Listening With: Harlem River — Exploring the River Through Art, Memory, and Community

We’re pleased to share an upcoming event focused on human connection with the Harlem River. Local artist Alethea Pace will present Listening With: Harlem River, a culminating event of a year-long Harlem River artist residency exploring the Harlem River as a living system through art, storytelling, and community engagement.

The afternoon includes:

• • • Come Daylight: a short dance film retracing the path of Cromwell Creek, a long-buried creek that once fed into the Harlem River. Shot by Marquis Bradshaw and featuring an original song composed by Lucia della Paolera & Gobby (COTC NYC).
    • Is Not Yet: excerpts from a new performance work-in-progress drawing on the Bronx’s environmental histories to imagine a future where nature is kin. Performed by Dominica Greene, Brandon Jones Mooney, and Alethea Pace.
    • Panel Discussion: a conversation on how storytelling across disciplines can shift perspectives toward ecocentrism. Featuring Libertad Guerra (South Bronx Unite), Kevin Schneider (Earth Law Center), Eric Sanderson (New York Botanical Garden), and moderated by Andrea Ambam (Level Forward).

    The event highlights the process and discoveries of the residency, through which Alethea and collaborators engaged Bronx community members in reimagining the Harlem River as a living entity with memory, history, and rights.

When: Sunday, April 26, 2026 (3-5 PM)

Where: Pregones Theater (575 Walton Ave, Bronx, NY)

Background: The residency is hosted by the Bronx and Harlem Rivers Urban Waters Federal Partnership (BxH UWFP) and the NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) in collaboration with the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is part of a pilot initiative demonstrating how arts and culture can help stewardship partners strengthen active engagement with communities, deepen understanding of water quality and other environmental concerns, and support more meaningful connections between communities and their waterways.

Notes for Media: Please note that the event is at capacity. Media representatives must contact us in advance to request access to the performance. Alternatively, media representatives are invited to join the dress rehearsal at Pregones Theater on April 24 at 2:30PM or to join us for a post-event gathering at G Bar (579 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY) on April 26 at 4:30PM.

Media Contact: Please contact Alexis Montoya (alexis@bronxarts.org) and Monica Emma (memma@hudsonriver.org) for additional information/interview requests.