Queens Council Selects John Choe 2019-2020 Art Commissioner

The Queens Council on the Arts announced that John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, was selected as an Art Commissioner for the 2019-20 Queens Artist Commissioning Program.

Art Commissioners comprise the next generation of art supporters in Queens and commission new culture that resonates with their communities, awarding a total of $40,000 to choreographers, playwrights, and composers by the end of 2020. While tied together by their love of art and commitment to the cultural vitality of their neighborhoods, these Art Commissioners have a diverse set of backgrounds.

The Chamber's executive director, John Choe, joins the Art Commissioners representing the Flushing community, a cohort that includes Branka Duknic, Claire Marie Lim, Emily Gross, Jamerry Kim, Jefferson Mao, Ya Yun Teng as well as advisory panelists Rob Urbinati, Sejin Park, and Soh Young Lee-Segredo.

The Artist Commissioning Program (ACP) was established to democratize the traditional commissioning process by enabling local community members, or "Art Commissioners," to award $10,000 commissions to choreographers, playwrights, and composers. ACP actively supports artists who create a new, original work that tells the untold stories of underrepresented protagonists relevant to Queens' communities. For the 2019-2020 cycle, the ACP will focus on the neighborhoods of Flushing and Maspeth/Ridgewood.

"We congratulate our executive director John Choe for his dedication and commitment to promoting the untold stories and perspectives of our amazing arts community," stated Taehoon Kim, President of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. "We welcome this recognition by the Queens Council on the Arts because it reflects the impact and hard work of our Chamber in supporting and promoting the most diverse and dynamic community in America."

Established in December 2014, the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce "envisions a community that is a beacon for economic opportunity, mutual respect, and solidarity. As we overcome challenges and reach for our dreams, we transform ourselves and redefine what it means to be an American."

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership association that fosters the economic growth, inclusive diversity, and shared prosperity of our community through advocacy, networking, and mutual aid. For more information, visit flushingchamber.nyc.

The Queens Council on the Arts' Artist Commissioning Program is made possible by funding from the Scherman Foundation as well as support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

The Queens Council on the Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1966 to foster and develop the arts in Queens County and to support individual artists and arts organizations in presenting their cultural diversity for the benefit of the community. For more information, visit queenscouncilarts.org.