LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (July 14, 2025)—In July 2025, at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) Pink Fang (formerly known as Ping Chong and Company) and the Nursing Department at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY are launching a unique arts-integrated residency designed to support graduating nursing students in their final semester called Healing Through Story.
Through this partnership, Sara Zatz and C Meranda Flachs-Surmanek (artists from Pink Fang) are working closely with student enrolled in SCR280: Leadership and Delegation to explore their personal and professional journeys as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Using Pink Fang’s signature interview-based methodologies and community engaged practices, students are guided through a creative process centered on narrative storytelling, intercultural
communication, and self-reflection.
“This collaboration is more than a performance it’s a space where students’ voices are elevated, their experiences are honored, and their leadership skills are deepened through the power of art.” - Handan Ozbilgin, Artistic Director of LPAC.
The residency includes in-person workshop intensives and an online coaching session, culminating in a final public presentation of original, student-generated work. The final presentation will take place on Tuesday, August 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Cobblestone Courtyard. The event will be free and open to the public; no tickets are required.
This project directly supports key learning outcomes for nursing students, including the completion of the Global Learning and Video Assignments, while reinforcing the importance of listening, empathy, and storytelling in patient care and leadership.
About Pink Fang: Pink Fang creates art at the intersection of performance, community building, and social change, continuing the ethos and artistic legacy of Ping Chong. Their work centers real stories, real people, and the transformative power of collective narrative.
How to Attend a Show: Guests attending LPAC shows are encouraged to enter at 45-50 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, Queens (see Maps and Directions). For more information, email lpacboxoffice@lagcc.cuny.edu or call (718) 482-5151.