The artistic community in Queens, New York, often faces the dual challenges of limited visibility and geographic isolation. These hurdles are significantly exacerbated by transit deserts—areas with inadequate public transportation options—that hinder interactions among communities. This concern has been a focal point of the Queens Cultural Mapping Initiative, a comprehensive year-long research effort dedicated to examining the strengths, obstacles, and necessities within the borough’s vibrant arts and culture scene.
Directed by the arts services team at Flushing Town Hall (FTH) in collaboration with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), this initiative employed town hall dialogues, community surveys, and over 150 individual interviews with local artists and organizations. Many of these talented individuals and groups are featured in a newly launched borough-wide digital map.
This innovative map, designed by Nolen Phya and Oussama Ouadani, serves as a vital tool to connect various multidisciplinary artist studios, galleries, community gardens, museums, and other cultural venues—from the renowned SculptureCenter in Long Island City to the Rockaway Artists Alliance—ultimately aiming to promote interactions across borough lines.
Phya shared insights with Hyperallergic about how his upbringing in Ozone Park, located in southwestern Queens, shaped his awareness of transit disparities impacting access to the arts. He pointed out, “To even come to a place like Flushing Town Hall, there is no direct train line. You have to take multiple buses to even make it here. So just thinking about that commute alone, my accessibility to the arts is quite limited.”
The digital map seeks to bridge geographic divides while also addressing the pressing need for a centralized resource for arts and culture. This need has become more acute following the year-long hiatus of the Queens Council on the Arts in 2022, which aimed to “restructure and rebuild,” before merging in 2024 with the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, causing gaps in advocacy, resource coordination, and representation.
“[It’s] left a big gap in advocacy, strategic planning, and resource coordination, and having a unified voice,” stated Natalie Bedon, the initiative’s project manager, during a recent FTH monthly artist meetup.
Bedon noted that the grants previously administered by the Queens Council are now managed by Flushing Town Hall and the New York Foundation for the Arts in Manhattan, leading to some confusion among artists regarding application processes. These dynamics underscore the importance of centralized hubs like the digital map, which encourages connectivity and resource sharing.
In addition to the map, which users can enhance with additional locations through an online application form, FTH plans to release a comprehensive report distilling insights from the cultural mapping initiative next month.
During the project, Bedon collaborated with Amara Thomas to ensure that attention was given to regions with rich arts and cultural offerings that have often been overlooked, such as the Rockaways and Southeast Queens, in contrast to the spotlight on more prominent neighborhoods like Long Island City and Jackson Heights.
Highlighted sites on the map include the environmentally focused art center Buena Onda Collective in Rockaway; the unique World’s Borough Bookshop located in Jackson Heights; community organizations like Centro Corona and Un Colectivo Recuerda in Corona; and the Allure Art Academy, a forthcoming arts education center in St. Albans founded by artist Amy Simon, set to open its doors mid-October.
Simon shared her aspirations with Hyperallergic, expressing a desire for the map initiative to enhance job opportunities for artists. “I would love to see a section for people looking for work, looking for volunteer opportunities, looking for spaces. It could be like an interchangeable thing where it’s not just you seeking out the venues, but venues also being able to seek out help,” she explained.
Overall, Simon is eager to discover the artistic endeavors occurring in her local community. “I hope to just connect with artists who do different forms of art,” she concluded.
