Immigrants and Parks Initiative

QMA is one of nine vibrant organizations, and the only arts institution, that are part of The Immigrants & Parks Collaborative, an initiative of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, that is committed to fueling locally driven, immigrant-led community development by creating opportunities for civic engagement in neighborhood parks. The Collaborative encourages local government, institutions, and organizations to work together to use parks in creative ways for inclusive community development and park improvements. Parks are a city’s truly democratic spaces, equal to all. Regardless of background, neighbors rely on parks for recreation, strengthening social ties, and improving physical and emotional well-being. The Collaborative aims to ensure our city’s open spaces are democratic, representative of neighbors’ wants and needs, and serve as relevant resources for all New Yorkers

Conceived of and funded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund, the Immigrants & Parks Collaborative consists of a unique partnership among a private foundation, city agency, private-public entity, and advocacy organization. Partnerships for Parks, a joint program of City Parks Foundation and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and the New York Immigration Coalition work together to provide technical assistance to local organizations and parks groups to remove barriers that prevent immigrants from enjoying and participating in the city’s parks.

The QMA initiated its participation in The Immigrants & Parks Collaborative in early 2008 to increase the civic involvement of the newest New Yorkers and help foster a sense of communal identity and personal investment in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The QMA has and will continue to create pilot programs assessing the needs of visitors to the park, assisting the Museum in creating coalitions of communities who use the park, and encouraging neighbors to take ownership of the park through engagement in park clean-up events and community art festivals. The QMA’s collaborative and sustainable program focusing on the central core of the park closest to the Museum to produce interactive, bridge-building cultural programming that addresses key issues affecting park users and park administration. The QMA will also utilize this opportunity to contribute to a language access task force assisting the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in implementation and evaluation of its Language Access Plan, as recently mandated by Mayor’s Executive Order 120.

To date the following activities have been undertaken:

Mobile Museum

Queens Museum commissioned artist Ixrael to create a bike-transported structure that combines that brings the museum into the park. Part museum and part information center, the Mobile Museum contains materials informing park users of events that are taking place in various locations and institutions in the park, and folds out into a studio for hands-on artmaking workshops.

iPower Youth Summer Program

iPower is a service for youth at risk coordinated by group leaders and executed by its members . Every Wednesday throughout July and August, iPower spent a day at the Museum and in the park taking part in activities that energize both the park those in it, including cooking, physical activities, musical and theatrical performances and various exercises in environment awareness . The iDO Theater from iPower presented their play in late August 2008 both inside the museum and out in the park.

Painting in the Park Classes

On Saturday afternoons in the summer, participants discovered the different physical features of the park while creating their own landscape paintings with the help of an art educator. Artists of all ages and skill levels worked with artists and naturalists to build a deeper understand of both their environment and the visual arts.

The Video Outreach Project

The Video Outreach Project was created for participant in the QMA’s New New Yorkers program to document activities in the park and to publish them at new media websites. The intention was to have a multilingual collection about the park for those who use it most.
View Videos

Art & Archery in the Park

On summer Saturdays, youth participants created and decorated their own bows, arrows and targets and then tested their skills in a friendly Archery Competition at the end of the summer. The class was taught by martial arts master Dino Blanche with a curriculum devised to increase participants’ focus, discipline, and concentration, while highlighting the way that parks could be utilized for mind-body wellness.

Outdoor Theater Festival in Spanish

On three weekends in September 2008, the QMA hosted a series of performing arts programs in the park just outside the museum’s Unisphere entrance. Featuring musical and theatrical presentations that reflect the particular cultures, needs and desires of the community, the performances pleased the crowds and also allowed for artistic expression in a public recreational space.

Music Without Borders Festival

An outdoor showcase for the true diversity of Latin American music, beyond salsa and meringue, the Music Without Borders Festival brought bands including R-Tronika, Sweet Electra, Heladeras de Frape, and Nutria, to the park. Embracing alternative genres such as rock and electronic music, these bands aiding in creating an inclusive space for cultural and musical exchange for the entire family. Also, as part of this event we invited community organizations such as New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Restaurant Opportunities Center of NY, The Door, In Our Hearts, and Food Not Bombs to share information about their services.

It’s My Park Day

It’s My Park! Day, featuring a series of events on Saturday May 17, 2008 presented a multi-park celebration of public park spaces. Corona’s Linden Park, Corona Plaza and Flushing Meadows Corona Park teamed up to provide family programming including the artist collective U.C.N.Y.C. who presented a mixed media art collective piece featuring an all ages street musical puppet show, and a DJ and VJ set at the Museum.

To see the photo gallery from these events please visit
Immigrants & Parks Flickr Page