VTMBH Article: Body
A special committee has been set up for economic recovery and improving the cultural atmosphere in the battered lower Manhattan, Councilman Alan Gerson announced yesterday. At the same time, he required the city, state and federal governments to allocate funds to build an Asian American Culture Center in the downtown area.
The committee, CREATE, is composed of 13 cultural and economic representatives from Chinatown.
Gerson, who was elected councilman in January, said that the development of Chinatown would play a significant role in rebuilding lower Manhattan. The development of Chinatown could bring multiple benefits to downtown Manhattan. And a new art and culture center would not only be an engine for the recovery of Chinatown, but also provide a cultural activity space for the whole community, said Gerson. I hope we could have an equivalent of Lincoln Center in Chinatown soon.
Gerson emphasized that the new art and culture center would help encourage Chinatowns economy. The economy in Chinatown has been severely affected by September 11th. A new art and culture center here would stimulate tourism and bring commercial opportunities to this area, Gerson said.
The proposal for the art and culture center is being developed. Gerson said he is going to petition the state government for $50,000 to fund the research phase of the plan. CREATE started to consider locations for the center. Among the possibilities is renovating the 141 Walker Street building, where a temporary September 11th assistance center was once located. The center would have plenty performance and exhibition space for Asian artists.
The cost of the construction, Gerson said, would be covered by both government funding and community donations. He said he applied for funds from the state government and will conduct a community donation drive at a later time.
The Chinese community is excited about the plan. Xiaoling Liu, chairwoman of theChinese Folk Dance Company, said a new art and culture center would be very helpful to arts organizations in the downtown area. We lack space for performances and exhibitions in this community. I hope the new center encourages more Chinese people to attend art and cultural activities, said Liu.
Margaret Chin, deputy director of Chinese Americans for Equality, welcomes the new center. The only theater in Chinatown, New Voice Theater, closed. Now when the overseas art organizations visit Chinatown, for example, as the Canton Opera Troup did recently, we have to borrow the theaters of nearby middle schools for them to perform. It is very inconvenient. I hope we can change this situation soon, said Chan.
The members include Director of Constituent Affairs at District One Tammy To; designer JK Mui; Deputy Executive Boardmember of the Asian American Art Association Lilian Cho; the Vice Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality Margaret Chan, President of the Chinese Community Center Tingdian Ng; Asian American Bar Association member Rocky Chan; Executive Director of the Chinese Folk Dance Company Amy Chen; President of Asian American Business Development Center John Wang; Yin Gao from Chinese American Planning Council; Executive Director of the Museum of Chinese in the Americas Fay Chew; President of Chen and Dancers Dancing company, and a representative from Asian American Arts Center Zhenliang Ng.
The committee, CREATE, is composed of 13 cultural and economic representatives from Chinatown.
Gerson, who was elected councilman in January, said that the development of Chinatown would play a significant role in rebuilding lower Manhattan. The development of Chinatown could bring multiple benefits to downtown Manhattan. And a new art and culture center would not only be an engine for the recovery of Chinatown, but also provide a cultural activity space for the whole community, said Gerson. I hope we could have an equivalent of Lincoln Center in Chinatown soon.
Gerson emphasized that the new art and culture center would help encourage Chinatowns economy. The economy in Chinatown has been severely affected by September 11th. A new art and culture center here would stimulate tourism and bring commercial opportunities to this area, Gerson said.
The proposal for the art and culture center is being developed. Gerson said he is going to petition the state government for $50,000 to fund the research phase of the plan. CREATE started to consider locations for the center. Among the possibilities is renovating the 141 Walker Street building, where a temporary September 11th assistance center was once located. The center would have plenty performance and exhibition space for Asian artists.
The cost of the construction, Gerson said, would be covered by both government funding and community donations. He said he applied for funds from the state government and will conduct a community donation drive at a later time.
The Chinese community is excited about the plan. Xiaoling Liu, chairwoman of theChinese Folk Dance Company, said a new art and culture center would be very helpful to arts organizations in the downtown area. We lack space for performances and exhibitions in this community. I hope the new center encourages more Chinese people to attend art and cultural activities, said Liu.
Margaret Chin, deputy director of Chinese Americans for Equality, welcomes the new center. The only theater in Chinatown, New Voice Theater, closed. Now when the overseas art organizations visit Chinatown, for example, as the Canton Opera Troup did recently, we have to borrow the theaters of nearby middle schools for them to perform. It is very inconvenient. I hope we can change this situation soon, said Chan.
The members include Director of Constituent Affairs at District One Tammy To; designer JK Mui; Deputy Executive Boardmember of the Asian American Art Association Lilian Cho; the Vice Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality Margaret Chan, President of the Chinese Community Center Tingdian Ng; Asian American Bar Association member Rocky Chan; Executive Director of the Chinese Folk Dance Company Amy Chen; President of Asian American Business Development Center John Wang; Yin Gao from Chinese American Planning Council; Executive Director of the Museum of Chinese in the Americas Fay Chew; President of Chen and Dancers Dancing company, and a representative from Asian American Arts Center Zhenliang Ng.