New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Flushing City Councilor Sandra Ung announced on November 14 in Flushing that they are allocating $1.3 million to the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) to renovate their office space on Union Street in Flushing into the “Union Street Cultural Hub.” This hub will serve as a venue for art exhibitions, cultural preservation, community events, and youth engagement.
After the renovation is completed at 35-34 Union Street in Flushing, this “cultural hub” will provide a permanent home for the historically significant and culturally valuable Asian immigrant art collection of the Asian American Arts Centre. Not only will it preserve important collections, but it will also be utilized for exhibitions, educational activities, and community events with the aim of promoting Asian culture and strengthening community bonds. AAFE and the non-profit organization Think! Chinatown collaborated on planning the vision for this center and will assist in managing its archives.
Adjacent to Flushing High School, this cultural center will provide an opportunity for youth to engage with art, increasing their understanding of the diverse cultures and historical roots of the Asian American community.
Councilor Sandra Ung stated that Flushing is one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in New York City. This project will add significant facilities to the Asian community, preserving Asian history, inspiring artistic creativity, and providing a space for young people to explore art.
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams mentioned that artistic and creative expression should not be limited to museums or Broadway theaters but should thrive in every community, present in classrooms, youth centers, and community institutions to pass down traditions and preserve history. This center will house the collections of the Asian American Arts Centre and serve as a space for Asian artists and scholars to exhibit their work.
AAFE Executive Director Thomas Yu mentioned that the allocated funds will be used for the renovation and upgrading of the entire building, including waterproofing the exterior walls, replacing water-damaged floors and walls, upgrading air conditioning for the safe preservation of art, and overhauling the plumbing and electrical systems. The project is expected to take about a year, with design starting in January next year.
For decades, the collections curated and guarded by the director of the Asian American Arts Centre, Robert Lee, were housed in the basement of AAFE’s affordable housing. Lee has always wanted to find a new space for them. He expressed his satisfaction that this valuable artistic mission and archive will continue through the cultural center in Flushing. He introduced some of the collections, including the sculpture “Rise Up Every Day” by Ning Hou, and provided background information about works by Japanese artist Yoshiki Araki.
Sophia Ma, the secretary of the board of the Asian American Arts Centre and the project manager for the relocation, stated that the space will serve as an art exhibition hall, archive, and library fully open to the public. It will become a bridge for cultural dialogue between Asians, people of different cultural backgrounds, the young and the elderly.