Cultural institutions honored

The Queens Council on the Arts and The Louis Armstrong House and Archives were among those honored during Mayor Michael Bloomberg's recent Awards for Arts and Culture, which also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the City's Department of Cultural Affairs.
&#8220Tonight's honorees embody why New York City supports the arts,” Bloomberg said during the October 30 event. &#8220These individuals and organizations educate our children, support our artists, dance our dreams, stage our aspirations, and never allow us to forget the brilliant artists who have come before us.”
The Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It helps artists and art organizations get grants while also providing support through professional development resources, arts education programming and networking opportunities, such as the recent Queens Artist Collectives event.
&#8220The support that we have given artists has always been key,” said Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer, the executive director of QCA.
Krakauer said that she was very surprised and shocked when she found out that QCA was going to receive one of the Mayor's Awards for Arts & Culture.
&#8220It was a wonderful feeling,” Krakauer said of the honor. &#8220It was just wonderful to receive [the acknowledgement from my peers] and to know that this work that we do is recognized and appreciated.”
Krakauer said that her future goal for the organization, along with continuing to provide support, is to obtain its own building.
Also honored during the ceremony was The Louis Armstrong House and Archives, which has the memorabilia of the legendary jazz musician. The house is located in Corona at 34-56 107th Street and the archives are on the Queens College campus. The house, which is now a museum, features original items such as handwritten notes, instruments, furniture, wallpaper, paintings and taped recordings, among many others.
&#8220The Louis Armstrong House Museum is being discovered by more and more people every month,” said Director Michael Cogswell. &#8220There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world! We are thrilled that Mayor Bloomberg and the Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee recognize that the Louis Armstrong House Museum is - to quote the text of the award - ‘a cultural gem in the heart of Queens.'”
The Louis Armstrong House Museum has plans to grow in the future, since New York State recently gave it $5 million to design and build a new visitors center, which will be located across the street from the house.
For more information on Queens Council on the Arts, visit www.queenscouncilarts.org or call 718-647-3377. For more information on The Louis Armstrong House and Archives, visit www.louisarmstronghouse.org or call 718-478-8274 (house) or 718-997-3670 (archives).