Queens - Culture

Culture

While Queens has not been the center of any major artistic movements, it has been the home of such notable artists as Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Simon, and Robert Mapplethorpe. The current poet laureate of Queens is Paolo Javier.

Queens has notably fostered African-American culture, with establishments such as The Afrikan Poetry Theatre and the Black Spectrum Theater Company catering specifically to African-Americans in Queens. In the 1940s, Queens was an important center of jazz; such jazz luminaries as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald took residence in Queens, seeking refuge from the segregation they found elsewhere in New York. Additionally, many notable hip-hop acts hail from Queens, including Nas, Run-D.M.C., Kool G Rap, A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent, and Nicki Minaj.

Queens hosts various museums and cultural institutions that serve its diverse communities. They range from the historical (such as the John Bowne House) to the scientific (such as the New York Hall of Science), from conventional art galleries (such as the Noguchi Museum) to unique graffiti exhibits (such as 5 Pointz). Queens's cultural institutions include, but are not limited to:

• 5 Pointz
• Afrikan Poetry Theatre
• Bowne House
• Flushing Town Hall
• King Manor
• Kupferberg Center for the Arts
• Noguchi Museum
• New York Hall of Science
• P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
• Queens Botanical Garden
• Queens Museum of Art
• SculptureCenter
• Thalia Spanish Theater
• Ganesh Temple, Flusing, Queens