Description & Background
Established in 1972, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is a multidisciplinary arts center and cultural hub based in the diverse community of Southeast Queens. Serving as a creative home for artists, audiences, and lifelong learners for over 50 years, the center is driven by a team of values-driven professionals committed to delivering high-quality arts and education programs that uplift the cultural vitality of the region.
Objectives
The center’s mission is to offer quality visual and performing arts programs and to provide accessible education initiatives that encourage participation in the arts. JCAL seeks to foster pride, belonging, and creative expression while preserving and advancing culture in Southeast Queens. By delivering meaningful and transformative programming, the organization works to make the arts accessible to all and serve as a creative heart for its community.
Programs / Opportunities
- Public Performances & Festivals: Hosting a dynamic range of multicultural public events, concerts, dance showcases, theater productions, and community festivals.
- Paid Residencies & Professional Development: Offering paid curator and artist residencies to support emerging and world-class creators in music, dance, theater, and visual arts.
- Accessible Arts Education & Classes: Delivering educational workshops, art classes, and outreach initiatives across local schools and senior centers.
- Visual Arts Exhibitions: Curating contemporary visual art exhibitions that celebrate creative expression and regional heritage.
Target Community
- Creators & Performers: Local, emerging, and world-class artists, curators, and cultural practitioners across music, dance, theater, and visual arts.
- Local Community & Audience: Over 58,000 neighbors, families, parents, youth, children, and lifelong learners annually within Southeast Queens—one of the nation’s most diverse neighborhoods—as well as regional schools and senior centers.
