Mission Statement
The mission of the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts is to be a revitalizing force for its community, and a creative force for developing and promoting the visual and performing arts throughout Queens. The Council presents an array of high quality programs, including exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography (frequently in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution); award-winning performances of jazz, opera, theater, dance and classical music; family-oriented and school-based educational opportunities for community residents of all ages; and an array of vital services to local artists and arts organizations. The Council is located in historic Flushing Town Hall, an 1862 landmark building, which it manages and programs. It is a member of New York City's Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Description
Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, located at Flushing Town Hall, a New York City Landmark (1862), was founded in 1979 to be a revitalizing force for its community, a catalyst for developing and promoting the visual and performing arts throughout Queens, and a bridge to promote cultural understanding through the arts among the rapidly growing multi-ethnic populations of Queens.
Queens County is, according to statistics from the United States Census, the most culturally diverse county in America, with an exceptionally high concentration of recently arrived immigrants. In Flushing, people speaking 179 languages and hailing from virtually every country on earth, live and work together in a dense urban environment, creating a unique community that in many respects represents a prototype of the emerging American city of the 21 st century.
FCCA manages and programs historic Flushing Town Hall on behalf of the City of New York, which owns the building. In 1999, the Council completed an $8 million restoration of the landmark, converting it from an abandoned eyesore into a thriving center for the visual and performing arts.
Flushing Town Hall's facilities include a 340-seat state-of-the-art concert hall/theater, two galleries, a classroom, offices, a beautiful garden that accommodates up to 400 people for outdoor events, and a visitors' center. In 2003, the City purchased an additional parcel of property on Linden Place, one block north of Town Hall, for the Council's use. When renovations are complete, the Linden Place property will provide additional rehearsal and workshop space to support Town Hall's programs.
The Council presents an array of high quality programs at Town Hall--exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography (frequently in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution); award-winning performances of jazz, opera, theater, dance and classical music; and educational opportunities for community residents. These programs serve 80,000 people each year.
FCCA also provides important cultural services throughout the Borough of Queens. These include the Queens Culture Calendar; education (FCCA offers on-site workshops for students and sends teaching artists into public schools); senior services (special performances, and hands-on creative opportunities); and the Town Hall Trolley (popular tours that explore the Queens Jazz Trail and transport visitors to cultural sites).
