Tag: Greater Astoria Historical Society

Meet “My Place” Artist Ellen Stedfeld

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Ellen Stedfeld created the artwork for our May 3 generative workshop with Queens Memory and Greater Astoria Historical Society. Participants put themselves on the map by contributing their Six-Word “My Place in Queens” Memoirs.

Get your tickets here and come add your six-word memoir to the map at the show!

Visit Ellen this weekend, May 17 & 18, at the 2025 LIC Arts Open. Her studio door is open at 43-01 22nd St, Studio 352 (3rd floor, keep to the right). Learn more here and meet Ellen below.

Ellen Stedfeld and “My Place in Queens” Map

A native New Yorker, I was inspired from an early age to draw the world around me, and create my own masterpieces like those seen in art museums.

With a lifelong love of both reading and art, I naturally gravitated to forms of visual storytelling such as picture books, animation, and manga/comics.

After years of training, I have continued to express this passion for creativity by engaging in original and collaborative artwork as a freelance illustrator.

Many of my concoctions include an interactive element, engaging the viewer, making them privy to the process and inviting them to become a participant.

You can find me drawing at comic shops, conventions, music shows, theaters, open mics, panel discussions, along the subways & wherever my travels lead!

Event Information

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

Meet “My Place” Storyteller Mary Lannon

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Happy Birthday to “My Place” storyteller Mary Lannon. Our storytellers are busy revising their true tales on the page.

Get your tickets here to see them swap stories inspired by shared Queens spaces on stage. But first, let’s meet Mary!

Mary Lannon’s unpublished novel, Tide Girl, was a finalist for the 2023 PEN\Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Her stories have appeared at Necessary Fiction, Story, New World Writing, and elsewhere. She teaches writing and women and gender studies at Nassau Community College in Long Island, NY, and lives in Kew Gardens, where she runs a reading series at the local cemetery. More information at MaryLannon.com.

Event Information

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

My Place in Queens

Artwork by Ellen Stedfeld

What a wonderful “My Place in Queens” generative workshop this Saturday, May 3, at the Queens Public Library, Broadway Branch, with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society.

Join us at Grove 34 for No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” on May 28, to see how the stories we started together turn out!

Our four curated No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” storytellers, alongside a packed room full of community participants, generated poems and personal stories inspired by the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more.

The opening prompt was inspired by a 2004 New York Times article Blood at the Gas Pumps; Queens Families Still Have Their Legacy, if Not Their Land, featuring Bob Singleton, Executive Director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. 

What do you feel like you were born knowing? About your family history? Queens? Both.

Then, participants rotated through four creative stations organized and facilitated by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, using the guest bell provided by Queens Memory curator J. Faye Yuan.

Station I: Queens Name Explorer

J. Faye Yuan gave a special presentation on the Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map that explores the individuals whose names grace public spaces across the borough of Queens.

Participants were then welcome to directly engage with the Queen Name Explorer on the screen and through customized coloring pages.

Station II: History Hub with Bob

Bob Singleton presented four historical tales that he prepared for this event to highlight William Hallett, Hallet’s Cove, and Socrates Sculpture Park, such as this “British Soldier’s Story.”

Cemetery experts believed this unearthed stone could have been an uncarved tombstone.

After each of the four talks, the participants could ask Bob questions.

Did anyone ask why Hallett is sometimes spelled with one “t” and other times two?

Station III: Hallett’s Cove “Then & Now”

NYTI Story Coach and QUEENSBOUND Board Member Pichchenda Bao gave participants time to study a series of Hallett’s Cove “Then & Now” photographs, such as this pair. 

View looking south down the East River from between 1st Street and the waterfront. Hallett’s Cove in the foreground, Sohmer & Co. Piano factory building center left, Manhattan and Triboro Bridge right, 1945. Photo from the Queens Public Library Digital Archives.

View from the boardwalk adjacent to Astoria Ferry Terminal. Piano factory building and Hallett’s Cove Beach in the center, next to Socrates Sculpture Park, 2025. Photo courtesy of Nick Capezzra.

Then Chenda guided participants through a poetry prompt inspired by her work with Queensbound founder KC Trommer, who has a great poetry workshop coming up with Poets House that starts on May 17.

Check out the In-Person 4-Week Workshop: KC Trommer: City Poet: Writing Ekphrasis.

Love this poem written in response to the prompt by our own Tim Lindner!

STATION IV: Add Something to the Map

Speaking of Tim Lindner! At our final station, Tim turned the Queens Name Explorer’s “Add Something to the Map” feature into a writing prompt to help participants brainstorm their personal connections to our shared Queens spaces.

Finally! Six-Word “My Place in Queens” Memoirs

The workshop culminated with the participants coming back together to distill all that they’d learned and written in the past two hours into a six-word memoir they added to the map created by artist Ellen Stedfeld. What a day!

Keep it going! Come to the No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” show on May 28th, and add your Six-Word “My Place in Queens” Memoir to the map.

Tickets available here.

Special thanks to William Klein and Palisades Convention Management for all the photocopies! 

Next Show! “My Place” on May 28

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Tickets are available for our team-up show with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society!

No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” explores the personal stories behind our shared Queens spaces. Purchase tickets here.  

At our May 3 workshop, the four No, YOU Tell It! storytellers will interact with the Queens Name Explorer—a digital map developed by Queens Memory—to find “My Place” in Queens.

Feel free to come join in on the fun! The free May 3 workshop at the Queens Public Library at Broadway in Astoria is open to all!

On May 28, come hear the four NYTI storytellers trade true tales inspired by the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more. 

Plus, artwork by Ellen Stedfeld (ellesaurarts.com) and story trivia for fun prizes!

Storytellers:

Francisco Delgado

Ari Figueroa

Mary Lannon

Wichuda “Tang” McConnell

NYTI Creative Team:

KJ Fitzsimmons

Pichchenda Bao

Erika Iverson

Tim Lindner

***

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

Event Information

May 28 2025 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

Come Write With Us!

What’s your Queens story? Join us on May 3 for a free writing workshop to discover and trade the personal stories behind our shared public places.

Interact with Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory, to learn the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more.

Learn more and register here.

Plus, artwork by Ellen Stedfeld and a special presentation from Bob Singleton of the Greater Astoria Historical Society.

***

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

Big News! Two 2025 Flushing Town Hall Grants

Guess what? No, YOU Tell It! has received not one but TWO grants from Flushing Town Hall in support of our Queens programming – the 2025 GO Queens Grant and the Queens Community Arts Grant!

With the support of these grants, we are partnering with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Queens Memory to produce writing workshops and shows where community participants and NYTI storytellers can engage with Queens history to inspire and experience each other’s true tales.

Register here for our May 3 “My Place in Queens” free workshop at the Queens Public Library at Broadway in Astoria.

No, YOU Tell It! is one of 25 Queens-based performing arts and culture organizations that received the GO Queens Grant to support our mission and work in the Queens community.

These unrestricted funds can be used for General Operating Support (GOS) to help the granted organization grow and will go a long way toward helping us bring No, YOU Tell It! student programming to high school students in Queens.

 

The Queens Community Arts Grant supports Queens-based community organizations, groups, and collectives to hold arts and cultural projects or activities for the public in Queens to enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods where they live and operate – to make the arts accessible to all.

Check out the other 2025 grantees here.

This grant will directly support our May 3 “My Place in Queens” free writing workshop and May 28 “My Place” show produced in partnership with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Queens Memory.

At the May 3 workshop, the four No, YOU Tell It! “My Place” storytellers and community participants will use writing prompts to interact with Queens Name Explorer, an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory.

Together, we will learn the historical significance behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more, while the storytellers generate ideas for the true tales they will trade on stage at the May 28 show.

Huge thank you to Flushing Town Hall, and we’ll see YOU in May for the workshop and show!!

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This organization is funded in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation administered by Flushing Town Hall.

Upcoming Shows

We are gearing up for two new 2025 shows, including our first student matinee on March 13 at Symphony Space!

This special show is for the junior class at Global Learning Collaborative and features all NYTI alum storytellers.

Kelly Jean has been working with the students on their college essays, and we can’t wait for them to experience the power of personal storytelling.

Student matinees with alum storytellers are a great way to make new connections within our NYTI community while inspiring the next generation of storytellers.

We hope this is the first of many!

Then, in May, we are partnering with Queens Memory and the Greater Astoria Historical Society to explore “My Place” in Queens!

What’s your Queens story? We will use the interactive Queens Name Explorer map to learn the stories behind the people’s names that grace Queens streets, parks, monuments, and more to inspire and trade our own true tales.

Follow No, YOU Tell It! on Bluesky for more on our first student matinee and how to share your story as part of our May “My Place” show.

Celebrating 2024 & More!

What an incredible 2024! Look at the wonderful stories, Queens history, art, and music we experienced together.

Learn about what’s in store for 2025 below, and keep us in mind for your end-of-year giving.

Make your tax-deductible donation here.

Any amount is appreciated. We couldn’t do this without you!

How can we possibly top all this? I’m so glad you asked! We’re excited to team up again with the Greater Astoria Historical Society and have TWO NEW special shows for the first half of 2025 in the works:

  1. Our first STUDENT MATINEE on March 13 at Symphony Space for the high school students at Global Learning Collaborative who are working on their college application essays. The first of hopefully many student matinees will be a dynamic example of how the No, YOU Tell It! collaborative process makes writing and performing personal narratives accessible, empathetic, and transformative.
  2. In our May “My Place” show, four Queens storytellers will engage with the Queens Name Explorer – an interactive digital map developed by Queens Memory – to discover and trade true tales inspired by the people and places in their neighborhoods.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and now Bluesky for updates.

Donate to support a new year of No, YOU Tell It!

“Left My Heart” Part 2: Zach Rothman-Hicks and Carl M. Banks (Episode 78)

It is fitting that this heartfelt story swap, inspired by the life and music of Astoria legend Tony Bennett, includes our first live musical performance.

Give a listen as story coach Tim Lindner gets to know a little bit more about our two storytellers before they step into each other true tales in the second half of our “Left My Heart” show performed at Grove 34 on June 5, 2024. Full program here.

Content notice: These stories are true, traded with open hearts, and this half of the show contains a depiction of suicide.

If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. You can learn more about suicide from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at afsp.org.

Carl M. Banks and Zach Rothman-Hicks

Read about how engaging with Tony Bennet’s music and history from the Greater Astoria Historical Society archives inspired the storyteller’s modern-day true tales. The ART HEART portraits will be on display during the show, along with other surprises.

Stories

  • HEAD, HEART, and SAN FRAN, by Zach Rothman-Hicks, performed by Carl M. Banks
  • THE HOUSE WHERE NOBODY LIVES, by Carl M. Banks, performed by Zach Rothman-Hicks

Storyteller Bios

Zach Rothman-Hicks is an educator and multimedia conceptual artist who creates interactive performances and projects intended to spark reflection, dialogue, and action. He has been a New York City Public School teacher since September 2009 and an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College since 2012 and Queens College since 2022. In April 2020, while a student in the PIMA MFA Program at Brooklyn College, he initiated Gabbing with Gays, a project that explored Emotional Intimacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. This project inspired future interactive art pieces, which were presented at the Staten Island Museum, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Newhouse Center, Alice Austen House, Easton Mountain, Queens Public Library, Hunters Point Park Conservancy, Chashama, Culture Lab, and the 14th Street Y.

Carl M. Banks is a troubadour and musical nomad. Born in the heartland of Saint Louis, Missouri, he found his rhythm in the bustling streets of New York City, now calling Astoria, Queens, his home.  Traversing the country as a touring singer-songwriter, his lyrics and melodies echo the highs and lows of the American landscape while his stories touch on personal and profound narratives. He has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and on WFUV’s local artist spotlight, “New York Slice.” Carl is also an ultra-marathon runner and co-creator of Queens-based “Bridge and a Slice Half Marathon” and “HotDog Eater 50 kilometer.”

Gratitude & Support

Happy Thanksgiving! We are so grateful for so many things this year: our storytellers for sharing their experiences, the community for participating in our shows, and the vibrant art and history all around us.

Giving Tuesday is one week away. Look below to see what your generosity helped create in 2024, and click here to make a tax-deductible donation for a new year of No, YOU Tell It!

Every dollar you donate directly supports our storytellers and artists.

Bonus: For every donation of $50 or more, we will send you a copy of  “The Hell Gate Kid on Holiday” zine created by A. King McCarty and inspired by Bob Singleton’s poem “The Legend of the Hell Gate Kid.”

Another great way to support our series is following us on your favorite social media platform and encouraging friends to do the same:

Watch this highlights video from our “Left My Heart” show for a snippet of what’s filling our hearts this holiday season.

Shout out to the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Sunnyside Arts for all their help and support in creating and hosting the special “Art Heart” community workshop that kicked off our show.

Huge thanks to our lovely venue, Grove 34.

Thank you for your continued support of No, YOU Tell It! by donating on Dec 3 and helping spread the word about our series.

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