Weary of already high rents and wary of the upwardly-trending Jamaica real estate market, artists, arts administrators and others gathered on Wednesday, January 13, for a discussion about what is needed for Jamaica artists to thrive in the rapidly changing neighborhood.
The Jamaica Arts Leaders Town Hall was a collaboration between the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) and the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), where the event was held. The forum was hosted by Molaundo Jones of QCA, who introduced panelists Cathy Hung, Executive Director of JCAL, Kendal Henry, Director of Percent for Art at the Department of Cultural Affairs and David Johnston, Executive Director of Exploring the Metropolis (EtM), the arts organization behind the Queens Workspace Initiative. Each answered questions posed by the Jamaica Arts Leaders program fellows. The current fellows are Stephanie Davis, Patricia Ghizamboule, Sol Gonzalez, Marvenia Knight, Rejin Leys, Okechukwu Ofiaeli, Dominique Sindayinganza, and Shenna Vaughn.