via Eventbrite
23 August 2024 By Shane O’Brien
As part of the art gallery’s annual fundraising gala, a three-ring circus will come to the Culture Lab LIC next month.
“The Grand Carnaval,” scheduled for 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, brings a night of 1930s circus flair to Culture Lab, 5-25 46th Ave.
The event will feature live music, DJ performances, and a range of circus acts including fire dancers and Fall Fest aerialists. A number of emerging artists in residence at the Culture Lab in 2024 will also host performance art exhibitions during the event.
House of Chow – an Asian hip-hop group with an artist residency at Culture Lab – will give a preview of their show “The Woman in Red, The Child in Blue,” which is scheduled to run at Culture Lab from November 21-24.
Edjo Wheeler, executive director of Culture Lab, said preparations for the upcoming gala have been underway since last year’s nautical-themed gala.
“It requires a tremendous amount of planning, but we’ve been talking about this since the end of the last gala last October,” Wheeler said. “We place a lot of emphasis on the performances at our gala, so all of the talent needs to be coordinated.”
Photo courtesy of House of Chow/Culture Lab.
“All employees here are fully committed to making sure the whole thing works. We are not just holding a fundraiser, but a theme party for the people who support us.”
Wheeler promised that the upcoming event would be “exciting,” adding that aerialists would serve guests champagne “from the ceiling” during the upcoming gala.
The event will also feature food and beverages from a local grocer, Wheeler said.
Culture Lab will also honor three local groups at its upcoming annual awards ceremony, including awards for Community Impact, Outstanding Creative Contribution and Helping Hands.
Aerialists from Fall Fest perform at the Culture Lab. Courtesy of Fall Fest/Culture Lab
IndieSpace, which provides equity-focused funding to individual artists, theater companies and indie venues across New York City, was honored with the 2024 Community Impact Award for the organization’s efforts to stop ongoing displacement and demand social and economic justice.
Karesia Batan and the Queensboro Dance Festival will receive the award for outstanding creative contribution at the upcoming gala. Wheeler said the organization does “so much” for the local community, adding that it has very close ties to the Culture Lab.
“Karesia Batan and the Queensboro Dance Festival do so much for the community,” Wheeler said. “She has performed here so many times that we really consider her a partner in our creative endeavors.”
The Helping Hands Award, which Wheeler described as the “non-artistic” annual award, will be presented at the upcoming gala to the management team of Remix Market LIC. The company supports local nonprofits by donating creative furniture and goods to make spaces more vibrant and usable.
“They are just wonderful community partners and provide a really valuable service,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler said the annual gala is an integral part of Culture Lab’s fundraising efforts while also providing local businesses with an opportunity to support a nonprofit that plays an active and important role in the local community.
“The annual gala is an important part of our annual fundraising,” Wheeler said. “It’s where we hear directly from the community and get support from them in ticket sales. It’s also an opportunity for local businesses to give back, which is ultimately what Culture Lab provides to this community.”
Click here to purchase tickets to the upcoming gala fundraiser or to make a donation to Culture Lab.
The Culture Lab is open four days a week, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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