Wave Hill, the public garden and cultural center on the Hudson in Riverdale, has two free or nearly free reasons to visit in the coming week. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the three artists behind its new gallery show talk about their work and demonstrate it. On Thursday, Oct. 29, the garden turns its lawns over to children in costume for Wave Hill-O-Ween, an after-school Halloween party that costs nothing.

Thursday: Wave Hill-O-Ween

Wave Hill-O-Ween runs Thursday, Oct. 29, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the grounds at 4900 Independence Avenue. Admission to the grounds is already free on Thursdays, and the party is free too. The program:

  • A scavenger hunt through the gardens.
  • A monster mash, danced to music on the lawn.
  • A drop-in art activity, with supplies from BLICK Art Materials, which also supports the treats.
  • A photo spot with the view across the Hudson to the Palisades.
  • Treats while supplies last.

The garden asks for a gentle Halloween. Family and group costumes are encouraged; costumes that are very scary or gory, fake weapons and masks that cover the face are not allowed. Every child has to come with an adult. Last admission is at 6 p.m., when the café and shop also close.

Registering ahead is encouraged, either online or by calling 718-549-3200, extension 251. Wave Hill says day-of registration depends on space and is not guaranteed. The event goes ahead rain or shine, and severe weather moves it indoors. The Halloween trail runs over mixed paths and changes in elevation; Wave Hill House and Armor Hall have step-free entrances.

Sunday: the artists behind Dots and Loops

Inside Wave Hill House, the exhibition Dots and Loops treats language as a score, something to be performed, and looks at how it relates to the natural world. It brings together three artists:

  • Jen Chen-su Huang, an artist and writer whose work deals with memory, touch and material. Her research has been supported by the Fulbright Foundation and published by Yale University Press. She is a doctoral candidate in performance studies at NYU and teaches textiles at Parsons School of Design.
  • Rita Maas, a Hudson Valley artist working in photography, drawing and printmaking, who sets up rule-based systems that leave room for chance. She was a 2023 New York State Council on the Arts and New York Foundation for the Arts fellow, and her work is in collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
  • Audra Wolowiec, a New York artist working in installation, print and performance, focused on sound and the physical side of language. Her sound work draws on her own dysfluent speech as well as on music notation and visual poetry. She also teaches at Parsons and runs the publishing platform Gravel Projects.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m., the three sit down with Wave Hill's curatorial assistant Afriti Bankwalla for a conversation about language, meditation and sound in their work, followed by questions from the audience. Huang gives a weaving demonstration. The talk is part of Wave Hill's Meet the Artist series and is free with admission to the grounds; registration is required through the event page.

How to go

Wave Hill is at 4900 Independence Avenue in Riverdale, in the Bronx. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Mondays, with last admission 30 minutes before closing; Wave Hill-O-Ween runs later, to 6:30 p.m. Metro-North's Hudson Line stops at Riverdale station, and the Bx7 and Bx10 buses run along Riverdale Avenue and Henry Hudson Parkway nearby. Questions go to information@wavehill.org or 718-549-3200, extension 251.

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