The Chelsea Music Festival has announced a free family-focused cultural event in New York City aimed at encouraging storytelling, music education and community participation through interactive activities and visual art.
The event, titled “Every Storybook Counts,” is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 10:30am to 12pm ET at St. Paul’s German Church on West 22nd Street in Manhattan. Organisers said the programme is designed for families and children, with attendance requiring advance registration due to limited capacity.
The initiative forms part of the festival’s broader efforts to expand audience engagement beyond traditional concert programming and strengthen connections between music, literature and public art.
According to the organisers, attendees will be invited to participate in activities centred on American composers, storytelling accompanied by live music, and collaborative bookmaking sessions intended to encourage creativity among younger audiences.
The event will also showcase selected works from visual artist Paul Collins’ “Unbannable Library” project, an ongoing public art and advocacy initiative that addresses concerns around censorship and access to literature in libraries and educational spaces.
Festival organisers described the gathering as a free, family-friendly occasion intended to bring together “friends, kids, and neighbors” through creative and educational experiences. Adults attending the programme must be accompanied by a child.
Collins, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, has developed a multidisciplinary career spanning visual arts, publishing and education. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University and has participated in several artist residency programmes, including Skowhegan, the MacDowell Colony, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Hambidge Center and the Vermont Studio Center.
He currently teaches at Austin Peay State University while continuing to develop public art initiatives and collaborative publishing projects.
In statements included as part of the event materials, Collins described his work as centred on community storytelling and representation.
“Paul is an advocacy publisher developing public art projects that celebrate the diverse stories that make my community specific, real, and magnificent.”
The “Unbannable Library” project has emerged as one of Collins’ most visible initiatives in recent years. The programme brings together artists, librarians, teachers, writers and students to create large-scale interactive book sculptures inspired by banned books and original literary works.
Project organisers said the installations are intended to encourage public interaction and discussion surrounding access to literature and freedom of expression.
“The Unbannable Library is a community effort to fight censorship and intimidation in our libraries,” the event information stated.
“Teams of artists, writers, teachers, librarians, and students are joining forces to create larger-than-life interactive book sculptures based on banned books and original written works of singular voice and experience.”
Organisers added that the installations are designed for public display in libraries and community venues across multiple regions in the United States.
“Designed for display and use at libraries everywhere, this rich collection of interactive book sculptures is literally TOO BIG to ban.”
The exhibition has expanded steadily over the past two years. According to organisers, the project appeared at more than a dozen sites throughout Middle Tennessee, New York and Kentucky during 2024 and 2025.
“The result of collaborations between local artists, writers, teachers, students, and community members, these unique larger-than-life books employ text and image to draw attention to the voices and stories subject to censorship.”
Organisers also said the initiative would continue expanding into additional locations during 2026 as interest in the project grows.
Alongside the exhibition, the Chelsea Music Festival’s event reflects a wider trend among arts organisations seeking to diversify programming through educational outreach and community engagement initiatives that appeal to younger audiences and families.
By combining live music, storytelling and participatory art, organisers aim to position the event as both a cultural activity and a platform for creative learning.
Tickets for “Every Storybook Counts” are available free of charge through advance reservation, with RSVPs required prior to attendance.
