Tales of a Phoenix: The Letting Go Project is a visual art exhibition and durational performance that harnesses the power of ritual to bring together women from across the world in a unified release of old patterns that no longer serve their personal growth. Featured by the UN and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the ongoing project is now presented on Times Square.

Over the past three years, women have contributed pieces of fabric inscribed with what they wish to let go of. In a series of meditative performances, Schnitzler has stitched these testimonies together into a room-filling skirt, representing the global feminine voice. The project will culminate in a ritual dance performance in which Schnitzler wears the skirt radiating with these women’s collective energy, then publicly destroy the skirt in a powerful symbol of release and letting go, currently scheduled for summer 2024.

During this outdoor event series, Schnitzler will be sitting at the entrance of Anita’s Way, a block passage on 42nd Street. Quietly stitching, she is a poetic juxtaposition to the hustle and bustle of Times Square. Female-identifying passersby are invited participate by using a fabric piece provided on site, which will then be added to the ever-growing skirt.

Tales of a Phoenix: The Letting Go Project is made possible, in part, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Further support was provided by Chashama, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Grove 34, and The Feminist Art Project.

Date and Time: September 12^th – October 13^th, 2023; Tuesdays-Fridays 2-5 PM (weather permitting)

Location: Anita’s Way, 42^nd Street btw. Times Square & Sixth Ave

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