FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karin Venegas, karin@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7049
Sandra Tharas, sandra@anatgerstein.com, 718-793-2211
Flushing Town Hall Welcomes 2021 With New, Virtual Lineup of Global Arts Programs for a Cozy Winter At Home
—Audiences may DONATE to support the nonprofit while it remains physically closed during the pandemic—
(Flushing, N.Y.) — Flushing Town Hall unveils an all-new lineup of virtual programs to engage audiences from the warmth and safety of home this new year. Winter 2021 offerings include an arts education series for children in five languages, monthly Jazz Jams, an outdoor community art exhibition, professional development workshops and Zoom hangs for artists, programs celebrating the Lunar Year, and a Black History Month event featuring Broadway performers.
Always the most festive time of year at Flushing Town Hall, the 2021 Lunar Year will celebrate the Year of the Ox with Flushing Town Hall’s Chinese Temple Bazaar, title sponsor Tai Wang and Glow Foundation. The event will go virtual for the first time and stream via YouTube on Sunday, February 14 at 2:00 PM. It will feature a feast of Lunar New Year celebrations, including traditional dances by the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, a new Chinese hand puppet production by Chinese Theatre Works, paper-cutting, classic new year dish demonstrations, and more, offering different ways for audiences to connect to this most important holiday.
For centuries in China, people have celebrated the Lunar New Year in temple fairs with performances, food, and crafts to conclude the final stretch of a harsh winter and celebrate the pending arrival of spring.
“Last year, our Lunar Year programs coincided with the onset of the pandemic, so we decided to cancel the Temple Bazaar to safeguard our community. This year, we are reviving this beloved event so that we may join together again,” says Minwen Yang, Chair of Flushing Town Hall’s Chinese Cultural Committee. “Our community stepped up to take care of one another during dark times, and we are resilient. We will hold this Bazaar virtually because we are still experiencing a pandemic. With the arrival of a new year and after much hardship, we know this lively celebration will lift our spirits.”
In keeping with the theme of the Ox, which is characterized by attributes of strength and determination, Flushing Town Hall will also revive its community art exhibition, Call and Response: Grief, Resiliency, and Hope in February. To be displayed outdoors along its Northern Boulevard fence, the exhibition first launched in the summer of 2020. This year, members of the community -- amateur and professional artists alike -- are invited to submit works on the theme and ask themselves: How can I live a courageous life? How can I help build a resilient community? What gives me hope?
Flushing Town Hall will begin accepting new artworks for display on February 1. Participants will be able to hang their works directly on the fence or scan and submit their work by email to: education@flushingtownhall.org.
Another beloved tradition, Flushing Town Hall’s monthly Jazz Jam: Celebrating the Legacy of Louis Armstrong will continue online with a new theme each month, kicking off on Wednesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM with an early celebration of Martin Luther King Day and a musical theme of “racial justice.”
February’s jazz jam will celebrate Valentine’s Day with the theme of “love songs and funny valentines,” and March’s jam will commemorate Women’s History Month with the theme “luck be a lady!”
Up to 15 musicians may register for each jam to play or sing a tune on the theme by emailing: education@flushingtownhall.org.
The jazz jam’s reputation has steadily grown since it first moved online last year, drawing musicians from countries as far flung as Italy, Australia, and Guyana.
“The pandemic has posed a survival challenge for presenting venues, artists, and performers. We really miss our audiences from all around the tri-state area,” says Ellen Kodadek, Executive & Artistic Director. “However, thanks to technology, we are now able to serve audiences and to engage performers from around the corner and across the globe. We continue to build community through the arts.”
Jazz fans can also look forward to a virtual Lioness: Women in Jazz on Sunday, January 24 at 2:30 PM, featuring The Lioness Ensemble, which is helmed by the Queens-based guitarist and composer Amanda Monaco.
Flushing Town Hall Education will continue to present Global Arts for Global Kids, its arts education video series with at-home activities for young learners and their families. This winter, beginning January 11 and running for nine weeks, Flushing Town Hall will replay its original videos in the series and release the accompanying Activity Worksheets newly translated into four additional languages: Hindi, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.
“Flushing Town Hall provides culturally responsive arts education through our Global Arts for Global Kids programming, and now that we’ve translated content into multiple languages, English language learners across generations and cultures can explore diverse arts and cultures together,” says Gabrielle M. Hamilton, Director of Education & Public Programs.
Videos will be posted daily, Monday through Thursday, and culminate in family matinee performances on Fridays. Each week covers a new topic and region of the world and includes explorations of Colombian music, Indian and Chinese dance, African drumming, and more!
Additional virtual programs this winter will include a continuation of Flushing Town Hall’s monthly professional development series and weekly Zoom hangs for artists of all disciplines and geographies, who have been working together to advance their work, support, and inspire one another amidst the pandemic.
Kicking off its three-part Black History Trilogy, Flushing Town Hall will present “John Lewis: A Pioneer for Justice” on Friday, February 5 at 7:00 PM. The program will feature Alton Fitzgerald White, a gifted actor who starred in Broadway’s hit show Ragtime and who performed over 4,000 times as Mufasa, “the king of the jungle” in Disney’s production of The Lion King. He will bring to life the legacy of American politician and civil rights leader John Lewis, who coined the phrase “good trouble” in one of his most resilient speeches.
The Trilogy will continue on February 18 and concludes with a surprise special guest on February 26.
Looking ahead towards spring, Flushing Town Hall is currently accepting submissions ahead of its February 1 deadline for the second edition of Crazy Talented Asians & Friends - An Evening of Animation Shorts, which premiered with great success in 2020. The 2021 event will take place on Saturday, May 29 in celebration of the APA Heritage Month. Animation filmmakers may submit their shorts for consideration at: https//filmfreeway.com/CTAF
Although we cannot list every donor, Flushing Town Hall is grateful for all gifts received and wishes to thank everyone for their ongoing generosity.
Flushing Town Hall greatly appreciates the supporters of our current campaign, Step Up for Flushing Town Hall, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are able and willing to help, please click here to learn more and donate today. Special thanks to our Step Up Campaign donors with gifts of $100 and above: Karen Argueta, Maria Arias, Henry Assael, Christopher Banks, Barbara Banks Schwam, Beverly Bartow, Geraldine Benfante, Carol Bennett, Seth Bornstein, Larue Brathwaite, Anne Bresnahan, Claire Bullard, Jenna Capeci, Calvin Chan, Dongshin Chang, Christopher Chen, Cecilia Cheng, Amy Chin, Wanda Chin, David Creed, Jacob Eichenbaum, David Fesser, Ellen Fisher-Turk, Karen Fitzgerald, Paul Foster, Emma Frankel, Andrew Garson, Howard Graf (Graf & Lewent Architects), Anat Gerstein, Heather Harrison, Alan Heilbron, Susan Hennessy, Carolee Hildenbrandt, Rhenaye Hornsby, Timothy Hosking, Ming-I Huang, Raymond Jasen, Carmen Jimenez, Andrew Karp, Amir Kassam, Adrienne Kivelson, Bob Kodadek, Saul Kupferberg, Carol Leaf, Stephanie Lee, Anne Lewent, Judith Lewent, Steve Lewent, James Liao, Jeri Lim, Meiling Liu, Stephanie Long, Martha Ma, Frank Macchio, Rob Mackay, Sandra Mann, Pamela Marquez, Steve Marston, William McClure, Steven Mecca, Cynthia Merkle, Chi Mo, Lee Nash, Sandra Nash, Rochelle Nechin, Albert Niu, TeHsing Niu, The Ong Family Foundation, Jessica Peña, Kimberly Phelan, Mary and Oscar Pollock, Ryan Powers, Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Association, Richard Quatrano, Mira Rubens, Teresa Salles, Jeffrey Schneider, Roslyn Schwersenz, Tina Seligman, Dominique Sellers, Alice Sharp, Thomas Simmons, Mike Sperendi & Jan Schneider, Sheila Sweeney, Jean Tatge, Marsha Toma, Veronica Tsang, WAC Lighting, Tai-nin Wang, Jill Ward, Daryl Ware, David and Elsie Werber, Robert and Karla Wishnick, Edwina and Eldwin Wong, Lucy Wong, Jon Yanofsky, Mimi Yeung.
Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization which receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Gonzalo Casals; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council Members Costa Constantinides, Daniel Dromm, Barry Grodenchik, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Paul A. Vallone, and Jimmy Van Bramer; and the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, and the Booth Ferris Foundation.
Support for our programs is also provided by Acrobuffos/Seth Bloom & Christina Gelsone, Angela An, Robin Bell-Stevens, Viviana M. Benitez, Dongjiang Bi, Cathay Bank, Douglass Chan, Amy Mak Chan, Calvin W. Chan, Sharon Chen, Ginger Chinn, Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou/New York Institute of Culture and the Arts, Con Edison, Crossings TV, Exploring the Metropolis, Kuang-Yu Fong/Chinese Theatre Works, Barbara Garii, Matthew Goldner, Howard Graf & Kathy Donovan, Guru Krupa Foundation, Lily Han, Heather Harrison, Belinda Pilin Hsu, Alice & Steve Huang, Hung Pin Hung, Investors Foundation, Raymond D. Jasen, the Jim Henson Foundation, Ellen Kodadek, the Laura B. Vogler Foundation, Nelson Lee/Flushing Bank, Janet T. Leow, Anne Lewent, James S. Liao, Emily Lin/Lin & Loveall Foundation, Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Frank Macchio, Materials for the Arts, William McClure/Queens College, Mets Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Jassy Z. Min, New York Chinese Chorus, Northwell Health, TeHsing Niu, Carlos Ortiz, Queens Art Education Center/Arthur Liu, Richard Quantaro, Queens Courier, Resorts World, Camillo Reyes, RuDance/Asian American Dance Sport Corp., Dominique Sellers, Helen Shieh, Richard Siu, Curtis Smith, Mike Sperendi & Jan Schneider, Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Michael Tang, Veronica Tsang, Tai & Tony Wang/Glow Foundation, Jay Wegman, Constance Wingate, Lucy Wong, Anna Wu, Minwen Yang, Hank Yeh, Sandy Yeh, Shane Yeh, and Angela Qi Zhang.
We have done our best to recognize donations correctly, but should your recognition be incorrect, please contact Jessica Peña, Director of Development, at jpena@flushingtownhall.org.
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.
COVID-19:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while our venue remains temporarily closed in accordance with social distancing guidelines, we are proudly presenting performances, exhibitions, panel discussions, and educational activities online through our virtual initiatives, FTH at Home! and Global Arts for Global Kids.
For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354