Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Launches Two New Programs

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, which provides art education programs for families, recently launched two new programs: Sunday Afternoon Concert Series and Assembly Program for Schools & Families.

Cathy Hung, executive director of Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning offers art education programs for families and children of all ages. The center hosts programs and workshops spanning theater, music, dance, and the visual arts. Currently, approximately 300 students are enrolled in classes, which are offered across four semesters (fall, winter, spring, and summer), says educational director Juan Carlos Salinas. Additionally, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning offers summer camps.

The new executive director of the center, Cathy Hung, who was previously the executive director for the New York Chinese Cultural Center, recently implemented two new programs: Assembly Program for Schools & Families and Sunday Afternoon Concert Series.

The Assembly Program for Schools & Families offers performances in all arts for schools and parents. These 45- to 75-minute programs, offered at 10am and 11:30am, are designed to captivate young audiences; imaginations and provide meaningful connections between classroom learning and the arts. The next school assembly scheduled is Hip Hop Fundamentals on Jan. 27.

On one Sunday afternoon a month, the center also puts on the Sunday Afternoon Concert Series. These concerts feature rotating artists and a wide variety of music, from Gospel to African drumming. The next concert scheduled is Glitter & Gold, which pays tribute to the legendary stars of Las Vegas on Jan. 25 at 3pm.

With the direction of Hung, Salinas helped enact the concert series. “People don’t have to go into Manhattan to see the arts,” he says. “I want all families and art lovers to know that we are right here [in Jamaica].”