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Big additions across the borough
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
The start of a new academic year is right around the corner, and in Queens that doesn’t just mean sharpened pencils, packed lunches and new faces in the classroom — it also means brand-new schools, major building additions and renovated spaces opening their doors for the first time.
From Fresh Meadows to Jamaica to Woodside, the city’s School Construction Authority is rolling out thousands of new seats designed to ease overcrowding and give students stateof-the-art facilities.
PS 26, the Rufus King School, in District 26 is among those getting a new building addition. The site, at 195-02 69 Ave. in Fresh Meadows, will see 399 new seats.
The building, which the School Construction Authority started work on in August 2022, will include three pre-K classrooms, two kindergarten classrooms, 15 standard classrooms and four special-education classrooms, SCA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz told the Chronicle.
The addition will also have a kitchen, cafeteria, staff lunch and conference room and some outdoor space.
PS 160, the Walter Francis Bishop School, also in District 26, will get a new 354-seat addition at 145-14 Glassboro Ave. in Jamaica.
PS 182, the Samantha Smith School, also known as the Magnet School of Discovery and Applied Learning, in District 28.
The school’s main building is located at 153-27 88 Ave. in Jamaica, and its new 100seat annex will be nearby, at 88-13 Parsons Blvd. Work there began in August 2023 and the completed building has five new classrooms.
Another lease renovation, at 101-11 104 St. in Richmond Hill, in District 27, will add 229 seats for grades K to 2 of PS 65, the Raymond York School, in District 27. The school’s main building is located at 103-22 99 St. in Ozone Park.
Construction at the site began in July 2023, and the renovation consists of two kindergarten classrooms, eight standard classrooms, a resource room, medical guidance and administrative suites, student dining and a warming pantry.
A new 3,066-seat high school building, dubbed the Queens Innovation Center, is the SCA’s biggest project yet, at 53-16 Northern Blvd. in Woodside, in District 30. Construction there started in September 2021.
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New, expanded buildings
The building, which the SCA also started construction on in August 2022, stands at four stories. It will boast two pre-K classrooms, six kindergarten classrooms and five standard classrooms.
The addition will have a science resource room, art and music classrooms, a library, medical and administrative suites, a parent and community room, a kitchen, cafeteria and new outdoor play space, the SCA said.
The SCA also is unveiling some lease renovations for schools in Queens. Though the name may imply to some that the new digs are temporary, Ortiz said that the spaces are “not going to disappear anytime soon.”
The first lease renovation is an annex for
The six-story building will have 94 standard classrooms, 16 special education classrooms, nine resource rooms, two speech rooms, an occupational therapy room and a physical therapy room, as well as a science resource room, art and music classrooms, a library, a full gymnasium, a full auditorium, medical guidance and administrative suites, a staff lunch and conference room, a cafeteria with two separate dining areas, an exercise room, dance studios and outdoor play space with basketball and handball courts.
“It’s a crown jewel,” Ortiz said. “We’re really proud of it, and it really is a testament to everything that we’re doing to address overcrowding.”
The space will be shared among four high schools: Gotham Technical High School, Motion Picture Technical High School, P993Q and the new Northwell School of Health Sciences, a healthcare careers pathway
school created in partnership with Northwell, the city Department of Education and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Students at Northwell School of Health Sciences will enjoy direct access to careeraligned training, mentorship and real-world experience in the healthcare industry, the DOE said in a May announcement.
According to its website, the school will offer four specialized healthcare pathways: pre-nursing, medical assisting, behavioral and mental health and healthcare management.
The SCA is also adding a new 3K center with 135 seats at 48-18 Van Dam St. in Long Island City, in District 24.
Two other schools opening in Queens also have a particular focus.
Historically Black College & University Early College Prep High School, a tuitionfree early-college high school offering college courses beginning in the ninth grade, will open at 88-15 182 St. in Hollis, in District 29. It is co-located with IS 238, the Susan B. Anthony Academy.
Students attending HBCU Early College Prep will earn up to 64 college credits for an associate degree in liberal arts from Delaware State University, an HBCU, and are guaranteed admission there after their high school graduation.
In ninth and 10th grades at HBCU Early College Prep, DOE staff will serve as adjunct professors in dual-enrollment courses, according to the school’s website. Starting in the second semester of 11th grade and continuing through the end of senior year, students will take online synchronous college courses taught by DSU professors.
“The mission of HBCU Early College Prep is to cultivate a community of learners dedicated to academic excellence, diversity, societal contributions, and social justice,” the school’s website states. “Rooted in the legacy of HBCUs, we prepare scholars with the academic excellence, cultural pride, and realworld skills to lead and thrive in college, career, and life.”
Another new school, Queens International High School, created in partnership with the International Network for Public Schools, will open in District 24, at 976 Seneca Ave. in Ridgewood. It is co-located with IS 77, the Joseph F. Quinn Intermediate School.
Queens International will serve newly arrived multilingual learners in grades six through 12, and leverage their diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to create a collaborative, academically stimulating and nurturing community to prepare them for postsecondary success.
DOE spokesperson Chyann Tull in a statement said the agency is thrilled to welcome the three brand-new schools.
“These innovative institutions, including the Northwell School of Health Sciences, HBCU Early College Prep High School, and Queens International Secondary School, will bring much-needed capacity and specialized learning opportunities directly to Queens communities,” Tull said. “By offering handson healthcare training, early college pathways, and culturally responsive environments for multilingual learners, these schools represent our commitment to equity, access, and innovation in school models.”
In wrapping up its 2020-24 capital plan, the SCA added 21 new school buildings in Queens for a total of 11,503 new seats.
The 2025-29 capital plan, at $20.5 billion, including about $7 billion allocated for capacity purposes, provides funding for another 33,000 seats citywide, Ortiz said, adding that Queens is “definitely getting its fair share.”
He said the efforts are part of the SCA’s ongoing commitment to fund new seats and address overcrowding and pockets of growth in certain neighborhoods.
“We’re looking to support our schools in their efforts to achieve compliance with the state class size law that passed recently,” Ortiz said of the new capital plan. “And it’s about infusing fresh resources into these schools, especially in Queens neighborhoods, and addressing each of these schools’ needs.” Q
The new six-story Queens Innovation Center, at 53-16 Northern Blvd. in Woodside, is home to four schools and boasts 94 standard classrooms, with plenty of specialty classrooms and outdoor space.
PHOTO COURTESY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY
A rendering of a new classroom as part of an addition to PS 26, the Rufus King School, in Fresh Meadows, left, and a hallway of the addition to PS 160, the Walter Francis Bishop School, in Jamaica. PHOTOS COURTESY SCA, AND RIGHT, BY BERNSTEIN ASSOCIATES PHOTOGRAPHERS
Learning doesn’t stop at the bell
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Back-to-school season is here, and students across Queens are preparing to get their learning back on after a summer of fun.
Many will groan at the thought — sitting in the classroom may not sound appealing to kids after weeks of spending their days on beaches, in pools or at parks. Studies also have lent credence to the idea that students lose learning over the summer, so some may have a hard time getting back in the swing of things.
But many Queens organizations seek not only to supplement students’ formal education, but to take a well-rounded approach that makes learning fun and lucrative.
“I think we just bring a different perspective and aspect to school learning, and a little bit lower stakes,” said Melissa Malanuk, the Queens Public Library’s assistant director of children, youth and family programs and services. “We’re not testing, we’re not really evaluating them, so it really is just them learning at their level.”
Everything the library does is about learning, Malanuk said, but in an environment where young people from toddlers to teens can play and create.
Visitors have more autonomy at the library than they might at school, she continued, and learning tends to occur through play and hands-on projects rather than lectures. Elementary schoolers may attend author talks and partake in programs from robotics to music and dance. Homework help also is set to resume with the start of the school year — students from first to fifth grade can receive assistance at 15 sites.
And of course, the library is all about creating new bookworms,
and it starts to sow the seeds of reading as soon as possible. Its Kickoff to Kindergarten program promotes literacy in children as young as 3 and 4 years old.
“You’ll be reading and writing for the rest of your life, and if you don’t encourage that early, it’s going to show up later on in the students’ academics, in their opportunities going forward, in their jobs and internships,” said
Projekt NYC Executive Director Ted Psahos. His Astoria-based nonprofit promotes service and civic engagement for youth.
It held a reading contest with prizes for middle school students in the spring, and it recently published a book of poetry by high schoolers across the city.
Students also are participating in a project about the impact of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in which they interview survivors and first responders and create a work of art, poetry or prose in tribute.
Literacy skills also are priorities for Queens Community House’s afterschool programs, according to Derek Anello, division director for youth services. The nonprofit runs more than 20 sites with programs that help kids supplement what they learn in the classroom.
“The structure and size of classrooms in the school day can make it harder for young people, kids and adolescents to get more focused attention in more focused areas,” Anello said. “And because the ratios in our afterschool spaces are so much lower ... they can be way more targeted.”
The social services nonprofit Commonpoint takes a similar approach.
“When we run afterschool programs, we don’t think that learning and exploration and interest development ends during the school day,” Commonpoint Chief Strategy Officer Danielle Hersch said. The group aims to reinforce what students learn in class, instill confidence and encourage new experiences, Hersch said.
In addition to targeted academic support, Commonpoint offers science, technology, engineering and math enrichment, sports and more.
“We want to make sure that we’re taking those themes from the school day and we’re infusing activities that kids find fun and engaging while in the afterschool hours,” Hersch said. While Commonpoint partners with many area schools, it also allows students whose schools do not have afterschool programs to be bused to its community centers.
“We try to take our toolkit and apply it really intentionally to make sure that that school community feels really supported and that families feel supported,” Hersch said. One may learn more at commonpoint.org.
Queens organizations also cater to the specific needs of teens, as they embark on new academic and professional journeys.
Commonpoint’s Youth Opportunity Hub in Jamaica works to ensure that young people, regardless of background or academic engagement, can have a bright path forward. Its vocational training allows students to explore their interests while considering what career they might like to pursue, Hersch said.
Work locations where students can access academic and emotional support, paid internships and more.
Five QPL locations have teen centers, and most STEM programs, including robotics and 3D design, are held there, though they are not restricted to teens. Three of those sites have recording studios for DJing or podcasting.
“If they come in, they learn some basic coding, and that’s usually gamified. That’s usually something fun, they don’t realize they’re learning,” Malanuk said. “And then the next thing, we kind of build on those skills.”
School School Education after hours
Visitors also can access legal assistance, mental health support, a digital food pantry, SAT prep, college essay help and more.
Hersch said Commonpoint also assists with college success, not just admission and preparation — the group supports students for four years post-high school graduation.
QCH runs five alternative high schools, which help older youth who have struggled in traditional schools earn their diplomas. There, they may learn a trade while completing coursework, Anello said.
All sites also are Learning to
The library also offers college readiness resources, from various workshops to one-on-one virtual coaching.
With the school year starting, Malanuk said, staff will soon help high school juniors and seniors double down on college preparation. One may visit queenslibrary.org for details.
But learning goes beyond academics — part of Projekt NYC’s mission is to promote volunteerism and civic engagement.
The group often runs events such as neighborhood cleanups — Psahos said young people do not have many opportunities to get involved in their communities, but the work is more impactful when they do.
“What has happened a lot is, if you’re a middle school or high
school kid and you want to get involved or fulfill your community service hours, you’d end up in Manhattan somewhere, and you’re living in Queens,” Psahos explained.
The group hosted a backpack giveaway in Astoria last week, and it will have a kids’ makers market Sept. 13 at which they can sell their own creations, from art to 3D-printed items. They also can learn entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
“At the end of the day, what they do outside of school is just as important as what they do in school,” Psahos said. More information is at projektnyc.org.
QCH’s Access for Young Women program aims to help women aged 12 to 18, build leadership skills, find community and learn about topics from gender issues to entrepreneurship. It is slated to kick off in late September.
The Generation Q Youth Center in Forest Hills also offers a safe haven for LGBTQ youth aged 13 to 21. There, visitors have access to academic enrichment, arts programming, college counseling and more.
QCH also invites parents to participate in events — Anello said building those types of relationships helps the group identify other needs they might have, from housing to food security. One may learn more at qchnyc.org.
“We can bridge all those gaps through our Queens Community House programming,” Anello said. “It’s a really safe place for kids and families to get additional support, and in much smaller cohorts.” Q
The Queens Public Library’s Central location in Jamaica, above, is just one site where teens can go to prepare for college, whether they need SAT prep or one-on-one coaching. PHOTOS COURTESY QUEENS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Queens kids can have new, enriching experiences with various groups’ robust programs, including QPL.
A culturally relevant education
by Naeisha Rose Editor
From the beginning, the study of history, social studies and other subjects in the American classroom has been surface level at best when it comes to Black, Asian or other minority and underrepresented groups, according to education activists and elected officials who fight for more representation in classroom syllabi.
In a push to address that, the Big Apple has been working to create more equitable curricula, but progress has been slow.
books and posters that reflect the people and events that are not typically included in textbooks.
To date, Stories of the Global African Diaspora volumes 1 and 2; Americans with Disabilities; LGBTQ+; and Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions, are available at all schools.
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Representation and equity
The city Department of Education told the Chronicle via email that it knows students at its public schools learn best when they see themselves and their community reflected in the classroom.
“We are proud to honor and celebrate the rich cultures across our city and, through our landmark Hidden Voices initiative, we offer educators lesson plans and other curricular resources that draw on the stories, events, and people who are so often left out of textbooks,” said DOE spokeswoman Isla Gething.
The Hidden Voices curricular resources were designed to supplement existing social studies, history, English language arts and other subjects and includes lesson plans, comic
“This work is incredibly important, and we’ll never stop working to ensure all of our students are included, represented, and empowered,” Gething continued.
This fall, as announced in spring 2025, Hidden Voices materials on Jewish, Muslim and Latin communities will be shared with schools.
All Hidden Voices materials are available at no cost for any educator across the country who wishes to use them at weteachnyc. org/resources/resource/hidden-voices.
Shango Blake, nationally known as the hiphop principal and founder of Black Edfluencers-United, a Black education advocacy group, says there has been little to no progress when it comes to equity in the classroom, not just because of curricula, but because of the lack of representation in the front of the class, too.
He told the Chronicle that programs that try to address the issues regarding the lack of representation in curricula are so rigorous, it
is almost impossible to actually hire Black educators.
“Yes, representation matters,” said Blake, a former principal of IS 109 in Queens Village.
“If you look at the state average, over 70 percent of the students are Black and Brown, yet 70 to 80 percent of the teachers who teach them are not. So there is a definite disparity there and it impacts the daily decisions that are made in terms of the well-being of these children.”
Blake said Black and brown children are overrepresented in special education classrooms, Black boys are more likely to get suspended compared to their white counterparts for the same infractions and Black girls are considered angry, have to deal with microag-
gressions and are shown less empathy compared to their white counterparts, while at the same time both are underrepresented in specialized high schools, such as Stuyvesant.
Those factors and the lack of educators of color all “have real-world implications,” Blake said. “Those Black educators who do get in are often victims of systemic inequities, institutional racism and as quick as they come in, many are leaving. Some are leaving because they are being forced out, some are leaving because they are demoralized after a couple of years and are being challenged by special interest groups and politics and things of that nature, especially if they are school leaders.”
Blake said that his organization helped with getting programs such as Hidden Voices in the classroom and that groups like his that advocate for representation got Black curricula in schools.
“That is a game-changer for our children,” said Blake about the curricula. “But when you look at what is happening at the State of New York, representation continues to be an issue. There has not been a coalescing of Black educators, parents and community members within an organization like a BE-U. You see that Black studies curriculums, or cultural relevant curriculums, are not present. It continues to be a fight on a state level and it continues to be a fight on a national level.”
continued on page 12
The “Who Belongs” Civics for All DOE comic book. IMAGE BY JEREMY ARAMBULO
Opening doors, raising standards
by Kristen Guglielmo Editor
In a country where many would say public education is at a crossroads, Success Academy CEO and founder Eva Moskowitz is doubling down on her mission to redefine what’s possible for children by opening new doors in Queens and proving that high achievement and holistic growth can go hand in hand.
“I think it is fair to say that we have a crisis in this country,” Moskowitz told the Chronicle in a Zoom interview last Friday. “America is spending more money than it has ever spent before on education. New York City on average, is now up to $39,000 a kid. I think it’s super clear that the answer cannot simply be more money.”
Success Academy, Moskowitz said, on average receives about five to six thousand dollars less per student, depending on the district. Yet, as other schools grapple with low test scores and chronic absenteeism, Success Academy stands on top.
cent of our students are special needs, 10 percent are homeless,” Moskowitz said. “We know it’s possible because we are doing it.”
Of the content areas, Moskowitz said, “We focus on poetry and logic, and we teach quantitative reasoning in science, which the kids get five days a week, starting in kindergarten. In third and fourth grade, they get history. They’re studying the American Revolution. They’re studying the Pony Express.”
Critics of the charter network say that Success Academies are too demanding, too test-focused and overall too difficult to teach in.
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Success Academies
“The work is demanding,” Moskowitz said. “I’m sure it’s more demanding than an environment where you can phone it in. But we offer unprecedented support for teachers, so no teacher digs into their pocket for supplies.
According to state testing data, 59.4 percent of students in grades 3 to 8 at Queens district schools were proficient in math in the 2024-25 school year. At Success Academy’s Queens schools, it’s substantially higher, at 93.3 percent.
On the English Language Arts state tests, 58.1 percent of students at Queens district schools met proficiency levels. At Success Academies in Queens, the number was 88.9 percent.
“We are outperforming many of the most affluent communities in New York City and New York State, even though above 90 percent of our kids are Black and brown, 15 per-
Everything is provided for them.”
Both new and returning teachers, Moskowitz said, receive 13 weeks of training, and there is a low assistant principal to teacher ratio.
“In our model, teachers almost have a personal trainer, if you will, to help them learn the job,” she said.
Moskowitz said that while she’s proud of Success Academy’s scholastic achievements, staffers “don’t run schools purely for achievement.”
“We care about the arts and athletics and chess,” she said. “We’re tremendous believers in art, music, dance, athletics, field studies. Our kindergartners do more than two hours a day of play. We do block play. We do choice time, which is imaginary play. ‘Games’ is a subject in second grade.”
In addition to free enrollment and
supplies, Success Academies offer clubs and athletics at no charge.
Moskowitz said the network has strong teacher retention at its middle and high schools.
“It’s more of a struggle in elementary, I would say,” she said. “Particularly in the younger years. It’s pretty hard to be a kindergarten teacher. ... It requires a lot of patience and building relationships, and it’s not for everyone.”
The schools also expect parents to be involved.
“It looks like we are expecting perhaps a lot, but it’s really only five things: Bring your child to school every day that they are not too sick to come to school, bring your child to school on time every day, don’t sign the homework if the homework isn’t done, return our phone calls within 24 hours and we promise to return yours,” Moskowitz said. “And the fifth thing we require is that you celebrate the growth and achievement of your child academically, athletically and in the arts.”
She added, “I don’t consider that super demanding. ... I think it’s quite basic, and in return, we are promising to ensure that your child goes to a four-year college and gets a generous financial aid package.”
Among the critics of charter schools is mayoral frontrunner, and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria). According to the New York Post, on a Staten Island Advance questionnaire ahead of June’s Democratic primary, Mamdani said he would fight efforts to open more charters.
On the topic of the mayoral election, Moskowitz said, “We need a mayor who is pro-charter, pro-parent voice and is dedicated to the
needs of our most vulnerable children. The charter sector is educating one in six New York City children, so it’s not a small part of the ecosystem.”
Success Academy charter schools are constantly expanding, and this year have opened two new locations in Queens.
Howard Beach Middle School, at 158-20 101 St., opened this month. While it will eventually serve children in grades 5 through 8, this year it has only fifth-grade pupils. The school will have about 400 students once full.
Ridgewood Elementary School also opened this month, at 63-57 Fresh Pond Road, but will soon move to a new location to be announced. It is serving kindergarten and first-grade students, but will add a grade every year to offer up to fourth grade, with a capacity of more than 600 seats.
“They like, frankly, not having to pay for dance lessons and chess lessons,” Moskowitz said. “It’s a community that is trying to kind of rise up, and with limited funds, it’s nice when the school system takes care of those things for you and you don’t have to dig into your pocket and worry about all those so-called ‘extras.’”
Admission to Success Academy is granted through a lottery, and not based on any other criteria.
“State law demands that if your applicants exceed your spots, then you must do a random lottery,” Moskowitz said.
Because the Ridgewood and Howard Beach schools started taking applicants later in the enrollment season, Moskowitz said most families got in.
“I think in the future, that might not happen when we’re in a totally regular enrollment process, because there’s quite a demand in Queens,” Moskowitz said. “It’s actually our highest-demand borough.”
Moskowitz said that she’s found that people in Queens like the structure Success Academy schools provide.
The network does also offer admissions preferences for siblings and for children residing in a given school’s district.
While there are plenty of Success Academy options in Queens for elementary and middle school — and even an expansion to Florida planned for the coming years — there is not yet a Success Academy high school in the World’s Borough.
“We are a few years away from that, but we are making plans to open up a high school in Queens,” Moskowitz said.
The school will likely be in Jamaica, Moskowitz said, as it’s centrally located and easily accessible.
Asked about her level of determination to make the Queens high school a reality, Moskowitz said, “On a scale of one to 10, it’s like a 20.” Q
Success Academy’s Howard Beach Middle School, at 158-20 101 St., opened this fall for fifth-grade students and will add a grade each year. PHOTOS COURTESY SUCCESS ACADEMY
While Success Academy’s Ridgewood Elementary School, now serving kindergarten and first grade, opened this year at 63-57 Fresh Pond Road, it will soon move to a new location to be announced.
Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools. ZOOM SCREENSHOT
A bright future ahead at York
by Naeisha Rose Editor
Claudia Schrader is the new president at York College, and with a new leader several fresh and established projects are able to come off the ground.
Schrader joined the CUNY school in an interim position in January 2024 and in April 2025 became the official head of the Jamaica institution, which now allows her to look to the far-reaching future of the school, located at 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.
Former York President Berenecea Johnson Eanes announced the cafeteria project at the end of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s new $7.8 million track and field facility in June 2023. Construction began in January and was completed in the summer. Once the final elements of the contract for the project are complete a grand reopening is anticipated for September.
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“I can do more long-term planning,” Schrader told the Chronicle about her new role. “I was hesitant to do longterm planning because I didn’t know if I would be selected as the permanent president. If I started longterm plans and a new person was hired the campus would get whiplash.”
Jewel of Jamaica
Due to her provisional arrangement, Schrader decided to focus her attention on small projects at the college.
“Our cafeteria is very close to opening,” said Schrader last Thursday. “In fact, we may have a soft opening next week and then we are waiting for all the paperwork to be signed before we do a grand opening, but it looks incredible.”
“It’s completely refurbished inside, we have new seating furniture for students and it’s pretty amazing,” said Schrader.
As for the school’s NCAA track and field, situated on 160th Street between Liberty Avenue and Tuskegee Airmen Way, the field is completely finished and is in use, said the new York president.
“We are interested in getting external parties to rent it and use the space, but we also have a track field and the [Queens High School for the Sciences at York College] also uses it, and during the summer the faculty and staff have a walking group that uses it as well,” Schrader said. “We are working on programming the scoreboard.”
Work to refurbish the school’s tennis courts, located at 105-34 160 St., has commenced, and over the summer, the Health and Physical Edu-
cation Building, located at 160-02 Liberty Ave., received upgrades.
“All the bathrooms have been redone, they are now ADA-accessible; the floors in the gym were completely refurbished — painting, new lighting and just yesterday we got brand-new equipment for our weight room branded with York College’s logo,” said Schrader on April 21. The weight room has dumbbells, elliptical
machines, treadmills, weight benches and more.
While the school has extensive baccalaureate degree programs, it also has seven graduate programs.
“The graduate students didn’t have a space to call their own, so we opened up a graduate student lounge,” in the spring, she said.
As for longer-term goals, Schrader said she is working on bringing back the Academic Village and Conference Center idea, a project that was bandied about two leaders ago by Marcia Keizs, a former York president who served for 14 years up until 2019.
“We can get classroom space, conference center space,” with a new building, said Schrader. “We are outgrowing the building here.”
To modernize the school, she wants to increase its online courses.
So far, an online Community Health Education Program was announced for the new school year, which started Aug. 26. The bachelor’s program is 100 percent online.
“As Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance at York College/CUNY, I’m thrilled to announce that our well-established Community Health Education program is now offered in a fully online, asynchronous format,” said Dr. Nicholas Grosskopf, in a statement on Aug. 11. “This new modality makes it easier than ever for students whether they’re working full time, raising families, or living
continued on page 12
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The YEMMY (York Emmy) Award celebrates York College faculty members such as lecturer Barbara Orlowski, above, said President Claudia Schrader, inset. PHOTOS COURTESY YORK COLLEGE
2025-26 public school calendar
SEPT. 4, 2025
Sept. 17
Sept. 18
Sept. 23-24
Sept. 25
Oct. 2
Oct. 13
THURSDAY
Wednesday
Thursday
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR ALL STUDENTS
Evening parent-teacher conferences: elementary schools and pre-K Centers
Evening parent-teacher conferences: middle schools and District 75 schools
Tuesday and Wednesday Rosh Hashanah (schools closed)
Thursday
Evening parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12 and 6-12 schools
Thursday Yom Kippur (schools closed)
Monday Italian Heritage Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day (schools closed)
Oct. 20 Monday Diwali (schools closed)
Nov. 4 Tuesday Election Day (fully remote, asynchronous instructional day)
Nov. 6 Thursday
Afternoon and Evening parent-teacher conferences: elementary schools (early dismissal)
Nov. 11 Tuesday Veterans Day (schools closed)
Nov. 13 Thursday
Nov. 20 Thursday
Nov. 21 Friday
Nov. 27-28
Afternoon and evening parent-teacher confs: middle schools and District 75 schools (early dismissal)
Afternoon and evening parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12 and 6-12 schools
Afternoon parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12, 6-12 schools (early dismissal)
Thursday and Friday Thanksgiving recess (schools closed)
Dec. 24-Jan. 2 Wednesday to following weekend Winter recess (schools closed). School resumes Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Jan. 19, 2026 Monday Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (schools closed)
Jan. 20-23 Tuesday through Friday Regents exams administration
Jan. 26 Monday
Professional development for 9-12 and 6–12 schools (no classes in those schools)
Jan. 27 Tuesday Spring semester begins (semester-based schools)
Feb. 16-20 Monday through Friday Midwinter recess (schools closed)
Mar. 5 Thursday
Afternoon and evening parent-teacher confs: pre-K centers and elementary schools (early dismissal)
Mar. 12 Thursday Afternoon and evening parent-teacher confs: middle schools and District 75 schools (early dismissal)
Mar. 18 Wednesday Evening parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12 and 6-12 schools
Mar. 19 Thursday Afternoon parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12, 6-12 schools (early dismissal)
Mar. 20 Friday Eid al-Fitr (schools closed)
April 2-10 Thursday to following Friday Spring recess (schools closed)
May 7 Thursday Evening parent-teacher conferences: elementary schools and pre-K centers
May 14 Thursday Evening parent-teacher conferences: middle schools and District 75 schools
May 21 Thursday Evening parent-teacher conferences: high schools, K-12 and 6-12 schools
May 25 Monday Memorial Day (schools closed)
May 27 Wednesday Eid al-Adha (schools closed)
June 4 Thursday Anniversary Day (no classes) / Chancellor’s conference day for staff development
June 5 Friday
Clerical day for 3K, pre-K, elementary and middle schools, and K–12 schools and D75 (no classes)
June 17-26 Wednesday to following Friday Regents exams administration
June 19 Friday Juneteenth (schools closed)
JUNE 26, 2026 FRIDAY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR ALL STUDENTS
Slow progress in representation
continued from page 8
To learn more about BE-U, visit thebe-u.org.
State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) has been the leading advocate on the state level to get more AAPI and Native Hawaiian history into public school curricula and sponsored legislation in 2023 and 2025 to survey how such history is taught and develop strategies for its inclusion in schools. It is a part of a broader effort to combat the rise of anti-Asian hate stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We emerged from several years of a global pandemic where extreme scapegoating led to unprecedented anti-Asian hate,” Liu, chairman of the Senate’s New York City Education Committee, told the Chronicle. “The root cause of that hate is ignorance and fear of a community that is still little known.”
The forever-foreigner and model minority stereotypes are hurting Asian Americans, said Liu. They also need resources for education, health, housing and job opportunities to improve their lives.
“That’s why we began to push for Asian American history to be taught at New York public schools. We have legislation that would mandate such,” said Liu. “That legislation continues to gain more sponsors and support in different parts of the state.”
Senate Bill S7855E and its Assembly counterpart, A8463E, have both passed and
need to be delivered to and signed by Gov. Hochul to become law.
“Asian-American history is American history,” said Liu. “Stereotypes ... have long denied Asian Americans equal opportunities.”
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) said via email that for generations Asian-American history has been poorly represented or excluded in kindergarten to high school textbooks, but she is encouraged to see schools beginning to feature Asian American history, but the work is far from over.
“At the federal level, my Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act aims to increase awareness of the history, contributions and experiences of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States so that more students across the nation understand and appreciate the role that they have played in shaping and building America,” said Meng.
The bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor on March 29, 2021. It did not move forward but was reintroduced May 21, 2025. Its counterpart in the U.S. Senate was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
“Asian American history is American history, and we must continue working to make sure that it is taught as such in classrooms in Queens and across the nation,” said Meng. Q
School School
Preparing students for the future
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outside New York City to access the same high-quality curriculum and dedicated faculty support that have defined our program for years. The flexibility of asynchronous learning means students can engage with coursework on their own schedule, without sacrificing personal or professional commitments.”
Schrader said more online programs will get underway within the next two years.
Since joining the school, Schrader has launched a Middle States Self Study process, with the goal of renewing accreditation.
The Middle States study is a self-study process conducted by institutions of higher education seeking accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. MSCHE is a voluntary, peer-based, nonprofit membership organization that accredits nearly 600 institutions in the MidAtlantic area.
“Middle States accreditation is first and foremost in my mind,” said Schrader. “We come back up on our Middle States visit in 2027, so we are actively preparing for that.”
Schrader intends to launch an Academic Master Plan.
“That is a plan that tells us what direction we are going for the next five to 10 years in terms of program development so our students will be able to enter a job market that needs them,” she said. “It’s looking at all of our programs and figuring out what are the
new programs that we need to onboard over the next several years. That is key.”
In the coming years, new business and health programs are being developed for the credentials of tomorrow. The president is also working on a strategic plan about the overall direction of the college.
To celebrate the faculty at the school, the first-ever YEMMY Awards were held in May.
“That was the York Emmy for excellent teaching,” said Schrader. “They really liked it ... Red carpet and all.”
Last year, an employee of the month initiative was introduced to celebrate the staff of the school who keep it running.
“A committee can nominate an astounding member,” Schrader said. “We present an award to them.”
Schrader said it resulted in the staff feeling more engaged with the school.
She has also relaunched the Years of Service Award, which went dormant during the pandemic, that celebrates staff and faculty who have served the school for five, 10 or more years.
Schrader also has been meeting with groups of new students in the places they’re from, including Howard Beach, Harlem and Long Island, as a way to welcome them to York.
“It’s close to my heart,” she said. “It tells students they are joining a community and that people really care about who they are.” Q
by Jay Williams & Alex Freedman
News coverage of our affordability crisis often focuses on rent stabilized apartments, neglecting the experience of homeowners in affordable cooperatives. The Mitchell Lama program is one of New York City’s most expansive affordable ownership programs with over 90,000 apartments. Most of these are owned by working families who have lived there for decades.
Summit Property Management Services operates a community in Queens called Rochdale Village. From 2010-2024, the 20,000 residents in Rochdale had an average of 1% increase applied to their monthly carrying charges every year. This year, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (“HCR”) determined the community would need a 57% increase in order to keep up with expenses. Most Mitchell Lama developments are also struggling to keep up with bill payments.
Due to greater public familiarity with rent stabilization, NYC politicians are working to have HCR reduce monthly charges on rent stabilized apartments to 0%. In this effort they are hoping to keep residents in their homes by limiting rent increases. On the other side, HCR is instituting large increases for homeowners causing cooperatives to become less affordable.
The Board of Directors of Rochdale Village and our Management Team worked together on this crisis to access emergency funds and create payment plans for vendors. The largest payment plan was 10 years to pay the water bill at 6% interest. We also obtained a $30 million grant with the help of Assembly Woman Vivian Cook and former Council member Ruben Wills. After months of discussions and a lot of work, HCR agreed to lower the increase from 57% to 31%.
The community remains a safe and affordable place to live, with 3 bedroom apartments costing about $22,000 to purchase. However, the monthly cost of that same apartment is increasing from about $1,500 to over $2,000. This is a major financial burden for families.
Costs on all buildings in NYC have increased due to inflation, insurance increases and delays in housing court. Insurance costs have more than doubled for many buildings and since this is one of the largest expenses, this increase has a major financial impact. The housing courts are so backlogged that residents that don’t pay their monthly expenses are often able to stay in their apartments for years, which places a larger burden on families in affordable cooperatives that make their payments.
Politicians are shifting the new financial burdens to landlords of rent stabilized buildings. There is nowhere to shift the burden for affordable homeowners. We need true reforms to insurance and the NYC courts in order to reduce the rising costs.
Mitchell Lama communities have faced major challenges before and I have no doubt these issues can be resolved before the cost of these apartments is out of reach for working families. In order for that to happen, we need policy changes in our City that accurately address the issues facing affordable homeowners.
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A lively season for theater troupes
by Mark Lord Chronicle Contributor
An unusually busy season is on tap for the Queens community theater scene, as troupes gear up to present works by William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and the songwriting team of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, among many others.
Kicking off the season will be City Gate Productions, offering the world premiere of “Guilt,” a new work by Brendan Wallace Downey.
Presented as part of the company’s New Play Development Initiative, the play centers on two small-town police officers (to be played by Bart Peter Black and James Kenna) who are thrust into making life-altering decisions on behalf of two young people (Emilio Picayo and Corrie Burkart), having to face what it means to “protect and serve.”
Erin Layton rounds out the ensemble cast, all under the direction of Jack Tavcar.
Performances take place on the Newtown Stage at the Hellenic Cultural Center (25-02 Newtown Ave., Astoria) on Sept. 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, call (929) 377-7494 or visit citygate productions.org.
City Gate will return later in the season with a production of Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet,” adapted and directed by Jim Haines. Amanda Montoni serves as assistant director.
at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 16 and 23 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30; $25 for students and seniors.
In a season marked, uncharacteristically, by a dearth of musical productions, Maggie’s Little Theater presents the much-loved Bock and Harnick favorite “She Loves Me,” opening Sept. 21.
The show, which over the years has become a cult classic, is set in Budapest, focusing on the relationship between two employees of a parfumerie. Georg (to be played by Aaron Greenberg) and Amalia (Ayannah Ward) bicker nonstop and become romantic pen pals, each unaware of the other’s identity.
Other characters at the shop include Daniel Burke as owner Maraczak, Rich Feldman as salesman Sipos, Stephen Velez as young delivery boy Arpad, and Alie Campbell as Ilona, who is having an affair with ultra-suave Kodaly, played by Chris Napolitano.
The cast also features Dolores Voyer, Brooke Lynn McGowan and Audra Harris.
In a case of sex-blind casting, Ashley Gage plays the revenge-seeking title character. Naomi Yuchi Townsend is Ophelia, a noblewoman and potential wife of Hamlet.
Performances at the Stone Circle Theatre (59-14 70 Ave., Ridgewood) are on Nov. 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22
Anthony Logan Cole directs; Ray Naccari is musical director; and Nina Deacon provides the choreography.
Performances at St. Margaret Parish Hall (66-11 79 Place, Middle Village) are on Sept. 21 and 28 and Oct. 4 and 5 at 3 p.m. and Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25; $22 for seniors and children 15 and under. For more, visit maggieslittletheater.org or call (347) 286-8508.
Also set for Sept. 21, for one performance only, is Monologue Table 4, a compilation of short pieces brought together by Johnny Culver.
The performance, featuring actors “from Queens and beyond,” according to Culver, is an open-mic format,
with no fewer than 35 artists invited to participate.
If the prior three outings are any indication, viewers may expect a wide range of genres to be represented, from improvisational-style comedies to excerpts from Atlantic Monthly magazine. Astoria actor Pete Donato will host.
The show will take place at 3 p.m. at QED (27-16 23 Ave., Astoria), a comedy club founded in 2014, the only independent woman-owned and operated venue for the arts in Queens.
Admission is $10, which includes a free drink at the bar. For more, call (347) 451-3873.
St. Mary’s Drama Guild offers Agatha Christie’s witty whodunit “A Murder Is Announced” beginning Nov. 1.
A gunshot rings out in a quiet English village, a murder takes place and amateur detective extraordinaire Miss Marple arrives to uncover the killer.
Claire Spinetti and Kerryclare Gleason co-direct the production, which headlines Christina SheaWright as Letitia, in whose residence the murder takes place, and Shelia Spencer as the fabled sleuth.
Tickets are $25 for reserved seats; $22 for general admission; $15 for children 12 and under. Performances at St. Mary’s Auditorium (70-20 47 Ave., Woodside) are on Nov. 1 and 8 at 6:30 p.m. and Nov. 2 and 9 at 3:30 p.m. For more, call (347) 450-6184.
Arthur Miller’s classic drama “Death of a Salesman” comes to life courtesy of Douglaston Community Theatre, concluding a trilogy of the playwright’s works to have been presented by the group in recent months.
Under the direction of Cathy Chimenti, the cast is headed by Frank
DiSpigno in the iconic role of Willy Loman, an aging salesman at the end of his rope. The supporting cast includes Geraldine DiBari as his devoted wife, Linda; Giovanni Marine and Bailey Brondum as his sons, Biff and Happy, respectively; Joe DiPietro as his brother, Ben; Michael Chimenti as his boss, Howard; and Gary Tifeld as neighbor Charley.
Performances at Zion Church Parish Hall (243-20 Church St., Douglaston) are on Nov. 7, 8, 14, 15 and 22 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 15 and 23 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22; $20 for seniors. More information will soon be on the group’s website, dctonline.org.
“Adam and Eva” will be the next attraction from The Gingerbread Players of Forest Hills.
Written in 1919 by Guy Bolton and George Middleton, the rarely produced play is reminiscent of the classic comedy “You Can’t Take It with You.” But, according to its director, Culver, “It is not a period piece as the dialogue and situation are very contemporary.”
and Through the Woods,” a sentimental comedy by Joe DiPietro, to be directed by Kevin Schwab.
The play focuses on an unmarried young Italian-American guy from New Jersey who must choose between remaining close to his grandparents or accepting a new job offer in Seattle.
Performances at Grace Lutheran Church (103-15 Union Tpke., Forest Hills) are on Nov. 22 and 29 and Dec. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 23 and 30 and Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
Peter Donato will host a series of short pieces. COURTESY PHOTO
It focuses on the King family and their challenges when they realize they has gone bankrupt. Or have they?
Auditions are underway.
Performances at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church (85 Greenway South, Forest Hills) are on Nov. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 16 and 23 at 2:30 p.m. For more, call (718) 268-7772 or visit gingerbreadplayers.org.
The Parkside Players will soon be holding auditions for “Over the River
Tickets are $22; $20 for students and seniors. For more, call (646) 8479429 or visit parkside players.com.
In time for the holiday season, The North Broadway Players, a group that formed earlier this year, present, as their first full-length staged play, the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” in the style of a 1940s live radio show.
Auditions are soon, with performances at The Church on the Hill (167-07 35 Ave., Flushing) set for the evenings of Dec. 5 and 6 and the afternoon of Dec. 7. For more, call the church at (718) 358-3671.
Looking beyond the fall to the new year, Garden Players present a special performance featuring skits, songs and audience singalongs for two performances only, on Jan. 25 at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Each runs one hour.
Betina Hershey directs, with musical direction by Nick Russo. Tickets are $15 and up and will go on sale in December. For more, visit gardenplayerstheater.com. Q
Stephen Velez, left, Aaron Greenberg, Alie Campbell, Daniel Burke, Rich Feldman and, inset, Ayannah Ward and Christopher Napolitano, rehearse “She Loves Me” by Maggie’s Little Theater. PHOTOS BY BROOKE LYNN MCGOWAN
Reading through City Gate Productions’ “Guilt” are, clockwise from front left, Bart Peter Black, costumer Grace Wylie, Corrie Burkart, Erin Layton, stage manager Patricia Roques, director Jack Tavcar, playwright Brendan Wallace Downey, out of view, James Kenna and Emilio Picayo. PHOTO BY JORDEN CHARLEY-WHATLEY
Keep warm in the coolest styles
by Stephanie G. Meditz Associate Editor
Another summer is nearly in the books, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end.
Afternoons spent lounging in the sand at Rockaway Beach will soon turn into nature walks in the crisp autumn air. Rather than watching the waves crash on the shore, residents are preparing to see the leaves in Queens’ many parks turn various shades of red, orange and brown.
You’ll need an extra layer to beat the chill, but keep some of those colors in mind when you go shopping for new fall fashions — neutrals are all the rage.
and fuzzy feeling you get from staying cozy inside.
Baggy, comfy sweatshirts and sweatpants are in style for both kids and adults — Zara’s boys’ selections included monochrome sweatsuits in an array of shades, from black and white to bold blues and yellows. Many also bear the name of a city, from New York to Los Angeles.
A trendy matching set for girls might include wide-leg sweats and a quarter-zip sweatshirt paired with comfy sneakers.
“I’m not really into colors and stuff,” said college student Umeed Rai, when approached by the Chronicle in Queens Center mall’s Aéropostale last week. “It’s more black, gray or white. If I’m really trying to stand out, it’s more blue.”
The term “neutrals” encompasses grayscale shades as well as beige, taupe and brown. Many stores have been opting to display those and other sleek hues prominently this fall, appealing to minimalists such as Rai.
ors and stuff, e e d Ra i , w h en r on i c l e i n é ro p osta le s aupe e s y es aling to
“We used to have a lot of graphics, like graffiti and stuff like that, but I think in this season now, it’s a lot more sporty and athletic,” Zara employee Ari said.
Fashion trends
In a break from the neutral craze, the store proudly displays a “purple wall” in its girls’ section, Ari said. It, too, includes matching athleisure sets, designed for both style and comfort, but in a satisfying palette of lavender and burgundy, with pops of cream and taupe.
For an all-over classic look, one may opt to wear neutrals with denim, another timeless fall staple. A rich chocolate brown jacket and your favorite pair of jeans can instantly elevate a simple base layer of a white T-shirt. Throw on a comfy pair of sneakers or fall boots and you’re ready to take on the season, whether you’re returning to class or hitting the pumpkin patch.
As far as jeans go, baggy and flare fits are once again among this season’s trends, whether they’re low- or high-rise. But a straight-leg pair never goes out of style, either.
To add an even more sophisticated air to the mix, you might accessorize with your favorite jewelry, whether it’s a chunky pair of earrings or a simple chain.
This season’s trends mimic not only the changing of the leaves outside but the warm
“It’s also mimicking what’s happening in women’s fashion, so there are a lot of purples going on in there,” Ari said. Jewel tones such as emerald green also have been showing up in preparation for the fall.
Oversized clothing is hardly limited to athletic wear. Big cozy sweaters and baggy or flare jeans are one of the easiest pairings for a classic fall look.
And while boots, sneakers, flats and loafers would all match that ensemble perfectly, Adidas Sambas are especially trendy as of late. The flat sneakers are emblazoned with the brand’s logo and signature triple stripe on the side, and they come in a variety of colors, from classic black and white to a pop of baby blue.
“Everybody goes with the Sambas, that’s all I know,” college student and Corona resident Araceli told the Chronicle.
In preparing to get back on campus, Araceli said she often does not buy anything new except a purse. Longchamp bags are her favorite, she said — many of the brand’s trendy totes can be found in almost any color you can imagine, with brown handles and a button to snap them shut.
And while she particularly enjoys wearing pink, she said color palettes are largely a matter of preference.
“It depends on the person,” Araceli said. “I know some also go with basic stuff like white tees, black tees, so it can match an everyday fit with different types of shoes or jean colors that they buy.”
Elmhurst mom Reina Gee also checked out classic pieces as she gets her daughter ready to start fourth grade in September.
“I think just basic stuff, if I’m being honest,” Gee said, when asked what she tends to gravitate toward. “Everything’s so expensive that it’s easier to just play it safe.”
While solid colors and denim are always in, graphics and prints are far from out of
style. Kids, especially boys, can still find their favorite cartoon characters on their next T-shirt.
Ryan S., who works at Primark, said superheroes are among this season’s popular graphics, including Queens’ very own Spiderman. In what is perhaps a nod to the recent film remake, the adorable blue alien from “Lilo & Stitch” has found his way onto the shelve, too.
Sports also have been scoring in the fashion department. Jerseys, windbreakers, T-shirts and letterman jackets marked with the logos of iconic football teams were on display in Aéropostale. Whether you support an out-of-state club or New York’s own Jets, Giants or Bills, you can show your favorite players love when you’re out and about, or even when you touch down on campus.
And a baseball cap can add the perfect finishing touch to a casual outfit, no matter which side of town you support.
While they’re certainly not alone, college students tend to opt for a more relaxed, comfortable look on their way to class.
Long, caffeine-fueled study sessions in the library might call for the ever-so-trendy baggy sweatsuit, but it’s all a matter of taste and comfort.
“I kind of just prefer having just baggy clothes in general,” Rai said. “If I’m going to school or anything, I just go in a T-shirt and shorts, too.”
And comfy clothes can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. For women, classic black leggings paired with an oversized sweater and heeled boots can be perfect for both casual and profes-
sional wear.
Blazers also pair well with jeans and sneakers, especially if dressing down is part of your office culture, but you still aim for a polished look.
For those who like to dress up a bit or wish to look the part of the diligent student, preppy pieces also are a common back-to-school find, especially plaid skirts for girls.
Although it can seem counterproductive given the upcoming chill in the air, miniskirts can be part of a typical fall ensemble, when worn with boots and sheer black tights.
Plaid also can be found on slacks and blazers for a classic, autumnal look at the office, especially if they’re in neutral tones.
As high school and college seniors prepare to transition from the classroom to their careers, they can and should celebrate their progress a little, too.
Hollister employee Henry said the store’s collection for seniors, which includes pieces that proudly display the year 2026, have been especially popular lately.
Seniors’ gear will stay on trend until graduation time, and even after that, who said fashion can’t be a little nostalgic? Q
The classic is once again current this autumn. Jewel tones, neutrals and denim, seen in the H&M looks above, are just some of what’s trending as temperatures drop. PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE G. MEDITZ
Oversized hoodies and T-shirts, such as those above for boys at Zara, are all the rage for all ages this fall.
With football season approaching, team spirit is back in style. Representing your favorites with tees and jackets, such as those above from Aéropostale, has never been trendier.
Ecology is key in many an exhibit
by Marlee Wollman Chronicle Contributor
Saying goodbye to summer prompts a wide range of emotions, depending on whom is asked. But no matter how one feels about autumn’s arrival, there are plenty of enjoyable, enriching and inspiring experiences to be savored across Queens, as the evenings greet us more anxiously with each passing day. The impending transition toward colder days is effortlessly warmed by the wide range of highspirited, deep and appealing art exhibitions that await, several of which are set to open in the next week or two.
At the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, there is no need to wait for “Beyond Familiar,” which has been on display since late July and will remain up until Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Curated by Wanda Best of Art Transforms, Inc., the group exhibition offers a vibrant, expansive and boundary-pushing take on the Pop Art movement. The transformative showcase invites visitors to reflect on their own growth, both personally and creatively, while discovering new ways of seeing familiar ideas. This free closing event provides not only one more chance to view the bold and thought-provoking pieces, but also an exciting opportunity to hear from the artists behind the works, who challenge comfort zones and push beyond familiar boundaries, sharing insights into creative breakthroughs and the artistic process.
a n d crea tively, w ay s of see i n g losi ng event e c h ance
Each piece, cleverly threaded throughout “Gatherers” at MoMA PS1, on display since April, forces us to come face to face with the ill-considered consequences and massive collective amnesia that follow the pursuit of baseless consumerism.
For a topic that carries such heavy existential dilemmas, “Gatherers” still leaves room for the appreciation of aesthetic delights. Featuring a vast array of mediums from painting to sculpture, raw materials, video and everything in between, “Gatherers” engulfs the third floor of MoMA PS1 and will be on display until Monday, Oct. 6. More is at momaps1.org.
Sarah Bedford’s new solo exhibition, “Fangs and Fruits and Falling Trees,” will be on display at Mrs. in Maspeth from Tuesday, Sept. 2, to Saturday, Nov. 1. The opening reception is on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. Details are at mrsgallery.com.
Fall Museums and galleries
A closing reception and artist talk will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Details are at jcal.org.
Meanwhile, in Long Island City, 14 international artists question the cycles of commercial materialism, excess and waste by breathing life into previously discarded collateral of our global overconsumption, such as abandoned debris, digital remnants and collapsing infrastructure.
Bedford’s works, created during her year in the Sharpe-Walentas Residency Program, intersect still life and landscape traditions, and draw inspiration from necropastoral poetry, in which beauty meets decay. Through layered washes, glazes and pastel marks, Bedford creates scenes that teem with shifting ecosystems, animate plants, pulses of fresh seeds and hazy hybrid forms that dither in the interspace between growth and decline. Rich in jade greens, sulfur yellows and earthen reds, her paintings express nature’s lively surface and its subtle vigor underground.
The opening gives visitors their first look at Bedford’s evocative new work — paintings revealing not only the natural world but its interiors: a terrain where beauty, disappearance and regeneration share an address.
The Long Island City Artists’ exhibition “The Lorax” opens Wednesday, Sept. 3, with a reception at 5 p.m. at The Factory LIC, and runs for one month. It invites visitors of all ages to engage with big questions about our relationship to the planet through art.
Inspired by Dr. Seuss’ beloved classic, “The Lorax” features paintings, sculptures and multimedia works by dozens of artists that combine bright colors and whimsical forms with urgent considerations of climate change, consumption and sustainability. It encourages dialogue among children, families and adults, offering critical perspectives. Like the book itself, the show serves as a reminder that caring, “a whole awful lot,” is where change begins.
painting, murals, mosaics and origami sculptures, creates vibrant, multilayered collages of plants, animals and marine ecosystems to examine the intricate relationship between people and nature. For this show, he has designed a site-specific wall graphic honoring the Queens community and presents “Turtle Oculus Tondo”, a portal-like painting flanked by two immersive murals that evoke the fragility and beauty of marine life.
The opening reception and an artist talk on Saturday, Sept. 20, offer visitors a chance to meet Gerakaris and experience his immersive, environmental vision firsthand.
On view at Sculpture Center in LIC, from Thursday, Sept. 18, to Monday, Dec. 22, “to ignite our skin” joins newly commissioned and previously developed works by a group of international artists who interrogate shedding as a condition of the body today.
The opening event is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, with information at sculpture-center.org.
Park allows viewers to venture into a participatory and multi-layered investigation of Buffalo Creek, WV. This coal-dependent Appalachian town was impacted by political unrest and coal mining disasters. “The Great Society” reveals the scars of industrial exploitation and natural catastrophies.
Backström has created a body of work that explores how people can unite to contend with the intricate web of systemic injustice and environmental turmoil. She uses her own material and digital techniques, which include photography, videos, language and textiles, to respond to the region’s photographic history, government hearings and community stitching activities.
The opening celebration, which starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, leans into that spirit of community. At 3 p.m., visitors can join an artist- and curator-led walkthrough of the exhibit, which runs until Jan. 18, 2026. See queensmuseum.org for more.
Clear across the borough, Bayside’s Garage Art Center will present Peter D. Gerakaris’ solo exhibition, “Topographies,” from Sept. 6 to 28, featuring his kaleidoscopic, ecological artwork. The opening reception is at 4 p.m. on the 6th, with details at garageartcenter.org.
Gerakaris, who is well-known for fusing
The exhibition seeks to examine the process of metamorphosis through sculpture, installation, photography and architectural interventions. The viewer is invited to consider how the body may become something new while resisting the shape and form imposed from without. Like a snake shedding its skin, or a scab peeled away, the works embrace vulnerability, deterioration and regeneration. Artists rearticulated a variety of materials including used clothing, debris, organic matter, scraps from construction sites and even AI-generated objects to create works that are layered, raw and shifting.
“The Great Society” by Fia Backström at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona
The Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College in Flusing will host “Wunderkammer III: The Language of Things” starting on Thursday, Sept. 25, continuing its series of exhibitions that began more than two years ago. Renaissance-era Wunderkammers, or “chambers of wonder,” were private collections of natural objects and manmade art. The museum’s first “Wunderkammer” exhibit contained more than 80 objects from its collection, ranging from antiquities to modern art.
Information on the new display, as well as an exhibit named “Quinceañera,” will be posted on gtmuseum.org.
The shifting of the seasons brings about a multitude of imaginative happenings all around Queens. Whether it’s engaging with the pressing issues of our time, endeavoring in philosophical inquiry, encountering purely stunning visual art — or, perhaps, enjoying a combination of all three — the borough offers an abundant harvest of experiences to nourish the mind and spirit. Q
“Appalachian Wilderness, after Porter” by Fia Backström is part of the Queens Museum’s “Great Society” exhibit. “Turtle Oculus Tondo,” below, is among the works by Peter D. Gerakaris that will be on display at the Garage Art Center in Bayside.
“The Agent,” by Celine Mai, on display at “Beyond Familiar” at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning.
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Serving our patients and the community in a way that is second to none
Small museum, big on masterpieces
by Michael Gannon Senior News Editor
If you wanted to take a day trip to Manhattan either beginning with or totally dedicated to art, it might be very easy to overlook 1 E. 70th Street from the outside as just another old mansion sitting across Fifth Avenue from Central Park; and in a way it is, having once been the home of wealthy industrialist Henry Clay Frick.
But inside, The Frick Collection houses masterpieces in number and by enough different artists to compete with any of its bigger and better-known counterparts up and down the Fifth Avenue corridor’s Museum Row.
The collection of paintings, sculptures and porcelain could actually allow patrons to make a day trip of the Frick itself, in a far more intimate setting than larger museums.
And with a cafe added during a five-year renovation that concluded this past April, to do so with no need to worry about running out to grab lunch or a snack.
this past Apr il, worr y about or a
“The Frick is a really special place,” said Aimee Ng, the Frick’s John Updike curator. “A number of people have told me it is their favorite museum. And I think part of that is the unexpectedness. Most people coming to New York, it’s not their first stop. They’re going to the big, marquee Guggenheim or the Metropolitan Museum. And I love them too. But I think there is an element of surprise for people who come to the Frick.
s A t ness.
Dutch artist Jan Vermeer; one of the three paintings is from Frick’s personal collection.
Pass further into the gallery, formerly his family’s residence, and there are portraits by Thomas Gainsborough and James McNeil Whistler; seascapes by Whistler and JMW Turner; and works of Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Anthony Van Dyke, El Greco, Joshua Reynolds, Hans Holbein, Francisco Goya and others.
And if the most famous self-portrait by Rembrandt from 1658 isn’t enough? There is a portrait across the room by an artist known to history only as “A Follower of Rembrandt.”
Frick (1849-1919) is variously described as an industrialist, financier, robber baron, philanthropist and art patron.
He grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania. He made his early fortune manufacturing coke from coal to help fuel Pittsburgh’s steel industry; and eventually became heavily involved in steel as well. He was a contemporary of J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie.
Fall Day trip to The Frick
o r g to the morthe i n d us t ry ; an d ev i nvo wa s Mo Ca wa f the site museum r y and a Itwou ld
The Manhattan mansion was completed in 1914. Frick was 69 when he died in December 1919. While his family continued to live there, it was his wish that the site eventually be turned into a museum dedicated to art, its history and art research. It would eventually open in 1935. The research library still remains active.
since the renovation, the biggest bonus is the expansion of galleries to the second floor of the house, effectively doubling exhibit space.
“ Before remodeling the second floor was not open to the public,” Ng said. “It was our offices. So I got booted from my office. It’s now a gallery. For the benefit of humankind I allowed Memling, Bruegel and van Eyck to have my office.”
And one of the nicest things Ng has heard since reopening comes from people coming up the grand staircase to the second floor with hazy memories of having been there before.
ly as to their favorite paintings.
“A lot of people come to visit old friends here,” she said. “They see something missing or moved. We lend pieces out. We pull them for restoration. We move them to the other side of a room. Some people think a museum is passive with no changes, but that is not true.”
And Ng said the Frick may agree to disagree that it displays only the the secondmost famous Gilbert Stuart work of George Washington, this a bust of him in a red suit with white shirt, rather than the well-known, full-figure portrait.
“First of all, it doesn’t look like a public museum from the outside because it wasn’t built that way. And so suddenly you step inside and feel like you’re somewhere else in the city. You get a look at people’s inner lives. I think it’s a special feeling.”
Walk the rooms and hallways of the Frick through Aug. 31 and you’ll see an exhibit dedicated to three paintings by 17th-century
Ng said the word “intimate” is a good way to describe the experience of the Frick’s galleries. No pictures are allowed to be taken. The only things a visitor has to read are tags on each frame with the name of the work and the artist, or set beside the piece in displays of china and porcelain.
“You don’t have screens,” Ng said. “You don’t have labels. You don’t have photography in the galleries. Everyone here is forced to just look with the eyes that they have. And that, I think, is part of the experience. You’re not being told what to see, what to learn or what to look at. You’re being guided by what you want to do when you walk through these halls.”
Ng quotes Updike, the famed writer for whom her curatorship is named, from an article he wrote in “Mirabella” magazine in the 1990s.
“He called the Frick ‘an island in Manhattan’s ocean of crowded disrepair.’ That’s the feeling that we all are trying to cultivate here.”
She also believes that their visitors enjoy the intimate atmosphere, and that it brings many of them back.
“The number of people who have said to me, be it [Holbein’s] ‘Thomas More,’ be it a Vermeer, be it Rembrandt, that from the moment they walked into the Frick they had a moment and that was when they became an art historian,” she said. “That they saw this painting that they had seen in textbooks, and suddenly it became real for them.”
For a visitor returning for the first time
“You weren’t there,” Ng said. “But I think that shows how they feel about their connection to the Frick.”
A small portion of a very large pipe organ still commands attention in one of the stairwells. Ng said that also is part of the museum’s charm, though it has not been played in decades.
“It reminds people that there were lives here,” she said. “You had the family, but you also had a staff of about 27. One of them was an organ player.”
And some of the regulars, Ng, said, do almost consider themselves family, particular-
“There’s a debate over the prominence of one versus the other,” she said diplomatically. The museum’s hours are Wednesday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is closed Tuesdays. Advance timed tickets are required for all but museum members and can be reserved online at frick.org.
Tickets are $30 for adults; $22 for seniors 65 and older; $22 for visitors with disabilities; $17 for students with ID; and free for members and young people ages 10 to 18. Only children age 10 and older will be admitted. Admission is pay-what-you-wish after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Q
El Greco’s “St. Jerome” above the fireplace is flanked by Hans Hoblein’s “Sir Thomas More,” left, and “Thomas Cromwell” in the Living Hall at The Frick Collection in Manhattan, formerly the home of business magnate Henry Clay Frick. PHOTOS COURTESY THE FRICK COLLECTION
The Garden Court, just inside the main entrance on E. 70th Street, was created after Frick’s death as his family honored his wishes to create a museum dedicated to art.
snack.
Henry Clay Frick, in a 1943 painting by John Christen Johansen, still holds court surrounded by masterpieces in his former library.
