Flux Factory’s ‘Housebroken’ exhibition, 39-31 29th St, Long Island City
Despite the many changes our little-nabe-that-could is constantly undergoing, Long Island City’s arts community still finds a way to endure – always seeming to discover new ways to express itself. Last week’s Armory Fest did much to drive this point home, especially on a Long Island City Night art-hop from gallery to unique gallery, all within walking distance. For one, ever-evolving artist collective Flux Factory offered up a tour of their new 8,000 SF space and the colossal ‘Housebroken’ exhibition that takes place through every room (they even have an aviary!). Flux’s is another story of artistic triumph – they’ve reinvented themselves yet again, and on an even grander scale, after being pushed out of their previous space back in ‘08.
Aside from Flux’s open house, LIC’s many other art spaces »
‘Not Another Long Night’ from The Space’s Museum of Fake Art, LIC
Last year had Vanessa Beecroft and Kanye rumors. This year has special tours, multi-venue exhibitions, a silent & live auction, and the spankin’ new debut of the LIC Art Shuttle. Yes, friends, it’s that time again: Armory Arts Week is upon us, and Long Island City is having its very own Armory Fest next week from March 3rd-7th.
Many of LIC’s established and relatively newer galleries are in on it »
‘Pole Dance’ rendering from SO-IL for PS 1 courtyard, Long Island City – Photo
2009 whizzed by in a flash, and another summer in Long Island City will be here before we know it – at least that’s what we keep telling ourselves. Thankfully, PS 1 and its Young Architects Program once again give us something to look forward to: the annual summer installation in their courtyard, the setting of their storied Warm-Up parties.
This year, the winners of the coveted courtyard crown is Brooklyn architecture firm SO-IL. Their entry is called ‘Pole Dance,’ and although it seems oddly apropos given all the strip club drama in the hood lately, it’s actually “a metaphor for these uncertain times.” Interestingly, SO-IL’s pavilion is also “more pliant than anything yet staged” in PS 1’s courtyard, and the most expansive as well »
Tranquil ground floor gallery at Noguchi Museum, Long Island City
As we round out the end of 2009, we decided to bump around the neighborhood and check out the current exhibitions of three of Long Island City’s legendary – and very different – art institutions: the zen/industrial aesthetic of the Noguchi Museum, the spacious waterfront warehouse that is Deitch Studios, and, of course, the school turned modern art repository, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center. Here’s what’s going on »
Crane Street Studios are now closed, Long Island City
It’s the end of an era, it seems – or at least the conclusion of the six years Long Island City graffiti mecca 5Pointz housed dozens of artists in what was known as its Crane Street Studios. 5Pointz’s recent tragic saga has finally come to a close, as the building’s owner has decided to close the art studios permanently »
Joel Voisard’s ‘Bridge that Binds’ stencil graphics on the Pulaski Bridge
Long Island City 3-D artist Joel Voisard held a press conference yesterday evening for his art installation on the Pulaski Bridge, ‘Bridge that Binds.’ Voisard worked with the Queens Committee of Transportation Alternatives in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation’s Urban Art Program to create stencil graphics along the divider of the pedestrian/bike path, and also a bench-like wooden structure at the center of the bridge between Greenpoint and Long Island City to symbolize the meeting of the two communities »
Socrates Sculpture Park’s Broadway Billboard, Long Island City
The District 26 City Council candidates have discussed issues relating to housing, zoning, small business, and new development in LIC, but what about the arts? This especially integral part of the Long Island City community is up for discussion by the candidates at an arts and culture forum organized by arts service organization Fractured Atlas, and LIC’s Chocolate Factory Theater.
“The forum provides the candidates an opportunity to outline their plans for nurturing, sustaining and advancing the arts in Long Island City, the epicenter of the borough’s creative community »
Tuesday 8/18
TOMORROW! This summer’s Live at the Gantries FREE performance series continues at LIC’s Gantry Plaza State Park on Tuesday with a performance from the Queens indie rock all-stars of the Silbin Sandovar Revue. 50th Ave & the East River, LIC
Photographer Julian Goldstein & sculptor Kat Kohl’s exhibition ‘Composition of the Surrounding’ opens at AES Gallery, through Sept 5th. 44-02 23rd Street, LIC, 718.249.9359
Wednesday 8/19
LAST DAY: Socrates Sculpture Park’s FREE summer Outdoor Cinema series ends with Italy’s ‘Gomorrah’ at 7pm. 32-01 Vernon Blvd (@ Broadway), LIC, 718.956.1819
The Space presents their own Movie Night, featuring Werner Herzog’s ‘The Wild Blue Yonder.’ Short films will be screened sporadically accompanying movies. 42-16 West St, LIC, 718.752.0331
Media Jam at Dutch Kills Gallery, 8-11pm. Bring your own projector, show up & plug in. Questions: info@dutchkillsgallery.com. 37-24 24th St, Suite 402, LIC, 718.784.2737
5Pointz gets a new coat of paint, Jackson Ave, Long Island City
Yesterday a very concerned and frantic tipster alerted liQcity that the infamous walls of 5pointz graffiti gallery were being painted over with a fresh coat of yellow paint. Sure enough, that was the case, but fear not (or cheer not, depending on your perspective), 5pointz is merely getting a free canvas reset, as the owners of the building were required to repaint as part of the necessary renovations after the recent stairwell collapse.
The builiding owners and the City are still disagreeing »
Who said Shakespeare was for sissies? ‘Macbeth’ at the Secret Theatre, LIC
When was the last time you strolled off the streets of LIC and into a rigorously choreographed punk rock Shakespearean street fight? Well lucky for you, the Secret Theatre’s latest production of ‘Macbeth’ is offering up the kind of environmental theatre that effectively draws the audience in on the action, save for actually picking up a weapon and jumping into the fray.
Director Richard Mazda, who is also the Secret Theatre’s Artistic Director & Founder, made an interesting choice »
Sculpture by Eun Nye Yang, LIC Art Center Open Studios
This weekend was a big one for Long Island City, and Queens in general: the LIC Artists Open Studios, the kickoff of Queens Council on the Arts’ Queens Art Express, and the 100th birthday of LIC’s favorite bridge – the good ol’ Queensboro.
LIC Art Center’s Open Studios reflected the sprawling diversity of Long Island City’s artists »
Long Island City Friday afternoon linkage
Warm weather this weekend, for all the LIC Arts and Queensboro Bridge Centennial events. Don’t forget about the Grucci Fireworks happening off Roosevelt Island on Sunday evening at 9:15. Hunters Point waterfront is one of the prime viewing locations. There are no 4th of July fireworks on the East River this year, so this is the only chance to get your fix.
Also, there was a rumor in the comments a while back about the supposed elimination of the Hunters Point fire station, and nothing really came of it. Until now. The anonymous commenter made reference to the FDNY getting ready to announce cuts, and as far as prophecies go, this one seems to be manifesting accordingly. Hope that is not the case.
City takes control of Hunters Point South [RealDeal]
Douglas Elliman replaces Corcoran Sunshine @ LIC’s Arris Lofts [Curbed]
REBNY prez speaks at LICBDC breakfast [Queens Gazette]
Bloomberg to speak in Astoria about future of NYC on June 11 [Queens Crap]
Profile on Green development highlights LIC’s Avalon Bay [Housing Finance]
Spotlight on Antonio Masi’s QB Bridge art exhibition [Daily News]
LIC’s Vine Wine owner launches My Little Pony charity/art event [FREEwilliamsburg]
Food, drink, and ‘PIG’ at LIC’s Deitch Studios [Short and Sweet NYC]
FDNY union ad mentions loss of 12 NYC firehouses, including LIC? [WCBS TV]
The Chocolate Factory’s new show, Red Metal Mailbox – [ ] opened Wednesday, and is running until this Saturday only. Directed by Sarah Maxfield. Performed by Jillian Sweeney and Rachel Tiemann. Designed by Chloe Z. Brown, Brad Kisicki, Mary McKenzie and Jason Sebastian (Also featuring video by Chocolate Factory Artistic Director Brian Rogers). March 25-28, Wednesday-Saturday, 8:00pm, $15, 5-49 49th Ave., LIC, 718.482.7069
Antigone is in its final week at The Secret Theatre. Read liQcity’s review here. March 25-28, 8:00pm, $15, 44-02 23rd St, LIC, 718.392.0722
Yo Miss: Teaching Inside the Cultural Divide, a multi-media production described as “part documentary, part music, part poetical autobiography, Yo Miss looks back on Judith Sloan’s twenty years of teaching in prisons, alternative schools, and universities,” will be presented at the La Guardia Performing Arts Center Thursday night. Opening Act: Mahina Movement Thursday, March 26, 8:00pm, $5, La Guardia Community College, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, LIC, 718.482.5151
The current exhibition at the Fisher-Landau Center for Art, FIVE DECADES OF PASSION Part One: The Eye of the Collector, 1968-1988 is closing in a week and a half. January 4-April 5, 2009, Thursday through Monday, 12:00-5:00 pm, Admission Free, 38-27 30th Street, LIC, 718.937.0727
Antigone at the Secret Theatre, Hunters Point, Long Island City
You don’t need to go to Broadway, or even Brooklyn, to see great theater. Hunters Point boasts two excellent theaters, The Chocolate Factory whose new show, Red Metal Mailbox – [ ], is opening tomorrow night, and The Secret Theatre, whose latest production with The Queens Players, Sophocles’ Antigone, directed by Greg Cicchino, liQcity attended this past weekend.
The two theaters couldn’t be more different in terms of vision, approach, and repertory. While The Chocolate Factory excels in presenting new experimental and multimedia work, The Secret Theatre presents classics from the theater repertory, whether it’s Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, produced beautifully last fall with just the right proportion of kitch, or the classic Hamlet, coming up in April.
Within a few minutes of the Secret Theatre’s Antigone »
Seen Performance performs ‘Box Shy’ at LIC/Astoria’s new Rèst-âü-Ránt
Last week, liQcity attended a fundraiser for Seen Performance, an Astoria-based modern-dance/interdisciplinary performance collective headed by Esther Palmer, held at a relatively new wine and beer bar, Rèst-âü-Ránt, on the border of Long Island City and Astoria at 30th St and 35th Ave.
As for Rèst-âü-Ránt itself: the atmosphere was cozy, with lots of dark wood on the walls; the sandwiches were tasty (the menu consisted mostly of Paninis, salads, and appetizers); but the beer and wine flights were exceptional. And Rèst-âü-Ránt has also started a series of “Live Music Thursdays,” featuring “diverse and talented musicians from across the globe,” FREE starting at 8:30 pm on Thursday nights. In lieu of a website, you can call them at 718.729.9009.
Palmer has taken a web 2.0 approach to defining community »
Vanessa Beecroft at Deitch Studios, Armory Arts Week, Long Island City
On Friday, liQcity checked out the art studios and galleries in Long Island City participating in the Armory Arts Week. There was so much happening at once, it was hard to catch it all. Despite skipping legacies like Noguchi, PS1, Sculpture Center, the studios and galleries visited revealed a remarkably wide spectrum of contemporary art available in the hood, from the internationally acclaimed to the local and underground. All of it within walking distance of each other and inside the elusive boundaries of LIC.
At the Deitch Studios, interspersing white nude female sculptures with live nude models painted white, international sensation Vanessa Beecroft brought some high-concept art to the table with her performance and sculpture exhibit ‘VB64′. The viewing scene was just as interesting as the exhibition: against the night skyline backdrop, hundreds of people walking back and forth on 44th Drive, and hovering poker faced around the performance. The live models resembled the static statues interspersed among them, and would move occasionally, giving the visual effect of sculpture in motion.
Beecroft frequently collaborates with Kanye West, who was also rumored to have been in attendance. The sculpture exhibit is still on display, with video of the live performance from Friday.
Chocolate Factory’s (re)develop (death valley), Long Island City
This Friday is a big day for Long Island City arts. It’s the Queens day of the Armory Arts Week, which will be touring most of the LIC arts scene. Here’s the local Hunters Point line up »
Tibetan Blessing tonight at the Dean Project, Long Island City
1) In celebration of the book release “King of the Dharma: The Life of Je Tsongkapa”, the Dean Project is hosting a closing reception and blessing ceremony performed by Monks in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The blessing ceremony will begin tonight at 7pm. Dean Project, 45-43 21st St, LIC. 718.706.1462
2) The new Chocolate Factory production redevelop (death valley) opens tonight »
“The Afterparty, 2009 PS1 summer installation, Long Island City. –photo
It’s that time of winter again, when we start looking towards the summer… though it still does feel a little far away. Not for PS1, who announced their winner for the 2009 Young Architects Program’s design for this summer’s courtyard installation. If you’re not familiar, PS1’s Summer WarmUp parties have been happening for over a decade, and these days are met with mixed perspectives »
Long Island City calendar, Art-O-Mat
Art-O-Mat, the LIC gallery and artisan craft store on Vernon Blvd, has released a Long Island City 2009 calendar exclusively featuring the work of local artists.
There will be a Opening Party for the calendar this Sunday, Dec 7th, from 7-10pm at Domaine bar a vins, 50-04 Vernon Blvd. The artwork featured in the calendar will be on display at Domaine for two weeks following the Opening Party on Sunday. Refreshments will be served, but of course.
New Development Long Island City/Astoria, near Vernon Blvd
Some quick LIC linkage coming at you right now »
Swoon’s ‘Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea’ at Deitch studios, LIC — photo credit
Don’t let it be said that development is depriving LIC of its artist community… ok, well someday that might happen, but for now LIC still has some un-condofied industrial spaces currently left to the whims of local artists »
Pigs Fly on 5th St, between 49th & 50th Aves, Hunters Point, LIC
Well, if Pigs were going to Fly anywhere in NYC it would be here »
Socrates Sculpture Park Outdoor Cinema 2008, Long Island City
Every Wednesday night through the summer, Socrates Sculpture Park presents an outdoor international film festival, featuring a film from a different country each night, along with food and occasionally a related live performance.
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