Artists, creatives, and leaders from New York City’s cultural institutions gathered on Monday, April 21, to launch the fourth annual Queens Rising, a month-long celebration spotlighting the borough’s thriving arts scene and the diversity that defines it.
Held at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, the launch event brought together performers, curators, directors, and community advocates in a show of solidarity and pride for Queens’ creative spirit. The celebration, which takes place throughout the month of June, promotes hundreds of performances, exhibitions and cultural programs presented by artists and venues across the borough.
“Our fourth annual gathering today is a community of artists and arts organizations and our supporters to celebrate and amplify the cultural vitality that exists in the most wonderful borough in this city,” said Jeff Rosenstock, assistant vice president for external and governmental relations at Queens College. “One of our primary goals was to create a sense of shared community and allow artists, arts administrators, curators, and directors to get to know each other better, discuss potential collaborative efforts, help each other, and be there for each other.”
Launched in 2022 out of an Arts Advisory Board meeting at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Queens Rising was created to unify and uplift the borough’s cultural sector through coordinated events and shared resources. The effort is supported by a broad coalition of local arts institutions, including Flushing Town Hall, Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, Queens Theatre, the Louis Armstrong House Museum and many more.
“Queens Rising will shine a spotlight on the many cultural groups that call Queens home,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Organizations that have helped us find who we are as a borough and enrich the lives of millions of families here. From performances to art and beyond, there is something for everyone to enjoy—and it’s so important, during a time of division in this country, for us to be able to share our unique stories.”
Lead sponsors for Queens Rising 2025 and 2026 include Resorts World New York City and LIJ Forest Hills/Northwell Health, both of which have supported the initiative since its inception.
“This is Queens, and one thing that everybody who comes here will discover is authenticity,” said Michelle Stoddart, senior vice president of community development at Resorts World NYC. “We are proud of the people and the diversity that’s represented in this borough. We celebrate the kickoff of Queens Rising today, as this effort continues to amplify the wonderful work of the creative community in Queens. Resorts World looks forward to supporting this effort for years to come.”
Attendees were treated to a moving seven-minute preview of Echoes of Arrival, an original work by artists Shany Chuang and Timmy Ong. The interdisciplinary performance weaves together immigrant stories through dance, music, and poetry, reflecting the borough’s deep immigrant roots and multicultural identity.
Students affiliated with the Queens World Film Festival also introduced themselves and their projects during the event. Executive Director Katha Cato closed the segment with a powerful reflection on storytelling and community.
“I want to remind you that from the beginning of time, we have gathered in the darkened caves around the flickering lights to share our stories,” Cato said. “We’ve upgraded the caves, flickering lights are now zeros and ones, but the impulse to gather remains. And it is in that darkness when we gasp in unison, we laugh in unison, we pretend that we are not crying in unison—we remember they is we, them is us, and I’m just another you. I want to thank Resorts World, the Queens Museum, and Queens Rising for making sure we can gather together today.”
This year’s Queens Rising will feature programming from dozens of neighborhood arts partners across all corners of the borough, from Long Island City to Jamaica, Corona to Astoria, spotlighting performances in music, dance, theater, visual art, and film.
For a full list of events and participating venues, visit queensrising.nyc.
