FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 22, 2021
Contact:
Karin Venegas, karin@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7049
Sandra Tharas, sandra@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7068
 

Flushing Town Hall’s Art Gallery Reopens to the Public This October with New Exhibition, “Communicating Beyond Words”
 

— The multicultural group exhibition opens October 15, followed by an art-making workshop for the public with artist Stephanie S. Lee on October 23 —

Love by Artist: Young Shik Kim | 2019
21 1/4” H x 13” W,  21 1/4” H x 16” W,  21 1/4” H x 13” W
Color pigment and ink on Hanji (Korean mulberry paper)
 

(Flushing, N.Y.)— On October 15, Flushing Town Hall will open its first indoor exhibition since its gallery closed for pandemic precautions in March 2020. The group show, “Communicating Beyond Words,” will run through October 31 and features 12 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds who use letterforms as their visual elements. More than 30 artworks will be on display, including illustration, street art, calligraphy, tattoo art, and paintings. 

An opening reception will be held on Friday, October 15 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm where visitors can meet the artists. (RSVP required). Flushing Town Hall is asking for a $5 suggested donation, and the exhibition is free for members and students.

With empathy, audiences are invited to recover from the pandemic, be understood, and have a sense of hope beyond words.

“We went through a lot, emotionally and physically, last year and were all affected by the pandemic directly or indirectly. Comfort, resiliency, and healing are needed the most in times like this,” says artist and exhibition curator Stephanie S. Lee. “There are many ways to cope with hard times, and often, one artwork is all we need beyond thousands of words. With the healing power of art transcending words, we invite audiences of Queens and the tri-state area who went through tough times to have a sense of hope and resiliency.”

Participating Artists include: 

  • Chavelli Tsui is a designer and lettering artist based in New York. She specializes in letter-driven work that is elegant and eloquent; spirited, yet sumptuous. 
  • Cui Fei is an artist based in New York. In her ongoing series Tracing the Origin, she uses “Chinese characters” as the subject to explore the relationship between human beings and nature. 
  • Dina Ruzha is a lettering artist, calligrapher, and illustrator. She illustrates ideas, emotions, moods, and concrete stories. She combines her talents as an illustrator and lettering artist to communicate a message. Based in NYC, she works for clients all over the globe. Her mission is to deliver a message through each picture. 
  • Jan (Suphitcha) Donsrichan is a Bangkok-born, New York-based interdisciplinary artist and designer. Suphitchan’s work is built on using common objects and experiences from daily life to devise narratives that mix reality and fiction.
  • John Fekner is a street and multimedia artist, who created hundreds of environmental, social, political, and conceptual works consisting of stenciled words, symbols, dates, and icons painted outdoors around the world. 
  • Minyoung Sim (Tattooist EQ) is a tattoo artist living and working in South Korea. She has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and inspires the audience with her creations that combine color, delicacy, and techniques.
  • Sebastian Ferreira is an artist based out of Edgewater, NJ. He was born in Venezuela and raised in both Miami/Memphis. His latest works are focused on an amalgam of abstract calligraphy and pop art. He creates intense portraiture in his painting with his love of graffiti and lettering. 
  • Stephanie S. Lee is an artist and a curator based in New York. In her Munjado, one of the genres in Minhwa that depicts Confucian virtues in the form of letters, she uses both Korean Hangul and English Alphabet with contemporary elements to convey female gender identity and equity.
  • Thierry Alet is an artist and founder of Frère Independent, a non-profit association based in New York. ‘The Manuscripts’ series expresses everyone’s natural and exacerbated obsession with existing. This obsession is expressed by the persistence of the writing on African wax fabric but also the psychological character of the chosen sentence. 
  • Wendy Fung is a calligrapher, lettering artist and graphic designer based in Brooklyn, New York. As an artist specializing in lettering & calligraphy, she empowers brands to tell their story through captivating, visual interpretations of words. She believes lettering can be reflective and engaging. 
  • Young Shik Kim is an artist based in Seoul, South Korea. Kim’s works combine traditional techniques and materials with contemporary forms and soft color palettes. Her painting style - simple and delicate renderings in an amiable tone - was developed over twenty years of practicing and studying traditional Korean Folk Art painting. 
  • Zen master Hye-Seong is a calligrapher, painter, writer, and tea master who runs Zen Monastery Catskill, New York, and Gum Gang Sa, Busan, South Korea. Zen calligraphy is a full concentration that is devoid of thoughts that distract the mind. Master Hye-Seong believes artworks encourage one’s mind toward enlightenment. He believes that each of us should strive for a higher level of spirituality through meditation and contemplation.
 

In line with the theme of letter art, Stephanie S. Lee is hosting an in-person ‘Turn Your Name into Art Workshop’ on October 23 at 2PM ET, at which Lee will provide a customized drawing with the participant’s name in Korean (Hangeul), in the style of Munjado (a genre of Korean Folk Art). During the 90-minute hands-on workshop, participants will then color in the drawing to finish the artwork. Those interested in attending are asked to register by October 13th to have the drawing of their name converted in Korean. Participants will receive their name design in advance and need to print it out at home and bring it to the workshop, where they will be provided watercolors and brushes to finish their artwork. This workshop is suitable for ages 12 & up and limited to up to 20 participants. The workshop cost is $10/$5 for members. 

 

Support Global Arts With A Gift Today!

All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world. 
 

 

FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS
 

FRI, OCT 15 - SUN, OCT 31
Communicating Beyond Words
EXHIBITION | IN-PERSON

https://www.flushingtownhall.org/communicating-beyond-words

'Communicating Beyond Words’ is a group exhibition of 12 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds who use letterforms as their visual elements. More than 30 artworks inspired by unique letterforms in multiple native languages with creative and beautiful designs will be displayed including illustration, street art, calligraphy, tattoo art, and paintings. With empathy, audiences are invited to recover, be understood, and have a sense of hope beyond words. 

Opening Reception: FRI, OCT 15, 6-8 PM ET
Gallery Dates: FRI, OCT 15 - SUN, OCT 31
Gallery Hours: SAT & SUN, 12-5 PM; Weekdays by Appointment

Participating Artists: Chavelli Tsui, Cui Fei, Dina Ruzha, Jan (Suphitcha) Donsrichan, John Fekner, Minyoung Sim (Tattooist EQ), Sebastian Ferreira, Stephanie S. Lee, Thierry Alet, Wendy Fung, Young Shik Kim, and Zen Master Hye-Seong 

$5 Suggested Donation/FREE for Members & Students

 

SAT, OCT 23, 2 PM ET
Turn Your Name into Art Workshop
WORKSHOP | IN-PERSON

https://www.flushingtownhall.org/turn-your-name-into-art-workshop

Artist Stephanie S. Lee will provide a customized drawing with your name in Korean (Hangeul) in Munjado (a genre of Korean Folk Art) inspired design. During this 90 minute hands-on workshop, we will color the drawing together to finish your artwork. Please register by October 13th to have the drawing of your name converted in Korean. For ages 12 & up. Limited up to 20 participants.  

$10/$5 Members
 


Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization that receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Major Bill de Blasio; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Gonzalo Casals; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Corey Johnson; Council Members Costa Constantanides, Daniel Dromm, Barry Grodenchik, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Paul A. Vallone, Jimmy Van Bramer; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Communicating Beyond Words exhibition is made possible by the New York City Artist Corps.

To view our current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings

 

About Flushing Town Hall

Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

 

Land Acknowledgement:

Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

 

For more information:
www.flushingtownhall.org
(718) 463-7700 x222
137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354