It’s a carnival of performance art. It’s wilder than any drug-induced hallucinations. It surpasses any cinematic version of Carnival in Venice you may have seen, and it live. It’s been called the “Burning Man of galas.” It is the annual Chashama Gala, brainchild of Anita Durst, beloved as the Chashama Mama, and this is its 30th year.
“I started Chashama so people could feel the power of creativity,” says Durst. That power is intense as it gets during the gala. Three hundred performance artists will be baring more than their souls and sharing performances created for the anniversary celebration.
This year there are three chances to be part of the celebration: Bizarre Bazaar, is June 21, 9pm – 2 am; The Gala – a sit-down dinner attended by many of the city’s movers and shakers in real estate, and others who recognize and support Chashama’s mission, on June 26 from 6pm – 9pm; that is followed by the Art Party, attended by the art world’s glitterati from downtown and beyond. Links for tickets to all three parties can be found on Chashama.org.
Having attended several of the galas over the years, I can say for certain each year is a new experience that challenges perceptions of reality and uplifts the senses. One year the gala was held on three floors of the new World Trade Tower. This year it will be held at 205 East 42nd Street, and bigger than ever.
Chashama means “to have vision” in Farsi, and Durst, herself an actress and performance artist, has it in spades. The name was chosen as a tribute to a Persian theater artist who Durst studied and toured the world with, as part of an avant-garde performing troupe. You have probably seen the Chashama logo. It appears above the many pop-up galleries and other spaces that allow artists and their creativity to thrive while enriching the city.
Granddaughter of real estate mogul Seymour Durst and daughter of Douglas Durst, managing partner of the World Trade Tower and president of the Durst Organization, Anita Durst saw an opportunity to do something for artists and enrich the cityscape at the same time. Chashama is the result.
Nothing fosters a sense of urban blight like vacant street-level commercial space. Chashama arranges with landlords to let artists use such vacant storefronts as pop up galleries. In recent years, Chashama has added to its mission. In addition to artists, it now provides brick and mortar spaces to aspiring minority and women entrepreneurs so they can get a feel for what it means to be a functioning business beyond cyberspace. “Each year, Chashama works with 3,000 artists and small businesses, giving them space to create, present, and connect,” explains Ms. Durst.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I benefited from the Chashama ethos when Anita Durst arranged and starred in a staged reading of one of my plays a couple years ago.)
”In a city where space is so sought-after, it is a real honor to give it for free to people,” says Durst. “An artist once told me, ‘Without Chashama, we would not exist.’ This is why we do what we do.”
This year 30,000 square feet will be transformed by 300 artists. Visitors can wander through surrealism brought to life: From a newspaper ninja to a human bunny, to Venus rising from a sea of foam. Expect a kaleidoscopic array of talent in a labyrinth of artistic adventures. “It is a thrill to watch artists change and grow by giving them space to create. It’s the best.”
A lot of the fun will be interactive. Delirious Hair Designs is a performative installation where audience members receive outrageous hair makeovers, complete with everything from a merry-go-round to googly eyes and mousetraps. The Chocolate Dance Party invites you to indulge in a sensorial tasting lounge, where liquid chocolate dances before your eyes. Newspaper Ninja will encourage partygoers to splash, & soak in newspaper springs replete with marine life, mermaids, & more.
Proceeds from the Gala allow Chashama to continue providing $13 million worth of space and operational support for the following programs:
• 180 Free Classes in under-resourced communities, benefiting over 1,200 attendees
• 200 Artist Workspaces for artists, performers, and arts nonprofits
• 350 Presentations of theater, dance, music, and visual arts, supporting over 800 artists
• 250 Storefronts for minority and women-owned businesses
• ChaNorth, our international artist residency, hosting 42 artists annually in Pine Plains
• Upstate Programming, provides 10 new creative spaces across Rochester, Syracuse, Salamanca, Ithaca, Buffalo, Niagara, Binghamton, Troy, and Olean.
As of 2025, Chashama has provided space to more than 40,000 creators, hosted 4,500 public art events, provided 3,000 free art classes for the underserved, and reached more than twelve million audience members.
Looking back, Ms. Durst says, “It’s been a privilege to work with so many artists over the last 30 years. They’re the ones who have made Chashama what it is.”
More information can be found on the website Chashama.org
Stephen DiLauro is a playwright, poet, and arts journalist.
Photos of the 2024 Chashama gala by Charles Seton
