By Renee DeLorenzo

Lunar New Year is rising at Flushing Town Hall as it welcomes 2026, the year of the Red Horse, with its Red Horizon art exhibit.

Curated by Stephanie S. Lee, director of the Garage Art Center in Bayside, the exhibit features the work of 15 local artists across New York City. Art pieces range from paintings and etchings to sculptures and handcrafted instruments, all made in honor of the holiday.

The exhibit will be open to the public now through March 1 and will include a Happy Neigh Year horse painting workshop hosted by Lee on Feb. 21, as well as a closing reception featuring an artist talk with Eugenie Chao, who will perform a live musical instrument demonstration using hand-crafted instruments she created for the exhibit.

Lunar New Year is an Eastern Asian tradition that begins during the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year, the holiday will be celebrated on Feb. 17, marking the year of the Red Horse.

The Chinese Zodiac calendar follows a 12-year cycle with each year rotating one of 12 animals, such as the rat or the snake, and five different elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each combination prophesizes the year’s fortune based on characteristics embodied by each animal and element.

The Red Horse, for example, combines the fire element — passion, energy, leadership and transformation — with the characteristics of the horse — vitality, independence and speed. According to Lee, 2026 will be marked by high energy, confidence and ambition.

Lee explained that all the artists are Asian Americans living in New York City, and they’re often well-known by their communities and in the local art scene.

“They’re very active and hard-working,” Lee said. “It’s perfect for the Lunar New Year because it’s the Red Horse. It’s a lot of creating new momentum and moving forward with energy. I thought it was perfect for them to gather together and communicate with art.”

To read the entire article: https://qns.com/2026/01/lunar-new-year-flushing-town-hall-red-horizons/