012

Wow! PKPR secured a front page Arts section feature on our longtime client Arts Brookfield. In an in-depth piece by culture reporter Allan Kozinn, the Times explores how Brookfield Properties, under the leadership of Artistic Director Debra Simon, “has emerged as a surprisingly significant player in the arts” in New York City and nationwide.

Permalink | Posted on Oct 01, 2012 at 11:40 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival hits NYC, Letterman

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jul. 17, 2012

Arts Brookfield’s second annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, with headliners Buddy Guy and Neko Case, brought an estimated 20,000 people to the World Financial Center Plaza on July 11th and 12th.

To position the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival as a major national festival, PKPR booked Buddy Guy on the Late Show with David Letterman to sit in as a special guest with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra.

PKPR built up anticipation for the festival with coverage in Time Out New York (#1 critics pick), New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, AM New York, Newsday, New Yorker, New York Magazine, Pitchfork, Flavorpill, Brooklyn Vegan, The L Magazine, and Bust Magazine.

Post coverage of the festival included two NY1 segments, one of which featured Buddy Guy interviewed by George Whipple, as well as Rolling Stone, a Village Voice review,  a Time Out New York slideshow, and two days of photo sets on Brooklyn Vegan.

Permalink | Posted on Jul 17, 2012 at 4:05 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

From the White House to Lowdown Hudson Blues

By Patrick Kowalczyk

May. 22, 2012

Blues legend Buddy Guy, fresh from jamming with President Obama at an all-star concert at the White House last month, will join celebrated chanteuse Neko Case to headline a free two-day blues music festival in Lower Manhattan on July 11th and 12th at the World Financial Center Plaza.

To announce the show, PKPR secured an exclusive in The New York Times, a segment on NY1 featuring Buddy Guy performing with President Obama, and coverage in BrooklynVegan. Time Out New York named its one of the top Blues/Jazz/World Music concerts of the summer and it was highlighted in both The New York Times and New York Post’s summer previews.

And set your DVRs for July 11th: PKPR booked Buddy Guy to perform on Late Night with David Letterman!

Permalink | Posted on May 22, 2012 at 2:13 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Silent Films/Live Music at World Financial Center

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jan. 27, 2012

THE MINERS' HYMNS Trailer from Icarus Films on Vimeo.

Arts Brookfield at World Financial Center shined a spotlight on the modern master of archival and experimental film, Bill Morrison, in a free, four-night series pairing his acclaimed features with music by some of today’s most renowned composers. Hailed by Variety as one of the most adventurous American filmmakers, Morrison mixes decaying footage from old silent movies with wildly experimental original images and scores to create a stunning film-going experience. The series kicked-off and culminated with live performances by two celebrated new-music orchestras. The Wordless Music Orchestra accompanied Morrison’s The Miners’ Hymns, while The Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble performed the score for Morrison’s masterpiece Decasia.

Coverage highlights ranged from reviews by Jon Pareles in The New York Times and Tobias Carol in The L Magazine to interviews with Morrison in IndieWire and Downtown Express to a Best of the Fests in Time Out New York.

Permalink | Posted on Jan 27, 2012 at 11:53 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Canstruction NYC Makes National Headlines

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Nov. 22, 2011

For the second year in a row, PKPR handled publicity for Canstruction, the annual design competition which helps feed hungry New Yorkers during the Thanksgiving season.

26 of New York City’s leading architecture firms designed larger-than-life sculptures out of more than 100,000 unopened cans of food, all of which were then donated to City Harvest. Highlights of this year’s competition included sculptures of Angry Birds, a Converse sneaker, and Alexander McQueen’s high heels made famous by Lady Gaga. 

Highlights of this year’s coverage included features in the Wall Street Journal and MTV.com, a segment on WNYC, a Best Bets pick in New York Magazine, a shout out from Perez Hilton, and photo galleries in Time Out New York and Gothamist

Other national coverage ranged from ELLE Decor, WWD, and This Old House’s Bob Vila to Scholastic, TreeHugger, and Curbed.

Permalink | Posted on Nov 22, 2011 at 11:13 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Jules Feiffer Celebrated at World Financial Center

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jul. 08, 2011

Jules Feiffer’s beloved modern Dancer, whose cartoon figure ran for 40 years in The Village Voice, was celebrated by Arts World Financial Center in a series of special events during River To River Festival.

The centerpiece was the NY premiere of The Dancer Films, a collection of six very short films directed by Judy Dennis and featuring Andrea Weber of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company as the iconic character. Taking the experience further, Arts World Financial Center presented an exhibition of Feiffer’s original Dancer drawings alongside new works in A Dance To Spring: The Drawings of Jules Feiffer.

PKPR was thrilled to secure an in depth, front page Arts section feature on The Dancer Films, showcasing interviews with Feiffer, Dennis, Weber, and the film’s choreographers Susan Marshall and Larry Keigwin. Other highlights included features in The Village Voice and a segment on WNET’s Sunday Arts.

Permalink | Posted on Jul 08, 2011 at 1:29 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Tweets, Texts, and Theater

By Patrick Kowalczyk

May. 17, 2011

This was one performance where the audience was not asked to turn off its phones.

In “The Attendants” by The Nerve Tank, audience members were invited to send text messages and tweets to influence the actions of two performers enclosed in an eight-foot plastic cube in the middle of the World Financial Center, one of New York City’s busiest business hubs. People around the world were also able to send messages and watch every move via a live webcam feed at www.NerveTank.com.

Features on this extraordinary production included The New York Times, NY1, amNY, Village Voice, Time Out New York, City Arts, Flavorpill, Tribeca Tribune, and DNAinfo.

Permalink | Posted on May 17, 2011 at 10:56 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

The Rover “roves” the World Financial Center

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Mar. 12, 2011

The sound of Carnival carousing and swordfights filled the World Financial Center this March when it presented a production of The Rover, a 17th Century Restoration comedy by Aphra Behn, the first professional female playwright in the English language.

From March 2nd through March 20th, Aphra Behn’s biting comedy of manners transformed the bustling business hub into 17th Century Naples at the height of Carnival, including live music and songs performed by the actors themselves. The New York Classical Theatre production employed the company’s signature panoramic staging style, taking audience members up and down staircases and around mezzanines throughout the 3.5-acre venue. Helmed by director Karin Coonrod, the bawdy, full-blooded romp unfolded not just in front of the audience but all around it.

See reviews of The Rover in The New York Times, The Village Voice, Back Stage, Downtown Express, NY Theatre, and Off Off Online.

Permalink | Posted on Mar 12, 2011 at 11:54 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

New York Times: A Musical About Robert Moses?

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Jan. 13, 2011

Highlights from a forthcoming full-length musical exploring the controversial life and legacy of urban planner Robert Moses will have its world premiere at the World Financial Center Winter Garden on Saturday, January 15th. 

In an in depth preview on the front page of the Arts section of the New York Times today, reporter Robin Pogrebrin went behind-the-scenes with Moses biographer Robert Caro to meet the musical’s composer, Gary S. Fagin, and celebrated actor and singer Rinde Eckert, who will portray the city’s “Master Builder.”

Permalink | Posted on Jan 13, 2011 at 8:04 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Canstruction Dazzles NYC

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Nov. 29, 2010

Over 100,000 full cans of food were transformed into epic eye candy when they were assembled into fanciful, mind-boggling sculptures at the World Financial Center Winter Garden this month.

The fantastical installations, created by 25 teams of architects and engineers, were part of Canstruction, an exhibit and design competition that drops jaws in more ways than one. In addition to being a visual smorgasbord for New Yorkers to feast their eyes on, Canstruction is an inspired campaign aimed at raising hunger awareness during the Thanksgiving season. At the closing of the exhibit, the pop art was dismantled and donated to City Harvest for distribution to programs that feed hungry New Yorkers.

Coverage of the exhibition included CNN, New York Times, New York Post, WABC, Metro, Time Out New York, Flavorpill, NBC New York, and Gothamist.

Permalink | Posted on Nov 29, 2010 at 3:21 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Shepard Fairey Mural at World Financial Center

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Oct. 11, 2010

Celebrated artist Shepard Fairey (of the Obama “Hope” poster fame) guided more than 100 young New Yorkers in creating a powerful 40-foot long mural that made its public debut at the World Financial Center this month.  The mural, A Positive Thought Cannot Be Denied, expresses the kids’ views on teen violence, the environment, education and other issues relating to social justice.

Coverage included WNET Sunday Arts (video below), Time Out New York, Village Voice, Time Out New York Kids, Gothamist, DNAinfo.com, Newsday, Curated, and The Dirt Floor.

Permalink | Posted on Oct 11, 2010 at 10:17 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Chopin Festival Garners Worldwide Coverage

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Mar. 11, 2010

To celebrate Frederic Chopin’s 200th birthday on March 1st, Arts World Financial Center mounted one of the most ambitious tributes in the world, with more than 200 hours of music performed by nearly 200 pianists.

PKPR garnered international coverage for the week-long event, starting with a Reuters article that was syndicated from Vancouver to Sydney. The New York Post and Time Out New York named it a top pick of the week, while other highlights included New York Times, New Yorker, Flavorpill, and WNET.

Permalink | Posted on Mar 11, 2010 at 12:40 AM by Patrick Kowalczyk

Hamlet in the New York Times

By Patrick Kowalczyk

Mar. 05, 2010

As featured in today’s New York Times, the bustling World Financial Center will be transformed into Elsinore Castle next month when it hosts a free production of Hamlet that will inhabit the sprawling venue as its set.

From April 1-18, New York Classical Theatre will perform William Shakespeare’s tragedy in their signature panoramic staging style, with the audience being drawn into Hamlet’s world as they follow the actors down staircases and around mezzanines throughout the entire World Financial Center complex.

Permalink | Posted on Mar 05, 2010 at 3:47 PM by Patrick Kowalczyk


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