Image: Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
The Studio Museum in Harlem will host a special edition of its long-running ‘Uptown Fridays’ series on July 31, bringing music, art and rooftop views together for an evening billed as ‘Uptown Fridays x OTH Songs’. The event runs from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at the museum’s building at 144 West 125th Street in New York, with tickets required for access to the fifth and sixth floors.
According to the museum, the program is being developed in collaboration with OTH Songs, the New York-based music publishing company co-founded by Terrance Thomas. The museum says the night will move through several live and DJ sets, beginning with ‘A Space for Sound’ by Rena Anakwe, followed by keiyaA, then a set by SALIMATA and a DJ set by KING SHABAZZ. The event listing also notes that the lineup is subject to change.
‘Uptown Fridays’ began at the Studio Museum in Harlem in the summer of 2000 and has since been presented as one of the institution’s signature summer gatherings for art, music and community. The museum describes the series as a way to bring neighbors in Harlem and visitors from across the city uptown, with music activated across the Stoop and fifth floor and additional access to the Rooftop Terrace.
The July 31 edition is framed around the museum’s reopened building, where visitors will be able to move between performances, galleries and other spaces during the evening. The museum says guests can take in views of Harlem from the Rooftop Terrace, explore current exhibitions and installations, and unwind throughout the museum. Access to the fifth and sixth floors requires a ticket to ‘Uptown Fridays’; all other floors remain available with standard general admission.
The museum’s event page gives a fuller picture of the performers taking part. Rena Anakwe performs under the name ‘A Space for Sound’, a project she uses for sound-driven work. KeiyaA is presented as a singer and songwriter whose debut album ‘Forever Ya Girl’ drew on R&B, jazz, electronic music and soul. KING SHABAZZ, also known as DJ Auntie Spice, is described by the museum as a Liberian-American DJ, sound artist and cultural practitioner based in Brooklyn.
Terrance Thomas, identified on the museum site as the founder of On the Hush and a cofounder of OTH Songs, is credited as part of the collaboration behind the evening. The museum also notes that guests 21 and over will receive one free signature cocktail or mocktail, courtesy of Hennessy, and that minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Capacity on the fifth floor and terrace is limited, and tickets are available online and onsite at $20 for general admission and $15 for members.
The Studio Museum in Harlem, which describes itself as the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally and internationally, lists the event as part of its summer programming calendar for July 31. The museum’s event page presents ‘Uptown Fridays x OTH Songs’ as a one-night collaboration built around live performance, DJ culture and access to the museum’s public spaces.
