What Can We Do?: Community Care Project Share Out (Flushing)

UPDATE: As of 6/7/23, this event has been moved online due to hazardous air quality warnings from New York State. Please join us via Zoom to celebrate the artists, their projects, and their contributions to the community!

Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is excited to showcase the projects of this year’s What Can We Do? micro grant awardees at the historic site of Flushing Town Hall. Throughout the months of March through May, 30 artists carried out creative projects showing care to the AAPI community in Flushing, Queens, and/or Chinatown, Manhattan.

Many of the artists collaborated with and tailored projects for the constituents of community-based organizations in Flushing including Red Canary Song, YWCA Queens, Nan Shan Senior Center, Glow Cultural Center, Queens Botanical Garden, Queens Historical Society, Taiwan Center, Flushing Town Hall, and Minkwon Center.

Their projects varied widely in scope and discipline (full list here). Examples include:

• A one-day photoshoot where members of the dedicated Tai-chi community at Queens Botanical Garden brought one of their prized possessions to be photographed with, led by Su Ji Lee
• A two-day language justice and community interpreting workshop open to interpreters of Asian languages at Minkwon Center organized by Roxy Chang
• A performance and workshop of diabolo at Glow Cultural Center led by Linda Quach

Each artist will have three minutes to present their project, its impact, and photographs from the community engagement. Following the presentations, there will be time to mingle. Light refreshments and drinks will be served.

Please note this is one of two share out events; the second share out will take place on Thursday, June 15 at CPC’s Chinatown Senior Center in Chinatown, Manhattan (RSVP here). We encourage you to join us at both events!

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Accessibility: The building is completely ADA compliant. If you need ASL interpretation, large print, or any other accommodations for this event, please email jlee@aaartsalliance.org at least one week before the event.

Masking is encouraged for employees and community members. We will make masks available. To keep everyone safe and healthy, if you are not feeling well or have been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home.

This program is presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special thanks to Council Members Christopher Marte and Sandra Ung, as well as our host organizations Think!Chinatown, Send Chinatown Love, Hamilton-Madison House, P&T Knitwear Books, Chinese-American Planning Council (Nan Shan Senior Center and Undo Poverty), Red Canary Song, YWCA Queens, Queens Botanical Garden, Minkwon Center, Taiwan Center, Queens Historical Society, and Flushing Town Hall.

The full list of awardees:

Roxy Chang, Ling Chen, 离离草CAO Collective, Jin Yong Choi, Astrid Dong, Christina (Ja Won) Han, Maggie (Mei Kei) Hui, Nami Kagami, Jay Khendar, Ji Yong Kim, Nina Kuo, Su Ji Lee, Clae Lu, Jessica Luu Pelletier with Cara Hinh & Sarah Shin, Chanel Matsunami Govreau, Hannah Miao with Lynn Huynh, Dominique Nisperos, Jesse Obremski, Linda Quach, Vivian Sangsukwirassathien, Harley Spiller, Yasuyo Tanaka, Rose Van Dyne, Ramona Jingru Wang, Xixi Wang, junshuzi俊淑姿, Cindy Xu, Jiemin Yang, Cherrie Yu, Grace Zhao

About Asian American Arts Alliance (A4)
Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. Since 1983, A4 has sought to unify, promote, and represent the artistic and cultural producers of one of New York City’s fastest-growing populations. We are a diverse alliance of artists, organizations, and arts supporters who believe that working together as a pan-ethnic, multidisciplinary community is essential to nurturing the development of artists and arts groups. A4 serves as a thoughtful convener of the Asian American cultural workforce around issues of race, identity, and artmaking and provides a critical voice for this community. We are the only service organization in the country dedicated to the professional development of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in all disciplines.

About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

Land Acknowledgement:
Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354