#hafsessions

Luckily, preservationists stepped in. They deemed the church one of the most important sites to save in New York state, and, in 2012, Artimus Construction purchased it. Artimus plans to convert the church’s interior—where Irish and German immigrants, and members of Harlem’s African American community, like Harry Belafonte's family, once worshiped—into a performance space.

When we chose the spot to premiere our Secret Session series, which showcases HAF Artists in unique venues, we thought of the event as an unofficial housewarming party, a way to welcome the new potential arts space.

(Credit: Julia Discenza)

And what a welcome it was, with HAF Artists performing where the church’s altar once stood. To the side of the stage, painters Gia Gutierrez, who leads the artist collective El Barrio Pinta, and 2015 HAF Artist Alison Evans engaged in a live paint-off, and would later auction off the paintings to two attendees. HAF Artist Lädy Millard’s work was on display on the party’s VIP balcony.

(Gia Gutierrez and Alison Evans. Credit: Patricia Phelps)

Farrah Boulé Burns, Harlem’s own hip hop griot, kicked off the live performances, unfazed by the occasional power outage. She was followed by Chris Turner, whose smooth melodies echoed throughout the space. The house band for the night was The Shed, which hosts a biweekly jam session in Harlem. 

(Farrah Burns with The Shed. Credit: Patricia Phelps)

(Chris Turner. Credit: Patricia Phelps)

(Anu Sun’s The Shed. Credit: Elliott Ashby)

Akir closed out the live performances, asking for a moment of silence before he began, for "the ancestors who came before us, who made it possible for us to be here." Raydar Ellis ended the night with a dance party, seamlessly mashing up Blondie, Missy Elliott, and more.

(Akir. Credit: Julia Discenza)

In New York City and in Harlem, a good space is hard to find, whether it’s affordable living space or performing and rehearsal space for artists. That’s why we’re kicking off our 5th Anniversary Season by advocating for access to unique performance spaces throughout the neighborhood. We want to create a space to celebrate Harlem and its artists, a space to celebrate what we love most about ourselves and contemplate whether it’s harder to create or sustain it with the @kyleandgerardshow and, last but not least, a space to dance. 

As our 5th Anniversary season continues, we’re going to be building our temples for tomorrow, as Langston Hughes might say. We hope you’ll join us as we grow and do our part to inspire and nourish Harlem’s artistic community.

Check us out on Facebook to see more Secret Session photos and to get updates on this season’s events. Support us by becoming a HAF member and you’ll get some sweet perks and access to VIP events!