Flushing Town Hall received a $50,000 grant from the Guru Krupa Foundation (GKF) in support of the cultural institution’s art education programs that cater to the population of Queens and beyond.
GFK is a private foundation that funds charitable causes based on the principles and philosophy derived from the value system of Hinduism.
This is the third year the foundation is supporting Flushing Town Hall, a multi-disciplinary arts center, which is considered a community gem, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Mukund Padmanabhan, president of GKF, said Flushing Town Hall’s programs enable both children and adults from multiple ethnicities to learn the best things about each other, making them global citizens and promoting harmony and peaceful living.
“These programs fit in well with our educational goals of providing support to children and our holistic goals of supporting programs that promote cross-cultural integration and collaboration. Consequently, we are very happy to continue providing support for FTH programming,” Padmanabhan said.
Part of the grant will fund Flushing Town Hall’s Diwali Festival on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Diwali, a festival of lights, is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, as well as some Buddhists. One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
The remainder of the grant will help fund artist fees in education and public programs, along with general operating expenses of Flushing Town Hall.
Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall’s executive and artistic director, said they’re profoundly grateful for the generosity of the Guru Krupa Foundation towards supporting this year’s Diwali Festival, as well as their Department of Education and Public Programs and general operating expenses.
“Flushing Town Hall is an extremely complex organization serving New York City and beyond, including virtually during Covid, with hundreds of arts programs throughout the year, artist services and responsibility for an historic landmark building,” Kodadek said. “It is so gratifying when a funder such as the Guru Krupa Foundation understands the financial needs of a non-profit arts organization such as ours and is willing to invest their funding towards our expenses in providing vital arts services to multiple communities. We are humbled by their trust and confidence in us.”
