Council Member Sandra Ung and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) leadership in Flushing on Nov. 14 to announce $1.3 million in Council funding for the organization’s new cultural center for art exhibitions, community events and youth engagement.
AAFE’s Union Street Cultural Hub will transform existing office space at 35-34 Union St. into a permanent home for the Asian American Arts Centre’s collection of art from the Asian American community across the United States.
The space will also host exhibitions, educational programming and community events designed to celebrate Asian American culture and strengthen community ties.
The new hub is part of AAFE’s mission to empower Asian American and immigrant communities by providing access to arts and community events in Flushing.
The new space will host Asian American artwork curated by Bob Lee, executive director of the Asian American Arts Centre. AAFE will also partner with local organizations and youth groups to platform local artwork at the new space.
Thomas Yu, executive director of AAFE, said the new space will be unique in the sense that it will platform Asian American art, stating that most museums and cultural spaces in the city tend to focus on art originating from Asia.
“If you look at our mainstream institutions, their Asian art is really about Asia. We’re talking about American history here,” Yu said. “It (the collection) is like a web of all American stories and how they interweave together.”
The new cultural hub will also provide opportunities for young people to engage with the arts and learn more about the diverse heritage that shapes their community, Ung’s office said. AAFE will work with local organizations and institutions including Flushing High School, Veritas Academy and Queens High School for Language Studies to provide those opportunities.
It is also partnering with the nonprofit Think!Chinatown to create a vision for the cultural hub and help steward its archive.
Ung said the space would bring “incredible art programming” to what is currently an office space, stating that the new hub will provide community members with access to invaluable opportunities.
“This will be a vital center that will serve as a hub for art community events designed to celebrate the Asian American culture and strengthening community ties,” Ung said.
Adams, meanwhile, said the new hub will serve as a dedicated space for Asian artists and scholars and spoke of the importance of providing access to art and culture spaces throughout the city.
“I know that artistic and creative expressions are not just confined to the walls of a museum or theaters on Broadway,” Adams said. “The arts thrive in every single neighborhood, within our classrooms and in our youth centers and community institutions.
“Arts and culture are essential to who we are and why we’re here. It’s our obligation to nurture the brilliance of our people and give them spaces to shine.”
AAFE has secured $1.8 million in funding for the new space, with New York State and the Mellon Foundation providing some of the remaining $500,000.
The funding will support building-wide renovations and improvements, including exterior waterproofing, replacement of water-damaged floors and walls, climate control upgrades to safely store artwork and plumbing and electrical work.
Yu said construction work is set to begin in January and said the organization is currently reviewing several architect proposals. He anticipates that the project will take “roughly a year” to complete.
Meanwhile, the organization will work to secure funding to help fund programming at the space once construction has been completed.
