Mission


TOPAZ ARTS, Inc. is a nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization founded in 2000 by artists Todd Richmond (composer/visual artist) and Paz Tanjuaquio (choreographer/dancer) to foster new works and support the creative process. Having worked on projects since 1993, the artists saw a great need for a space in which to explore collaborations. TOPAZ ARTS was formed to provide such a place where the facilities meet the needs of artists – a space where collaborations can flourish and the process shared with the community.

MISSION:
TOPAZ ARTS provides public programs in contemporary performance and visual arts. Facilitating new works, TOPAZ ARTS offers affordable space rental, technical support, gallery showings and residency opportunities, assisting hundreds of artists in the development and presentation of their works. Located in Woodside, in NYC’s borough of Queens, TOPAZ ARTS owns and operates a 2,500 sq. ft. facility which houses a dance studio with a sprung floor, an audio/media room and a gallery exhibition space. Transforming a former warehouse, the space is designed using sustainability concepts such as incorporating radiant heat for the dance floor, installing energy-efficient products, and largely using reused & recycled materials.

CURRENT PROGRAMS:

  • TOPAZ ARTS DANCE PRODUCTIONS: Multidisciplinary dance productions choreographed by Paz Tanjuaquio with music and visuals by Todd Richmond
  • ARTIST SERVICES: Affordable rehearsal space rental and technical support in audio, video and graphic design for dance companies and independent artists
  • VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM: Hosts four exhibitions per year by emerging and established artists
  • PARTNERSHIPS in DANCE: 
Collaborating with other leading arts organizations, we provide opportunities for both artists and audiences to experience contemporary dance, including “Dance in Queens” an annual summer residency program and performance series presented in partnership with the Queens Museum of Art. In the past we have hosted creative residencies for choreographers with Dance Theater Workshop, and have co-presented dance with Queens Theater in the Park, Queens Council on the Arts, and the Isamu Noguchi Museum.