Flushing Town Hall 2026 Arts Grants for Queens
This program is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Community Arts Grant Recipients (for Organizations)
Acoustic Memories will present Jam of the Diasporas, a recurring participatory music and dance series that brings together immigrant artists, local musicians, dancers, and audiences through live improvisation. Each jam is led by a professional house band rooted in diasporic traditions such as Latin jazz, tango, Afro-diasporic rhythms, and tap dance, with open invitations for other musicians or artistic practitioners a.k.a “jammers“ to join their second set. This structure supports intergenerational learning, mentorship, and sustained engagement while maintaining high artistic quality. For more info, visit: acousticmemories.org
Astoria Film Festival Inc. will present The AFF Media Production Lab, aimed to empower historically-ignored youth between the ages of 16 and 28 throughout NYC, providing them with essential skills, hands-on experience, and valuable connections to pursue industry careers, particularly in Production Assistance, as well as an introduction to jobs in Post-Production: Marketing, and Post-Production: Editing/VFX. For more info, visit: astoriafilmfestival.org
Clipmode Connect Incorporated will present Mixed Media Mondays, a multi-disciplinary art class that covers a broad range of artistic disciplines, focusing on drawing, painting, line work, sculpture, collage and more. Their goal is to provide free high-level art education to all community members in Rockaway Beach, Queens. This 8-week curriculum welcomes everyone, from beginners with no formal training to experienced artists, promoting collaboration and mentorship. The 8 week sessions culminate with a public art show, celebrating the work of students, teachers, and everyone involved. For more info, visit: mondaynightart.square.site
DanceStream Projects, fiscally sponsored by Queens Community House, will present Stories in the Moment: Raising Our Voices, is a dance and poetry project designed to amplify the voices of older adults and people living with dementia in three neighborhoods in Queens. Over 5 months, DanceStream Projects artists and participants will develop shared movement language evolving into co-designed choreography using Stories in the Moment, build connections between movement-based and oral/written language through co-created poetry alongside a poet living with dementia, and connect with community members through an interactive culminating dance performance and printed zine featuring their poetry. For more info, visit: dancestreamprojects.org
Eclipses Group Theater New York Corporation will produce a powerful anti-war masterpiece, The Trojan Women. This large-scale production will involve 12 actors and approximately 18–20 artists. The performance will feature live music, with original compositions created specifically for this production. For more info, visit: egtny.com
Edgemere Farm Works' project will consist of two events as part of their 2026 arts and education program: Laughter and Introspection - An immersive site-specific program consisting of a sonic meditation and an original musical performance by ambient composer Laraaji. And Harvest Archives - An all-ages workshop program where participants will learn about the history and process of cyanotype printmaking while creating and exhibiting their own cyanotype prints using fruits, vegetables and herbs found at the farm. For more info, visit: edgemerefarm.org
Hoyer-Zev, fiscally sponsored by Tallichet Freedman Foundation, will present The 2026 Fallow Frames Biennial in Spring 2026. Twenty local artists will create site-specific works in empty tree beds throughout the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens. Using an online and printed map, visitors will be invited to wander the streets and experience a range of artworks, including sculpture, installations, landscaping, and performances. For more info, visit: fallowframes.org
Jackson Heights Beautification Group will present Summer Sundays in the Park, a long-running performance series and a beloved fixture of summer life since 2004. The series presents free weekly outdoor concerts each July and August in Travers Park, showcasing the extraordinary cultural diversity of Jackson Heights, one of the most vibrant multicultural neighborhoods in the world. For more info, visit: jhbg.org
Fiorello H La Guardia Community College Association will present The Magic Touch, a 45 minute documentary film about a long gone iconic gay bar in Jackson Heights that once served as a center for community and political organizing for the LGBTQ+ community. Nicknamed “The Tragic Touch”, the bar which was located on 37th Road between 74th and 73rd Streets and closed in 1998, was a safe space at a time when LGBTQ+ people were regularly “gay bashed” on the street. For more info, visit: lpac.nyc
Flamenco Latino and Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana will co-present En Comunidad: Flamenco at Socrates Sculpture Park, an immersive, site-specific flamenco performance in May 2026 that celebrates Queens' vibrant Hispanic and Latino communities while bridging generations through the art of flamenco. The event will feature a guided journey through the park led by Aurora Reyes—founder of Flamenco Latino, longtime Queens resident, and beloved elder in New York City's flamenco community. Through storytelling (live or pre-recorded audio tour), Aurora will illuminate how flamenco has taken root and flourished within Queens' diverse communities. For more info, visit: flamencolatino.com
Guardians of Flushing Bay will present Revealing the Water: Culturally Daylighting Flushing Waterways, a cultural campaign that will focus on daylighting Flushing Creek through multiple touchpoints. The campaign takes a two-pronged approach: 1. Reveal the path of the creek through artist-led social practice walking tours, culminating in our annual “SaturBAY” celebration, and 2. Develop a series of multimedia graphics and short-form videos that illustrate the route of Flushing Waterways and the impact of daylighting. For more info, visit: guardiansofflushingbay.org
JH Art Talks, fiscally sponsored by Jackson Heights Beautification Group, is planning five in-person artist talks at Espresso 77 café on Wednesdays in April, May, June, September, and October. Each event will also be livestreamed. Each evening will showcase two or more artists. Three of the events will feature an invited artist, who will be asked to select another Queens-based artist whose work compliments their own, to do a shorter introductory presentation. For more info, visit: jharttalks.com
Mithila Center USA will present their annual program, Mithila Festival USA – Art for SDGs: The Mithila Heritage Exhibition with Cultural Program, to preserve, promote, and celebrate Mithila folk art and cultural heritage. The project uses traditional Mithila folk art as a creative medium to introduce and interpret the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equality, climate action, quality education, and peace. For more info, visit: mithilaarts.org
Neela Dance Academy, Inc., fiscally sponsored by The Glow Cultural Center, will present a full-scale performance featuring all of its students, celebrating the richness of Indian classical dance. The three-hour long program will be presented in two parts, each dedicated to one of their core disciplines: Kathak and Kuchipudi. For more info, visit: neeladanceacademy.com
Rockaway Camber Music, fiscally sponsored by Edgemere Farm Works Incorporated, will present Rockaway Chamber Music: Season Four, which consists of four public chamber music concerts that will take place between June 1st and September 15th of 2026. Following the success of Season Three initiatives, this summer RCM will once again commission esteemed composers to create new chamber works inspired by the local landscape for Season Four. For more info, visit: rockawaychambermusic.org
Salvatore Larussa Dance Company, Inc. will present FREE SUNDAY PERFORMING ARTS | Queens Outdoor Dance Festival, their free annual Dance Festival, celebrating their 18th Anniversary Year at their Queens studio, Larussa Studio. The festivals' intent is to provide a dynamic and easily accessible live dance experience for all. The festival invites ten dance companies, Queens' artists recommended, to perform a fully produced production of their work at their outdoor stage on the first Sunday of June and October 2026 at 5PM. For more info, visit: sldt.org
Senior Theater Acting Repertory (S.T.A.R) will present Bringing Live Theater and Songs to Queens. STAR is a touring company of seniors, ages 60s-90s, that provides performances in a variety of venues, at no cost to audience members. They perform in venues throughout Queens, some where the audience members reside, such as assisted living, rehab, nursing home facilities and the VA. For more info, visit: star-queens.org
Sunnyside Community Services will present Lifelong Learning in Arts, where participants will learn various arts techniques as an empowering self-reflection on aging and identity. Sunnyside Community Services will recruit 15 older adults (60+ years old) from their Center for Active Older Adults, open to all older New Yorkers, to explore lifelong learning through art. This workshop series will celebrate older adults for their newfound talents and defy ageist societal narratives, such as “you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.” For more info, visit: scsny.org
The 876 Project (formerly The Voice of Youth Changes Everything Inc.) will present Black to the Future: Community Arts & Cultural Stage + Imagination Tent, a multidisciplinary public arts activation presented during the 2026 Juneteenth in Queens Festival, the largest free Black cultural celebration in NYC. This project combines a cultural performance stage with an interactive arts tent, creating a vibrant space where residents of all ages can experience, create, and celebrate Black artistic expression. For more info, visit: instagram.com/the876project
The Dream Unfinished will present VITALS, a free outdoor health and wellness festival that has successfully taken place for five consecutive years at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL). Now entering its sixth year, the festival’s unique approach combines live musical programming with an array of local health resources, creating an entertaining and informative experience for the Jamaica community. For more info, visit: thedreamunfinished.org
The Forest Park Trust, Inc. will present Southwestern Queens Folk, Jazz, and New Music Series, their second annual, free, 3-performance concert series, featuring world-class area musicians performing traditional folk, jazz and original music. The musicians reside in or are presenting music with ties to Southwestern Queens. For more info, visit: forestparktrust.org
The Garage Art Center will present Art Next Door: A Year of Workshops and Dialogue in Queens, a yearlong series of six in-person public art programs taking place throughout 2026 at The Garage Art Center in Bayside, Queens. What sets this series apart is its intimate setting: each event is held in the very space where the artist’s solo exhibition is on view, allowing participants to engage deeply with the work and the artist in a familiar, welcoming environment. For more info, visit: garageartcenter.org
The Reform Temple of Forest Hills will present the Forest Hills Chamber Music Series, three chamber music concerts in 2026 that continues their mission of bringing world-class performances to the Queens community. Each concert features professional musicians with credentials from institutions including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Juilliard, Curtis Institute, and leading international ensembles. For more info, visit: rtfh.org
The Tallichet Freedman Foundation LTD will present Public Exhibition of Art Works from TTFF Visual Art Grantees 2024-2025. Since their inception, The Tallichet Freedman Foundation has awarded grants to 20 visual artists. Through an exhibition open to the public, TTFF will showcase the work of these artists to the community. The exhibition will consist of selected works from the twenty artists who have received micro grants from The Tallichet Freedman Foundation beginning in 2024 through 2025. For more info, visit: thetallichetfreedmanfoundation.org
Valé Collective, fiscally sponsored by Laru Beya Collective, will present Field Notes, a community centered public arts program to Far Rockaways Ecology. Field Notes is a spring and summer public arts and science program that uses water, soils, and aquatecture as a creative framework to explore rising sea levels and coastal resiliency in the Rockaways. Led by Valé Collective, a Latinx led, eco centered organization based in Far Rockaway, the project brings together artists, scientists, and community members to study how land and water interact and how these systems shape everyday life along Queens’ coastline. For more info, visit: issuu.com/camilaamorales/docs/val_collective
Artists in Queens Grant Recipients (for Individual Artists and Unincorporated Collectives)
Anjali Kamat will present THE BELIEVERS, a new documentary film project that follows the journey of a working-class Muslim community from the despair of the post 9/11 era into the first year under a South Asian Muslim mayor, all through the eyes of 17-year-old Bangladeshi twin sisters who live in central Queens.
Ariel Mombrea (The Seeing Place / Gabbing With Gays) will present Fierce Figures, a community soundwalk of Coming Out stories, featuring an intergenerational community of LGBTQIA+ Queens residents. They will gather audio stories and memories about the process of Coming Out, and turn them into a 20-minute guided soundwalk. On the day of their public presentation, they will use pirate radio to listen to the soundwalk as it guides participants around Astoria to important locations for the LGBTQIA+ community. For more info, visit: theseeingplace.org
Daniel Giachetti (Mortal Hearts) will create Photocopy Composition Machine, a new invention in Queens harnessing both the mechanics of the photocopier and its power to be a machine that democratizes creation. This new invention will allow all participants, regardless of skill level or background, to become composers. A photocopy of each composition will be added to a gallery wall behind the copier, and select compositions will be turned into a photocopied zine available free at bookshops and cafes throughout Queens. For more info, visit: mortalhearts.com
Derick Melander will present The Collective Thread, a new body of work through a month-long residency combining collaborative workshops and individual studio production. The Collective Thread centers on garment rubbings made from the clothing of participating residents. Using a rubbing technique developed with wax pastels and encaustic on drafting film, Derick will translate seams, details, and textures into colorful, line-driven compositions. Each work functions as an abstract yet intimate portrait, shaped by the material history of the garment and the lived experience of its wearer. For more info, visit: derickmelander.com
Marcela Artunduaga will present Reality Meets Fiction: Fragments from Jackson Heights, an interdisciplinary community art project that merges photography, multimedia storytelling, and theater forms like playwriting and radio theater. It invites participants to create characters and fiction stories inspired by documenting our communities in our everyday world. For more info, visit: instagram.com/reality_meets_fiction
Guillermo Laporta will present The Queens Musical Passport, a musical project that invites children and families to “travel” across Queens’ neighborhoods using music as their guide. Classical-music performances will take place at five Queens Public Library branches—Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Astoria, and Elmhurst—with a culminating celebration at the Central Library in Jamaica. For more info, visit: guillermolaporta.com
Marc Nuñez (Gotham Dance Theater) will present Summer Suite 8.0: Rock the World, an annual, outdoor, high-energy performance series blending street jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop, set to global music that reflects the diversity of Gotham Dance Theater and resonates with their Queens audiences. Each year, the series also includes free community dance classes, reinforcing their mission to make dance accessible, inclusive, and culturally rooted. For more info, visit: gothamdancetheater.com/repertory/summer-suite
Midori Larsen will present Go Chase Your Dreams, a new choral work and music video project rooted in Queens, centering the stories and messages of immigrant mothers as voiced through their children. Written for the middle school chorus at Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School 157 in Rego Park, the piece reflects her ongoing artistic practice of transforming lived experiences into music. For more info, visit: midorilarsen.com
Natalia Chamorro will present Your Words: Memoir Writing Workshop. Natalia will guide up to 15-20 Spanish-speaking Queens community members in writing a short story in the form of a literary memoir. Stories will be compiled into a booklet, and participants will read their stories in a culminating public reading event at the Queens Library in Corona, where workshops will also take place. Each participant will receive printed booklets containing the workshop's collected stories. For more info, visit: nataliachamorro02.wixsite.com/natalia-chamorro
Prisca Choe 최하연 (Team MP3) will present Covers: Music, Migration, and Memory of the Korean Diaspora, an intergenerational community arts project exploring how music shaped the migration experiences of the Korean diaspora. At its core, the project centers on album cover recreations and short documentaries (known as "tracks") that capture elders’ migration stories and musical histories. For more info, visit: coversbymp3.com
