Celebrating the New Year in Long Beach

The Long Beach Public Library, in collaboration with Artists in Partnership, is set to host two cross-cultural events.

“Part of Artists in Partnership’s mission is to offer opportunities to “art creators,” develop new audiences, and reach out to all members of the community by offering programs that are reflective of them, their culture and histories,” Executive Director Johanna Mathieson, said. “At a time when some would alter the teaching of factually based history, to alleviate “discomfort”, the arts prompt us to recognize, protect and preserve the richness of what came before, albeit good, bad and ugly.” 

It is through these cross-cultural, person-to-person interactions, telling our stories and listening to the stories of others, and sharing our customs and beliefs that we arrive at the understanding that, within our unique backgrounds and histories, we are connected by common threads- it’s the condition of being human,” she said

On Sunday, Feb. 4, from 2 to 3:45 p.m., families are invited to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a journey through the heart of China, the world’s oldest continuous civilization. Musician, artist, and historian Patricia Shih, alongside dancer Wendi Weng, will lead the audience through a multi-century exploration.

Attendees can anticipate exploring various aspects of Chinese culture, including geography, history, music, art, language, writing, customs, and more.

Patricia Shih will explain the distinctions and commonalities between the Lunar New Year and the Chinese New Year.

The festivities will continue from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. with a special performance by the Chinese Center of Long Island’s Traditional Dance Troupe and their Lion Dancers Troupe, ushering in the 2024 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Wooden Dragon.

“Artists in Partnership strives to be inclusive and reflective of the local and broader community by engaging artists who can best represent their communities and life experiences,” Mathieson said. “Our programs over the past 24 years have been inclusive and representative of women in the arts, the LGBTQIA community, the BIPOC community, and have served diverse, inter-generational audiences.”

The library will also commemorate Black History Month with “Harriet Tubman: Herself” on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Actress and singer Christine Dixon will deliver an interactive, and educational one-woman show based on the life and times of Harriet Tubman.

The performance will unveil the harrowing and dangerous life of Tubman, narrating the moving story of her quest to bring thousands of the enslaved, including her own family, to freedom.

Christine Dixon, a member of New York Women in Film and Television and SAG-AFTRA, not only performs in the production but also directs and produces it. The original concept of the story is credited to Hollywood Theatre Critic member Morna Murphy Martell and is based on the 1868 book by Sarah Bradford.

In the coming months, the organization has several other events planned, with a standout being the Seventh Annual Women in the Arts Celebration on April 4.

“For many years, I have had the privilege of working and developing programs, receiving support and assistance, and learning from so many women who were artists, entrepreneurs, community and organization representatives and friends,” Mathieson said. “I wanted a way to shine a light on them — to say thank you and to recognize their efforts, talents and energies.”

Additional events on the schedule feature the Healing Arts event scheduled for April, followed by the Short Play Festival and Annual Cabaret Festival in May, alongside the much-anticipated return of Arts in the Plaza.