Issue 14: Art Supply Store Where People Gather with Ed Kim

A small business that grows with the neighborhood and brings people together.

Apr 09, 2024

Hi KP!

Today, I am excited to introduce Ed to you. He’s an owner of Sunnyside Arts, a neighborhood art supply store, a place that is a lot more than a regular store. When you pass by Sunnyside Arts, you will always see neighbors stopping by to chat with Ed. When you enter the store, you are first greeted by books and art made by local artists. There, you find not only art supplies but also various art classes for adults, comic classes for kids, and even painting classes for toddlers. On top of that, Ed also organizes seasonal art fairs, story times, and food events! When Ed held a kimchi-tasting event, many neighbors showed up with kimchi they made at home! (I only went to eat.) Ed’s store is a true manifestation of neighborhood love. He supports neighbors, and the neighbors support him and the store. It’s the place where people gather. I can’t wait for you to meet Ed and stop by his store one day. Maybe we can meet up for a class there.

Flavor of the Week: KP Q&A with Ed Kim

Ed Kim is an artist, teacher, illustrator and owner of Sunnyside Arts, an art supply store and event space in Sunnyside, Queens. He received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Painting from Rutgers University. Originally from Woodstock in upstate New York, he has lived in New York City long enough to develop erudite cynicism and a wry sense of humor. Emerging from the Covid pandemic unemployed and unable to find meaningful work, he decided to make his own job and start an art store where he could nurture the artistic community and share creative insight. Find him and his store on Instagram @sunnysideartsnyc

Introduce yourself more personally in 2-3 sentences.

I’m 5’ 11”; 155lbs; kinda slim but flexible (I can almost do a split); casually dressed but I don’t have any jeans without holes in the knees (don’t get me wrong, I can still do a half windsor knot with one of the many ties I never use because who wears ties anymore?); the other day someone said I’m smarter than he thought which I’m not sure is a compliment; good with babies but bad with diapers; good in social situations but not patient enough to waste time on innocuous conversation because life is too short; do semicolons count as one sentence?) Is this really match dot com? Because if it is, I like the beach rather than the mountains.

Where are you from?

Woodstock, New York

No, where are you REALLY from? (Haha!)

No, really, Woodstock, New York. Some people would say, oh, it must have been nice to grow up in a quaint, liberal, artsy town, though I would say, how would I know? I didn’t grow up anywhere else. And it’s not so apparent but it wasn’t just quaint and liberal and artsy, it was very white. I mean, populated by white people. In my high school class of 100 or so students, there was one Black kid and one Asian kid (me!) and maybe because it was quaint and liberal and artsy, it didn’t matter so much. Where I grew up, it didn’t matter where you came from; what was truly divisive was whether you liked the Grateful Dead or Led Zeppelin. (I liked the Police.)

What’s your sign?

Detour ahead.

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Sleepy, underfed, underpaid, in need of a beer and kinda boring. (Sorry, that’s more than five words.)

What do you love about being Komerican?

I think this questionnaire is my connection to Komerican culture.

And of course, what are your favorite Korean foods?

Jap chae. Only because I cook it and only twice a year because it’s so much work. Usually it’s just to impress people how many dishes and utensils I can use. I don’t like baking because it’s not existential enough.

What was your childhood like and what has it taught you?

When I first read this question I thought it was asking what I liked in childhood and I was going to say “cartoons” or “ice cream” or something.

Can you share something exciting that you’re working on now?

This interview is exciting!

What do people underestimate about you?

Age.

Share your proudest moment in the past year.

I have a very short memory so in the past week I was very proud to be holding my friend’s six-month-old girl and she fell asleep on my shoulder. I’m a baby whisperer.

What was your hardest moment in the past year?

Paying the rent. People like to be romantic and say, money’s not the most important thing in life (what is? Love! Family! Your true calling!!). But in reality the most important thing in life is necessity. And the things you need and want require money. Even if you’re homeless, you require the infrastructure that maintains the umbrella of living and social resources and shelters and soup kitchens and government subsidies require money.

We’ve all been hurt in some form or fashion. What are you healing from?

A cold. Covid sucked but I think we lost our immunity to the silly things that kept us from school and work. But I’m less congested today so I think I’m healing.

How do you love yourself?

What kind of question is this? I’m not really sure what it means. Shall I attach a video?

How do you love others?

Privately. In the dark.

What five things can you not live without?

Oxygen. Hazy IPAs. San Marzano tomatoes. New York City. Artsy things.

What’s your favorite dance song?

I don’t know what it’s called and I can’t even tell you how it goes, but here it is: that scene in the Philadelphia Story with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart where Kate and Jimmy are dancing around the fountain, cheek to cheek to some kind of music. It’s something a little jazzy. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure where the music came from. It’s not like they had a CD player or Spotify. There wasn’t a band playing offscreen. Or maybe there was? I don’t know, but it’s a nice scene. Not exactly a great movie, but still.

What’s your favorite kind of pie?

All? I mean, pumpkin during Thanksgiving. Pecan from the farmer’s market. Apple that my mom used to make. Shepherds from the Irish market in the neighborhood because it’s tasty and huge.

H Mart Happiness: What’s your favorite product and why?

“Not like handmade dalgona, this Peanuts Dalgona is not overly sweet and has a good balance of savory taste with peanuts. It's a versatile snack you can eat as is or top it on coffee or ice cream.” - Angela J.

What’s your favorite H Mart product? Message us with your favorite in 1-2 sentences and we’ll feature it with a photo right here on the webzine!

Crispy Crust: A Touch of Jeong - Uplifting illustrations that delight

Spring is picnic season, and kimbap is the number one picnic food in Korea. Hope you have lots of delicious food and quality time this spring.

Love, Aram

Korean School: Korean School Year and Spring Picnic

Fun facts, idioms, translations and history

While the American school year starts in September, the Korean school year starts in March. March 1st, sal-il-jeol, is a national holiday to celebrate and commemorate the independence movement from 1919 against the Japanese occupation. The next day, March 2nd is always the first day of the new school year as long as it doesn’t fall on a weekend. So by this time of the year, in mid-April, both kids and adults adjust to the new environment and start feeling comfortable with their new classrooms, friends, and teachers. It’s also when many schools go on “봄소풍 bom-sopoong (Spring picnic),” a group outing to nature or entertainment park for a nice break for students. Kimbap is the must-bring lunch when you go on a spring picnic. Every family has their own recipe for kimbap, just like kimchi. It’s always fun to exchange one’s kimbap with others to taste all different kinds of kimbap.

Sweet & Salty: A list of the tastiest treats satisfying all the senses

Sunnyside Arts, a friendly neighborhood art supply store in Queens, NY, offers a variety of classes and workshops for all ages throughout the week. From weekly woodblock print class to monthly sip and scribe, from comic workshops to poetry reading, you will find what you want. Their range of art classes offered reminds me of nice old-fashioned art studios. Check out their website for their regular classes and special events sometimes including story times, dumpling tasting, and art fairs. Also, look out for our Komerican Pie workshop in the near future!
Yarrow Goods is a small business based in Santa Rosa, California, which produces high-quality tee shirts with simple but irresistible designs. When my friend gifted me one of their cat-themed tee shirts, I fell in love! Because they screen print their tee shirts, they control the quantities by selling with only pre-orders. The process of selecting a great-looking tee shirt and waiting for 5 weeks with anticipation adds to the fun of this experience. As they say on their website, life is too short for crappy tee shirts!
Town Hall, a century-old institution and historic landmark venue in Times Square NYC is launching the K-Town Hall series this year. Its first installment on April 20th is a double feature including renowned guitarist Byeong Woo Lee’s concert and a full-length music performance for the movie Mother (2009) by Bong Joon Ho, played by Lee and Harlem Chamber Players. Not to be missed if you are in town!