74 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JANUARY 17, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Artist Chemin Hsiao explains the inspiration behind his mural on the metal pull-down door at Zaytoun’s Restaurant. The mural is part of Hsiao’s “Journey to the West” series.
‘ArtSite’ showcases local artists in Jackson Heights & Jamaica
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
Th e Queens Council On Th e Arts
(QCA) has launched their fi rst public art
series, ArtSite, in Jackson Heights and
Jamaica.
“I feel that there is already so much
culture in this neighborhood,” said
Annabelle Papa, one of the artists commissioned
for ArtSite. “But these projects
can add as an extra incentive to bring
people to experience what the neighborhood
has to off er.”
For ArtSite, the organization commissioned
eight local artists to create a series
of temporary public arts installation in
Jackson Heights and Jamaica. Each of the
artists received a stipend of $4,500 and
will have their work displayed through
the spring of this year.
Th e pieces include sculptures, murals,
performances and video projection that
are distributed evenly in both neighborhoods.
Th e artists in Jackson Heights
include Yvonne Shortt, Chemin Hsiao,
Annabelle Popa and Jimmy Ferguson.
Jose Carlos Casado, Keri Edge, Jason
Lalor and Margaret Vendreyes each will
have pieces in Jamaica.
Th e four Jackson Heights installations
located at Dunningham Triangle,
Zaytoun’s Restaurant, Image Heights
Pharmacy and Pollos A La Brasa Mario
proved their purpose before completion,
according to the artists.
During the Sundays that Chemin Hsiao
worked on his mural on the metal rollup
door of Zaytoun’s Restaurant, passersby
stopped and thanked him for his work.
“We need this,” one woman told Hsiao.
High School students frequently
approached him with questions on street
art. Others just stopped and stared, their
spirits temporarily lift ed from the concrete
abyss the city becomes in winter.
“When you see beautiful artwork everywhere
it really makes you feel inspired
and proud about your community,” said
Jenis Littles, an Astoria-based artist who
took part in a walking tour of ArtSite on
Jan. 13. For Littles, pride goes hand-inhand
with care. Public art forces residents
to invest in their community emotionally
and with the physical labor of upkeep.
QCA’s eff orts are helping to improve
the day-to-day lives not only of residents,
but also of the artists. For many, ArtSite
is their fi rst opportunity to publicly display
their art and get paid while doing so.
Th e intellectual challenge of working on
non-traditional materials such as metal
doors and brick walls forced some of the
artists to grow.
Th e fact that many of the artists had
audiences while they worked forced some
to create their pieces outside of their comfort
zones.
“Th e process taught me lessons I won’t
get in a studio,” said Hsiao.
Th e four Jackson Heights installations
are complete and the fi rst Jamaica installation,
a piece by Vendreyes, will unveiled
on Jan. 17 at the Jamaica Performing Arts
Center Lawn from 11:30 a.m. to noon.
For more information on the artists and
their work on display visit www.queenscouncilarts.
org/artsite-artists.
Photos courtesy of Queens Council on the Arts
LEFT: Annabelle Popa stands next to her mural, Guardians of Jackson Heights, at Image Heights Pharmacy. This is the fi rst public piece of art the 23-year-old Jackson Heights native has created. RIGHT:
During a walking tour of the ArtSite public art pieces in Jackson Heights on Sunday Jan. 13, a participant fi lms fi lmmaker Jimmy Ferguson as he explains his piece Between Neighbors: Jackson Heights.
/artsite-artists
/artsite-artists
/artsite-artists
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
