"Queens (as the world's) Village: Know your Neighbor" is a socially interactive photography project detailing the neighborhood of Queens Village. It exposes and addresses the issue of cultural indifference by educating and uniting the diverse business owners and residents in a series of workshops and final exhibit at the Queens Village Library.
The final exhibit featured two separate galleries, the main gallery covered four separate cultural groups in Queens Village, The Hernandez Family, The Kerkluti family of Neron's Pizza, The Rai Family, and the Martin Van Buren High School basketball team, as well as a group gallery of photos culled from the hashtag #QueensWorldsVillage on Instagram.
Exhibit debuted at the Queens Village Library on April Saturday 8th 2017, and also featured music by local DJ DubbCity mulitcural dances from the performers of the Queens Dance Project, owned by Jennifer Alvarado, Queens Village native, as well as vendor info tables from Supreme Head Cutterz & Queen of Astoria.
Photography project won a 2106 Neighborhood Grant award form the Citizens Committee of NYC for the purpose of improving and unifying one of Queens' most culturally diverse neighborhoods through the power of positive imagery and perspective.
All proceeds of photos purchased on www.queenscapes.nyc/store will go directly to the Queens Village based organization QSAC (Quality Services for the Autism Community.)
For more info please feel free to e-mail us at queenscapes@gmail.com.
Words & Photos by Adolfo Steve Vazquez