Long Island City, say goodbye to Art-O-Mat
Art-O-Mat closes this Sunday, May 31st. Vernon Blvd, LIC
Our only community retail store/gallery, Art-O-Mat is closing its doors this weekend. Sad news. Stop in during the weekend for the last of LIC goodies, and also for free tarot card readings in the late afternoon, 4-7pm. A note from the proprietors :
“We are so deeply appreciative of the support we’ve had since opening in 2005. We are particularly indebted to the volunteers who have dedicated time and energy to keeping Art-O-Mat running each week. And of course we cannot thank our main sponsor Plaxall enough. We plan to do an update to the website that will feature photos and videos of all the things that we did here. So many folks have helped out in different ways that it’s impossible to thank everyone in an email. We hope to acknowledge everyone when we update the website. There are still some folks trying to work on a continuation or reinvention of a similar community space and we will inform this list when and if we have something to report.”
Yeah, the world happened. Nothing lasts forever, especially if it’s modest and generous.
Damn property owners and their desire for profits. Capitalism is thievery.
I want the republican guy and the michigan hipster guy to be in a cage match sometime. With the $15 drink guy as referee.
If #3 took the time to read before he writes, he would know that this closure had nothing to do with “property owners”.
Here’s a link to an article in the Astoria Times:
http://tinyurl.com/mqjsyk
And another about the last exhibition:
http://tinyurl.com/lwqcpx
The property owners have been enthusiastic supporters of Art-O-Mat as they are of several other community groups. Closing had to do more with the many hours and days needed to keep the place running and organize volunteers. The effort was purely for the community because the folks who ran it simply wanted to see something like this exist. Art-O-Mat was all volunteer.
Hopefully its brief 3-1/2 year existence might inspire others to do the same or better.
I loved Art-O-Mat and made sure to pop in when I could. I really hope that it continues.
And no, it had nothing to do with property owners- thanks to the property owner, it was allowed to exist.
Thanks, Diane and Kenny, for your hard work.
Couldn’t they just continue to run Art-O-Mat on the web instead?
#8, if you are talking about faceless impersonal sales, yes. If you are talking about the community gathering place that Art-O-Mat became, no.
I will miss Art-O-Mat too.
9, there’s nothing wrong with faceless, impersonal sales if it helps keep the artists in business until another Art-O-Mat comes along.
Stopped by on Friday afternoon to buy some cards, and look for some gifts for my nieces and sister, but no dice. All locked up. Made NYC Native very sad, indeed.
#11, huh? Artomat did not close until Sunday. It was open and quite busy all weekend.
Not at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday. Tried the door, and it was locked, and no one inside.
13, Not worth the blog space and is moot at this point and don’t want to doubt your sanity but I’m pretty certain the door was never locked on Friday. Anyway, sorry you were disappointed NYCNative.
Thanks Kenny and Diane for running the place and thanks to the Plaxall families for donating the space. I’m sure Art-O-Mat is not dead and I look forward to next incarnation. Thanks again
Art-O-Mat was a truly wonderful venture that I feel truly enriched not only myself, but the area as a whole. Kenny and Diane did a tremendous job, I think there are a whole lot of us out here who don’t quite know how to thank them for their efforts!
If you were not closely involved with the organization, you should really know the disbanding was not an act of acrimony- the family donating the property was super generous and truly supportive of the AOM efforts. As a volunteer at the scene, I just wanted to speak up on everyone’s behalf and let the area know it was simply time. Running such a big impact community scene takes a hell of a lot of effort, and face it- you know Kenny and Diane will hardly take much time off before they get way involved with a whole new deal!
LIC rules. Our neighbourhood is one of the best on earth. And rock on Nancy- thanks for the blogspace scene—-
looking forward to what’s next
# 4, $15 guy here. Let’s make it happen.
I loved this place. I stopped by whenever I could to say hi… I bought things… I sold things… I played at events.
I’ll miss the Art-o-mat. Big thanks Diane, Kenny, Kristy, Louise, Matt, and everyone else that helped out and was involved. Sad to see it go, but I understand…
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wow…too bad. any indication as to what happened? i mean, i could guess, but anyone know for sure?