Queens Museum Celebrates UN’s 60th

The Queens Museum of Art, located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and the first home of the United Nations, will host a reception, a screening of “The UN in Queens–A Global Celebration” and a talk about the history of the UN on October 24 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The New York City Building, in which the museum is housed today, was the home of the UN General Assembly until 1951. This international celebration brings the UN back to its Queens roots, proving yet again the impact this county has had on the entire world. Included in the event will be the United Nations singers, performing songs from around the world.

Many decisions of lasting importance were made by the General Assembly of the United Nations during its time in the New York City Building, including the partition of Palestine and Korea. The United Nations moved to Manhattan in 1951, but its first five years of operation are well remembered and celebrated by the Queens Museum. During the reception, “The UN in Queens–A Global Celebration” will depict these events as well as others that have created historic ties between the UN and Queens.

The building that now houses the Panorama and the Queens Museum was built for the 1939 World’s Fair and saw service again in the 1964 World’s Fair. After the 1964 World’s Fair, the building again sank into disuse until the Queens Museum of Art opened in 1972.

The Queens Museum of Art does more than exhibit works by local Queens artists. It serves as a cultural center for the entire borough. Perhaps the most well known of its exhibits is the Panorama, a scale model of all five of New York City’s boroughs that was built for the 1964 World’s Fair. On average, 1,400 daily visitors view the Panorama from a ramp that encircles the 9,335-square-foot scale model of the many streets, parks, buildings and airports contained in the 320 square miles of New York City. The Twin Towers draped with red, white and blue ribbon are still featured in the Panorama. Like the rest of the Panorama, the Twin Towers part of the model will keep pace with the times: as the actual memorial at Ground Zero is built, the Panorama will reflect the changes. Other than the Panorama, the Queens Museum of Art is also the home of the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany art. These permanent exhibitions have both cultural and historic value.

The Queens Museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information on events and art exhibitions, call 718-592-9700 or visit www.queensmuseum.org.