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 »

Chocolate Factory Theater’s 4th Annual Taste of LIC, Gantry Park, LIC

Yesterday’s dreary forecast of ongoing thunderstorms and pouring rain did not impact the big tent event at Gantry Plaza State Park for the Chocolate Factory Theater‘s 4th annual fundraiser and Long Island City celebration, the Taste of LIC, which was jam-packed with more than 800 patrons and attendees.

Most of Hunters Point restaurants, bars, and cafés were on hand »

Anable Basin, Long Island City, Queens waterfront.

The City is taking a new approach to resuscitating the Queens waterfront:

“The new Waterfront Text Amendment, which is being reviewed by Queens community leaders, would allow developers who build along waterfront areas to provide more lush promenades, better seating and improved lighting.

For the past 15 years, developers who have built certain structures along the waterfront have been required to provide access areas. But those regulations forced them to follow a series of rigid guidelines. Under the new regulations, developers would have more flexibility. They would even be allowed to open cafes and boat launches.”

Other Long Island City linkage »

A piece on 5Pointz at the corner of Jackson Ave & Davis St, Long Island City

Light on the LIC linkage this post-holiday morning, but a nice piece on Meres One, the founder of the 5pointz graffiti museum:

“The block at Jackson Avenue and Davis Street has evolved into 5Pointz, a living graffiti installation overseen by internationally acclaimed aerosol artist Meres One. Meres’s cultivation of freedom of expression at 5Pointz does not cater to a commercial purpose. “I wear different hats: tour guide, teacher, security guard, curator,” he said as he nodded at the building, calling his project a “pivotal point in graffiti making.” Allowing both creators of Rembrandt reproductions and novices to work at his space, he seeks to propel the art form into the next generation, offering weekly summer classes to aspiring local artists.”

Incidentally, 5pointz is just the graffiti on the walls of the building. The actual building is used as the Crane Street Studios, a cluster of art studios and galleries including Local Project.

In other linkage, if you’re hungry for some brunch, here’s a nice shot »

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 »

Sheila Lewandowski of the Chocolate Factory Theater, Long Island City, laments the decline of attendance to the weekend 7-train shutdown.

Long Island City’s struggle with the 7-train is still in the news. Very in-depth NYT article chronicling the repeated annual shutdown of the 7 train, and how Queens residents deal with the cold blow »