Mithila Heritage Exhibition in Queens Celebrates AAPI Month and Press Freedom

Local leaders and international diplomats gathered Sunday at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an exhibition highlighting the intersection of ancient cultural traditions and global sustainability.

The event, titled “Art for SDGs: The Mithila Heritage,” was organized by Mithila Center USA. It featured the works of artists S.C. Suman, Shivangi Vatsya Singh, and Mahendra Rouniyar, whose pieces draw on a timeless storytelling tradition rooted in nature and community life.

Attendees included His Excellency Lok Bahadur Thapa, president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Dadhiram Bhandari, the consul general of Nepal in New York, alongside media professionals and community leaders.

The celebration coincided with World Press Freedom Day and the 14th anniversary of Khasokhas, a prominent community media outlet. To mark the occasion, Mithila Center USA and Khasokhas coordinated New York’s first-ever Press Freedom Walk.

Supported by the New York City Police Department, which provided full street closures, the walk saw dozens of journalists and community members march to advocate for an independent and community-driven press.

“This powerful convergence of art, culture, and press freedom advocacy made the event truly historic,” organizers said in a statement.

The exhibition was funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts through the Statewide Community Regrants Program. The initiative is supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and is administered locally by Flushing Town Hall.