Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House’s 15th annual Spring Arts Festival took place this year on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Queensbridge Community Center from 12pm to 4pm. The Festival continues to be an exciting community gathering at Riis Settlement. Local community members from Long Island City and Astoria came out to celebrate their vibrant and diverse community.
For the first time, the event featured outdoor cookout. An assortment of food and drinks- including hot dogs, fruits, salads, veggie platters and other healthy side dishes- were available throughout the day.
For entertainment, Riis Academy staff members Albert Pollard and Tamika Jackson were DJ and Emcee respectively. Participant-led performances exhibited the amazing talents of Riis Settlement’s local youth and community members.
The Joan Mitchell Foundation Art Gallery was also available inside the gymnasium and showcased masterpieces created by community members.
The Noguchi Museum also presented sculptures produced by our seniors. Photography from our friends at the Normandeau News was also available at the exhibition. Face painting and arts and crafts were available for children along with demonstrations of projects from our Riis Academy youth. The Spring Arts Festival is known to bring out the community in full-force, and this year was no exception.
Representatives Sharon Scott and LV Davis from TransCanada presented a generous grant of $30,000 to Riis Settlement during the program. Since 2009, TransCanada has been an avid supporter and partner of the organization for many of our endeavors, particularly for youth development initiatives. This year, they will be hosting our very own Riis Academy participant Murtaza Yacoob for a summer internship.
Seventeen-year-old Ny-Treasure Bartee, a current Riis Academy-Queensbridge and 2013 Denmark Summer Youth Exchange Program participant said, “The Spring Arts Festival is always a great opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the vibrancy of our community. It’s a time to showcase the performances we’ve been working on for months and enjoy each other’s company.”
This year’s Spring Arts Festival would not have been possible without the help and support of our community and partners. A special thanks to all of the staff members, community members and New York Cares volunteers for their involvement. We would also like to thank the following companies for their generous support of the event: Associated Supermarket Store in Long Island City, Super Stop & Shop Supermarket in Long Island City and Wellcare. Until next year!
For more photos from the event, please click here.
