My Love Letter to Queens is a series of street photographs centered on the people who shape everyday life in Queens, New York—the most ethnically diverse county in the United States. Often called “the world’s borough,” Queens is home to residents from more than 120 countries who speak over 130 languages, forming a rich and ever-changing mosaic of cultures, traditions, and stories.
Like the Queens of generations past, the borough continues to draw its vitality from immigrants seeking opportunity and building new lives through work, family, and community. The photographs in this series capture the individuals and families who inhabit its streets and public spaces, revealing the rhythms, quiet connections, and fleeting moments that define daily life.
Small business owners, street vendors, and essential workers appear alongside these everyday encounters, reflecting the pulse of a borough sustained by both personal determination and shared effort.
Each image opens a window into lives that might otherwise go unnoticed, illuminating the resilience, spirit, and humanity that quietly shape Queens, where countless stories converge in the ordinary flow of the streets.
Join me on a journey through the teeming streets of Queens, where every block holds a story waiting to be discovered and diversity is not just celebrated, but embraced.
Artist Bios
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Eva Mallis
Eva Mallis is a street and documentary photographer based in Queens, New York. Her passion for capturing the streets is deeply influenced by over two decades of experience in NYC real estate. Through her daily interactions with residents, building workers, and city officials, she has developed a keen, streetwise sense for visual storytelling. Photography, for Eva, is both a passion and a form of salvation, which she expresses through urban documentary work.
Predominantly shooting in black and white, she avoids the distractions of color, focusing instead on bold geometric compositions that convey powerful narratives. Eva’s work has been published in several highly regarded publications such as Street Photo Magazine, All About Photo and The Pictorial List. She has earned several internationally recognized photography awards and has participated in juried exhibitions across the globe.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
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NYC Parks
NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City’s principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.
My Love Letter To Queens
Featuring: Eva Mallis
Locations
View Location Details Astoria Park19th Street and 24th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11105
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
Explore other locations and exhibitions nearby
Location open 24 hours
The views and opinions expressed in this exhibit are those of the exhibition artists and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Photoville or any other participants and partners of the Photoville Festival.
