QMAil: July 2007

July masthead: Corona Plaza. Photo by Herb Tam.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Generation 1.5

On view through December 2, 2007

Generation 1.5 is an exhibition of the work of eight artists who emigrated in their teenage years. The term "generation 1.5" is used in some communities to describe those who are neither adult immigrants nor American born – the in-between generation of people who moved from one country to another between the ages of 12 and 18. Already undergoing physical and intellectual change during these formative years, 1.5 generation individuals also experience a change in context, in language, in culture. The premise of the exhibition is that the relationship of a 1.5 artist to their adopted country is different than that of a person who immigrated when they were much younger or older. Generation 1.5 is curated by Executive Director of the Queens Museum of Art, Tom Finkelpearl and Chief Curator, Valerie Smith. The participating artists are: Shirin Neshat, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Emily Jacir, Nari Ward, Lee Mingwei, Pablo Helguera, Ellen Harvey and Seher Shah.

In lieu of a printed catalogue, Generation 1.5 will feature an online component that will grow throughout the time of the exhibition. This site is intended to generate thoughtful debate, from artists and non-artists alike, on the influence that being 1.5 may or may not have on artistic practice. Please stop by and contribute comments.

Generation 1.5 has been made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, the Taipei Cultural Center and the Crystal Foundation.

More information is available here.

Photo:

Corona Plaza, Center of Everywhere: Four Site-Specific Projects

On view through October 14, 2007 at QMA

July 1 - October 14, 2007 at Corona Plaza

Corona, Queens has experienced a significant population increase since 1980 due to an influx of recent immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Today, Corona Plaza mirrors the neighborhood's diverse population in a bustling mix of shopping, eating, entertainment and leisure. The Queens Museum of Art has commissioned four emerging artists to produce temporary site-specific art in Corona Plaza, just a few blocks away from the museum's home, Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The projects are part of a larger "Heart of Corona" initiative in which the museum and community partners work towards three main objectives: to improve the health of community residents; beautify the neighborhood; and activate public spaces in the area thereby enhancing the environment for visitors, residents, and merchants alike. Artists Hector Canonge, Stephanie Diamond, Shaun Leonardo and Xaviera Simmons were asked to develop projects that would integrate with the specific conditions of the plaza. Corona Plaza, Center of Everywhere: Four Site-Specific Projects will include an exhibition at the Museum which will document and expand on the projects in the plaza. The works exemplify much contemporary artistic practice that values audience participation, fun, generosity and community engagement. Please see below about the tour with the artists on Saturday, July 1 at noon.
Corona Plaza, Center of Everywhere is made possible with support from the Institute for Museum & Library Services and the Ford Foundation.

Click for more information.

Il Lee: Ballpoint Drawings

July 19 - September 30, 2007

The Queens Museum of Art introduces the work of Il Lee (b. 1952), a Korean-born artist living and working in Brooklyn since 1977. Using disposable ballpoint pens, Lee creates dramatic ink fields on surfaces of canvas and paper. The exhibition includes a selection of large format blue and black ink drawings, early experimental studies, and an impressive fifty-foot installation-his largest work to date. Il Lee: Ballpoint Drawings is curated by Joanna Kleinberg, guest curator.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Korean Cultural Service New York.

Click for more information.

Macro to Micro: Grimshaw in New York

CLOSING Sunday, July 8, 2007

Last chance to catch a glimpse of the future of the Queens Museum of Art! Macro to Micro has been extended to July 8 and includes plans and models of the QMA expansion among other works-in-progress from their New York studio. In accordance with this mission to "demystify the process by which a Grimshaw building is designed and constructed," Macro to Micro offers intimate access into the creative process of an exceedingly dynamic organization. This multi-media exploration will incorporate building elements, drawings, video, images, models and computer generated graphics. Everyone from the novice to the seasoned designer is encouraged to interact with this multifaceted showcase.
Macro to Micro has been made possible with support from Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the LEF Foundation.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Opening Day, Corona Plaza, Center of Everywhere: Four Site-Specific Projects

Sunday, July 1, 12 - 2 pm

QMA has commissioned four emerging artists to produce temporary site-specific art in Corona Plaza (Roosevelt Ave @ 103rd Street), just a few blocks away from the museum's home, Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Projects by Hector Canonge, Stephanie Diamond, Shaun Leonardo and Xaviera Simmons exemplify much contemporary artistic practice that values audience participation, fun, generosity and community engagement. The projects are part of a larger Heart of Corona initiative in which the museum and community partners work towards three main objectives: to improve the health of community residents; beautify the neighborhood; and activate public spaces in the area thereby enhancing the environment for visitors, residents, and merchants alike. On View July 1 - October 14, 2007 at various locations in Corona Plaza and at the QMA. Guides are available for an overview of all the projects.

Passport Fridays - Mexico

Friday, July 6, 6:30 - 10 pm

DANCE: Ballet Folklorico Infantil Telpochli y Nueva Juventud de Mexicanos Unidos de Queens were formed in the year 2000 with the goal of keeping alive the legacy of traditional dance and promoting Mexican culture in New York City.
MUSIC: Mariachi Real de Mexico was founded in 1991 by Ramón Ponce Sr. and Ramón Ponce Jr, bringing Mexican traditional music to all audiences. They have performed at Madison Square Garden, Gracie Mansion, and the Beacon Theater, and made numerous television appearances, including the David Letterman Show.
FILM: QUINCEAÑERA (Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, USA, 2006, 90 min, English & Spanish with English ST)
Magdalena is 14 and anxiously awaiting her 15th birthday where she'll celebrate her quinceanara. Her world starts to crumble when she discovers her pregnancy after not being able to fit in her gown. Soon, she's kicked out of her home, abandoned by her family, and abandoned by her baby's father. Magdalena is then taken in by her great-granduncle, Tomas and her gay, mischievous cousin Carlos. Winner Grand Jury & Audience Awards, Sundance Film Festival

Click for Passport Fridays details.

Cocktail Hour + Poets in the Galleries: Writers Respond to Generation 1.5

Saturday, July 7. 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Poets in the Galleries series utilizes the galleries as invigorating sites of exploration, investigation and interactive readings and discussions. The Generation 1.5 exhibition lends itself especially well to this series as it creates a wonderful springboard for the exchange of ideas related to the immigrant experience. Distinguished and emerging voices in the local, national and international literary scene will deliver lively presentations and provocative intellectual and artistic exchanges will allow audiences new ways of accessing the resources of the museum.
Join us in kicking off the first cocktail hour followed by an interactive gallery tour & readings by Amir Parsa. Parsa was born in Tehran in 1968 and grew up in Iran and the U.S. while attending French international schools. He is the author of Kobolierrot, Tractatüus Philosophiká-Poeticüus, the multilingual L'opéra minora, and Feu L'encre - Fable, among other works. His literary oeuvre - written in English, French and Persian - constitutes a radical polyphonic enterprise that puts into question national, cultural and aesthetic attachments while fashioning new genres, forms and even species of literary artifacts. Mr. Parsa holds degrees from Princeton and Columbia universities and currently lives in New York, where he is a Lecturer and Educator at The Museum of Modern Art and at the Met.

Passport Fridays - Brazil

Friday, July 13, 6:30 - 10 pm

MUSIC: Maracatu New York is a percussion group dedicated to the knowledge and performance of traditional Northeastern Brazilian rhythms. Maracatu fuses these Brazilian elements with New Orleans Second Line rhythms in parade and concert forms. New CD is available now.
DANCE: Carioca Capoeira & Samba Group will present live music, marital arts and dance. Professor Carioca has been teaching capoeira and performing samba since 1990 in such venues as the Guggenheim Museum and the legendary Copacabana nightclub.
FILM: FAVELA RISING (Matt Mochary & Jeff Zimbalist, documentary, Brazil/USA, 2005, 80 min, Portuguese with English ST)
Documents the growth of Rio de Janeiro's AfroReggae movement, a grassroots effort to combat the soul-crushing oppression of the city's most notorious slum. Favela Rising celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture, drawing on hip-hop music and dance to unite the impoverished neighborhood against the ubiquitous drug pushers and corrupt cops. Winner Best New Docu Directors Award at Tribeca Film Festival '05. Co-presented with CinemaTropical.

Click for Passport Fridays details.

CINEMAROSA - queens only queer film series

Sunday, July 15, 3 - 6 pm

Family Ties: LGBT Family Afternoon screening in association with Gay Parent Magazine
BEYOND CONCEPTION: MEN HAVING BABIES (Johnny Symons, USA, 2005, 75 min.)
Oh brave new rainbow-colored world! Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about getting in the family way, here's another twist. The maker of Daddy & Papa delves even deeper into the sensitive but nonetheless sweet world of people who can't have children biologically and who opt for technology instead. This film begs the question, "What is the future of the family?" PLUS for children: a free photography workshop This is my family.

For more information, visit Cinemarosa.

Opening Reception for Il Lee: Ballpoint Drawings

Thursday, July 19, 6 - 8 pm

View the artist's explorations of this unusual medium including the fifty-foot installation completed for his debut exhibition at the QMA. Please join us in the Unisphere Gallery for a free and festive celebration of Il Lee's latest exhibition.

Passport Fridays - Colombia

Friday, July 20, 6:30 - 10 pm

Dance: Folkloric Ballet Mestizo was established in 1999 with goal of promoting and preserving the traditions of Colombian culture. They incorporate different folkloric rythms and movements into their own modern style and have played at such venues as Thalia Spanish Theater.
MUSIC: La Cumbiamba eNeYé performs with traditional instruments from the African Diaspora in Colombia, and with indigenous and European instruments as well. In Colombia, Cumbiamba is a familiar word that denotes an outdoors celebration with live cumbia music, or the bands that perform in such events. La Cumbiamba eNeYé evokes this lively atmosphere with every performance.
FILM: El CARRO (Luis Orjeula, Colombia, 2003, 93 min, Spanish with English ST)
The Velez's, a typical middle-class family from Bogotá, Colombia, buy their first car in an attempt to move up the local social ladder. Little do they that the car will become the location for both the best of times and their biggest problems...

Click for Passport Fridays details.

Cocktail Hour + Poets in the Galleries: Writers Respond to Generation 1.5

Saturday, July 21, 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Join us for a cocktail hour followed by interactive gallery tour & readings by Mónica de la Torre. De la Torre is author of Talk Shows (Switchback Books, 2007) and Acúfenos, a collection of poems in Spanish published recently in Mexico City by Taller Ditoria. She is co-author of the artist book Appendices, Illustrations & Notes and translator and editor of a volume of selected poems by Gerardo Deniz, one of Mexico's leading exponents of Neo-Baroque writing. She co-edited the anthology Reversible Monuments: Contemporary Mexican Poetry with Michael Wiegers (Copper Canyon Press, 2002) and is the poetry editor of The Brooklyn Rail. She is working on a doctoral dissertation on poetry movements of the 70s in Latin America.

Passport Fridays - India

Friday July 27, 6:30 - 10 pm

DANCE: Dance in Queens 5th Anniversary Alumni Showcase featuring Christalyn Wright & Dusan Tynek
MUSIC: DJ Rekha (Basement Bhangra) accompanied by Live Dhol Drummer + Bhangra Dancers
FILM: DOR/THE THREAD (Nagesh Kukunoor, India, 2006, 124 min, Hindi with English ST)
With Ayesha Takia, Shreyas Talpade, Gul Panag. Zeenat, an independent, headstrong Muslim woman from the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, learns that her husband stands accused in Saudi Arabia of the death of another Indian man. She embarks on a dramatic journey across the deserts of Rajasthan to seek the forgiveness of the only one who can pardon him but Zeenat soon discovers that Meera's fate is no less precarious than her own, reduced to a servile dependence on her father-in-law. In Hindi, English subtitles. Co-Presented with Indo-American Arts Council & 3rd i NY.

Click for Passport Fridays details.

FOR SENIORS

Senior programs will return in the fall. Please call 718.592.9700 x133 for more information.

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QMA INFORMATION

Location

New York City Building
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens NY 11368
TEL: 718 592 9700

Click for Museum directions

Summer Hours

JULY 5 - SEPTEMBER 3
Wednesday - Sunday:
12 - 6 pm
Friday:
12 - 8 pm

Closed Monday & Tuesday

Admission

Admission is by suggested donation.
Adults: $5
Senior and Children: $2.50
Members and Children
under five: Free

Tours

Enjoy free tours of the Panorama and special exhibitions on Saturdays and Sundays, including Spanish tours on Sundays.

Family Workshops

On Sunday afternoons from 1:30 - 4:30 pm, join us for free drop-in artmaking workshops for children 5-12 and their families.

Unisphere Café

Open every weekend — featuring small plates, sushi, desserts and beverages. Lunch with a view of the Unisphere.

unisphere cafe

GET or GIVE QMAil

Email addresses are only used to receive QMAil.

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Free Guided Tours

Join and interactive tour with a teaching artist to view the current exhibition. Every Saturday & Sunday at 2, 3 & 4 PM.

Language Programs

English as a Second Language

Join a teaching artist in a conversation class that uses art as a medium for discussion. Every Sunday at 2, 2:30 & 4:30.

Tours in Spanish (Arte en espanol)

Explore the galleries and exhibitions at QMA with a Queens artist and participate in Spanish conversations about art. Spanish speakers of all levels welcome.

Art Making Playgroup in Spanish

For children ages 1 - 10, accompanied by parents.
July 6 to August 17: For children ages 1 to 7 (accompanied by an adult): 2 - 4 pm (trolley service from Shea Stadium subway stop to QMA).
For children ages 8 to 10 (accompanied by an adult): 4 - 6 pm (trolley service from 111th St. and 47th Ave to QMA.

Photography in Spanish with Sol Aramendi

Photo I (for beginners), August through September
Fridays from 1 - 3 pm & Sundays from 10 am - 12 pm
Photo II (advanced), October through November
Sundays from 3 - 5 pm
Space is limited. Call 718.595.9700 x135 to make reservations.

Graphic Design with José Rodríguez

Learn the basics of Photoshop and graphic design, for beginning and intermediate computer learners (bilingual English/Spanish). No previous experience with a computer or with graphic design is necessary. July through August
Photoshop (for beginners): Saturdays from 10:30 - 12:30 pm.
Graphic Design (for intermediate): Mondays from 2 - 5 pm.

For Adults

Spoken Word & Performance Workshop with Erica R. DeLaRosa at Flushing Library

Artist/Performer/Educator/Activist Erica DeLaRosa will take participants on a journey of remaking and sharing their personal histories using the tools of Spoken Word, performance and the visual arts. At the end of this workshop, the community will be encouraged to share their performative works in a free performance at the Queens Museum of Art on August 6. Pre-registration is required. Mondays from 5:30 - 7:30 pm on: July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.

Artist-led Tours of Generation 1.5 and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

As a part of the Generation 1.5 exhibition, the QMA will host tours led by featured artists. Each tour will begin with a review of the artist's show at QMA, and then continue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). Free transportation will be provided, and tours will be offered in English, Spanish, and several other languages. Times and Dates TBA - Call 718.592.9700 x221 for most current information.

Art Workshop for Adults with Special Needs

Sundays, Session 1 from 12 - 12:45 PM & Session 2 from 1 - 1:45 PM.

Interested in volunteering at the museum?

The Museum Shop needs assistance Monday-Friday between 9 am -5 pm. Please call Betty at 718.592.9700 x238 for more details.

PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS

The Panorama of the City of New York

A perennial favorite of all who have visited the museum, the Panorama of the City of New York originally commissioned by Robert Moses for the 1964 World's Fair, is the largest architectural scale model in the world. At 9,335 square feet, it includes the 320 square miles and 895,000 buildings that comprise the city. With a scale of 1 inch:1200 feet, the Panorama offers a truly unique view of the five boroughs, one that has left the six million people who have seen it in awe. As the lights fade and night falls on New York, viewers can experience the unique view of the city at night, with the city's streets glowing with activity.

Panorama Tours

Enjoy free tours of the Panorama on Saturdays and Sundays.

Weekend Panorama Scavenger Hunts for Kids!

All young visitors are invited to participate in a Scavenger Hunt which encourages them to look closely at the museum's permanent collection of World's Fair memorabilia and the 9,335 sq. ft model of New York City, the Panorama of the City of New York. Activity sheets are available in English and Spanish and those who successfully complete the hunt are rewarded with a prize from our gift shop.

Tiffany: The Glass

This new installation of Tiffany glass from the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass is the first to focus solely on the flat sheets of opalescent glass Louis C. Tiffany used to create the spectacular leaded windows and lamps for which he is best known. Tiffany: The Glass delves into some of his explorations into the replication of flower petals, autumn foliage, sunsets and even angels' wings.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: QMA to Expand

On October 4, 2006, the QMA released the highly anticipated architectural designs for the expansion project that will more than double the size of the museum and signal a new phase in the institution's history. The design, conceived by Grimshaw Architects with prime consultant Ammann & Whitney, allows the museum to occupy the whole of the New York City Building, thereby providing an additional 50,000 square feet of space for galleries, flexible public and special event venues, education studios, back-of-house facilities and visitor amenities. In addition, the design enhances the museum's visibility and its connection to the physical environment and community in which it is situated.

Click here to view additional information on the museum's expansion project.

The Queens Museum is housed in the New York City Building, which is owned by the City of New York. With the assistance of the Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and the New York City Council, the Museum is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Department for the Aging and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development. The Queens Museum of Art is proud to be a Cultural Arts Partner of WNYC Radio. Additional funding is provided by the New York State Legislature, the New York State Council on the Arts, New York Council on the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, generous corporate and foundation supporters, members and friends.

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