The goal of the Queens Teens Institute for Art and Social Justice (QTI) is to nurture thoughtful, independent young artists and the next generation of leaders in the arts and social change. Each year QTI explores a unique theme. For the 2025-2026 program, participants explored how creative practices can transform public spaces into platforms for dialogue, resistance, and collective imagination. 

This year’s exhibition, Echoes of the Unseen, asks how art can open space for expression, difference, and care. Through imagery, paint, and sculpture, teens imagine ways to navigate political/social realities while creating room for themselves and others to be seen, heard, and held.

QTI 2025-2026 Cohort: Abhinab Adikari, Allison Quishpilema, Amy Bah, Arma Rahman, Brianna Alcivar, Camila Ramos Perez, Carine Zeng, Chloe Huang, Fukang Jiang, Harrison Lian, Jessica Morocho, Jordan Heath, Jose Melecio, Lazarus Lopez, Macarius Santana, Michelle A. Chavarria, Ray Herrera, Samiha Tahseen, Sherley Hernandez, Taia English, Lastenia Paz Reyes 

Program leads: Erica-Ashley Gittens, Kimaada Le Gendre