Storefront for Ideas, located at 127 Walker Street, is a space for inquiry, curiosity, and creativity. It is a space to explore community issues that matter and to co-reimagine the possibilities for Chinatown, now and into the future.
Background
Events in the past few years such as shutdowns due to COVID-19, lack of governmental aid to small businesses, declining customer base, and anti-Asian hate contributed to challenges facing Manhattan Chinatown. As a result, many local businesses have closed, leaving behind empty storefronts.
Vacant since 2021, ISS had the privilege of gaining access to one of these empty storefronts at 127 Walker Street, in the historic core of Manhattan’s Chinatown. We view this access as both a responsibility and an opportunity to restore agency to community members by holding space for collective learning, shared inquiry, and lived perspectives, while supporting creative, community-rooted ways of knowing and practice that reimagine how the issues shaping life in Manhattan Chinatown are explored, understood, and communicated.
Part of our work at ISS is telling the stories of our community through a social services lens—which means projects, exhibitions, and events hosted at SFI will focus on the wellbeing of communities, notably Manhattan Chinatown, Lower East Side, the larger AAPI and immigrant communities and the clients we serve.
ISS believes that a critical understanding of these stories and issues enables an environment for us to thrive, flourish, and fulfill our potential.
Storefront for Ideas is made up of two features:
Exhibition & programming space led by a rotation of creatives, innovators, and community members through our project partners.
The SHOP, a community education and resource hub, led by ISS.
Storefront for Ideas is made possible in part by the support of Chung Pak Local Development Corporation and the NYC City Council AAPI Community Support Initiative.