“Sausage and fishball vendor” by Cindy Trinh (Flushing, New York 2019)
— This Is Home tells stories of the AAPI community in New York City and abroad —
Flushing Town Hall will welcome the Year of the Rabbit with its presentation of This is Home, a Lunar New Year Photo Exhibition, opening with a reception on Saturday, January 21, and running through February 26. Featuring the works of New York City-based photographers Janice Chung, Cindy Trinh, and An Rong Xu, the exhibition tells a visual story of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities: how they live, work, love, and when needed, stand up for what they believe.
Janice Chung is a Korean American photographer born and raised in Flushing, Queens. Chung amplifies and deconstructs her Korean American heritage through her work by capturing deeply personal moments. In doing so, she sheds light on the intricate details of immigrant and diasporic life while straddling the two places she calls home, New York and South Korea. Her previous series Han in Town, which showed at Flushing Town Hall, celebrated the community that raised and supported her.
Cindy Trinh is a New York-based photographer and photojournalist passionate about art and social justice. Trinh, who is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, uses her photos to show the lives of Asian Americans living in Chinatown and Flushing. She captures vendors and shopkeepers at work and highlights protests by Asian Americans over the violence and racism their community has faced.
An Rong Xu is a New York City and Taipei-based photographer and director. Born in China and raised in New York City’s Chinatown, Xu explores the world around him through his unique cultural perspective. Xu’s work is rooted in the beauty of the ordinary, capturing a rich cinematic stillness in his photography and a passionate ethereal journey in his films. His series My Americans tells the stories of Chinese Americans who have fought to keep their culture, hopes, and dreams alive while building a new life in a foreign land. Selections from Xu’s New Romantics series create emotional narratives to reflect on our relationship with the world and what we’ve learned through love, loss, and human connection
“Our neighborhood, and New York City more broadly, is home to vibrant and diverse Asian and Asian American communities. We are proud to showcase their stories as told by these three talented NYC-based photographers at Flushing Town Hall’s gallery during the Lunar New Year,” said Flushing Town Hall’s Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek.
“The past few years have been difficult with increased violence and racism against Asian American in New York City during the pandemic,” says Flushing Town Hall’s Director of Art Services, Daniel Bamba. “This exhibition celebrates the AAPI community’s resiliency in the face of those challenges, and to borrow from one of the protest signs pictured, ‘We Are Stronger Together.’”
Flushing Town Hall will be celebrating the Lunar New Year all month long. Other Lunar New Year events this month include “Thump Thump” Rabbit Coloring Workshop on Saturday, January 21, at 3 PM and two special family-friendly performances of “Hao Bang-ah, Rabbit!” by Chinese Theatre Works on Sunday, January 29, one at 1 PM and 3 PM, each followed by an optional workshop.
Lunar New Year is the grandest traditional festival in Asian cultures, marking the start of a new year for those whose months are moon cycles. Each year is represented by one of 12 Zodiac animals, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, beginning January 22. The Rabbit is known to be the luckiest of all of the zodiac animals, symbolizing character traits such as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity.
Lunar New Year events for calendar listings
“Thump Thump” Rabbit Coloring Workshop
Sat, Jan 21, 2023 at 3:00 PM
In-Person Tickets: $12/$7 Members, Seniors, & Students w/ID
All ages are welcome. Workshop space is limited (25 participants max).
In celebration of the Year of the Rabbit, participants will color a rabbit painting together! During this family-friendly workshop, artist Stephanie Lee will guide guests step by step toward a finished rabbit painting. The artwork will be inspired by 19th-century Korean folk art depicting rabbits under a full moon making medicine of immortality under a cinnamon tree.
https://www.flushingtownhall.org/thump-thump-rabbit-coloring-workshop
Chinese Theatre Works: Hao Bang-ah, Rabbit! Budaixi-style Puppetry w Live Music
Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM
In-Person Tickets: $15/$10 members, seniors, students, and children under 12 (Performance only)
$22/$17 members, seniors, students, and children under 12 (Performance plus workshop)
All ages are welcome. Workshop space is limited (25 participants max).
“Hao Bang Ah!” is a common Chinese expression meaning “Great!” or “Well done!” Each year, CTW celebrates the Lunar New Year season with an original “budaixi” (traditional Chinese glove-puppet) production that features the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year’s production stars the Rabbit, who will preside over a jolly selection of wild puppet skits, dances, popular songs, and well-known Chinese sayings celebrating the wit and wisdom of the Zodiac animals.
Audiences will be introduced to traditional Chinese New Year customs and foods (red envelopes, fish, and “nian gao”). Special guests include the Jade Rabbit on the Moon and other all-star members of our Zodiac puppet ensemble. Sing-alongs, games, and hands-on post-show demonstrations will make the Chinese bi-lingual cultural experience accessible to even the youngest audience members!
For the venue’s full schedule of 2023 Winter events, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/events
COVID Policy:
Although as of March 7, 2022, New York City has relaxed its COVID policies for indoor arts and entertainment events, Flushing Town Hall will maintain its prior policy for the safety of its audiences, artists, and staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice: Flushing Town Hall requires all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 with matching identification. Additionally, masks will be required at all times. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety.
Support Global Arts with a Gift Today!
All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits, including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world.
https://www.flushingtownhall.org/circle-of-friends
Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization and receives major support in 2022 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and New York City Council Members Sandra Ung, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, Lynn Schulman, and Jessica Won; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.
To view current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings
About Flushing Town Hall
Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.
Flushing Town Hall is a proud member of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), a collective of 34 nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens across all five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with the City of New York and a commitment to serving all New Yorkers.
Land Acknowledgement:
Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.
