Chinatown Welcome Gateway — Resources for Artists

Calling artists to envision public art in Chinatown! On May 22, 2025, Think!Chinatown (T!C) hosted an artist info session for NYC Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Chinatown Connections: Chinatown Welcome Gateway project. NYCEDC, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), and Marvel Architects shared about the project, selection process, timeline, budget, and answer any questions. T!C then shared contextual information about cultural representation and the history of gateways in Chinatown.

From NYC Economic Development Corporation:

From NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs:

From Think!Chinatown:

Here’s a recording of our May 22nd artist info session!

[0:00-7:21] Think!Chinatown’s Yin Kong introduces the agenda, intentions, and project

[7:22-18:00] NYCEDC’s Gigi Li speaks on Chinatown Connections project background

[18:01-33:10] NYC DCLA’s David Mandel speaks on the Percent for Art program and artist selection process

[33:11-34:40] Marvel Architects’ Yadiel Rivera-Diaz speaks on Marvel’s involvement and the relationship with the selected artist

[34:41-54:25] Q&A with NYCEDC and DCLA

[54:26-1:09:54] Think!Chinatown’s Yin Kong speaks on the previous failed gateway project, the history of paifang in Chinatowns, cultural representation in the built environment, and shares feedback from community members

[1:09:55-1:27:30] Q&A with Think!Chinatown and Marvel Architects

 

Interested in being a panelist?

 

Be a part of the panel selection team! Are you a Chinatown community member with background in the arts? Apply to be part of the selection team and work with the Chinatown Connections team to select the Chinatown Welcome Gateway artist!

Voting panelists should be:

  • 18 years of age

  • Arts professional

  • Knowledgeable about contemporary art and the community where the project is taking place

Advisory panelists should be:

  • Knowledgeable about community issues and interests where the project is taking place

If this sounds like you, email [percentInfo@culture.nyc.gov] with an expression of interest, name, email address, phone number, address, and affiliation. Please include Chinatown Connections in the subject line. Please note final panel composition is selected by DCLA.

Think!Chinatown (T!C) is working as a sub-consultant to advise on the community engagement process to Marvel, the architectural design consultant for the NYCEDC's Chinatown Connections project. Specifically, T!C is solely advising Marvel's community engagement process, and not executing it. While T!C is supporting outreach to get the word out about the artist and panelist call, we do not have any input in the selection of the artist. Once the panel has identified its finalist, however, T!C will be available to support the selected artist by providing cultural context of the neighborhood.

Think!Chinatown is here to create space for conversation with artists who wish to engage deeply with the complex context of our neighborhood and the many layers of our communities. We are not for or against any particular design, but we do hope this call process will identify an artist who has expansive thinking about what cultural placekeeping can mean for an iconic neighborhood like Manhattan’s Chinatown —someone who can go beyond the stereotypes and tropes, and think about this opportunity to reflect on Chinatown's place in America's narrative.

 

Want to learn more about NYCEDC’s Chinatown Connections project?

 

Photo courtesy of NYCEDC

In 2024, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) launched Chinatown Connections, the City’s current effort to redesign Kimlau Square and surrounding streets, which includes a plan to add a “Chinatown Welcome Gateway”– a cultural marker intended to represent the Chinatown community. According to EDC, “Chinatown Connections will redesign the gateway to Manhattan’s Chinatown into a safe and vibrant space that celebrates the neighborhood’s Chinese heritage, improves multimodal circulation into and around Chinatown, and supports local businesses.” The plan includes a Street Improvement Project (SIP) along Park Row and at key intersections, led by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

ABOUT THE FUNDING

In 2021, former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer approached Think!Chinatown (T!C) to put together an application for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a $20 million fund for capital investments provided from from the governor's office. In September 2021, T!C presented a proposal to the Regional Economic Development Council of New York State focused on improvements to Forsyth Plaza and 88 East Broadway Mall to create a cultural center, business incubation center, and provide infrastructure for daytime vendors along the plaza. $20 million from the DRI was awarded to Manhattan’s Chinatown.

Following this, there was a series of neighborhood advisory committee meetings where different groups bid for different amounts of money from the DRI fund. In the end, the $20 million was dispersed to different projects; amongst those was $5 million to the renovation of Kimlau Square, $4 million for beautifying Park Row, and $2.5 million for creating a Chinatown welcome gateway. With this initial amount of DRI funding, the City then added $44.5 million to create the Chinatown Connections project.