Building The Hub: Dream Carts
Earlier this year we completed our capital raise to renovate The Hub @ 115 Bowery; the first-in-kind gathering space to empower small businesses, build bridges, and champion sustainable growth. After a couple of initial setbacks, we began demolition on April 15th and plan to complete construction by the end of summer. We're so grateful to everyone who supported us so far to make this incredible milestone possible.
Now with construction underway, we're focused on furnishing and curating a space that the community deserves. The 2,500 square foot Hub will be dynamic, flexible, and functional to meet a diverse range of programming needs with an approximate capacity of 75 people.
Explore our Dream Carts
In addition to meeting rooms, booths, and our main rooms and halls, The Hub will feature multi-use mobile carts! Inspired by dim-sum carts, these custom-designed “carts” are a collaboration with our architect aimed to create multi-functional and furniture pieces. They are designed to promote, elevate, and display products from small businesses, promote conversation, and create flexible spaces. These carts are a critical piece to the success of our space’s functionality.
We asked our local entrepreneurs and creators how they would activate our carts, allowing them to test and play for developing their projects:
Emily B Yang
“It would be fun to showcase local artists alongside crafts from small business owners. I loved Ting's Gift Shop, which I know is closed now, but in my dreams, the cart should feature a conversation between local community artists and traditional crafts to tell a story about lineage and community care.”
In 2023, Emily organized WtC’s Winter Ceramic Show and Sale. This was the first show that Emily hosted, and our very first show and sale at the Hub!
“Organizing my first ceramic show during the Hub Pilot Period was a great experience for me to learn how to set up an art show and sale. I got a chance to liaise with artists and help curate the show. I learned a lot from working with Harry, the Head of Creative, about curating the show and preparing for the opening night. I also got a chance to work with Jackie (COO) who taught me and the other artists how to use a POS system.”
“The Hub gave me the confidence to know I can organize shows and in-person sales. For the Ceramic Show and Sale I wanted to build a community of artists. It was wonderful to get a chance to meet new artists in our community. I do not have much space to organize activities like this so I am grateful for one!”
Emily B. Yang is a ceramic and block print artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She researches how Chinese immigrants have adapted existing symbols and invented new ones over time to tell stories of their new contexts. In her artistic practice, she invokes speculative and feminist interpretations of Confucian ideals and ancestor worship in her ceramic and block print work. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a faculty member at the Parsons School of Design.
Jenny Lin Acosta
In 2023, Jenny pitched, created, and executed a Hainanese Chicken Pop-Up Dinner at the Hub!
“My experience hosting my first Hainanese Chicken pop up with the Welcome to Chinatown crew in the Hub was better than everything I had hoped for in a space to begin my journey of sharing this part of my family history with the public. I felt so much inspiration, gratification, and sense of possibility for myself and my communities after hosting dinner for friends and loved ones, old and new.”
“Having access to the Hub has made me feel like there is a ’third space’ for me in Chinatown; a place parallel to work and home, where community can bloom and open conversation can flourish. It has helped me in my personal AND professional life as a cultural beacon in a busy city.”
Jenny Lin Acosta is a Hainanese, Puerto Rican, and Irish Brooklyn-native. She explores the meaning of home through food and her mixed-race identity. From roles like line cook at Bonnie's Brooklyn and social at the Museum of Food and Drink, to brand design at Welcome to Chinatown and culinary production at Magnolia Network, food as it relates to care and play remains central to her practice.
Currently, Jenny is a culinary instructor and independent artist/designer. Her recent projects include a series of artworks inspired by NYC Chinese supermarkets and pop-up dinners featuring Hainanese Chicken Rice, celebrating her heritage and fostering community gatherings.
Emily and Jenny in-action during our Hub Pilot Period:
Our local entrepreneurs and creators will make The Hub a space of collaboration and inspiration for our small business owners so they can pursue their goals.
Help us make The Hub a reality by donating to our furniture fundraiser to furnish the space:
