Spring Tea 2025
We are excited to have our first Nature Tea outside of Brooklyn since 2019.
Join us to celebrate Spring in The Bronx at Van Cortlandt Park!
Featuring:
Nature Walk 2pm
With Van Cortlandt Park Alliance staff
Tea experiences from 2:30pm
With Nizar Gartit for Moroccan Tea
Garden herbal tastings
and more
Odes to Common Things Poetry from 2:30pm
With Robin Lampman
Washi Paper Making from the Paper Mulberry Tree from 2:30pm
with Michele Brody the Bronx River Art Center
FREE events. Space is limited.
Registration opens on May 16, 2025.
Meet Nizar Gartit:
Nizar Gartit at Spring Blossom 2023. Photo by Katie Gee Salisbury
Nizar is a Moroccan culture advocate and the founder of the Women's Museum of Marrakech, the first institution in Morocco and North Africa dedicated to showcasing the history, culture, and creativity of Moroccan women.
His passion for preserving Moroccan heritage goes beyond museum walls. Nizar brings traditional practices to international audiences, notably through Moroccan tea ceremonies he leads in New York City. These gatherings offer a sensory experience rooted in ritual and hospitality, allowing people to connect with Moroccan culture in a deeply personal way.
In the contemporary art world, Nizar has emerged as a significant curator, with a portfolio that spans photography, painting, and multimedia installations. His exhibitions provide platforms for both emerging and established artists, encouraging artistic dialogue and celebrating diversity in expression.
Through his wide-ranging initiatives—blending tradition, innovation, and social impact—Nizar reflects a blend of vision and rootedness, all driven by a deep belief in the power of culture to connect and inspire.
Meet Michele Brody:
Paper making at Summer Tea 2024, Photo by Katie Gee Salisbury
Michele Brody with Summer Tea 2024 participants. Photo by Katie Gee Salisbury
Growing up in a family of builders, she was inspired to construct forts from natural materials in the woods of 1970s Staten Island, suggesting a future inspired by nature and the built environment.
In 1994, Brody earned an MFA in Fibers and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, marking the beginning of a 30-year career as an independent installation artist. Grants and artist residencies awarded by respected institutions such as NYFA, NYSCA, LMCC, Pollock/Krasner Foundation, Bronx Council on the Arts, Skowhegan, Headlands Center for the Arts, and Wave Hill allowed her to maintain a full-time creative practice as a mixed-media environmental artist outside of traditional gallery markets.
Michele has created commissioned installations in France, Costa Rica, Germany, and Taiwan alongside national shows in Chicago, Indiana, Arizona, and Vermont. Collaborations with NYC exhibition venues showcasing her work include LES Tenement Museum, Hudson Guild, Bronx Museum, NY Botanical Gardens, and the artist-run spaces of JVS Project Space and AAA3A.
She is currently preparing for her Artist Studio Program Spotlight, solo exhibition at the Bronx River Art Center, as she concludes a 3-year Artist-in-Residence.
Michele will introduce the Japanese tradition of making washi paper from Kozo, or the mulberry tree. Participants will be invited to re-purpose the used tea leaves from the day’s tea ceremonies by adding them to the paper, which is then dried and used for the Odes to Common Things poetry writings by the community members.
Meet Robin Lampman:
Robin Lampman at Spring Tea 2024. Photo by Katie Gee Salisbury
Robin is a published poet and an educator with 35 years of experience teaching in universities, high schools, and elementary schools. She has a Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education and has taught literature in two languages in the public schools in New Mexico, Texas, and New York as well as at the University of Monterrey in Mexico and the American School of Madrid in Spain. She has also taught English as a Second Language to adults at the University of Texas in Austin and at the El Paso Community College in El Paso. Texas.
She produced a volume of poetry by eighth graders in East Harlem which was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and published by the Big Read. For the last several years she has been teaching writing classes for The Noble Maritime Collection. She developed and taught an adult class on Poetic Forms and taught classes on the reading and writing of literature in two languages.
Robin is Editor in Chief of Unspoken Word, an online international literary magazine, and she is Director of Poetry and Tea for Tea Arts and Culture.
Special thanks to:
This program is partially funded by a 2025 Cultural Immigrant Initiative grant from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Councilman Eric Dinowitz of Council District #11.
Earth Day at Maggie's Magic Garden
Come together at Maggie’s Magic Garden to celebrate our shared appreciation of Mother Earth and the community.
Community Engagement Tea
Join us for a peaceful afternooon with tea and friends in the garden.
Community Engagement Tea
Join us at Maggie‘s Magic Garden for an afternoon of campfire stories and tea.
Autumn Tea 2024
Join us at Autumn Tea to sip tea and create with artist Justine nguyễn-nguyễn.
Community Engagement Tea
Come join us at Maple Street Garden for a mindful moment with tea!
Fall Fay Day
Join us for a magical day at Success Community Garden, where you can dive into a world of storybook fantasy and fun.
Summer Tea 2024
How can we say enough about Summer Tea or any of our events?
You have to experience it to know what it is about.
We had a blast at Prospect Park for a whole day again, gathering to steep and sip tea together with arts, music, and nature. It must have inspired many on a journey to learn, be curious, be patient, and connect with ourselves, nature, and each other. We hope to see you in 2025!
Photos @ Katie Gee Salisbury
11 am–12 pm
Nature Walk *meet in front of the boathouse
Morning Yoga with Enmy Uribe * bring your yoga mat
Tea Meditation with Kristina Clark and Joyce Maio *First come, first served.
12 pm–3 pm
Poem Composing Tree
Join us in sipping tea, appreciating and writing Odes to Common Things poems under the tree with Robin Lampman.
Green Tea Sampling with New York Tea Society
Sustainable Paper-Making Workshop with Michele Brody
Performances
Improvisation by Vong Pak and Rick Parker
The Brooklyn Nomads, featuring artists Hadi Eldebek, Ramzi El-Edlibi and Gideon Forbes
Community Tea Circles
Enjoy a community cultural experience created by various community members. Participating artists and community members include Mengyan Gong, Kristina Clark, Joyce Maio, Sara Shacket, Sina Jasteh, Mariusz Mikulec and Victoria Schmidt-Scheuber, Makomako, Michelle Hur, Michelle Huang, Eduard Boguslavsky, Enmy Uribe, Renee Keitt, Annette Perry, Lia Lucero and more.
Community Poetry & Tea at Eastside Outside Community Garden
Join us to appreciate the beauty of nature through the joy of tea, poetry and art.
Odes to Common Things Spring 2024 Culmination
Spring 2024 Culmination for the Odes to Common Things project..
Odes to Common Things Spring 2024 Culmination
Spring 2024 Culmination for the Odes to Common Things project..
Community Poetry & Tea at Hill St Community Garden
Join us to appreciate the beauty of nature through the joy of tea, poetry and art.
Spring Tea 2024
Join us for an afternoon of tea outside to celebrate the Spring season.
Brewing Green Tea Using a Bowl
Join us for our learning series - Introduction to Chinese Tea Ceremony to learn the basics of performing Chinese Tea Ceremony. This session will focus on brewing green tea using a bowl.
In this workshop, you will:
Discover the rich history of Chinese tea and various types of green tea.
Learn the ritual and techniques of brewing green tea using a bowl. We’ll use West Lake Longjing as an example.
Engage in the practice of brewing green tea using a bowl.
All necessary tea and teaware are provided, and no prior experience is needed. Guided instruction will ensure a smooth learning experience for all participants.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Limited to 8 participants. Workshop ticket: $40.
Cannot afford the workshop? Apply to our mentorship program.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Instructor: Mengyan Gong
Gong Mengyan, a New York-based tea artist, has been immersed in the study of Chinese tea since 2015. She is a student of Li Shuyun, one of China's most innovative masters of tea aesthetics. Mengyan has hosted various tea ceremonies in collaboration with New York City's art and cultural institutions. In 2023, she founded Teasthetic with a mission to spread the tradition of Chinese tea art and culture in a modern way.
Eager to explore further? We warmly invite you to join other sessions in our Foundations of Chinese Tea Ceremony series. Discover new teas and teaware, and explore more brewing techniques.
Tea Ceremony at BIOART Art Space
Experience a unique fusion of traditional tea culture and contemporary art.
Brewing Red Tea Using a Gaiwan
Join us for our learning series - Introduction to Chinese Tea Ceremony to learn the basics of performing Chinese Tea Ceremony. This session will focus on brewing red tea using a gaiwan.
In this workshop, you will:
Discover the rich history of Chinese tea and various types of red tea.
Learn the ritual and techniques of brewing red tea using a gaiwan. We’ll use Lapsang Souchong as an example.
Engage in the practice of brewing red tea using a gaiwan.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Limited to 8 participants. Workshop ticket: $40.
Cannot afford the workshop? Apply to our mentorship program.
Instructor: Mengyan Gong
Gong Mengyan, a New York-based tea artist, has been immersed in the study of Chinese tea since 2015. She is a student of Li Shuyun, one of China's most innovative masters of tea aesthetics. Mengyan has hosted various tea ceremonies in collaboration with New York City's art and cultural institutions. In 2023, she founded Teasthetic with a mission to spread the tradition of Chinese tea art and culture in a modern way.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Eager to explore further? We warmly invite you to join other sessions in our Foundations of Chinese Tea Ceremony series. Discover new teas and teaware, and explore more brewing techniques.
Brewing Oolong Tea Using a Teapot
Join us for our learning series - Introduction to Chinese Tea Ceremony to learn the basics of performing Chinese Tea Ceremony. This session will focus on brewing oolong tea using a teapot.
In this workshop, you will:
Discover the rich history of Chinese tea and various types of oolong tea.
Learn the ritual and techniques of brewing oolong tea using a teapot. We’ll use Wuyi Rock Tea as an example.
Engage in the practice of brewing oolong tea using a teapot.
All necessary tea and teaware are provided, and no prior experience is needed. Guided instruction will ensure a smooth learning experience for all participants.
Limited to 8 participants. Workshop ticket: $40.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Cannot afford the workshop? Apply to our mentorship program.
Instructor: Mengyan Gong
Gong Mengyan, a New York-based tea artist, has been immersed in the study of Chinese tea since 2015. She is a student of Li Shuyun, one of China's most innovative masters of tea aesthetics. Mengyan has hosted various tea ceremonies in collaboration with New York City's art and cultural institutions. In 2023, she founded Teasthetic with a mission to spread the tradition of Chinese tea art and culture in a modern way.
Photo @ Mengyan Gong
Eager to explore further? We warmly invite you to join other sessions in our Foundations of Chinese Tea Ceremony series. Discover new teas and teaware, and explore more brewing techniques.
Dust to Light & Pure Land Film Screening
Join us for a special screening of the documentaries Dust to Light and Pure Land followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Curated as part of our Ode to Common Things programming, these films reflect on quiet moments in life.
Popcorn and tea provided.
Ticket Information
Limited spots. All are welcome. Tickets are donation based with a suggested donation of $20. Donations will support the Zen Studies Society and filmmakers.
Schedule
5:30-5:45pm Dust to Light
5:45-7:30pm Pure Land
7:30-8:30pm Discussion Q&A with tea/snacks
Film Synopses
DUST TO LIGHT is an award winning short documentary about what is really going on under the surface when we are cleaning. The film listens as four Zen & Tea practitioners reflect on the transformative process of cleaning when it is approached as a meditation rather than burdensome chore. TRAILER
PURE LAND is a moving and thought-provoking portrait of two Japanese immigrant Buddhists in New York. The film centers around Miki, a 55-year-old ex-banker Buddhist missionary, and Toni, a 91-year-old wife of a Jewish atheist. In search of her final path to salvation, Toni invited Miki to move into her and her husband's home four years ago. Since then, Toni has been single-heartedly seeking one thing above all else—a peaceful mind. Through the deeply personal stories of the two Buddhists, PURE LAND explores the universal theme of finding inner peace amidst the challenges of life, and the power of human connection in overcoming adversity.
Filmmakers
Erika Houle is a cinematographer, director, and documentary filmmaker based in New York. She has worked around the world on feature films, documentaries, commercials, and episodic television shows, most notably NBC's Saturday Night Live. Her early work as a documentary cinematographer took her across the country and internationally to India and Haiti. She shot for Equal Means Equal, the feature documentary film cornerstone of the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. She also does experimental work, most recently directing a music video for Joan Baez’s 2019 Grammy nominated album Whistle Down the Wind. Her latest film Dust to Light (2023) premiered at AmDocs and DOC NYC. The film received the Best Documentary Short award at the Downtown LA Film Festival.
Nori Mizukami is a Japanese filmmaker, known for his award-winning short films 18 Seconds (2014) and What's Invisible (2017). 18 Seconds was the recipient of the Best Short award at the prestigious Harlem International Film Festival, and was also selected for screening at the San Francisco International Short Film Festival, People's Film Festival, and Mount Vernon Film Festival. What's Invisible won the New Perspective Award at the Kodama International Film Festival, as well as Best Documentary at the Asian Cinematography Awards. With Pure Land, Nori has expanded his repertoire, embarking on his first feature-length documentary project. His unique approach to storytelling blends introspection with an eye for visual detail, showcasing the power of film to explore the human mind.
Autumn Tea 2023 at East New York Farms
Making art to be used for tea appreciation and learn different creative ways to use tea
Nature in Absentia: Monarch Migrations
Join us with artist Michele Brody for Nature in Absentia: Monarch Migrations, a series of community engagement collaborations through the art of paper making, tea, and story sharing.
The Silence of Flowers – An Ikebana Workshop
Join Ikenobo ikebana artist Paula Tam to learn how to sense the unspoken poetry of flowers and create arrangements for an altar. The class will begin with a brief overview of ikebana history and philosophy, followed by a demonstration illustrating fundamental arrangement techniques, and finally, you will spend the majority of the time creating your own arrangement using flowers. All supplies are provided and you get to take the flowers you use home with you.
Summer Tea 2023
We will gather again to see the world with fresh eyes, as we sip tea and embrace one another’s company in nature. Join us!
Found in the Flowers – An Ikebana Workshop
Join ikebana artist Kristina Bajunaishvili to learn about ikebana flower arranging. The class will begin with a brief overview of ikebana history, followed by a demonstration illustrating basic principles of creating a balanced arrangement, and finally, you will spend the majority of the time creating your own arrangement using local, sustainably sourced flowers. Plus, you will learn tips for how to make spontaneous arrangements with found materials. All supplies are provided and you get to take the flowers you use home with you.
Nature in Absentia: Monarch Migrations
Join us with artist Michele Brody for Nature in Absentia: Monarch Migrations, a series of community engagement collaborations through the art of paper making, tea, and story sharing.
Community Poetry & Tea
Join us at Maggie’s Magic Garden to appreciate the Moroccan Poetry by Abdellatif Laabi and enjoy the afternoon with tea featuring the Moroccan Tea ceremony by Nizar Gartit.
Community Poetry & Tea
Join us to share poetry, drink tea, and watch the flowers and the community grow.