Mission
The Shed is a new cultural institution of and for the 21st century. We produce and welcome innovative art and ideas, across all forms of creativity, to build a shared understanding of our rapidly changing world and a more equitable society.
In our highly adaptable building on Manhattan’s west side, The Shed brings together established and emerging artists to create new work in fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. We seek opportunities to collaborate with cultural peers and community organizations, work with like-minded partners, and provide unique spaces for private events.
The Shed was designed to break with the traditions that separate art forms and audiences. By minimizing social and economic barriers to entry, we offer a warm, welcoming space for innovation and dialogue. Embracing technology, we work with creative thinkers and partners to create transformational digital experiences on-site and online. Using our flexible infrastructure and operational capabilities, we can produce performances, exhibitions, events, and gatherings of almost any type in expansive, multiuse venues. Driven by our belief that access to new art and ideas is a right, not a privilege, we present engaging experiences and forge deep bonds between our artists and audiences.
As an independent nonprofit that values invention, equity, and generosity, we are committed to advancing art forms, addressing the urgent issues of our time, and making our work impactful, sustainable, and relevant to the local community, the cultural sector, New York City, and beyond.
Black Lives Matter
The Shed stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and against white supremacy. We stand in solidarity with those on our staff, artists we work with, and those in our audiences who risk their lives every day in a battle against racist acts of aggression, hate, and brutality. We support protesters on the front lines and behind the scenes fighting injustice, state-sponsored violence, and anti-Blackness. We lament the lives that have been taken needlessly—George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and an unconscionable number of others—and we grieve for their families. Black Lives Matter. And we will fight, in words and actions, for a more just society.
The hard work of seeking racial equity and social justice cannot fall so heavily on the shoulders of our staff members and artists of color. The Shed’s management, particularly those who are white, are committed to constantly battle against the tenets of systemic racism and to creating a truly equitable workplace. We will also share our digital platforms and physical resources to support organizations dedicated to social and racial justice.
At this moment of profound distress, we are joining many others in supporting the following initiatives and organizations:
Text DEMANDS to 55156 to sign Color of Change’s petition demanding justice and systemic change
Support Color of Change, Black Lives Matter, Equal Justice Initiative, the Bail Project, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
We know racism is present throughout our society, and we are committed to the sustained work it will take to achieve equity, empathy, and justice.
We stand with the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities
The Shed condemns the horrific racist and xenophobic attacks against the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. We remember the victims of the recent violence in Acworth and Atlanta, Georgia.
Delaina Ashley Yaun
Paul Andre Michels
Xiaojie Tan
Daoyou Feng
Soon Chung Park
Hyun Jung Grant
Suncha Kim
Yong Ae Yue
Anti-Asian racism and violence resulting from white supremacy have gone unchecked for generations and have accelerated over the last year. We condemn this behavior in the strongest possible way, and we suggest the following organizations for support or to offer donations.