New Louis Armstrong Center opening next month in Queens
On July 6, the Louis Armstrong Center will open, as an expansion of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, in Corona, Queens. Louis Armstrong was a Black trumpeter and vocalist, considered one of the most influential jazz musicians, whose career lasted more than five decades
The announcement is significant due to Black Music Month, which has been celebrated in June annually since 1979 in the United States. Read more on Black Music Month here: https://www.nmaam.org/blackmusicmonth.
The opening of the center comes as the museum, a National Historic Landmark, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, and the anniversary of Armstrong’s death on July 6, 1971.
Executive Director of the House Museum, Regina Bain, shared why this is a historic moment. “Standing on the shoulders of the jazz and community greats who have come before us, the new Louis Armstrong Center invites today’s musicians, neighbors, and global fans to discover Louis and Lucille Armstrong’s story from a new perspective,” she said.
Armstrong’s values of Artistic Excellence, Education and Community will be fostered in Here to Stay, the new Center’s exhibition, curated by award-winning pianist, composer and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz, Jason Moran.
“The Here to Stay exhibition is a declaration of Louis Armstrong’s infinite love of music and humanity,” said Moran.
The center will become a new international destination celebrating Armstrong’s distinctive role in African-Diaspora history and vitality, offering other year-round exhibitions like Moran’s, as well as performances, readings, lectures, and screenings through an array of public programs for all ages.
With the center opening soon, the museum has created new programs, including Armstrong Now!, its artist-in-residence program. It will feature the creation and debut of new works by Esperanza Spalding, Amyra León and Antonio Brown.
It contextualizes Louis Armstrong’s immense contributions in a contemporary era and provides established and emerging artists with a platform to create new work inspired by Armstrong’s legacy, as well as the vast collection of artifacts and documents in the Armstrong archives.
The Center, once it opens, and the historic house, will be open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays. Those who want to participate in a tour of the museum, including the new Center’s exhibition, can purchase tickets here: https://18190.blackbaudhosting.com/18190/page.aspx?pid=213&tab=2&txobjid=1c5ecd43-da73-487a-b18e-aa5602ce98c4.
