A new arts initiative in Queens has appointed a prominent leader from the borough’s cultural scene as its first executive director.
Susan Agin, formerly the executive and artistic director of the Queensborough Performing Arts Center in Bayside, has been named the executive director of the Queens Culture & Arts Network (QCAN). This newly established organization aims to ensure that the arts remain a vital part of every community in Queens.
As a subsidiary of the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ), QCAN is a full-service arts organization dedicated to creating tailored artistic experiences that reflect the unique needs and characteristics of each neighborhood. The initiative will provide a diverse range of programs and services for individuals of all ages, bringing art and culture to the forefront of community life.
QCAN aims to educate and celebrate the borough’s diverse cultures, offering a “menu of services” that includes distinctive workshops, pop-up art exhibitions, borough-wide concerts and shows as well as arts-in-school residencies.
The organization will also offer mentorship programs for high school juniors and seniors aspiring to gain admission to competitive art colleges, career coaching for professional artists, neighborhood beautification murals, and free park events.
Agin said the newly established organization will help people discover and engage with arts in their local neighborhood while also highlighting the crucial role of community engagement in the arts.
“The Arts are a vibrant and diverse field that cannot be reduced to a one-size-fits-all approach. Each community has unique cultural and artistic needs and deserves tailored experiences. It’s your community, your arts,” Agin said in a statement.
VBGCQ CEO Costa Constantinides said QCAN will help deliver the arts to local communities in a “bold and transformative way”.
“In the wake of the COVID pandemic, companies (like Instacart, Amazon, and Uber Eats) have successfully recognized and adapted to evolving consumer behaviors. The arts have also undergone significant changes. QCAN is poised to deliver the arts in a bold and transformative way,” Constantinides said in a statement.
Council Member James Gennaro praised the appointment of Agin as QCAN’s first executive director.
“Susan Agin is a true visionary, and her talents will be instrumental as Queens Culture & Arts Network continues to adapt and evolve to the changing world,” Gennaro said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Susan in this new capacity and am excited to see all she will accomplish.”
Council Member Sandra Ung said QCAN will help enrich and strengthen communities across Queens for years to come and welcomed Agin’s appointment as the organization’s executive director.
“Since I took office, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the team behind the Queens Culture & Arts Network to bring vibrant and engaging programming to District 20,” Ung said in a statement. “One standout initiative has been Concerts in the Park, which brings together families from across Flushing for a joyful day of music in our green spaces. I look forward to continuing our partnership in the year ahead, including collaborating on a mural project to beautify our commercial corridors.”
Meanwhile, Council Member Shekar Krishnan said QCAN will help ensure that Queens’s “rich arts and culture scene” reflects the diversity of different neighborhoods throughout the borough.
“I am proud to support QCAN and look forward to partnering with them on engaging and enriching arts and culture programming for our community,” Krishnan said in a statement.
