Queens Rising Unveils Artist Line-Up For Upcoming Queens Scene Performances

Third Annual Multidisciplinary Arts Festival Celebrating Queen's Cultural And Creative Diversity Kicks Off Saturday, June 1st At Flushing Town Hall

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

May 23rd, 2024 (Queens, NY) - Today, Queens Rising unveiled the artist lineup for their Queens Scenes performing arts series beginning this June. Queens Scene is the newest initiative created to aim the spotlight on the extraordinary talent living and working in the Queens borough. 

“Queens Scene was born as a result of feedback we received from artists living and working in Queens,” stated Mike Faba, Queens Rising Project Coordinator. “We held several town halls and other more informal gatherings and the artists spoke with their feet advising us of the need for us to showcase local talent in local venues.”  

A call for artists was held this spring from which four recognized Queens cultural venues selected performers to present as part of their Queens Rising’s Queens Scene. Each venue is committed to providing the artists with an opportunity to engage with their existing audiences and hopefully attract new audiences to the performances as well. Artists will be compensated and venues will also receive funds to cover production costs and marketing efforts.

 

The Queens Rising Performance Series and line up includes:

Queens Scene Performance 1: Saturday, June 1st at Flushing Town Hall, 7pm.

Performers: Sin Fronteras World Jazz Quintet, The Scooches, and Mr. Pablo.

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 (8 musicians), Samuel Torres: Alegria (10 musicians), and Terraza Big Band (18 musicians).

“Queens Rising is a glimpse into the best that New York has to offer the world: the cultural miracle of Queens, where migrants from all corners of the planet share a common space while expressing themselves and building bridges from their own differences. It is an honor for me, as the founder of Terraza 7, to be part of this first series, at a time when humanity needs to learn to live appreciating our differences more than ever before.” - Freddy Castiblanco- Terraza 7 Founder/ Curator

“As a band composed mainly of people from places outside of New York and the US, we’re thrilled to be part of Queens Scene series, which celebrates the diverse voices of our borough, including those of the immigrant communities. Queens Rising’s commitment to supporting independent artists such as Guachinangos through an exciting marketing campaign and generous funding, is a wonderful example of how we can all work together to keep Queens and New York the best places to enjoy arts expressions from around the world. We hope people from all over the city join us and the other Queens Scene performers throughout June!” - Guachinangos/ performers 

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, Jenna Vox, and Queens Symphony Orchestra.

“JCAL has participated in Queens Rising since its founding, and watching the growth of this remarkable initiative has inspired our dedication to performing arts, visual arts, and arts education here in “the world’s borough.” To see Queens Rising now supporting borough-based artists—it’s a tangible recognition of how far and how fast Queens has really risen, and of our extraordinary potential to draw arts patrons from every corner of our city.” -Leonard Jacobs, Executive Director

 

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)

After last year’s success of promoting over 300 partner events in collaboration with 100+ organizations, Queens Rising is returning for the third year and June's festivities will spotlight Queens' vibrant culture and creative diversity. From enthralling performances to captivating exhibitions, Queens Rising collaborates with numerous arts organizations, versatile venues, and galleries across the borough to present 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. 

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 Jamaica, AIMI Cultural Center, Alley Pond Environmental Center, Allure Art Studio, American Folk Art Museum, APAC, Art House Astoria, Art Retail Therapy, Arriba Arriba, Ashreynu, Astoria Film Festival, Astoria Park Alliance, Bayside Historical Society, Bayside Village BID, Bliss on Bliss Art Projects Bowne House Historical Society, Braata Productions, The Brick Wall Gallery at Bar Dalia, Center for the Women of New York, The Chocolate Factory, The Church-in-the-Gardens, Culture Lab LIC Dance Astoria, Dance Entropy/Green Space, Dancing Classrooms, Diverse Street Initiative Empanadas Cafe, Espresso 77, FitzgeraldArt, Flushing BID, Flushing Town Hall, Forest Hills Choir, Forest Hills Stadium, Forest Park Trust, Friends of Maple Grove at The Center at Maple Grove, Friends of the Crocheron & John Golden Park, Glow Community Center, The Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Greater Astoria Historical Society, Indo-American Arts and Cultural Forum, Jackson Heights Beautification Group Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Juneteenth in Queens, King Manor Museum, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc., Kupferberg Center for the Arts, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Lavender Laughs NYC, Lewis Latimer House Museum, Long Island City Partnership, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Make Music New York, Maspeth Squash, MoMA PS1, Museum of the Moving Image, Musica Reginae Productions, New York Hall of Science, NYC Department of Transportation, Oratorio Society of Queens, Inc., The Poppenhusen Institute, QED, The Queens Borough President’s Office, Queens Botanical Garden, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Council on the Arts, Queensboro Dance Festival, Queens Economic Development Corporation, Queens Historical Society, Queens Museum, Queens Night Market, Queens Public Library, Queens Theatre, Queens Together, Queens Tourism Council, Queens Underground International Black and Brown Film Festival and The Artist Market NYC Live, Queens World Film Festival, Queens Zoo, Rincon Criollo, Riders Alliance, RISE Rockaway, School of Rock Queens, Socrates Sculpture Park, Son Jarocho NY, South East Queens Artist Alliance, South Queens Women’s March, Sovereign Markets, Stone Circle Theatre, Studio 41, Sunnyside Shines, Thalia Spanish Theatre, Inc., The Garage Art Center, Inc., Theatre Beyond Broadway, Underground Spade, Urban 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.

 

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