All Events

The Women's Revolution: How We Changed Your Life
Book Discussion & Signing with Author Muriel Fox
Thursday, June 20 at 7:00pm (Free to the Public)

Muriel Fox, former president of Rockland Center for the Arts, will speak at the Center at 7pm on June 20 about her new book, The Women’s Revolution: How We Changed Your Life. The book will be released by New Village Press on  June 18.

Kirkus Reviews calls it

Revealing, inspiring commentary on the struggles and successes of civil rights pioneers . . . An insider’s account of the women’s movement.

As a leader of the Feminist Movement’s Second Wave, Fox sets the record straight as she tells stories of the unsung heroes of the movement. In her book, Fox shares new stories to shed light on women who fought for equality for themselves and for future generations.

Fox co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, and was operations lieutenant to NOW president Betty Friedan, as well as head of public relations for NOW.  She played a crucial role in helping women gain equal rights so they could have the same opportunities as men. Friedan launched the modern movement with her world-changing book, THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, which she wrote in her home in Grandview on Hudson.

“Of course, the First Wave was getting the vote,” Muriel explains. “But after that, we still had a long way to go, and people were still saying, ‘I don’t hire women. We don’t rent to women. We don’t allow women in here.’ This was legal and accepted, and it’s been that way for thousands of years. The Second Wave decided ‘Okay, finally, we’re going to change it,’ ”

When asked what inspired her to write this book, Fox explained,  “There wasn’t enough historical knowledge of the movement in the first place – and in some cases, the stories were wrong. Above all, people don’t recognize or remember many names that should be widely renowned for their contributions to the movement.”

She continued: “These people must be known, and each of them really worked so hard. All of us were so dedicated — that’s why our movement succeeded so fast, and, of course, in addition to these 30 whom I salute in the book, there were literally hundreds of thousands of people in their own way who were revolutionaries.”

But Fox also discovered that people were unfamiliar with the major leaders of the movement, namely Betty Friedan (an early leader at Rockland Center for the Arts).

And as far as I’m concerned, she was one of the great women not only of the 20th century but of the second millennium because she wrote The Feminine Mystique which awakened millions of people to the need for women to have equal partnership with men and to have recognition for their own value.  [When she became the president of NOW] She was our driving force. And I have to say I’m very dedicated to making . . . and helping the world understand how important she was. Everyone should know her name: Betty Friedan.

Fox also touched on how there were so many women who propelled the revolution because they fought their own battles and how people need to know their names and stories because of what they accomplished.

She added, “Every woman in her community worked against what made her mad. In her union, in her company, in her school, in her community – what injustice she wanted to right and she worked on it, and she changed everything. So, together, we have changed the world after thousands of years when women were just subsidiaries of men and mankind. Now we talk about humankind.”

She wants her book to show younger generations all that the Second Wave accomplished, and that they can and must take act for their future as well.

For more information call 845-358-0877, or visit www.rocklandartcenter.org

Saturday, May 4, 2024
10am–3pm

*Rain Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024*

Artist Talk with Al J Thompson

November 13, 4pm via Zoom

TO REGISTER FOR THIS VIRTUAL PROGRAM, PLEASE CALL 845-358-0877.

Join RoCA for an artist presentation and talk with Al J Thompson on his Remnants of an Exodus exhibit. Remnants is a love letter to Thompson’s second home in Spring Valley. Over several years he observed and documented with photographs the dramatic shift in both demographic and political landscapes of Spring Valley. He will talk about his observations and inspirations for his book and exhibit. Although he finds Spring Valley fraught with insecurity and uncertainty, he also sees it bound in love.

Thompson has been involved with a number of photography exhibits and commissioned for companies such as Weill Cornell University, Under Armor, Moët Hennessy, NYC GO, Kaiser Health News, The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and New York Times. 

You can register for the free November 13^th Zoom talk at www.rocklandartcenter.org under the events tab. Registration will close The Zoom link will be sent to you upon registration.

Important Zoom Information: Registration for all virtual events will close 5 hours before the program begins. Zoom invitations will be emailed 24 hours in advance of the program. If you don't receive an email with an invitation code, please check your spam folder or send an email to: dflanaganrca@aol.com.

Drop in, $25 This holiday, drop by RoCA and Design Your Own Power Pendant! Saturday, December 11th between 12:00 and 3:00.

“Power Pendants” are a unique collection of charms, stones, symbols and icons associated with personal empowerment. Participants can mix and match vintage charms and chains to create a personalized charm necklace for themselves or as a thoughtful holiday gift. Materials are limited! First come, first served. $25 includes: a chain, two charms and a wire wrapped bead.

Rockland Center for the Arts, 27 South Greenbush Rd, West Nyack, NY. RoCA’s holiday sale hours are Monday through Saturday 11:00 – 4:00pm, closed Sundays.

Charles White: Influences
Special Preview Event: Friday, April 1, 7:00-9:00pm

Guest speakers, wine and hors d’oeuvres.All proceeds from this event will benefit the Gordon Center for Black Arts & Culture and RoCA.

 Tickets: $45 (adults)
$35 (students & seniors)

$150 VIP (includes a copy of the book Charles White: Black Pope by Esther Adler and reserved seating for the play Charles White: Stroke of Genius (June 11)

Masks and proof of vaccination are required.

Exhibitions on view: Charles White: Influences and "See, Observe, Think, Reflect, Internalize" Photography by Collette V. Fournier

Saturday, April 6 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25/ seniors & students $20

SOLD OUT!

"Parker's pub-rock snarl has worked its magic for a generation." — Village Voice

The Death of King Shotaway: The Origin of the African Grove Theater

A play by Samuel Harps

Saturday, June 8 at 8:00pm (Doors open at 7:30pm)

Tickets: Suggested donation. Reservations required.

In partnership with Shades Repertory Theater and the Gordon Center for Black Culture and Arts. 

The Two Act Drama tells the true story of The African Grove Theater, which is the first known all-black theater company established in Lower Manhattan in 1821 by playwright William Brown. 

The play will be performed by members of Shades Repertory Theater.

Wine from Mud: A Dance Performance

by Emotions Physical Theatre

Tickets: $25

Experience a tale of the creative impulse stagnating and exploding, mediated by wine.
Two performances: Fri., June 14 & Sat., June 15 at 7pm.

https://youtu.be/CuI3MvXlChA

Emotions Physical Theatre serves as a bridge between art and entertainment. Using an organic blend of contemporary dance with hip-hop, ballet, gymnastics, and breakdance, we are committed to making dance theater that is fun, accessible, and innovative. We break down walls between stage performance and spectators to create an experience for audience members that goes way beyond a typical dance show by including audience participation and by creating in unique spaces. We believe that dance theater should be transparent and easy to understand while inspiring thought and communicating ideas in a clear and aesthetically pleasing way.

We create dance art with the goal of fostering personal growth. We incorporate research from psychology and sociology into our productions so an audience member walks away . . . with a thought-provoking tidbit of practical information.

We provide outstanding education programs in K-12 schools. Our Read and Write Program helps students learn the parts of speech by equating them to elements of choreography. . . . Artistic Director, Shawn Rawls grew up in an urban arts school and knows firsthand how a high-quality dance program can change a student's life.

We are actively creating a positive arts community by offering low-cost workshops for dancers, providing opportunities for emerging choreographers to show their work, and offering paid contracts to dancers, teachers, and choreographers. We hire and collaborate with artists from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders because we believe this creates resilience, understanding, and cooperation with our fellow artists and helps us all develop empathy and a wider understanding of the world we share. . . .