Join us for a special celebration of Inti Raymi, or Sun Festival, with a ceremony by Abya Yala Arte y Cultura, art making for the whole family, and dance performances from the Andes.

The ceremony of the Inti Raymi was celebrated for hundreds of years in the Tahuantinsuyo, the Quechua nation that extended into territories that are part of present day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and of southern Colombia, northern Argentina and Chile. On this day, the Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere, South American indigenous cultures still gather to honor, thank and give tribute to the Sun God (Inti) and Mother Earth (Pachamama) to mark the beginning of a new year and as a reminder of our interdependent connection with our planet Earth and our environment.

Abya Yala Arte y Cultura, an artist collective dedicated to increasing awareness of Andean culture, celebrates the Inti Raymi with a deep sense of conviction and identification with its ancestral roots. More than a “representation” of the Inti Raymi, their work conveys how the Inti Raymi exists within us, its essence expressing humankind’s need for survival and a shared sense of universal responsibility for both mankind and nature. The Inti Raymi re-connects us to Mother Earth, stressing the importance of indigenous beliefs in the stewardship of the planet. Abya Yala Arte y Cultura celebrates the Inti Raymi in search of a better path to peace and harmony amongst all.

Schedule:

12:00-2:00pm: Family art making by BordeAndo and Niceli Portugal

2:00-3:00pm: Inti Raymi Ceremony by Abya Ayala Arte y Cultura

3:00-3:30pm: Remarks from New York State Senator Jessica Ramos

3:30-4:30pm: Dance Performances

Queens Museum is thrilled to present the Inti Raymi Sun Festival as part of two fantastic festivals happening in June: Queens Rising and This is NY: Celebrating Our Immigrant Heritage and Communities. Queens Rising is a month-long multi-disciplinary arts celebration created to highlight the borough’s culture and creative diversity. This is NY: Celebrating Our Immigrant Heritage and Communities is a part of Lincoln Center’s Festival of New York and runs from June 11 to June 21.

Inti Raymi Credits:

• General Production & Artistic Director: Abya Yala Arte y Cultura
• General Coordination: Abya Yala Arte y Cultura

Cast:

• Inca Pachacutec: Ramses Malpica
• Coya (Solista): Milagros Albrecht
• Mensajera Wayraq (Viento): Rosa Bustamante
• Sinchi: Carlos Anaya Mantilla
• Willaq Uma: Luis Zelada
• General Amaru (Serpiente); Collasuyu: Victor Cuya
• Coyllur K’ancha (Estrella que Brilla); Contisuyu: Rosa Marcus
• General Yupanqui; Antisuyu: Henry Pardo
• Munay Ticca(Hermosa Flor); Chinchaysuyu: Veronica Quintana
• Ñusta: Claudia Urdanivia
• Llama (Choreography and dance): Claudia Tinageros
• Danza Pallas: PeruIncaFolk
• Healer: Ana Maria Quispe