The Shed, a 200,000-square-foot non-profit cultural center located in Hudson Yards, is not only home to the fine arts but also a place dedicated to community building and highlighting talent across the five boroughs.
Often referred to as a “hidden gem,” The Shed is a perfect summer break and all-year-round activity for friends, family, and children to attend, as all public programs are free and accessible.
Since 2019, The Shed has been committed to commissioning, producing, and presenting original works of performing arts, visual arts, music, dance, literature, theater, and digital media. Designed as a flexible space for artistic innovation and a moving outer shell, this space brings together emerging and established artists to create multidisciplinary experiences that reflect today’s cultural landscape.
Committed to equity, accessibility, and community engagement, the organization collaborates with artists, cultural institutions, and local partners to make the arts more inclusive and responsive to the issues shaping society.
“Porous, Accessible, Responsive, and Relevant” is how Darren Biggart, Director of Civic Programs, describes the Shed’s daily motto.
At The Shed, Biggart develops and produces projects that center community engagement, artistic innovation, and social impact. He oversees artist commissions, public programs, and initiatives that expand access to the arts while fostering dialogue around timely social issues.
One of the main goals of the civic programs he shares is to have more artistic programs, commissioned departments, and to continue their accessibility to the public.
Through their public programs, social impact work, and social-artist and resident program, they aim to continue hosting resource fairs, open calls, exhibitions, and performances that “continue to develop and inform the community” by individual work relevant to all New Yorkers.
(Adam Reich photos courtesy of The Shed)
That was the goal of the Shed’s inaugural exhibition, Latinx Freedom, which opened June 25 and is currently open to the public through August 20.
The Latinx Freedom Movement Archive and Exhibition project is a nationwide public history initiative featuring an 18-foot-tall public art installation that explores the history of Latinx civil rights movements, including the Young Lords, through photography, text, and visual art.
In partnership with CUNY professor Johanna Fernandez and Baylor professor Felipe Hinojosa — both of whom have written seminal books about Latinx history, politics, and advocacy — the Latinx Freedom was created and launched as a national project in five U.S. cities: Chicago, LA, Houston, D.C., and NYC (The Shed).
When searching for an artist to design a mural for this exhibition, Biggart shared that it was easy to find a local up-and-coming artist that would be perfect for what they had envisioned to center the conversation of Latin American history throughout the celebration of America’s 250th.
“The first person we thought of was an artist from an open call we hosted named Victor Quiñonez,” Biggart said. “Quiñonez is warm, kind, and clear on what he wants. He is a deeply talented artist,” Biggart shared. Victor Quiñonez, also known as Marka27, is a Mexican-born, Brooklyn-based artist whose work centers on community, culture, and social justice.
Known for blending street art with public engagement, Quiñonez uses his artwork to celebrate immigrant communities and amplify underrepresented voices.
He was selected as one of The Shed’s 2025 Open Call artists, where he created Elevar La Cultura, a “22-foot mine pyramid constructed of 200 coolers,” Quiñonez shares, an installation honoring immigrant vendors and undocumented workers. Open Call supports early-career, New York City-based artists with commissioning funding, production resources, and institutional support to help bring ambitious new work to life.
Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez at work on a mural as part of the installation Latinx Freedom at The Shed in Hudson Yards. (Adam Reich photos courtesy of The Shed) 
Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez at work on a mural as part of the installation Latinx Freedom at The Shed in Hudson Yards. (Adam Reich photos courtesy of The Shed)
“Being born in Mexico and growing up in the U.S., I was growing up with a dual identity,” Quiñonez said. The inspiration behind his work and the mural for the Latinx project comes from his need to humanize others and “bring in the beauty and the culture of many countries that are being taken advantage of.”
The Latinx project is needed more than ever now as it works to “preserve history, even though some of those histories are ugly truths,” Quiñonez shared. “Especially dealing with an administration that’s doing everything in their power to erase it.” For these reasons, Quiñonez, without a doubt, joined this inaugural exhibition at the Shed as their mural designer.
Moving ahead, Quiñonez wants to continue doing long-term projects such as Latinx Freedom and “normalize the beautification of our culture. I want to normalize Black and Brown bodies in museums and galleries and as monuments.”
As the Shed continues to partner with different government agencies and local and emerging talented artists, Biggart says they want to continue to bring communities together, be free and accessible, and stay “Porous, Accessible, Responsive, and Relevant.”
To register for tickets to any event at The Shed, you can visit at.theshed.org for upcoming events. On August 7 from 5-8 p.m., The Shed, along with New York Immigration Coalition, Project Open Arms, and more, will come together to celebrate joy, connection, and collective power.
