The Artist Commission Program’ (ACP) showcase will present 8 new works from Queens-based choreographers, dance artists, and small dance organizations. ACP supports the creation of new work that defies the cultural mainstream, privileges underrepresented identities , and/or speaks to the cultural diversity of Queens by telling untold stories and giving underrepresented people a vision of themselves as leading characters.

The new works were selected by the Queens Council on the Arts’ dedicated cohort of Art Commissioners (Ellen Sturm Niz, Manuela Agudelo, Sophie Lo, Kristi Cole and Jacyln Reyes), who also served as an advisory committee and support system through each piece’s development. This team of five Queens-based art lovers and community members represent the next generation of Queens arts supporters. The cohort awarded each of the ACP recipients a $2,000 or $10,000 commission to create their new work, and each piece is replicable so it can be interpreted and produced for dance by third parties throughout the borough, city, and world.

The Artist Commissioning Program (ACP) democratizes the traditional commissioning progress by enabling local community members, or “art commissioners,” to fill gaps in American culture by awarding commissions to Queens artists. By commissioning artists to materialize works that resonate with Queens communities, the ACP aims to create a cultural sector more reflective of the diversity of the borough and the nation.

The Queens Council on the Arts 2021-22 ACP is made possible by the generous support of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation. By commissioning artists to materialize works that resonate with Queens communities, the ACP aims to create a cultural sector more reflective of the diversity of the borough and the nation.