about the stroll
For the past six years, artists and other local leaders have used art to build a sense of community between the diverse population and language groups that call Northern Manhattan home. The Uptown Arts Stroll has been the annual showcase for these efforts, giving voice to an arts community that is growing in the often overlooked but quickly gentrifying neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood.
Since 2003, the Uptown Arts Stroll has grown from a one-day event to a month-long extravanganza offering a variety of arts and cultural events north of 155th Street. In 2008, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA), in partnership with local artists, businesses, community institutions and community leaders, has taken on the leadership of the Uptown Arts Stroll. The 6th Annual Uptown Arts Stroll will showcase the arts, artists and rich cultural venues within Upper Manhattan through a series of cultural activities during the month of June.
During this year’s stroll, NoMAA will honor local artists that are affecting the arts landscape in our community and beyond, including the world-renowned artist and long-time resident of Washington Heights Knox Martin. Mr. Martin, born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and resident of Washington Heights for more than 75 years, is a living legend whose work is included in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, and National Academy of Design, among others.
NoMAA will also celebrate the success of In the Heights, a new Broadway musical about three days in the life of Washington Heights. The musical is getting rave reviews, including from The New York Times, which called it “a singular new sensation,” and Broadway.com, hailing it a “hip, modern and completely unique tale of a community at a crossroads.” Lin-Manuel Miranda, a native of Inwood, wrote the music and lyrics, the original concept and first incarnation of In the Heights, and plays the role of Usnavi in the musical.
The Uptown Arts Stroll provides a platform for showcasing the works of outstanding painters, musicians, thespians and other emerging artists who are contributing to the vibrant cultural fabric of the Northern Manhattan community. These exhibits and performances will occur throughout Washington Heights and Inwood — in businesses, parks, churches, and other public spaces — during June. NoMAA is particularly pleased to host an exhibit of the first group of artists to receive $50,000 in NoMAA grants. This exhibition will be at the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in Washington Heights. Other activities during the Uptown Arts Stroll include film and media presentations, music and theatre performances, literary events, as well as children’s arts programs.
This website — a collaborative effort of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA), Washington Heights & Inwood Online, and The Manhattan Times — provides an overview of the events and venues where the 2008 Uptown Arts Stroll is taking place. The website also lists the artists, arts groups and sponsors that make the Uptown Arts Stroll happen.
About NoMAA
The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) is an arts service organization launched in 2007 under the incubation of the Hispanic Federation and with the financial support of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. NoMAA’s mission is to cultivate, support and promote the works of artists and arts organizations in Washington Heights and Inwood. Since 2007 NoMAA has been serving and promoting the works of artists in these communities as well as developing partnerships with business and other organizations to increase the visibility of this area of Manhattan. Events such as the annual Uptown Arts Stroll, an arts festival that promotes artists and community attractions during the month of June, and the First Thursdays Arts and Business Strolls, which offer guided tours of local businesses, arts studios and galleries, are now integral components of NoMAA’s program. For more information about NoMAA’s programs and services visit www.nomaanyc.org.