34 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JUNE 25, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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QPAC to host live musical performances in June and July
Long Island City organization brings art and imagination to kids at home
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Queens youth organization is off ering ways for children
to play, create and learn inside their homes this
summer. Art Strong, a community-based art organization
in Long Island City, is selling At Home Art Kits to
engage children ages 4 and up in fun activities.
Aft er canceling their summer Art in the Park program
due to COVID-19, Ashley Cavadas and Hannah Lokken,
owners of Art Strong, decided to bring art and imagination
into the homes of their students.
“Some parents are not as comfortable with artmaking
at home, so we wanted to create a kit that just
kind of empowered families to have those experiences
at home if they couldn’t have them anywhere else,”
Lokken said.
Th e art kits promote activities such as abstract paintings
on canvas, 3-D dioramas with model magic characters,
wacky cardboard self portraits, hanging fabric paintings,
and plaster plant sculptures. Th ey come with materials,
an apron, a sketchbook, pre-recorded videos, stepby
step printed instructions and bonus prompts.
Th e main kit (the At Home Art Kit) costs $99 and can
be purchased on the Art Strong website. To avoid shipping
costs, the kits can also be picked up on Saturday,
June 13, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Plaxall Gallery, at
5-25 46th Ave. in Long Island City.
Th e website is also peddling the following items for
younger children: Embroidery Kit ($25), colored yarn
and string, a needle, burlap, paint, brush and more;
Rainbow Sensory Bin ($35), multi-colored rice, a plastic
funnel, pompoms, paper cups, a scooper, plastic eggs,
popsicle sticks, foam beads, cleaners and more; Rainbow
Peg Dolls ($12), 2.5-inch fi gurines hand-painted in red,
orange, yellow, green, blue and purple; and Rainbow Play
Doh Set ($22), which contains four-ounce plastic jars
with screw-top lids in red, orange, yellow, green, blue
and purple.
According to Lokken, they are planning to release more
art kits throughout the summer and will be launching
free virtual online classes in July.
ArtStrong is rebounding from its own COVID-related
setback. Cavadas and Lokken were about to sign a lease
for a community art center in Long Island City when the
pandemic forced them to change their short-term plans.
“All of our plans are being pushed back for about a year
and nothing is quite set in stone yet — in terms of when
construction will fi nish and when we would be able to get
settled and open up,” Lokken said.
Lokken and Cavadas were looking forward to off ering
enrichment classes and camp options, while also organizing
parties and special events. However, those plans are
currently on hold. As of now, Lokken said, they’re just
“rolling with the punches.”
“We’re just continuously revising our plans for late
summer and fall based on restrictions and guidelines. We
hope to have in-person classes again as soon as we can do
that safely,” Lokken said.
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Queensborough Performing Arts
Center (QPAC) will host a slew of folk,
harmony, romance and Broadway show
tune performances online throughout
June and July, the Bayside
theater announced earlier
this month.
Th e QPAC Live series’
musically diverse shows
will feature performances
from Judy Carmichael,
Steve Leslie, Yaniv Zarif
and many more.
Aft er each show, QPAC
will host a Q&A session
with the artist. Shows will
be broadcast every Friday
on QPAC’s Facebook and
YouTube page. See the
full list of performances
below.
Friday, June 26,
2020, 7 p.m.
Ba ckt r a ck
V o c a l s :
Contemporary
A Cappella
Backtrack is
quickly defi ning
itself as a powerhouse
a cappella
group in its
hometown New
York City and
beyond. This
f ive-person
group performs a variety of music with
the emphasis on today’s music. Music and
live Q&A.
Friday, July 3, 2020, 7 p.m.
America’s Sweethearts History through
harmony! Th is three-part female group
celebrates the music of the Great
American Songbook,
Broadway and America’s favorites. Music
and live Q&A.
Friday, July 10, 2020, 7 p.m.
Up Close With Yaniv Zarif! An extraordinary
performer who sings in 32 languages
— Japanese, Hebrew,
F r e n c h and
E n g l i s h ,
just to name a few! Join us as Yaniv sings
everything from Broadway to pop. Music
and live Q&A.
Friday, July 17, 2020, 7 p.m.
Judy Carmichael Grammy Awardnominated
pianist/vocalist playing the
Great American Songbook, jazz and
much more. A hilarious storyteller,
Judy will share with us why Count
Basie nicknamed her “Stride.”
Music and live Q&A.
Friday, July 24, 2020, 7 p.m.
Love Is A Rose: Celebrating
the Music of Linda Ronstadt
Blues-rockers Paula Hanke &
Peggy Ratusz dig deep to bring
the authenticity to Linda’s amazing
28-album catalog of music!
Music and live Q&A.
Friday, July 31, 2020, 7 p.m.
A Band Called Honalee:
Th e Music of Peter, Paul
& Mary Th is modern
day folk trio
inspired by the
music and legacy
of Peter, Paul and
Mary, provide a
musical oasis for
the soul, allowing
us to experience
this timeless
music once
again. Music
and live Q&A.
For more
informat ion
about QPAC
Live, head to qcc.
cuny.edu/QPAC
Photo courtesy of Art Strong
/QPAC
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