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FUTURE 400 launch event at the National Museum of the American Indian
Left to right: Grandmother Clara Soaring Hawk, Consul General of the Netherlands in New York Ahmed Dadou, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the US Birgitta Tazelaar, NYC Commissioner of Culture Laurie Cumbo
Left: Grandmother Clara Soaring Hawk, right: NYC Commissioner of Culture Laurie Cumbo
Grandmother Clara Soaring Hawk
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the US Birgitta Tazelaar
NYC Commissioner of Culture Laurie Cumbo
Nikki Renee Kready and Dan Pardo
Left to right: NYC Commissioner of Records Pauline Toole, historian Russell Shorto, moderator Tracy Metz
Wed, Mar 27 - Wed, Mar 27 2024
National Museum of the American Indian
On March 27, 2024, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York officially announced the start of FUTURE 400 at the National Museum of the American Indian in Downtown Manhattan.
FUTURE 400, an extensive, nearly two-year initiative convenes artists, civic leaders, community advocates, scholars, youth, and partner organizations based in New York City and the Netherlands to articulate an inclusive history of New York City since the Dutch arrived here 400 years ago.
The launch program brought together a diverse community that included Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the US Birgitta Tazelaar; Consul General of the Netherlands in New York Ahmed Dadou; NYC Commissioner of Culture Laurie Cumbo; NYC Commissioner of Records Pauline Toole; and Grandmother Clara Soaring Hawk, Ambassador of the Ramapough Lenape Nation.
“FUTURE 400 gives New Yorkers the opportunity to experience the rich history of their home town through the lens of those people who 400 years ago began this magnificent experiment in multi-cultural, big-city living, including the indigenous, the African-American, the Dutch and others, all of whom made up the vibrant and diverse tapestry that was New Amsterdam, and remains to this day as New York City.” ~ Ahmed Dadou, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York
FUTURE 400 endeavors to consider four centuries of Dutch-New York history with honesty and integrity. Commissioning new initiatives and unique collaborations throughout 2024, 2025, and beyond, FUTURE 400 honors the multicultural, global hub the city has grown into—and the many people who have called it home throughout history. The initiative showcases the variety and depth of Dutch and American arts and culture as it traces how their histories manifest in New York’s present. The new creative works developed through this initiative will offer the groundwork for a more equitable and connected ideal for the next 400 years of New York history.
More information can be found on our FUTURE 400 page.