In this essay, Brian Buchanan examines Staten Island’s interconnected arts scene through the lens of his own uneasy relationship with participation. What begins as guilt over leaving shows early becomes an exploration of community, connection, and how local art and culture can teach us that showing up for others just might be the most radical art form of all.

As part of our Nostalgia & History series, in this essay, Will Gallagher revisits Staten Island’s early 2000s punk scene through the eyes of a South Shore kid discovering his voice. From the quiet streets of Rossville to the life-changing night at L’Amour’s Battle of the Bands, this story captures how one night of local music transformed isolation into belonging—and how Staten Island’s underground culture continues to shape lives far beyond the stage.

In this cultural essay, Jahtiek Long explores Staten Island's paradoxical nature, how the borough is bursting with talent and creativity yet struggles with a lack of space, funding, and support. It celebrates the resilience of local artists and communities while asking what it would take to finally build the cultural scene Staten Island deserves.

In this exclusive interview, we speak with Queer Van Kult, a liturgy of performance, installation, and music centered on queer artistry. Imagined as a surreal funhouse of queer taste, the collective creates bold spaces for community, unbounded creativity, and celebration while providing a home for experimental works by local and emerging artists.

Local sculptor and performance artist DB Lampman takes us on a site-responsive journey that explores the movements and inner lives of beach birds.

In this personal essay, Brian Buchanan reflects on creativity, community, and the strange ache of FOMO. Set against the backdrop of a collaborative music project, the piece explores what it means to witness something beautiful from a distance—and how that tension can fuel both envy and inspiration.

As part of our Nostalgia & History series, this photo essay spotlights photographer Kristopher Johnson and his LUMEN ARCHETYPES—a powerful series capturing the diverse faces and vibrant community of Staten Island’s LUMEN festival. Through his iconic pop-up portrait studio, Kristopher documented the energy and creativity that transformed an industrial waterfront into a dynamic art hub. This essay honors not only Kristopher’s unique vision but also how the groundbreaking festival LUMEN redefined not just Staten Island’s waterfront but also the idea of art as a communal and immersive experience.

Shaolin Art Party on Maker Park Radio: Episode 3 with Jahtiek Long and Melissa West.

Remembering Guy Klucevsek, composer and accordionist, who called Staten Island home.

In this interview, we speak with Tony Quera, the Staten Island-based illustrator behind Garbage Dump and Scenes From The Landfill. A lifelong New Yorker, Quera has spent the past decade building a world where surreal characters—often part-object, part-animal, part-human—navigate everyday life in a place called The Landfill. Drawing inspiration from early webcomics, video games, and city life, his work combines humor, introspection, and a unique design language that challenges traditional ideas of what characters—and stories—can look like. Quera shares how Garbage Dump came to life and what it means to create personal art, even if it means pushing back against the algorithm.

Shaolin Art Party on Maker Park Radio: Episode 2 with Arlette Cepeda

As part of our Nostalgia & History series, Mary Campbell takes us on a journey through Staten Island’s lost venues—once-thriving spaces that nurtured creativity, performance, and community. Staten Island’s underground art scene has thrived in unexpected places—cafés, pop-up spaces, and DIY venues that became creative hubs before vanishing into memory. From the Muddy Cup to Art at Bay, this reflection honors the ephemeral nature of artist-run spaces and the resilience of local creatives who brought them to life.

Episode 1 of the Shaolin Art Party on Maker Park Radio is out now!

Shaolin Art Party on Maker Park Radio: podcast launch announcement!

Sound and performance artist Marisa Tornello gives insights into their creative process for upcoming performance, s(o)(e)wing which premieres at the Newhouse Center on November 22, 2024.

In this exclusive interview, Michael Leavy, co-producer of Terrifier 3 and director of STREAM, reveals how Staten Island's indie filmmakers are redefining indie horror. He discusses how the island’s talent and resources are breaking barriers in the global creative scene, with projects like Terrifier 3 setting new records and shining a spotlight on the borough’s creative potential.

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Sophie Blue on the eve of the new EP release, Elysium.

In the final of three installments, Brian Buchanan explores the music landscape of Staten Island and advocates for a venue to serve audiences on the South Shore.

Theatre artists on Staten Island often find themselves at a disadvantage that colleagues in other parts of the world don’t seem to suffer; their proximity to Manhattan. The skyline looms over us. For many, it’s a constant reminder of a “professional” world across the bay. So close, yet so far. 

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Roemello Agjmurati, aka Printmello. Roemello Agjmurati is a Staten Island based Graphic Designer who graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2019 and has since worked for companies like Verizon, Yahoo, and Walmart doing digital product & editorial design crafting unique web experiences and interactive stories. Roemello owes his grittier design style to his background playing guitar in punk / emo bands.