On Saturday May 30, the Manny Cantor Center participated in the IDEAS CITY festival’s street program. Here’s our Q&A with them.
Why did you want to be a part of IDEAS CITY?
As an LES-based artist working in partnership with Manny Cantor Center, a local cultural and community Center, I find this to be an incredible opportunity to be part of a great (and environmentally conscious) festival. Manny Cantor Center’s programs reach people of all ages and backgrounds—many of whom are considered invisible. We both love our community, our city, and the unique ways in which art unites people.
How did your project address the theme of The Invisible City?
Manny Cantor Center serves many populations that are often overlooked, or invisible, when it comes to education, social services, and personal experience. As the artist-in-residence at Manny Cantor Center’s Weinberg Center for Balanced Living, I was able to provide a voice to one of these groups: senior citizens. Our kiosk for the day was a handcrafted Sukkah, a temporary hut designed and built by Educational Alliance’s Jack Sheratt. For IDEAS CITY, the sukkah, traditionally used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, will be our own temporary space for Lower East Side storytelling and dialogue with our amazing senior tour guides.
Where can we find your work outside of IDEAS CITY?
For more on the Manny Cantor Center: MannyCantor.org or follow us social media: @MannyCantorNYC
For more on Laura Nova: moving-stories.org or vimeo.com/lauranova
What change would you like to see happen in New York City?
We would like to see a healthier, more vibrant city that cares for all of its inhabitants, no matter their background.