WHO: Mission to ditMARS is Kari Bentley-Quinn, Don Nguyen, Meredith Packer and Laura Pestronk. WHAT: Our mission is to provide Queens-based artists with a local outlet for their creative endeavors, with the ultimate goal being to create an artistic collective that promotes local talent and original ideas. Our focus is on theater and performance, but we are looking for ways to support visual artists and local musicians as well. This sounds broad, and that’s because it is. Queens is the most diverse borough in New York City, and Astoria is the most diverse area in the entire world according to National Geographic (thus the name of the group). Naturally, an area this diverse with such a rich culture has attracted many artists from all over the city, as well as all over the world. We didn’t want to limit what this group could potentially do or create, so we’re leaving it a bit open ended. WHERE: Events will be held primarily in the Astoria/LIC area. WHEN: Our first get together will be sometime in August before the summer ends, and it will definitely be somewhere outside and will definitely involve cocktails. It will mostly be a meet and greet, and the projects for the fall will be discussed. WHY: Honestly? Because we were a little tired of Brooklyn getting all the glory. We were tired of commuting in order to showcase our work when we have amazing people and spaces right here in Queens. We want to show our colleagues and the world that Queens is going to be a major destination for the arts, and we want to be a part of it. It’s also a great excuse to see a lot of our friends without having to spend cash on a car service home!
