Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

3 RITES: LIFE, LIBERTY, HAPPINESS emphasizes responsible stewardship of nature and questions our dependency on fossil fuels. The audience enters “The Wasteland,” an installation of plastic waste, to observe and interact with performers engaged in various activities: a conjoined duet obsessively sorting and stacking waste, and a plastic tea party which the audience is invited to partake. The audience moves from “The Wasteland” into “The Greenhouse,” where they can join activities that advocate for the planet, such as coloring in a chalk mural depicting images and quotes by Black environmental activists, participating in a creative reuse workshop, a discussion on the Buen Vivir movement, the presentation of a Dumpster Award to a corporation with a horrible pollution record, and a Green Award to a local environmental group.

Snug Harbor programming activates our historical spaces with contemporary art that explores global social issues and causes.