Queens Museum of Art

This grant was a vital piece in the Queens Museum of Art’s extended engagement with local community members, the majority of whom are Spanish-speaking with origins in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Part of a broad goal to create a community “center” in Corona Plaza, where the museum is located, the Queens Museum of Art used the MFA funds specifically to inject contemporary, social oriented art in its larger community outreach. The MFA funds underwrote the development of new educational offerings, financed artist and performance fees, and supported two Acting Associate Curators who worked with the Museum’s public events department and with emerging artists to create art projects in conjunction with community-wide festivals. The grant also enabled the hiring of a community organizer who developed and maintained relationships with community members and ensured that they had a voice in all stages of the project and the specific pieces of art that emerged. Educational offerings at the QMA were also expanded as part of the MFA grant project.