Queens Museum
Program: Arts in Health
Area of Work: Arts
Grant Purpose: ArtAccess
Overview
The Queens Museum is dedicated to presenting the highest quality visual arts and educational programming for people of New York, and particularly the residents of Queens, a uniquely diverse, ethnic, cultural, and international community. The Museum’s work honors the history of our site and the diversity of our communities through a wide ranging and integrated program of exhibitions, educational initiatives, and public events.
Grant
Purpose: To support the Queens Museum’s ArtAccess programs. ArtAccess programs at the Queens Museum serve children and adults with varying physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive abilities across the New York City area
In addition to serving visitors on site, in school classrooms, and through online video platforms, ArtAccess provides programming for people in special situations, such as those who are homebound, suffering from extended illness, incarcerated, or in foster care.
Impact
The Queens Museum serves 5,500 individuals with disabilities each year via ArtAccess, offering tours, workshops, and special programs both on and offsite, reaching English, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin speaking populations. The goal of ArtAccess is to create opportunities for people with disabilities to express themselves creatively, develop new skills, and engage with others.
In 2023, the Queens Museum embarked on a new ArtAccess program for older adults and seniors titled Artistry in Bloom. This program consists of a series of six workshops, 10 weeks each, serving 125 total participants and span a range of subjects and disciplines from printmaking, creative jewelry, and mixed media to storytelling, bookmaking, and portraiture. The workshops intentionally facilitate social interaction among participants and with Queens Museum staff.
Photos by Kuo-Heng Huang.