The Queens Museum’s Open A.I.R. Artist Services program and M.A.K.U. Soundsystem invite all those interested in the intersection of art, music and social justice to join a series of conversations and build community. Are you invested in community and cultural spaces that are accessible to artists and musicians? How can we create cultural spaces that are accountable to the communities they serve? We want to hear from you!

Join us every Thursday in May at a new location along the 7 train to engage with a new question:

May 5, 7-9 PM at Flushing Town Hall (137-35 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11354)
How do we make institutional spaces more open and accessible to artists?

May 12, 7-9 PM at IMI Corona (108-59 Roosevelt Ave, Corona, NY 11368)
How do we share a space to build a movement?

May 19, 7-9 PM at Terraza 7 (40-19 Gleane St. Elmhurst, NY 11373)
How can businesses be accountable to communities and the culture of the neighborhood?

May 25,  7-9 PM at Local Project (11-27th 44th Rd. Long Island City, NY 11101)
How do we create and sustain artist-run spaces?

To RSVP please follow this link

About M.A.K.U Soundsytem
M.A.K.U Soundsystem is an immigrant band from New York City. With most of its members hailing from Colombia, M.A.K.U embodies an active quest for identity through sound and bodies in motion, and puts on a party for everyday people. Born in 2010 the band has independently released two full-length albums, one EP, and toured across the U.S. with their fiery grooves.

M.A.K.U’s distinctive sound is enriched with a variety of musical backgrounds brought to the table by each of its members. Although not inherently discernible there are hints of Colombian Folklore, Psychedelic-rock and Caribbean grooves. It all comes together through a D.I.Y. attitude of getting things done, from composing to releasing independent records; M.A.K.U is as much about the music as it is about a way of life.

On stage MA.K.U juxtaposes traditional Colombian percussion, drum-set, synthesizers, electric base, guitar and sizzling horns, creating an explosive performance filled with unshakable grooves. Lyrically M.A.K.U talks about the realities of everyday people, encompassing love, hardships, culture, and the immigrant experience, but with a positive, spiritual and sometimes humorous spin.

About Flushing Town Hall and Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts
The mission of Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts (FCCA) is to present multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens, New York and New York City, New York, 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 as stewards of Flushing Town Hall, restoring, managing and programming the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FCCA 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.

Our Vision is to foster artistic excellence and innovation. We bring audiences together via high-quality arts exposure and experiences through programs in Jazz, classical and world music, theater, dance and spoken word, family and education programs, senior programs, exhibitions and free community events. Our multi-disciplinary programming reflects the diversity of our local community, while introducing audiences to new art forms and genres, and providing opportunities for artists to celebrate their traditional arts and create new work.

About IMI Corona
IMI Corona is a volunteer-led community space for alternative education, a think tank to reimage the role of (im)migrants in society, and a laboratory for the merging of arts and activism. Since 2014 IMI Corona has been led by the Community Council a body that exists to help us break the doors that lock us in, so that our mind can fly more, so that we can connect our experiences and imagine new ways to live, to follow our dreams, and to fight and struggle together to make them a reality. We are a group that is sharpening skills to organize and be active in the social justice movement based on the needs of (im)migrant mothers, women, children and young people that are the majority of participants of IMI Corona.

About Terraza 7
Terraza 7 is a live music venue and community center; the perfect hub for local art, political expressions and your favorite coffee or mixed drink.

Located in the heart of Queens, New York, between Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, two locations containing the most diverse population of immigrants on the planet, is committed to a progressive model of business that grows within its community base on local values. Through Jazz and Folk music of the immigrants that thrive in Queens, music workshops, progressive activism, community and political partnerships, owner and active community member Freddy Castiblanco builds an intercultural bridge, a dialogue among cultures, offering the opportunity for a cultural experiment that lets us have a better understanding of the human complexity, cultural diversity and exercising our creativity and solidarity.

Local jazz musicians, songwriters, Folklorists, bold experimentalists, among others alike find a common place at Terraza 7 to “hangout” and exchange their knowledge and ideas to create a beautiful music and art forms. Every night on our amazing hanging stage and 2nd floor anfiteatro , there is something for the curious-minded; either live music, a literary event, film screening or a workshop. Terraza 7 also encourages local and like-minded non-profits to use the space for an event, meeting or fundraiser.

About Local Project
Local Project is a non-profit organization committed to building an educational forum for emerging artists of exceptional vision, and creating synergy between the exhibition of their work and the public. We believe diversity is essential to growth. Founded in 2003 by a group of artists and friends, LP is committed to offering year-round exhibitions, arts mentoring, classes, co- working space, art residencies and bilingual programming, while building bridges with other institutions; LP is creative harbor for all, where artist and community can collaborate towards a richer and fuller development of both.

Since it’s beginning in 2003, LP has served as a gallery for art exhibitions, organizing multidisciplinary shows, bringing together young and experimented artists for the collective shows. The shows are put together between the artists and the LP crew and volunteers in a mutual guidance. As artists we understand the need for an alternative space that can receive new proposals without the concern of the selection criteria that most the galleries in the city have. We understand that a platform is needed for new artists to emerge and show their work, to get in contact and get the necessary feedback from the audience; that is why we created this space. Local Project accepts the proposals for any projects any artist could bring to us. Our evaluation to decide whether or not a project could be shown or produced through LP, concerns the available resources to do it; and in most of the cases, we work with the artist in the building of the project proposed.

About the Open A.I.R. Artist Services Program
Open A.I.R. draws on the Queens Museum’s resources, staff expertise, and networks to provide workshops and lectures that help artists grow their practice, advance their career, and develop sustainable lives as artists. Given the Museum’s commitment to socially-engaged art that crosses sectors, as well as attention to its role in neighboring communities, Open A.I.R. works to expand the notion of who is an artist and, moreover, utilizes a holistic view of how to support their potential to thrive and contribute to the cultural landscape of Queens and New York City more broadly. Tailored to artists in the outer boroughs, Open A.I.R. prioritizes the needs of artists of color, queer artists, and immigrant artists, facilitating conversations where art meets activism, and organizing experiences that bring together artists and non-artists.

Open A.I.R. is made possible by a generous grant from The Scherman Foundation’s Katharine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund. Additional support provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Questions? Email sjmo@queensmuseum.org