Alvin Ailey photo display at City Hall

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner, Laurie Cumbo and Alvin Ailey Artistic Director, Robert Battle on Tuesday announced the installation of 15 photos from the Ailey Moves NYC! Program throughout City Hall.

Adams said the photos — which will adorn the rotunda, conference rooms and other workspaces throughout the executive side of the building — “depict the lively public performances that Ailey Moves NYC! brought to New York City and reinforce the city’s recovery over the summer of 2022.”

While the installation is beginning during Black History Month, it will last six months, and marks the beginning of a broader initiative that will bring different artwork to spaces in city buildings across the five boroughs, the mayor said.

“Art is reflective of the times, and thanks to Alvin Ailey, City Hall will be able to display glimpses of their Ailey Moves NYC! performances that took place across the five boroughs right on time for Black History Month,” said Mayor Adams. “With this installation, we are bringing new vibrancy and life to this historic building and displaying just some of the beautiful artwork available in our city. We look forward to additional displays by a range of artists in the future.”

“Art and culture are central to who we are as New Yorkers, and these inspiring and vibrant portraits of Alvin Ailey dancers at work across the city are a powerful reminder of New York City’s creative energy to all who visit City Hall,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “Thank you to Robert Battle and the Alvin Ailey team for lending us these extraordinary artworks.”

“We extend gratitude to the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for bringing vibrancy and more life to City Hall with this photo series installation chronicling our city’s recovery during the pandemic. A picture is worth a thousand words,” said Chief Advisor Ingrid Lewis Martin. “It is exhilarating to see the Alvin Ailey dancers’ movements all through City Hall, and we look forward to finding more creative ways to showcase different works of art in the future.”

“With their artistry and commitment to public engagement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater embodies what makes our city so extraordinary,” said DCLA Commissioner Cumbo. “For Black History Month, we’re honored to install this series of photos from Ailey Moves NYC! on display in City Hall. The photos of these amazing, vibrant public programs led by artists of color will bring the energy of New York to the heart of our local government, inspiring the public servants who are committed to uplifting the creative life and energy of our city.”

“I am proud that Mayor Eric Adams and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo have set the stage for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater images to step onto the walls of City Hall, highlighting the diversity of New York City’s cultural landscape during Black History Month,” said Robert Battle, artistic director, Ailey Artistic.

“The photographs showcase Ailey Moves NYC!, a free summer festival with dance events in all five boroughs offered in the spirit of Mr. Ailey himself, who said, ‘Dance comes from the people and should always be delivered back to the people,’’ he added. “We joyfully share these portraits of the many faces of the city as Ailey delivers dance that unites and inspires all, rooted in the African American heritage and a universal celebration of the human spirit.”

Ailey Moves NYC! was a summer celebration with free outdoor events throughout all five boroughs in 2022.

Featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Ailey Extension — which provides dance and fitness classes for all experience levels — and Ailey Arts In Education programs, Ailey Moves NYC! offered public performances, dance classes, workshops, and screenings of Jamila Wignot’s acclaimed 2021 documentary “Ailey.”

Adams said Ailey Moves NYC! brought programming to public spaces, including at St. Mary’s Park in the Bronx; the Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn; Little Island, Marcus Garvey Park, and Times Square in Manhattan; Far Rockaway Beach in Queens; and Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island.