From Chinatown, With Love 2023

Celebrate Lunar New Year with W.O.W. Project!

January 14, 2023 at 12pm: 

Join us for a celebratory launch event for From Chinatown, With Love 2023, beginning at Abrons Arts Center’s Amphitheater and spanning across Manhattan’s Chinatown. After visiting each of the businesses, our procession will end in front of W.O.W.'s home at 26 Mott St, where community performers will help us ring in the new year. Starting Jan 14th, visit our participating businesses to take home your very own Lunar New Year goodies made by the W.O.W. team! Patrons who spend $25 or more will receive a one page calendar. Patrons who spend $45 or more will  receive a free, limited-edition charm and a calendar.

January 28, 2023 at 12pm:

Catch us at Abrons Arts Center for a free community workshop where participants of all ages are invited to create rabbit-themed headdresses and transform recycled materials into a large-scale community charm to bring good fortune and protection for the Year of the Water Rabbit.

From Chinatown, With Love is an annual Lunar New Year collaborative project presented by The W.O.W. Project and Abrons Arts Center, conceived out of a desire to celebrate the integral role Chinatown small businesses have in our neighborhood economically, culturally, and creatively. Inspired by the ongoing Chinatown tradition of passing out Lunar New Year calendars, the first two years of this project culminated in artist-created wall calendars that depicted the stories of numerous local businesses. Calendars were then distributed to each of the businesses and given to patrons as part of a promotion, encouraging folks to meet and support the people behind some of Chinatown's staple storefronts. Learn more about our previous years of FCWL below!

In 2023, for the third rendition of From Chinatown, With Love, W.O.W. Project is working with five businesses: TLB Trading Co, EWA Trading Co, Spongies Cafe, Kopitiam, and Wen Wah. Over the course of four months, W.O.W.'s Creatives Rebuild New York artist cohort developed relationships with these business owners, learning about their shop histories, families, the challenges of running a store in a gentrifying neighborhood, and dreams for the new year. In lieu of a calendar, we decided to create 100 special new year's charms as an homage to the bright red tassels and decorations that can be seen all over Chinatown during this festive time of year. Inspired by the stories and offerings of our participating businesses, each charm is one-of-a-kind and features a hand-sewn pouch, sculpted ceramic beads, handmade knots, and an illustrated zine tucked inside.

All elements were thoughtfully created by W.O.W. community members and include found objects from the businesses, such as embroidered silk fabric from Wen Wah and impressions of ginseng roots from EWA. In addition to the charms, we have also designed a Year of the Rabbit one-page calendar to keep a piece of our calendar tradition alive. Starting January 14th, patrons who spend $25 or more will receive a one page calendar. Patrons who spend $45 or more will also receive a free, limited-edition charm and a calendar.

2023 Participating Businesses:

• TLB Trading Co [153 E Broadway]
• EWA Trading Co [80 Mulberry St]
• Spongies Cafe [121 Baxter St]
• Kopitiam [151 E Broadway]
• Wen Wah [120 Mott St]