OUR MISSION
The Village produces dynamic, live events where emerging artists across all disciplines develop and share “artworks-in-progress” with engaged audiences. By uniting social connection with the creative process, The Village operates as an innovative home for artists, an enlivening community for audiences, and an accessible space for all.
The Village is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.
Beginning
Photo by Annabel Hope
Throughout the Summer of 2021, Caroline Potter Shriver and Marc Wright were hard at work… in and out of dance studios, coffee shops, Zoom calls–developing a new one-woman performance piece Caroline had been tinkering with for years. After a rewarding summer of workshopping, Caroline and Marc craved feedback on the fruits of their labor…
Together they produced a dynamic new event: part-Visual Art Gallery, part-Performance Showcase, part-DJ Dance Party, featuring local artists from a variety of disciplines. After nearly two years of navigating social, artistic, and professional challenges amidst a crippling pandemic, an eclectic group of New Yorkers from all over the city assembled to laugh, dance, and simply engage, all in the name of championing new art! There was a fervor flowing through the flock that made everyone feel a part of it all — a community, a collective... a scene.
The Village was born!
Middle
A work of art isn’t made overnight. Projects require time and attention from their maker(s); curious exploration and sometimes painful revision. The creative process has been isolated and economically untenable, particularly for young and emerging artists. During the pandemic, organizations such as independent theaters, fringe events, and open studios have shuttered, limiting resources for new work development even further.
The Village provides artists with space to share their work at an early stage and receive feedback in a welcoming and uplifting environment. We are not interested in a polished performance or completed masterpiece at our Salons. By focussing on the process rather than the product, The Village allows artists to work through the ‘middle’ stage... the essential steps it takes to get to their end goal.
One of those steps is getting the work in front of an audience. We believe audiences have a role to play in the creative process and keeping them out of it is damaging to the artist and the audience. The Village attracts an eclectic community, welcoming countless unique perspectives and personalities from around the New York City area. We believe art should not be made in a bubble. An artist should ask questions, desire feedback from others, seek out different perspectives and be brave enough to question their own.
Endless
Artists bring their art to life… but it is the audience that keeps it alive. At The Village, we curate masterpieces in the making; work born of challenges, questions, passion, and pride. We hope that the work we support will live on in the minds of those who bare witness to it. Art has and always will be a collaborative force. As the saying goes, “it takes a village...”
