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Arts, film, and danceFrom Welcome to Chinatown NYCArtMuseum of Chinese in AmericaLocated on Centre Street, the Museum of Chinese in America is one of Chinatown’s greatest treasures. It is devoted to spreading and preserving Chinese culture in America, and it boasts a number of rotating art collections. More info on the MOCA’s goal can be found on our Museum page. Fly to FreedomThe “Fly to Freedom” exhibit houses 123 paper sculptures crafted by the passengers of the infamous Golden Venture. On June 6, 1993, this ship ran aground in Rockaway Beach, Queens while bearing close to 300 illegal immigrants from China. The survivors were detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Some were immediately deported or granted asylum, but it took close to four years for all the detainees to be cleared in some form. These ornate paper sculptures were originally meant as gifts for the lawyers who helped them with their cases, but were more simply just a way of passing the time.
Chinese Musical and Theatrical Association (CMTA) CollectionIn the 1930s, several Cantonese opera houses began to flourish in Chinatowns throughout America. This collection houses various artifacts from these opera houses, including costumes, instruments, and stage props.
DanceChen Dance Center Founded in 1978 by H.T. Chen, the Chen Dance Center (CDC) is the nation’s largest Asian-American performing arts institution. It has hosted a variety of performances known for their unique blend of the energy of Western modern dance and the poise of traditional and contemporary Asian aesthetics. The CDC has won numerous awards and accolades, including the 2005 Bessies Special Citation and the 2002 New York State Governor’s Award.
  The School, founded in 1980, is a performing arts school offering classes for children in ballet, creative movement, piano, and wusu kung-fu to a body of around 250 students. The Theater, founded in 1994, is a performing arts venue that hosts H.T. Chen & Dancers during their home performances, co-presents independent artists, and commissions new dance works for Asian-American choreographers. It is known for its semiannual showcase for emerging choreographers, known as the Ear to the Ground series.
FilmChinatown Film FestivalThe Chinatown Film Festival (CFF) is a non-profit corporation established in 2005 that holds an annual international film competition in Chinatown. As stated on their website, their mission is to “increase exposure of Asian culture while uniting it with American and other International cultures.”
The CFF held promotional events and meetings throughout 2007 and 2008 in anticipation of the first film festival, which was held in October 2008. The festival’s theme was “The Bridge: Connecting Cultures Through Film in the Heart of Asian Traditions,” and featured 25 films that were screened over 5 days and judged by a panel of critics and directors. [1] Chinatown Film ProjectThe Chinatown Film Project is a film exhibition currently under development at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). The purpose of the exhibition is to explore and redefine the images and ideas associated with Chinatown through the medium of film. The first part of the project will feature ten short films from independent directors working out of New York City. Each of these films will present a unique vision of Chinatown. [2] The second stage of the project consists of user-submitted videos, shot by amateurs and professional filmmakers around the world. Each of these videos depicts one of the many Chinatowns around the world. [3] The archive can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/mocanyc
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