#NewsFlash | It really was A Great Day In Queens!
BY QEDC It's In Queens
They came from Albania and Armenia, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso, China and Croatia, Ghana and Guatemala, Pakistan and Peru, Suriname and Switzerland, Togo and Thailand, and Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
More than 150 Queens enthusiasts — whose heritages represent about 80 countries around the globe — posed for Jonathan Kane’s camera in front of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday, June 9, at about 9:30 am.
But it was much more than just a snap of a lens.
The image demonstrates the tolerance and unity that abounds in Queens and it pays homage to a famous visual image by Jonathan’s father, Art Kane.
In 1958, Harlem was the center of the jazz world with the Cotton Club, the Savoy Ballroom, and Small’s Paradise in full swing. To catch the moment, Art took a photo of 57 jazz legends in front of a brownstone at 15 East 126th St. in Manhattan on Aug. 12. Entitled “Harlem 1958,” the black-and-white portrait of Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and other musicians ran in Esquire magazine.
For years, Jonathan, a professional drummer and freelance photographer who lives in Jackson Heights in central Queens, pondered how to pay homage to his father’s iconic image. He had to add a twist, knowing that overwhelmingly creative Art would never do the same thing twice. Plus, he wanted to promote his home borough, which is the most diverse county in the world. Finally, he wanted to involve the Unisphere, which is the most recognized structure in Queens. So he decided that the photo would involve immigrants in front of the Unisphere, a 140-foot-high stainless steel representation of planet Earth that was created to be the symbol of the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
For his next step, Jonathan, who is now 61, partnered with the Queens Tourism Council, a division of the Queens Economic Development Corporation. QTC’s director, Rob MacKay, handled recruitment and promotion.
After months of organizing, Jonathan took his homage photo — almost exactly 60 years to the day after his father’s Harlem shot. It was a beautiful sunny day, and as planned, the ethnic mix of the subjects was extraordinary. Ditto for their clothes.
India native Nupur Arora dressed in a colorful sari with a floral shawl. Daniel Quarshie sported a red, gold, and green kente cloth shirt from Ghana, his homeland on Africa’s Gold Coast. Justo Santos went with a Danzante de Pujilí, a multi-colored costume with headdress worn during religious festivals in Ecuador. He carried a special Andean cross as part of the outfit. Mihaela Georgescu wore a white Romanian garment whose red-frilled design pattern dates back various centuries. Ainagul Karasheva’s dress had a sky blue hue matching that of the Kazakhstani flag. With the World Cup pending, the four-member Wroblewski family proudly displayed Polish soccer jerseys. And Hartanto Yuwo had a tan Indonesian batik.
Jonathan took one main, posed photo and many candid ones of those present as they met each other and chatted. Jonathan and QTC will use the main shot for a poster and then select others to create a “Great Day in Queens” calendar for 2019.
“It’s long been a dream of mine to honor my father’s legacy and recreate his 1958 image, but with a social and conceptual twist. In Queens, we are living and celebrating everything that’s great about America every day, and it’s time to share that with the world in a bold and dynamic way,” Jonathan said. “Thanks to everybody who participated.”
“QEDC exists to help immigrants and others as they establish and grow their businesses and contribute to the local economy,” stated QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein. “This photo shines a light on how individuals make tremendous contributions to greater society. I am filled with Queens pride right now and I offer heartfelt thanks to all who participated in this exceptional, one-of-a-kind event. It’s a great way to kick off our ‘I Love The World’s Borough’ campaign.”
“The whole event was wonderful,” QTC’s MacKay. I got to meet so many fascinating people, and the final product is such a testament to the borough’s greatest aspects: diversity, tolerance, and positive energy. I’m so honored to have been part of this project and even more grateful to those who showed up.”
This project is part of the I Love the World’s Borough campaign, which is supported in part by a grant awarded to QEDC/QTC by Empire State Development and I LOVE NEW YORK/New York State’s Division of Tourism under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative with additional support from the Office of the Queens Borough President and HSBC Bank PLC.
Editor’s note: This isn’t a definitive figure, but MacKay can confirm attendance in the park – not necessarily in the photo — from Albania, Anguilla, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saint Maartens, Scotland, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, The Philippines, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, U.S. Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia.
Banner and above image: Jonathan Kane
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