MAYOR GIULIANI PROCLAIMS SEPTEMBER 17 CITIZENSHIP DAY
Salutes 34 Immigrant Artists Participating in "The New American Art Show"
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani proclaimed September 17, 1997 as Citizenship Day in New York City --a day which marks the 210th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States. The Mayor made the announcement during the opening of The New American Art Show, an exhibit showcasing the work of 34 immigrant artists at the Tweed Gallery in lower Manhattan.
The Mayor was joined by Deputy Mayors Ninfa Segarra and Rudy Washington; Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and Language Services Angelica O. Tang; Executive Vice-President of the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA) Mark Handleman; President of the Board of Directors for NYANA Laura G. Ross; Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Citizen's Advice Bureau Marshall Green; Evelyn Ho, a recent immigrant from China; and the 34 participating artists.
"If we needed any more proof of how profoundly immigrants enrich the City of New York, we need to look no further than The New American Art Show," said Mayor Giuliani. "Now through September 29, New Yorkers can view art from 34 first-generation artists from around the world. In viewing this exhibit we see their energy, their courage, their love of home and country, and their love for this City. "The immigrant experience rejuvenates the City in every generation, it broadens our perspectives and brings new life and culture to our City. We're lucky that New York is the place where so many immigrants bring their ideas - and when those ideas are expressed through art, they combine the rich array of emotions that the immigrant experience evokes. Each of these works shows the City through an immigrant's eyes, and in the process it expresses something new and fundamental, something that any human being can understand.
"New York City is the most diverse and successful City in the world," the Mayor continued. "People have come here from all over the world to make a better life for themselves. We're an example to the rest of the country, and it's no mistake that national Citizenship Day falls on the same day that the Constitution of the United States was signed. Now, 210 years later, both our City and our country are stronger than ever before, thanks in large part to the hard work and creativity of immigrants," the Mayor concluded.
The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and Language Services organized The New American Art Show to highlight the work of 34 immigrant artists who are living and working in New York City. The artists were chosen following recommendations from various art organizations, museums, galleries, and cultural groups in New York City.
"The New American Art Show is a visual testament that newcomers to New York City are enamored with their environment," said Immigrant Affairs Executive Director Angelica O. Tang. "New York represents the convergence of enormous talents and unlimited inspirations that artists thrive on. Immigrant artists in New York celebrate their unique American experience by expressing their renewed perspective. The artists' distillations of New York underscore the spirit of saluting new Americans embodied in the concept of Citizenship Day. The Mayor's Office of Immigration Affairs and Language Services is proud to organize the show in celebration of Citizenship Day."
The New American Art Show is free and can be viewed at the Tweed Gallery, located at 52 Chambers Street, from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday through Monday, September 29, 1997.
Contact Us | FAQs | Privacy Statement | Site Map