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
Council 400
[10/10 to 11/30, BGX Gallery] Founded in 2010 to celebrate the impact of the African Diaspora on New York, Black Gotham Experience (BGX) is honored to present Council 400, an eight-week engagement commemorating the African Diaspora’s impact on the territory of New York City from 1624 to 2024 from October 10th to November 30th. — More info
Stephanie Chou Quintet: Chinatown Dreams
[10/23, 7PM, Joe's Pub] Chinatown Dreams is a songwriting album following the journey of a young, second-generation Chinese-American woman, as she and her Chinatown community go through a year of tremendous challenges. This semi-autobiographical story examines the conflict between choosing the safe, expected path vs. following one's heart, a conflict so many second-generation Americans of all sorts face. The music combines the energy of improvised jazz with the precision of progressive rock, in an homage to Manhattan's Chinatown. — More info + tickets!
In Conversation— Rites of Passage
[10/19, 1-2PM, ICP] Chinatown photographers Cindy Trinh, Ed Cheng, Cal Hsiao and Sonia Tsang join in a conversation moderated by Alison Kuo to discuss mentorship, the legacy of the late street photographer and community figure, Corky Lee—whose work is on view at ICP in We Are Here: Scenes from the Streets—and what motivates their work today. This event is free with RSVP required, register now!
Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House
[10/19] Organized by FABnyc with 20 Lower East Side organizations, the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House is intended to give folks an opportunity to spend time exploring 20 cultural organizations in the LES without a ticket to a show or the cost of admission! All organizations will have staff available to welcome you & answer questions about their programs — many offer special free activities such as tours, exhibits, workshops, and performances. Check out the participating organizations!
Coming of Age in a Disorienting World: Yao Xiao
Cartoonist Yao Xiao comes to Metrograph to introduce Coming of Age in a Disorienting World, a series of animated films presented with MacDowell. The animated films that Yao has chosen for this series span cyberpunk fantasies through to nonfiction storytelling, from the 1960s through to 2023, united by shared themes of nostalgia, memory, and most importantly, coming of age. More info + get tickets!
Talking Books: Asian American Authors in Conversation—Leslie Li discusses her new book, The Forest for the Trees: a Novel
[10/18, 6-7PM, Chatham Square Library] Come to a book talk featuring Leslie Li as she discusses her new book, The Forest for the Trees: a Novel. Li's new book is a dark comedy about a clash of cultures and generations, a biracial coming-of-age story, and a psychological thriller about inherited trauma from an award-winning writer and début filmmaker. Alvin Eng and Ed Lin will drop by to read an excerpt or two of dialog from the novel. This event is free with RSVP — more info here!
Qi Gong Wellness Workshops at Gotham Park
Join David, a 35th-generation Shaolin disciple, for an immersive Qi Gong experience every Tuesday morning in October, 9:30-10:30AM. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of qi gong, an ancient energy cultivation practice. Expect to improve your physical strength, mental focus, and overall health while learning from an expert in both contemporary and traditional martial arts. This event is free with RSVP — more info here!
Taichi in Elizabeth Street Garden
Join in on a relaxing and nourishing tai chi session in the beautiful Elizabeth Street Garden led by Tai Chi Solution. Every Sunday at 10:30AM.
Placeless Place / 别无他处
“Placeless Place/别无他处“ is a multidisciplinary work combining dance, music, visual installation, and film that aims to provide an honest and safe outlet for a group of emerging Chinese/Asian immigrant artists to reflect upon the struggles of their own journey as they seek to re-shape their artistic identity by overcoming issues ranging from cultural relativism and cultural barriers, social inclusion and integration, to racial prejudice and discrimination; ultimately finding their Ithaka, their “inner home,” their Placeless Place. 《别无他处》是一部结合了舞蹈、音乐、视觉装置和影像的多学科表演作品，旨在为新一代的中国/亚洲移民艺术家提供一个诚实和安全的创作渠道，通过探索对文化相对主义和文化障碍、社会包容/融合、种族偏见和歧视等问题来探寻(或重塑）他们的艺术身份和创作声音，并最终抵达内心的”归属地“。— More info!
Placeless Place / 别无他处
“Placeless Place/别无他处“ is a multidisciplinary work combining dance, music, visual installation, and film that aims to provide an honest and safe outlet for a group of emerging Chinese/Asian immigrant artists to reflect upon the struggles of their own journey as they seek to re-shape their artistic identity by overcoming issues ranging from cultural relativism and cultural barriers, social inclusion and integration, to racial prejudice and discrimination; ultimately finding their Ithaka, their “inner home,” their Placeless Place. 《别无他处》是一部结合了舞蹈、音乐、视觉装置和影像的多学科表演作品，旨在为新一代的中国/亚洲移民艺术家提供一个诚实和安全的创作渠道，通过探索对文化相对主义和文化障碍、社会包容/融合、种族偏见和歧视等问题来探寻(或重塑）他们的艺术身份和创作声音，并最终抵达内心的”归属地“。— More info!
The Jail, the Police, and the People’s Chinatown: a zine launch party
The W.O.W. Project, Chinatown Art Brigade, and Immigrant Social Services invites you to a zine launch party, “A Jail in Chinatown: Zines on Abolition.” We are so excited to launch two zines, “Envisioning Abolition in Our Local Asian American Communities” by Chinatown Art Brigade (CAB), and “The Jail, the Police, and the People’s Chinatown” by Serena Yang that explore the connections between the proposed jail in Chinatown, the police and other forms of state control, and people’s struggles for self-determination in Chinatown. — More info!
Chinese Calligraphy 書法
Join us to learn together. Calligraphy writing techniques. Bring your own calligraphy pens. 加入我們，一起學習。書法寫作技巧。帶上你自己的畫法筆。
Chinese Traditional Painting 國畫
Come & learn the techniques of Chinese Traditional Painting! Please bring your own brushes, paint plate, small water container and traditional Chinese ink; we will provide paper and color ink. 學習國畫繪畫技巧！請帶上畫筆，水彩板, 装水器和墨; 我們將提供紙張和彩色墨水。
Sophia N. Lee | Lolo's Sari-Sari Store
Meet and greet and book reading with Sophia N. Lee, author behind Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store! A little girl holds lessons learned in her grandfather's sari-sari store close while adjusting to a new home in this sweet picture book about the joy of community, connection, and Filipino culture. — More info!
Chinese Calligraphy 書法
Join us to learn together. Calligraphy writing techniques. Bring your own calligraphy pens. 加入我們，一起學習。書法寫作技巧。帶上你自己的畫法筆。
Chinese Traditional Painting 國畫
Come & learn the techniques of Chinese Traditional Painting! Please bring your own brushes, paint plate, small water container and traditional Chinese ink; we will provide paper and color ink. 學習國畫繪畫技巧！請帶上畫筆，水彩板, 装水器和墨; 我們將提供紙張和彩色墨水。
Alexandra Chang's Tomb Sweeping | Meet & Greet / Signing
Meet and greet and book signing with Alexandra Chang, the author behind Tomb Sweeping! Compelling and perceptive, Tomb Sweeping probes the loyalties we hold: to relatives, to strangers, and to ourselves. In stories set across the US and Asia, Alexandra Chang immerses us in the lives of immigrant families, grocery store employees, expecting parents, and guileless lab assistants. — More info!
Story Time at W.O.W.: Dim Sum Palace by X. Fang
Join W.O.W. for a morning with author X. Fang as she reads from her debut picture book Dim Sum Palace! Stay after to learn about X. Fang’s inspiration for her book and for a hands-on picture book making workshop. Kids are welcome, please RSVP for your little ones too! — Free with RSVP