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.

Another highlight of the show »

LIC Boathouse, Long Island City

The Long Island City Community Boathouse is hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, March 12 from 6 to 9 pm at the Foundry at 42-38 Ninth Street in LIC.

Every summer, the all-volunteer LIC Community Boathouse introduces New Yorkers to our harbor and estuary by kayak and canoe. We host free weekly paddle trips, both long and short, with an emphasis on connecting children, and those otherwise without the means, to their environment. We launch from Anable Basin in LIC and Hallets Cove in Astoria.

Our fundraiser, which we’ve dubbed “Break the Ice,” »

Ten63 Condos revealed, Jackson Ave, Hunters Point, Long Island City

Once upon a time in Long Island City, there was a building called the Hackett Building… ok ok nevermind, we won’t dwell on the past. The future is the Ten63 condos, which has finally come out from under it’s shroud. The facade is not bad actually…it’s nice to see some brick in the face of all the glass and steel.

The residents are getting organized and reaching out to find other buyers. One future ten63 dweller wrote to liQcity with a building update »

Long Island City’s Community Board 2 (which covers LIC south of the Queensboro Bridge only) seems to have a new website.

There’s a handy complaint form that is very self-explanatory. Slightly confusing »

August 08 Cover, Ins & Outs Magazine, Long Island City

LIC residents are quite lucky (we think) to have such a rich offering of community media. On top of the handful of blogs, forums, and misc sites, we have a glossy quarterly print magazine called Ins&Outs, which hits the streets today with their 12th volume. Founded by a longtime LIC resident closely connected with local artists, I&O covers news and events about the LIC community (kind of like liQcity, but not at all) as well as the Outside World. In their own words »

From Recycle-a-Bicycle »

Clarion Hotel, just built in Dutch Kills, Long Island City

There’s some chatter today in Crains about the rampant development of hotels in the city, especially in light manufacturing districts that are still waiting for rezoning: our beloved LIC of course (Dutch Kills in particular, though Court Square is certainly seeing some activity), and Gowanus, a neighborhood in Brooklyn similar to LIC in that its transitioning from industrial to more residential. Its also on the water, and has extreme toxicity issues to overcome, but that’s best left to a separate post.

Residents and council-people in both communities »

10 Court Square announces its arrival, Long Island City

A few weeks ago, the Post reported on the Skidmore Owings & Merrill-designed commerical tower for Rockrose, that’s going up next to the Citicorp Tower in Court Square. The building, surprisingly entitled 10 Court Square looks like it takes up almost an entire city block, having bought out most of the building owners since 1988. It’s delivering a whopping 800,000 SF to the face of Jackson Ave, conveniently located at the site of the Jackson Ave beautification project.

Reported in June »

Ivy covered building on Vernon Blvd, Long Island City

It’s been a while since we’ve hooked up some LIC linkage… this morning we have a little petroleum smell with your coffee. Aah, but that’s old news. What’s new news is the pile driving that started somewhere around Vernon/Jackson yesterday morning. We’ve been getting reports that Arris Lofters are losing lots of sleep thanks to Rockrose’s pile driving on the infamous site of the Building That Should Have Been Landmarked. Well, there are lots of those sites in LIC, and Queens in general. But we digress.

You can thank the End of Tax Abatement »

Greenmarket, Union Sq

Since the Greenmarket isn’t starting until July this year, we thought it might be a good idea to alert LIC dwellers about the CSA program starting next month. This when you purchase a “share” of a local farm’s harvest, and then once a week during the season, you go and pick up a huge box full of their bounty.

Now is the time to sign up »

Hunters Point South, photo by Nathan Kensinger

Hunters Point South is on the table today:

“The city intends to certify the Willets Point and Hunters Point South plans into the land-use process [today], setting the stage for a seven-month battle as the projects are scrutinized by the communities, the City Planning Commission and the City Council.” -Crains

In other news, the Queensbridge Houses are going to start using energy efficient fluorescent bulbs from now on. It’s kind of funny that this is news, but it’s featured in two distinct articles, so we thought we’d follow suit as well. You can sleep in peace now. Seriously though, what is interesting about the Queensbridge Houses in general, is that it’s the largest public city housing development in NYC and the country. That’s a whole lotta light bulbs.

• Hunters Point South Rezoning Decided Today [Crains]

• Queensbridge gets new lightbulbs [Newsday]

• Queensbridge gets new lightbulbs (2) [Metro]

• Water Taxi Beach highlighted [Gridskipper]

• Sister Powerhouse Conversion in RI [Providence Journal]

• G-train hearings bypass Queens [Queens Tribune]

The planned Silvercup Studios $1B development project, Queensboro Br, LIC

Interesting article this morning about stalled development projects. The reasons vary – seems hard to just blame everything on the credit crunch, but it’s definitely more of a trend now compared to a few years ago. Here’s the news about LIC:

…it has also been confirmed that the practice’s 185,000m2 Silvercup Studio complex on the Long Island City Waterfront is on hold. The $1 billion (£500 million) mixed-use development, which won approval in mid-2006, has stalled due to issues over protracted land sales and the delayed removal of power plants from the site.”

Meanwhile CUNY’s going forward with the dorm:

“The development at 5-11 47th Ave. would have 400 total residential units, half of which would be for public rent and the other half will be divided between 188 graduate units and 12 faculty housing units at street level. It would also include a 6,000-square-foot office for the QCA and an open courtyard for art displays.

CB 2 Chairman Joe Conley said the board approved the plan with some stipulations. CUNY, for example, has agreed to never sell the property, he said. Conley said the board also asked for 20 percent of the non-student residential units to be offered as affordable housing, though he was not sure if the developer would agree.”

• Silvercup Studios development project on hold [Daily News]

• CB 2 OKs divisive plan to build 13-story tower [Times Ledger]

• ConEd has a $100 for western Queens blackout victims [Daily News]

• Flux Factory in Flux [Artnet]

• Crime Report for 114th Precinct – LIC [Times Ledger]

The CUNY dorm proposal was passed last night by the Community Board, in a vote 21-10. The Queens Council on the Arts sweetened the deal, and they are very excited to move to LIC.

CUNY will have to meet certain conditions, and as far as we know so far, the building will be 13 stories. The details on this will be posted when the board releases their write -up .

liQcity spoke to QCA today, and essentially they help make sure art happens in Queens. And all kinds of art: visual and performing. They also give out micro-grants of $500-1500 to artists and organizations. Currenty located in Woodhaven, they are exited to inhabit a space so accessible and within a very alive artist’s community, though somewhat endangered.

Grad students and hipsters on the way. LIC further diversifies… that should be good news to some.

• Queens Council on the Arts Website

» UPDATE »

Alternate viewpoint on the CUNY dorm received via liQcity inbox:

“The vote was 10 against, 21 for which unfortunately was predictable. There was a rather slick misinformation campaign where many local politicians were told of QCA’s and CUNY’s outreach to the arts community. This hasn’t been supported by fact.

Their lawyer has one of those curious political backgrounds where one cannot quite tell what he really stands for and I suppose he likes it that way.”

• Sidney Davidoff

Brick loft building at Vernon & 44th Dr, the new home of Next Level Floral, LIC

Someone commented on this photo in Flickr that is the direction they’d like to see LIC development move in. I agree. It’s a gorgeous building, and I’m told it’s full of lovely lofts.

After visiting the Condo Festival this weekend, which there are sure to be more of this blossoming spring, I’ve gained an even deeper appreciation for the existing buildings. And it was kind of ironic that the showcase was held in the Puck building, which is the antithesis to the current wave of generic, glassy architecture. New development is not inherently bad, but it would be nice if they could get a little creative, and preserve as much of the rich building history as possible. Instead of just plowing them down.

• Mob boss safely walks the streets of LIC now [BBC]

• Nurses will now pay home visits to first time moms in LIC [Daily News]

• Bricklayers recruiting apprentices in LIC

• Review of the Feminist Exhibit ‘WACK!’ at PS1 MoMa [NY Mag]