Illustration by Ashley Deng

Thank you for celebrating Chinatown Arts Festival!

This October, Chinatown Arts Festival returned for the seventh year for a jam packed month of exciting cultural programs featuring traditional Chinese arts groups along with emerging Asian American artists. This year’s festival headliner events included an intimate performance with singer and multi-instrumentalist treya lam rooted in wellness practices of Chinese medicine, a guided Cantonese Opera experience of the Legend of the Purple Hairpin in the charming bamboo garden, and the final Chinatown Block Party of 2024. Our newly renovated studio also hosted a special literary night with readings from notable writers and performers, including Ava Chin and Ping Chong, and many others curated by Ed Lin. Rochelle Kwan presented a Listening Session to take us through vinyl records of Chinese music collected from the Chinatown community. Artist John Lee guided us through a drawing jam session in conjunction with his works in the exhibit, “Making or Faking Chinatown.”

 

Past T!C Programs

Featured
Chinatown Block Party 《 華埠街頭派對 》
Oct 27
Chinatown Block Party 《 華埠街頭派對 》

[10/27, 2-6PM] A neighborhood block party with YiuYiu 瑶瑶 for the whole family! Rain or shine, come dance to our favorite songs from the Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 archive. Free with no RSVP required.

A Night at the Opera in the Bamboo Garden 竹園裡的粵劇之晚
Oct 26
A Night at the Opera in the Bamboo Garden 竹園裡的粵劇之晚

[10/26, 6:30-9PM] In the hidden bamboo garden at 5 Essex St, enjoy a guided Cantonese opera experience of the Legend of the Purple Hairpin 紫釵記 with translated bilingual supertitles. Cantonese opera performing artist, Eliza (Pui Yan) will guide us through a three act journey about the love story of a female entertainer and poet, played by seasoned Cantonese opera singers, MeeMee Chin and Camille Yeung. Opera acts will be interwoven with interactive performances from dancer Ling Tang. — Pay-as-you-can to RSVP!

MOONSquare Opening + Drawing Jam w/ Artist John Lee
Oct 22
MOONSquare Opening + Drawing Jam w/ Artist John Lee

[10/22, 6-8PM] “Making or Faking Chinatown” artist, John Lee will share his experience with live observation drawing and lead a drawing jam where folks can sketch still lifes of selected Chinatown objects. Opening reception and party for Think!Chinatown’s annual group call show, MOONSquare will round out the night. Free with no RSVP required.

“Shadowing Tradition”: Innovations in Chinese Puppetry 傳統的影子：中國戲偶的創新
Oct 19
“Shadowing Tradition”: Innovations in Chinese Puppetry 傳統的影子：中國戲偶的創新

[10/19, 8-9PM]“Shadowing Tradition”: Innovations in Chinese Puppetry casts a new light on traditional Chinese shadow puppetry with a performance of “Tiger Tales” by Chinese Theatre Works and “So Close and Yet So Far” by Double Image Theater. — Tickets required!

“Making or Faking Chinatown?” x LES Arts & Culture Open House《地方創生與維護- 華埠的人、地方和文化表徵》與 下東城藝術文化 开放参观日
Oct 19
“Making or Faking Chinatown?” x LES Arts & Culture Open House《地方創生與維護- 華埠的人、地方和文化表徵》與 下東城藝術文化 开放参观日

[10/19, 12-4PM] Think!Chinatown’s urban planning-focused exhibition, Making or Faking Chinatown? Representing People, Place and Culture will be open to visitors. Curator Kerri Culhane and artist John Lee will be present to answer any questions about the show. Free with no RSVP required.

“Chinatown, My Chinatown”: A Literary Evening
Oct 16
“Chinatown, My Chinatown”: A Literary Evening

[10/16, 6:30-9PM] Get to know Chinatown through the words of New Yorkers who know this neighborhood best! Hosted by Ed Lin, join us for an evening of readings about the “real” Chinatown from writers Henry Chang, Ava Chin, Ping Chong, Alvin Eng, S.J. Rozan, and Radha Vatsal. — Pay-as-you-can RSVP required.

Living Room Listening with Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 的客廳聆聽會
Oct 13
Living Room Listening with Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 的客廳聆聽會

[10/13, 2:30-4:30PM] Rochelle Hoi-Yiu Kwan (aka YiuYiu 瑶瑶) gathers us for an intimate living room listening through the Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 archive. We invite you to bring a favorite song of your own to share and soundtrack our living room with us, whether on a vinyl record or online. Pay-as-you-can RSVP required.

“otherland: nourishing our roots”: healing & song with treya lam + Dr Elizabeth So 養生雅曲: 結合音樂及中醫
Oct 12
“otherland: nourishing our roots”: healing & song with treya lam + Dr Elizabeth So 養生雅曲: 結合音樂及中醫

[10/12, 5-7PM] Warm up for the cold season ahead with an intimate musical and healing experience! At this communal gathering, Dr Elizabeth So will call on healing and wellness practices rooted in traditional Chinese medicine in concert with treya lam’s multi-instrumental and vocal performance. — Tickets required!

Chinatown Arts Festival Opening Party
Oct 9
Chinatown Arts Festival Opening Party

[10/9, 7-8:30PM] Let’s celebrate Chinatown Arts Festival with a kick-off opening party at Chinatown!Studio. Come hang out, mingle with old & new friends, check out our new space in its soft open stage, and get ready for the exciting month to come! Free with no RSVP required.

Chinatown Arts Festival celebrates the cultural richness of Manhattan’s Chinatown. Led by festival curators Yin Kong and Amy Chin, the Festival features programs produced by Think!Chinatown while highlighting cultural events hosted by other Chinatown organizations. By presenting grassroots Chinatown artists and emerging Asian American artists in context and dialogue with each other, we can bring multiple generations together and connect with a wider arts audience. The festival also highlights cultural happenings presented by our neighbors to increase awareness of Chinatown’s cultural assets. Check out videos from previous years!

 
 
 
 

Neighborhood Calendar

Check out the other wonderful events happening in and around Chinatown this October!

Featured
Tiny Grains: Chinatown Forever Changed, Forever Changing by Edward Cheng
Sep 18
Tiny Grains: Chinatown Forever Changed, Forever Changing by Edward Cheng

[9/18 to 1/12, Pearl River Mart Gallery] During the shutdown of 2020, Edward Cheng roamed the streets of Chinatown with his camera. Businesses were closed. Work had dried up. There was nothing else to do. On these treks he ran into people he knew. He saw the same friends, acquaintances, and community members time and again. Eventually he asked to photograph them. TINY GRAINS is at once local and universal. While the photographs capture one particular neighborhood (and in some cases one particular cross street) during one particular, unprecedented time, the stories they tell go beyond. They are stories of community and tradition. Joy in the face of adversity. Striving toward the future in an uncertain present. — More info

 

Think!Chinatown is a place-based intergenerational non-profit in Manhattan’s Chinatown, working at the intersection of storytelling, arts, neighborhood engagement, and creative placekeeping. We believe the process of listening, reflecting and celebrating develops the community cohesion and trust necessary to work on larger neighborhood issues. By building strength from within our neighborhood, we can shape better policies and programs that define our public spaces, celebrate our cultural heritage and innovate how our collective memories are represented. T!C is the team powering the Chinatown Night Market, Chinatown Block Parties, Chinatown Arts Festival, and more.

Chinatown Arts Festival is held on the unceded land of the Lenape peoples. This festival is supported by public funds from the New York City Dept of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Funded in part by a grant from the New York City Tourism Foundation. Think!Chinatown programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding is provided by New York City Dept of Small Business Services, Con Edison and many individual friends.