By Shane O’Brien

Council Member Sandra Ung and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) leadership in Flushing on Nov. 14 to announce $1.3 million in Council funding for the organization’s new cultural center for art exhibitions, community events and youth engagement.

AAFE’s Union Street Cultural Hub will transform existing office space at 35-34 Union St. into a permanent home for the Asian American Arts Centre’s collection of art from the Asian American community across the United States.

The space will also host exhibitions, educational programming and community events designed to celebrate Asian American culture and strengthen community ties.

The new hub is part of AAFE’s mission to empower Asian American and immigrant communities by providing access to arts and community events in Flushing.

The new space will host Asian American artwork curated by Bob Lee, executive director of the Asian American Arts Centre. AAFE will also partner with local organizations and youth groups to platform local artwork at the new space.

Thomas Yu, executive director of AAFE, said the new space will be unique in the sense that it will platform Asian American art, stating that most museums and cultural spaces in the city tend to focus on art originating from Asia.

“If you look at our mainstream institutions, their Asian art is really about Asia. We’re talking about American history here,” Yu said. “It (the collection) is like a web of all American stories and how they interweave together.”

The new cultural hub will also provide opportunities for young people to engage with the arts and learn more about the diverse heritage that shapes their community, Ung’s office said. AAFE will work with local organizations and institutions including Flushing High School, Veritas Academy and Queens High School for Language Studies to provide those opportunities.

To read the entire article: https://qns.com/2025/11/adams-ung-funding-aafe-cultural-hub-flushing/

Photo credit: cmsandraung/Instagram