68 THE QUEENS COURIER • LUNAR NEW YEAR • FEBRUARY 7, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Lunar New Year
Bayside school & chancellor ring in Lunar New Year
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Students and educators at a Bayside elementary
school rang in the Year of the Pig
in a very festive fashion this year.
P.S. 203, Th e Oakland Gardens School,
held their annual Lunar New Year celebration
on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Th e
celebration featured traditional Chinese
and Korean dances, songs, drum performances
and visual Japanese storytelling.
For over 25 years, the school has put
on their annual Lunar New Year exhibition,
which celebrates the new year
according to the traditional Chinese calendar.
Tuesday, Feb. 5, marks the offi cial
start of the year of the pig, which P.S. 203
Principal Deborah Florio said is “characterized
as being warmhearted, good-tempered,
wild, honest and gentle.”
Department of Education Chancellor
Richard Carranza, state Senator Toby
Ann Stavisky, Assemblyman Ed
Braunstein and offi cers from the 111th
Precinct joined parents as honored
guests at Wednesday’s event.
“While we’re so excited and so honored
that our local elected and leaders
— the village beyond the walls of
school — really fought to ensure that
Lunar New Year was recognized as a
citywide holiday to really honor the cultures
of our community, it really started
here 25 years ago at 203,” said District
26 Community Superintendent Danielle
Photo: Jenna Bagcal/THE COURIER
Giunta. “Th is has been a beacon and
model for bringing a community together
to celebrate.”
Taiwanese artist, Crystal Foundation unveil Tree of Hope in Flushing
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
In honor of the Lunar New Year and
with baseball season right around the corner,
the Crystal Foundation and world-renowned
Taiwanese artist Lin Shih-Pao
unveiled the latest art exhibit on Monday
— Th e Tree of Hope, paying homage to
the sport of baseball.
Sponsored by the Crystal Foundation,
supporters gathered on Feb. 4 for the Tree
of Hope lighting ceremony at Crystal
Windows Headquarters and factory at
31-10 Whitestone Expwy. Th e Tree of
Hope is a 25-foot-tall structure with an
8-foot diameter base made entirely of
25,000 new and recycled baseballs from
around the world.
“As a longtime supporter of the arts, I
am very pleased to sponsor Th e Tree of
Hope and its creator and artist, Lin Shih-
Pao,” said Crystal Foundation Chairman
Th omas Chen, who is also chairman
and founder of Crystal Windows. “I feel
the true hidden value of this contemporary
work is the incredible international
response to Lin’s invitation to donate
baseballs to the project. Th irty countries
from around the world are represented
here in the spirit of unity and hope,
and its lighting ushers in the Lunar New
Year.”
Professional US teams — the New York
Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and the Orioles
— donated baseballs for the project,
along with teams from Canada, Central
America, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Europe
and many more. Some of the baseballs
are signed by legends and the entire team.
“Sports and the arts, both consisting of
passion and beauty, break the boundaries
between races, languages and cultures,”
said Lin, who brings brilliant works of art
to life from recycled materials. “Th is project
is not just about the collection of baseballs.
Th is project symbolizes the ultimate
art that lies within baseball, the power to
bring people together.”
Symbolizing the unity and positive
energy that art and sports bring to the
world, Th e Tree of Hope project has been
two years in the making from concept to
installation, according to Lin.
“Th e tree brings brightness, happiness
and joy,” said Lin.
Lin’s goal is to acquire support and
funds from baseball associations, sports
associations, sports brands, and advertising
agencies around the world to pass on
Th e Tree of Hope spirit in their “Light the
World” plan.
“Baseball has brought people together
since the late 14th century,” said Lin.
“Now, with baseball returning to the 2020
Summer Olympics Games in Tokyo,
it has established its global status once
again.”
First, the Th e Tree of Hope will light up
various baseball stadiums in the U.S., said
Lin. Aft er leaving the U.S., the tree will
go to Asia into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic
Games, where their trip to light the world
will be complete.
“Your penny can help us raise funds
to light the world,” said Lin. “Th ere are
many works of art on sale which will contribute
to this project. We are also seeking
volunteers for our light the world plan.”
Lin is also the artist-in-residence at
Crystal Park, Th omas Chen and Th e
Crystal Foundation’s 200-acre art and
Photo: Carlotta Mohamed/THE COURIER
nature reserve in Dutchess County.
Lin has exhibited extensively throughout
Japan, Taiwan and New York. He
attended art school in Japan and graduate
school at New York University.
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