Art, exercise & history coming to Jamaica Ave

We are just over a week away from the next Woodhaven Open Streets, which will take place on Sunday, November 7, from 12 to 6 p.m. on Jamaica Avenue from 75th to 85th streets.
This is not, and this bears repeating many times, a regular street fair. Everything is free during Woodhaven Open Streets, and there will be live music and games for the kids. This is a real family event sponsored by the Woodhaven Business Improvement District.
There will be several community-based organizations taking part, including the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society, which will be at 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue.
If you come to 80th Street, you’ll be treated to what we’re calling a Clothesline Art Show featuring artists from our Woodhaven Art Circle. Our artists’ work will be on display and you’ll be able to meet and greet our local artists.
We are also inviting other local artists to come display their work. By local artists we mean they should reside or work within the confines of 11421 zip code.
We are open to artists of all ages, so if there are any students out there from one of our schools, please feel free to bring down some of your work to show off in their neighborhood.
All artwork will be hung from clotheslines so it should ideally be on paper, but bring down what you have and we’ll figure out how to display it.
We’re also bringing in a wonderful yoga instructor who is going to give two sessions on how to do chair yoga, a form of exercise that is ideal for the elderly or for those who have mobility issues.
The sessions should start around 1:15 and 2:15 p.m. Seats are limited, so check in with us at 80th Street to reserve your place.
And at 3:30 pm. we will be leading a short walking tour of Jamaica Avenue and Forest Parkway. It will last about 45 minutes to an hour, and we will be walking from 80th Street to the Woodhaven Library and back.
So we’ll be bringing art, exercise and history to Jamaica Avenue on November 7. We hope we see you there.
On the topic of art, the Woodhaven Art Circle is proud to announce that one of its members, Mahfuza Shammy Rahman, known as MSR, will have her work on display at an exhibit through the first week of January at King Manor Museum at 150-03 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica.
Entitled “Abstract Landscapes,” there will b an opening reception this Saturday, October 30, from 12 to 3 p.m.
MSR is a recipient of a New York Artists Corps grant, and was most recently featured (along with fellow Woodhaven Art Circle member Deborah Camp) in an exhibition called “Women of Art Haven” sponsored by Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar.
MSR also had a solo show in June at Geordie’s Joint and has participated in a pair of group shows held at the Greenpoint Gallery. Her works vary from large-scale oil and acrylic paintings on canvas and wood, painted pottery and a series of small watercolor paintings, most of which can be seen on her website at MSRgalleries.com
The reception this Saturday will be held outdoors with live music, a photo wall and free refreshments in Rufus King Park, the grounds surrounding the historic King Manor house.
Built in 1806, it was home to New York State Senator Rufus King and his family until 1896, when it was sold to the Village of Jamaica and eventually declared a historic landmark.
If you have any questions, please email us at woodhavenhistory@gmail.com.
We hope you’ll continue to support our local artists by coming out to see their work.
And we hope these words reach fellow artists here in Woodhaven, who have talents that have gone unrecognized for too long. We’ve told you where we’ll be. The next step is up to you.