Red Envelopes, Film Premieres & Great Art

January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the coldest month in the Northern Hemisphere. It begins with an international holiday and ends with some of the planet’s most obscure celebrations (i.e. National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day on January 29). 

In Queens, January overflows with great music, ballet, art, films, and even free chunks of ginger bread. Here’s the top seven events in Queens this month to make your January a little warmer.

7. In Practice: Other Objects, January 14 to March 25. This exhibition presents new work by 11 artists and artist teams that probes the slippages and interplay between objecthood and personhood. SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves St., Long Island City, sculpture-center.org.

6. An Afternoon of Chamber Music, January 19 at 2 pm. Musica Reginae, a local nonprofit that organizes and promotes concerts, presents an exploration of 21st century Romanticism with lyrical, soaring melodies, technical virtuosity, and beautiful sonorities. The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, musicareginae.org.

5. GingerBread Lane Giveaway, January 21 at 2 pm. GingerBread Lane is a multi-thousand-pound construction consisting of many, many buildings made of ginger bread (naturally), icing, and candy. Unveiled on November 10, it will be broken down, and the public will be able to take home chunks. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, nysci.org.

4. First Look, January 11 to January 21. This eighth annual promotion screens 40 brand new, innovative films. The lineup includes features, shorts, documentaries, and narratives from China, France, Israel, Pakistan, Mexico, and other countries. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District, movingimage.us.

3. Red Envelope Show, January 5 to January 27. This exhibition honors the Year of the Pig with work by professional visual artists and community members. It’s an homage to the red celebration envelopes the Chinese community distributes during the Lunar New Year. All pieces are for sale. Many envelopes include a special gift for only the buyers to see. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., flushingtownhall.org.

2. Dance Theatre of Harlem, January 20 at 4 pm. This world-renowned ballet troupe performs as part of a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Queens College’s Colden Auditorium, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing, kupferbergcenter.org.

1. The Havana Cuba All-Stars, January 27 at 7 pm. This high-energy group celebrates Cuban music and dance with rhythms and melodies from Cha Cha Cha to Rumba to Salsa. This year, the ensemble is accompanied by three of the Caribbean island’s finest dancing couples. The Ralph & Ricky Lauren Theater at The Lexington Center, 25-26 75th St., East Elmhurst, visitqpac.org.

The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council. More info at itsinqueens.com.

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