Shore Fire Media


Queens Rising Kicks Off Third Annual Month Long Arts Initiative Last Weekend

Borough’s Multidisciplinary Initiative Celebrating Cultural And Creative Diversity Continues Until June 30th

Title Sponsor Northwell Health, Major Sponsors Resorts World NYC, Howard Gilman Foundation, and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts

Band above is Mister Pablo. Photo credit: Lizzie Butler

 

June 4th, 2024 (New York,NY) Over the weekend, Queens Rising kicked off its third annual month-long arts celebration at Flushing Town Hall, inaugurating its new “Queens Scene” series featuring performances by local Queens artists Sin Fronteras World Jazz Quintet (Latin and Modern Jazz), The Scooches (Americana, Indie Folk, Gender Bending), and Mister Pablo(Mixed Genre, Latin). In addition to promoting the remaining Queens Scene events across the borough ranging from the Queens Botanical Garden to JCAL and Terraza 7, Queens Rising will also promote literally hundreds more Queens events through June 30th.

"Sin Fronteras World Jazz Quartet was born out of the generosity of Freddy Castiblanco, the owner of Terraza 7,” stated Russ Nolan. “ He allowed us to rehearse weekly at the venue as well as be part of his schedule to present our music to his patrons and community. He also invested heavily in providing a one-of-a-kind outdoor stage during COVID that saved the wallets and sanity of many musicians, including myself."

From enthralling performances to captivating exhibitions, Queens Rising collaborates with numerous arts organizations, versatile venues, and galleries across the borough to promote a rich tapestry of cultural events. The need for an initiative like this was conceived during an Arts Advisory Board Meeting of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, and further developed by a larger Planning Committee who met fortnightly throughout the pandemic to determine how Queens Rising would best enhance the cultural landscape of Queens and amplify the rich tapestry of Queens arts organizations and artists. 

Queens Rising creates a platform to share with Queens audiences and those throughout the city. By focusing marketing and promotional resources on the month of June, the goal is to make people aware of how robust a roster of cultural programs exist in Queens and hopefully, introduce audiences to new venues and artists through a collective effort.

This year Queens Rising launches "Queens Scene" a performing arts series created to aim the spotlight on the extraordinary talent living and working in our borough. Performing artists were invited to submit applications to perform at four Queens venues: Flushing Town Hall, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, the Queens Botanical Garden and Terraza 7. Each venue chose from the applicant pool and Queens Rising supported venues with funding to provide artist fees, marketing and production resources. 

After last year’s success of promoting over 300 partner events in collaboration with 100+ organizations, June's festivities will spotlight Queens' vibrant culture and creative diversity. This year's new initiative "Queens Scene" is a series of performances at four different partner venues highlighting Queens-based artists.

 

Remaining Queens Rising Performance Series and line up:

Queens Scene Performance 2: Friday, June 14th at 7pm, Saturday, June 15th at 6pm, and Sunday, June 16th (Father's Day) at 4pm, at Terraza 7.

Performers: Guachinangos, Samuel Torres: Alegria, and Terraza Big Band.

 

Queens Scene Performance 3: Wednesday, June 19th (Juneteenth), at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, with a reception at 7:30pm, showtime at 8pm, and the event 

concluding at 10pm. 

Hosted and curated by Spoken Artist JRose featuring Queens-based spoken word artists and a DJ to bring the music vibes to the night.

Performers: Jasmine Rosario (Artist name: JRose), Byron Frazier (Artist name: Jerome Heka)

Ikea Williams (Artist name: Keys Will), Yanique Renwick (Artist name: Unique on Purpose) Christopher Charles (Artist name: Divine Wordsmith).

 

Queens Scene Performance 4: Saturday, June 29th, at Queens Botanical Garden, from 1:30pm to 4pm.

Performers: Gina D'Soto, Jennah Vox, and Queens Symphony Orchestra.

 

Additional curated events include:

Visual Art Exhibition Opening “Say It Loud: Unsung Heroes”: Thursday, June 6th at Culturelab LIC, from 6pm to 9pm.

 

Queens Night Market: Queens Rising returns to the Queens Night Market on Saturday, June 8th for a third year where artists are able to engage the thousands of attendees who flock to the Night Market in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Artists will perform from 4:00 pm - midnight.

Performers: Vivarta Arts Dance Company (Indian Dance), DJ Tommy “T” NYC (Following Dance Company and between acts the rest of the night), Alea (cumbia, vallenato, rancheras, pop and jazz), Island Interlude Band (Steel Drum Fusion)

 

Support for Queens Rising is provided by Title Sponsor, Northwell Health, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Kupferberg Family Foundation, Queens Economic Development Corporation, and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts.

 

Current collaborators include:

A Better JamaicaAIMI Cultural CenterAlley Pond Environmental CenterAllure Art StudioAmerican Folk Art MuseumAPACArt House AstoriaArt Retail TherapyArriba ArribaAshreynuAstoria Film FestivalAstoria Park AllianceBayside Historical SocietyBayside Village BIDBliss on Bliss Art Projects Bowne House Historical SocietyBraata ProductionsThe Brick Wall Gallery at Bar DaliaCenter for the Women of New YorkThe Chocolate FactoryThe Church-in-the-GardensCulture Lab LIC Dance AstoriaDance Entropy/Green SpaceDancing ClassroomsDiverse Street Initiative Empanadas CafeEspresso 77FitzgeraldArtFlushing BIDFlushing Town HallForest Hills ChoirForest Hills Stadium, Forest Park TrustFriends of Maple Grove at The Center at Maple GroveFriends of the Crocheron & John Golden ParkGlow Community CenterThe Godwin-Ternbach MuseumGreater Astoria Historical SocietyIndo-American Arts and Cultural ForumJackson Heights Beautification GroupJamaica Center for Arts and LearningJuneteenth in QueensKing Manor MuseumKorean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc.Kupferberg Center for the ArtsLaGuardia Performing Arts CenterLavender Laughs NYCLewis Latimer House MuseumLong Island City PartnershipLouis Armstrong House MuseumMake Music New YorkMaspeth SquashMoMA PS1Museum of the Moving ImageMusica Reginae ProductionsNew York Hall of ScienceNYC Department of TransportationOratorio Society of Queens, Inc.The Poppenhusen InstituteQEDThe Queens Borough President’s OfficeQueens Botanical GardenQueens Chamber of CommerceQueens Council on the ArtsQueensboro Dance FestivalQueens Economic Development CorporationQueens Historical SocietyQueens MuseumQueens Night MarketQueens Public LibraryQueens TheatreQueens TogetherQueens Tourism CouncilQueens Underground International Black and Brown Film Festival and The Artist Market NYC LiveQueens World Film FestivalQueens ZooRincon CriolloRiders AllianceRISE RockawaySchool of Rock QueensSocrates Sculpture ParkSon Jarocho NYSouth East Queens Artist AllianceSouth Queens Women’s MarchSovereign MarketsStone Circle Theatre, Studio 41Sunnyside ShinesThalia Spanish Theatre, Inc.The Garage Art Center, Inc.Theatre Beyond BroadwayUnderground SpadeUrban Vegan Roots

 

For more information on Queens Rising and a full schedule of events, please visit queensrising.nyc

 

ABOUT QUEENS RISING

Queens Rising stands as an annual beacon of cultural celebration, dedicated to illuminating the vibrant tapestry of Queens, New York. Since its inception in 2022, this event has served as a catalyst for unity, bringing together artists, performers, and organizations to showcase the borough's rich artistic heritage. It acts as a catalyst for collaboration, connecting artists, venues, and businesses to maximize opportunities for arts and culture to flourish in Queens. Through these connections, pathways for creativity and innovation thrive. At Queens Rising, the belief in the transformative power of art and culture to inspire, connect, and uplift communities is steadfast. Individuals are invited to join in celebrating the diverse cultural landscape of Queens and shaping a brighter future through creativity and collaboration.

 

ABOUT NORTHWELL HEALTH

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest healthcare provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 85,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

 

QUEENS RISING ON THE WEB

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

 

For more information on Queens Rising, please contact Alena Joyiens or Rebecca Shapiro at Shore Fire Media , queensrisingpr@shorefire.com