For the last year I have been working with a wonderful group of creative people in my borough, forming a new group called Queens Creative Solidarity (see our values here). As a group, we applied for an art residency at the Queens Museum, and we got it! It’s actually pretty amazing (you can read all about it in detail, below).
As our first public action, Queens Creative Solidarity (QCS) is proud to have been chosen to participate in Queens Museum‘s Studio in the Park mobile residency, in partnership with ArtBuilt and NYC Parks. The six-week residency will take place between October 1st and November 15th, 2016. PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (BELOW) FOR DETAILS – ALL ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE!
Project Title: Flushing Meadows Corona Park: What it’s Worth
Artist/Collective: Queens Creative Solidarity
Queens Creative Solidarity: Lorie Caval, Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Juanita Lara, Silvia Juliana Mantilla Ortiz, Zahida Pirani, Sami Abu Shumays, Priscilla Stadler, and Roshani Thakore.
FMCP: What it’s Worth is focused on engaging local artists and community organizations who are interested in the topic of equitable access to, and preservation of, Flushing Meadows Corona Park to collaborate on a collective art action based on that shared interest. As a shared community resource, Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP) is a living example of a space that can be best preserved if varied communities come together to recognize its value.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
(All events are FREE, open to the public and take place in or around the QCS mobile studio [unless it rains, then they will be hosted inside of the Queens Museum building]. All events are RAIN OR SHINE!)
10/9 Sun, 12 – 4 pm – What it’s Worth: Values and Making Some Money, facilitated by Sami and Priscilla
This two-part event encourages participants to discuss how – or whether we value resources including the park and our communities, learn about related creative projects and organizing efforts, and make some exchangeable artwork based on the resources that are important to us. Open to all, the event will feature artists and organizers from a variety of communities who are actively working with community value, the Commons, and exchange, including: Tania Mattos, Rejin Leys, Antonio Serna, P.J. Gubatina Policarpio, Hibridos Collective, and Dominique Hernandez. Part One (12 – 2 pm) will be focused on dialogue and learning, and Part Two (2:15 – 4 pm) on (literally) making money by creating our own currencies.
10/11 Tues. 3 – 7 pm – Open Studio – Video Collaboration with Zahida and Carina Video Collaboration: A Day in Flushing Meadows Park. Open Hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10/11, 10/12, 10/18, 10/19 from 3-7 pm, and Saturday 10/22 from 1-5 pm
This video collaboration explores issues of public and private land use, and the value Flushing Meadows Corona Park holds for the people who use it. We will ask park visitors to use their own smart phones to record 2-5 minutes of footage that answers the question: “What is a day in the park worth to you?” The culmination will be an edited video made up entirely of footage shot by participants.
10/12 Wed. 3 – 7 pm – Open Studio – Video Collaboration with Zahida and Carina.
10/18 Tues. 3 – 7 pm – Open Studio – Video Collaboration with Zahida and Carina
10/19 Wed 3 – 7 pm – Open Studio – Video Collaboration with Zahida and Carina
3 – 6 pm PoeTREE facilitated by Lorie
4 – 6pm Capoeira with Ilê De Palmares
PoeTREE. Park-goers are invited to walk around and choose a tree that has some significance to you and make a piece of art about it, while contemplating questions like, “Why is this tree valuable to me?” The artwork could be a poem (written in your own language) and/or a drawing or painting. The art will reflect the various experiences, perspectives and backgrounds of participants – as well as the importance of the park’s trees, nature conservation and public access to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. We will collect the poems and art and in the end to be displayed; some to be included in the QCS What it’s Worth zine (presentation at the 11/13 closing event).
Capoeira roda and demos by group, Ilê De Palmares. Capoeira (cap·o·ei·ra) is an Afro-Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance. It was created in the 16th century by enslaved Africans in Brazil who used it to liberate themselves. Played as a game (jogo) between two practitioners inside a circle (roda), capoeira is a dialogue using the body, each movement is like a word forming a dynamic conversation that can be beautiful, tough, slow or fast and sometime everything at once. The game of capoeira is commanded by the berimbau (musical instrument), the traditions are carried on through the rich history of liberation and the artform is kept alive by the vibrant growing community of practitioners throughout the world (iledepalmares.com).
10/22 Sat – 10 am – 2 pm/ 12 pm – 4 pm Open Zine Workshop
2 pm – 4pm – Community Conversation: Our Park Stories with Priscilla and Bridget Bartolini
Open Zine Workshop. The What It’s Worth zine on Flushing Meadows Park is missing some important pages! Come and add your response through a drawing, text, or a photo to make the zine complete! Outside our mobile studio, we’ll have set up a workshop with all kinds of art materials for you to express your story. What it’s Worth will be released at QCS’s closing party on Sunday the 13th with free copies for people to add to their home libraries. You can learn how to make your own mini zine during the launch too! No prior experience necessary.
Community Conversation: Our Park Stories. Join a community conversation and story circle about Flushing Meadows Corona Park! You are invited to share your experiences, memories, concerns, and hopes for the park, and join a discussion with Queens neighbors. How much Is a day in the park worth to you? This story circle workshop will help us better understand the value of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Snacks will be provided. Presented by the Five Boro Story Project, a project that brings New Yorkers together through sharing true stories and art inspired by our neighborhoods.
11/6 Sun 12 – 3 pm – Open Zine Workshop
3 – 5 pm – QCS Open Meeting with Silvia, Roshani, Sami, Carina, Juanita
Calling all community members, artists, creative people, and community organizers in Queens! How can we help each other support creative social justice in our Queens communities? What role can QCS (Queens Creative Solidarity), a new grassroots organization, play? We invite you to help us build this movement with us. We’ll spend some time introducing ourselves, discussing our values and potential actions, and then open it up for discussion, suggestions, and questions.
11/13 Sun.- Residence Closing: 3 – 7 pm – Video Screening and Zine Launch and Workshop, Zahida, Juanita, Carina, Silvia, Roshani, Priscilla, Sami
Come celebrate the residency closing, see the premiere of our video and take home the What it’s Worth zine (or make your own!).
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Directions to Queens Museum: http://www.queensmuseum.org/directions
QCS blog: https://queenscreativesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queenscreativesolidarity/?fref=ts
Instagram: @Queenscreativesolidarity
#Queenscreativesolidarity #QCSmobileresidency2016 #QCSWhatitsworth
Lorie Caval 