On the heels of a historic moment in New York City, Epicenter NYC brought together dozens of artists, musicians, neighbors and tourists to celebrate the opening of Music of Many Colours. The new exhibition, inspired by the collaboration between Nigerian musician Fela Kuti and R&B, soul, funk, and jazz legend Roy Ayers on the Music of Many Colours album, features a range of textile, abstract, figurative, and audio works.
The exhibition was curated by Epicenter’s co-founder and artist Nitin Mukul in collaboration with Sadaf Padder, who served as a guest juror.
During the opening reception, Mukul shared: “Moved by Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers’ Music of Many Colours album—as a tool of resistance and speaking truth to power—served as a jump point for this exhibition. Some of the works directly reference music, dance, and instruments, while others are more abstract—reminiscent of musical scores or notes. This exhibition reflects the spirit of Epicenter’s ongoing support for local artists, offering them space, visibility, and sustainability to keep creating and sharing their stories in New York City.”
Padder, an independent curator and the exhibition’s judge, added: “Epicenter is an organization deeply centered on community—making sure that art remains accessible, that artists are resourced, and that this is done in a fair way, especially at a time when it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a living as an artist in New York City. This continues to be possible through the work of organizations like Epicenter and through the dedication of people like Nitin Mukul.”
Music of Many Colours features 24 artists: Sherwin Banfield, Hema A Bharadwaj, Franck de las Mercedes, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Mary Teresa Giancoli, Roger Hsia, Qasim Ali Hussain, Shaun Ilahi, Michael Isaak, Traci Johnson, Mathieu Josset , Anjali Kumar, Tenzin Doma Lama, Shan Lyu, David McDonough, Nitin Mukul, Javaid Nayyar, Seema Lisa Pandya, Smita Sen, Bayete Ross Smith, Peter Stankiewicz, Christl Stringer, Total Binary Annihilation, and Lisa Wilde.
The opening reception included bites by Anika Chowdhury of Kitchen Gatherings. You can catch her on PBS’ The Great American Recipe and follow kitchengatherings on Instagram.
Music of Many Colours is free and open to the public through Dec. 7, 2025, at The Local NY in Long Island City, a hotel and community hub where anyone can enjoy the exhibition while grabbing a drink, coworking, or exploring the neighborhood. The exhibition was made possible through the 2025 Queens Art Fund New Work Grant, awarded to Nitin Mukul.
Every week, Epicenter supports local artists through its dedicated and growing artist network. These artists, whose work ranges from poetry and short stories to artwork and any shareable experience, are profiled and receive a $100 stipend. The program shifts formats of news and info dissemination, storytelling, and offers sustainability to artists at risk of leaving NYC or abandoning their craft. The program launched at the height of the pandemic in an effort to support artists and to tap into the power of art to engage the community to share their experiences and help reduce the spread of Covid.
Mukul is an American visual artist of Indian descent mapping spaces where painting and video intersect as a durational experience. He has lived and worked in Massachusetts, India, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and currently is in New York City. His work has appeared at The Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pioneer Works, Brooklyn and Lincoln Center, NYC. His work was also featured in the 2013 Queens Biennial at the Queens Museum. See more of his work at nitinmukul.com and on his Instagram.
Music of Many Colours
The Local NY
13-02 44th Avenue
Long Island City, New York 11101
Runs through Dec. 7, 2025. Learn more about the artists here.
