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ARTS & CULTURE

Jamaica has nurtured a wellspring of artists over the years—from jazz luminaries and hip-hop stars like A Tribe Called Quest to renowned author Paul Bowles. We embrace that heritage by celebrating the next generation of local talent, whether through contemporary art exhibits (like Chashama and Reconstruct Art), cutting-edge fashion shows, or concerts at the Performing Arts Center.

  • Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC), located at 153rd Street and Jamaica Avenue, is a premier mid-size performance complex. Housed in a completely renovated 1858 landmark building—the former First Reformed Dutch Church of Jamaica—JPAC features a 400-seat multi-purpose performance space that offers theatre productions, music concerts, film festivals, dance performances and arts education. This venue is available for productions, special events, seminars, rehearsals and meetings.
  • Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) is a non-profit organization that offers visual, performing and literary arts, arts education and artist programs to encourage participation in the arts and contribute to the cultural enrichment of Queens and the Greater Metropolitan area.
  • King Manor Museum, today the centerpiece of an 11-acre park in Jamaica, Queens, was the home and farm of Founding Father Rufus King from 1805 to 1827. Rufus King was an author of the U.S. Constitution, as well as one of New York’s first United States Senators and an Ambassador to Great Britain. He was also an early and outspoken opponent of slavery.

    King Manor later became the estate of King’s son, John Alsop King, who served as New York’s Governor. King Manor has been a museum since 1900.

  • Afrikan Poetry Theatre is a non-profit organization that provides a range of cultural, education, recreational, and social programs that celebrate African-based culture and heritage.

  • YMCA promotes positive values through programs that build spirit, mind and body, welcoming all people, with a focus on youth. The YMCA offers a full-service gym and special programming for children and older adults.