CEC ArtsLink’s pioneering project One Big City, the first city-wide effort of its kind, engaged New York City’s diaspora communities through collaborative projects of local artists and their colleagues from the countries whose émigré populations contribute to New York’s unique makeup.  One Big City provided a platform for artists to explore cultural and artistic identities and heightened awareness of diverse cultural communities throughout New York.  It enabled CEC ArtsLink to bring the cross-cultural discourse and the international network we had fostered for nearly fifty years directly to the communities in the boroughs.

Over the course of 2012 – 2013, local artists in visual, media and performing arts were paired with artists from countries with substantial immigrant communities in New York. Each overseas participant produced a collaborative work with a NYC-based artist during a three-week residency at a local arts organization. A series of public programs was presented  throughout the city.