LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE WATER RABBIT

Leap into the prosperous Year of the Rabbit with Think!Chinatown.

T!C hosted a series of cultural programming this Lunar New Year… from LNY decoration workshops to lantern parties to folk art demonstrations, there was something for everyone! First, we got ready for an auspicious Year of the Rabbit by learning about lucky LNY decor like 窗花 papercut window flowers and 福 calligraphy squares with artist Ling Tang. Then, the T!C crew joined in on Chinatown festivities on 初一 the First Day of Lunar New Year and celebrated Super Saturday with a lantern reveal.

PAST PROGRAMS

T!C Events
Lantern Festival Workshop & Party
Feb 12
Lantern Festival Workshop & Party

[Feb 12, 2-5PM] Come warm up from the parade at 1 Pike! T!C’s Lantern Festival Workshop & Party will have classic Lunar New Year goodies, hot tea, Chinese New Year karaoke, a lantern workshop hosted by T!C’s Lantern Artist-in-Residence, Jacqueline Tam, and a special visit from Tai Look Lion Dance. Free with no RSVPs required!

Super Saturday: Lantern Celebration
Feb 4
Super Saturday: Lantern Celebration

[Feb 4, 11AM-1PM] T!C’s Lantern Artist-in-Residence will parade their lantern on Mott Street on Super Saturday. Enjoy the lion dancing and confetti with family & friends. Stay tuned for more details!

Lunar New Year Teahouse: Bai Nian 拜年 @ T!C's Studio
Jan 28
Lunar New Year Teahouse: Bai Nian 拜年 @ T!C's Studio

[Jan 28, 2-5PM] Celebrate Lunar New Year with friends & family at T!C’s community studio at 1 Pike! Folk artists will demonstrate and sell their traditional crafts with Xun Ye making LNY-themed dough figurines 面塑 and Becky Hsu writing spring couplets 春聯 to bring good fortune to your house. Make your rounds in our pop-up teahouse to wish everyone a happy new year with tea and prosperity tray.

Lunar New Year 初一: Lantern Reveal!
Jan 22
Lunar New Year 初一: Lantern Reveal!

[Jan 22, 11AM-1PM] Leap into the prosperous Year of the Rabbit with us! To kick off the First Day of Lunar New Year, the T!C Team will reveal this year’s lantern art piece from our Lantern Artist-in-Residence at the newsstand on Mott & Mosco St. Since 2019, T!C has invited an artist to put their own spin on the popular red lantern. Stay tuned for our artist reveal! More info — Previous LNY lanterns

Hands on Workshop: Auspicious New Year Decorations [SOLD OUT!]
Jan 15
Hands on Workshop: Auspicious New Year Decorations [SOLD OUT!]

[Jan 15, 1-2:30PM & 3:15-4:45PM] Get ready for the upcoming Year of the Rabbit! Join artist Ling Tang for a chuang hua paper-cutting 窗花剪紙 and calligraphy fu 福 square workshop in preparation for Lunar New Year! In this workshop, you will explore the cultural history of Lunar New Year decorations, learn about the traditional art forms of paper-cutting and calligraphy, and make your very own chuang hua 窗花 and fu zi 福字 squares. More info — SOLD OUT! No walk ins.

LANTERN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

T!C is excited to announce that our Year of the Rabbit Lantern Artist-In-Residence is…
Jacqueline Tam!

 
 

Come see Jacqueline’s lantern on the streets of Chinatown on the First Day of the Lunar New Year (1/22) and Super Saturday (2/4)!

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I’m Thinking of You” brings together my meditations on home and my longing for friends and family who are scattered all around the world. Throughout the lantern, I’ve depicted Pacific Swifts which migrate between China, Southeast Asia, and Australia, and are birds that I observed during a recent trip to Hong Kong, a city where I spent many formative years. The other panels on the lantern hold the 'Lost Words'. These improvisational and gestural glyphs represent the language that can only come with sharing physical space with each other.

 
 

Since 2019, Think!Chinatown has commissioned artists to interpret the concept of the lantern as part of our annual Lantern Artist-In-Residency to celebrate the Lantern Festival and the new year. Our lantern art installation adds to the grassroots festivities of Chinatown by inserting our feminine energy amongst the traditionally male-dominated lion dancing celebrations.

Think!Chinatown’s 2023 Lunar New Year programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.