The Uni returned to Corona Plaza, Queens, another plaza newly pedestrianized by NYC DOT. Our host was the amazing Queens Museum, which has been trailblazing in its energetic efforts to engage the community outside their walls. (Read more about the museum’s approach to community and efforts in Corona Plaza in this interview with QMA Director of Programs, Prerana Reddy.) A big thanks to our new volunteer, Xavier Williams, graduate student in the Theories of Urban Practice program at Parsons Design school. Thanks also to Ken Gordon for monitoring approaching thunderstorm via radar. To maximize street time and avoid rain, we deployed early, threading the needle of bad weather. See final photos below for the dramatic finish where the community pitched in to help load out. Thank you Corona!
One of my favorite books, donated by Museum of Chinese in America.
(We chose to keep the bottom row of the Uni empty to speed load-out in case of thunder storm.)
Using a flow chart to identify ants under the microscope.
A spot of rain: we deployed a tent to keep reading.
Solved in Queens. Pride.
The Uni collection is truly multigenerational. (This young boy happens to be browsing another favorite of mine: a German book about temporary use of public space in Berlin…)
Thanks to Alex Garcia of the Queens Museum for joining us on the plaza.
These sisters collected two ants for identification.
Right after taking this photo, the call came in: “fast approaching storm on radar!”
I asked for help. These ten Uni patrons became Uni volunteers and helped pack the books.
In the end, the only thing caught in the rain was the baseplate. It needed a wash anyway. Thank you, as always, Corona. Proud to be in your neighborhood.