Culture Lab LIC's 4th Annual Gala
Building Camelot
A Knight For a Cause
Wednesday, September 10, 6 - 10pm
Step into a night of myth, magic, and majesty at Culture Lab LIC’s annual gala celebration. Join us as we transform our space into King Arthur’s legendary court—where the arts reign supreme and community is our round table.
This enchanted evening will feature immersive decor, live performances, delicious food, and a silent auction brimming with treasures.
Dress in your finest attire as we honor the creative spirit that binds our kingdom together.
All proceeds support Culture Lab LIC’s year-round programming, empowering artists, uplifting diverse voices, and bringing accessible arts experiences to the heart of Queens.
Can't make it to the Gala, but still want to support the arts and culture in Queens and beyond? Don't worry! There are plenty of ways to show your support...
● Donate: Our Gala Campaign is now live! Donate here.
● Become a Member: Members get $2 off drinks, free merch, and other discounts and offers! Sign up here.
● Sponsor: Are you a company or individual who would love to sponsor either the gala or another Culture Lab LIC program? Learn more here.
● Special offer! If you sign up for our weekly newsletter between now and Sept 1, you will be entered into a lottery to win a FREE Gala ticket! Sign up here.
LIVE in
THE LOT
Live in The Lot is our free summer concert series, featuring live music performed outdoors* every weekend!
Click Here for more info!
*Weather permitting. Schedule subject to change. Be sure to check Culture Lab LIC on Instagram and Facebook for latest schedule and lineup updates.
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Clashing Steel
The Art of Stage Combat
Curated by Edjo Wheeler and Meron Langsner with Associate Curator Jesse Belsky
On View: July 31 - September 21 during gallery hours, Thursday & Friday, 5-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 2-9pm. Free admission.
Clashing Steel celebrates the artistry and craftsmanship behind stage combat weaponry, showing how these tools—swords, daggers, spears, shields, and armor—are designed not to harm, but to enhance storytelling through choreographed conflict.
From the duels in Romeo and Juliet to the epic battles in Game of Thrones, these weapons transform action into art.
Participating/Exhibiting Artists:
Jesse Belsky
J David Brimmer
Nathan DeCoux
Dennis Graves
Robb Hunter
Jared Kirby
Oscar Kolombatovich
Lars Lunde
Zoe Morsette
Lewis Shaw
Theik Smith
Eugene Solfanelli
Rick Sordelet
Kerry Stagmer
J. Allen Suddeth
Andy Sunda
Thanks to our sponsors:
Plaxall Inc, TF Cornerstone, Steve Madden, Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts
Sunset
JAZZ
Sunset Jazz is a free, indoor jazz music series every Friday at Culture Lab LIC. Come listen to incredible musicians, have a drink and take in the art.
Click Here for August-October schedule.
Hit Out
by Parini Secondo (Italy)
Presented by
DOWN to EARTH Festival
Saturday, August 30, 5:30pm
Sunday, August 31, 6:30pm
Hit Out is the agile and compact version of HIT, a choreographic and musical project where jump rope activity is used as a percussive instrument to manifest embodied rhythms
After one year of athletic training, the jumpers on stage perform a rhythmical score in which single-unders, side-swings and double-unders are both athletic and musical elements: combined with voice and synthetic sounds, they harmonize into a true HIT.
The practice of training is elevated into a performative action: the hammering succession of rope strokes is an echo of rebellion against those forces that would have us lying motionless on the ground with our eyes closed.
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director and Executive Producer: Elena Siyanko
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director: Frank Hentschker
Producer and Associate Director of Programs, Segal Center: Meg Araneo
Producer: Natalie Rhine
DOWN TO EARTH, NYC’s First International Festival of Multidisciplinary Creation in Public Spaces, brings world-class international performance, theater, contemporary circus, opera installation, and participatory events—absolutely free—directly to New York City’s vibrant, diverse communities. An initiative that embraces global exchange and democratizes cultural expression, the inaugural festival runs from August 29–September 7, 2025. The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at The Graduate Center CUNY serves as the festival's curatorial hub, organizational home, and fiscal agent. Here in NYC, partnering with parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens and collaborating with more than 10 dynamic cultural and community organizations, we’re staging performances and workshops across multiple urban spaces. Citizen expression beats at the heart of the festival’s artistic vision. DOWN TO EARTH affirms art’s critical role in the economic, social, and mental well-being of all New Yorkers. With a focus on how artistic presence transforms the experience of place, and the powerful role of outdoor creation in transforming communities and spaces, DOWN TO EARTH seeks to expand access to cultural expression, privilege public assembly, and combat the injustices inherent in socio-economic exclusion. Central to the festival's mission is our commitment to dismantling cultural barriers by offering free programs for students, youth, immigrant communities, and families. By attracting a diverse public to free outdoor arts and in-situ performances that are accessible and inviting, the festival will redress the shortcomings of an expensive system of cultural dissemination. Downtoearthfestival.org
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Thursday, September 4, 6:30pm
SANTE! by Le Cirque Kikasse (Quebec)
Presented as part of the DOWN TO EARTH international festival of multidisciplinary performance in public spaces, Downtoearthfestival.org
Elena Siyanko, Festival Director & Executive Producer
Frank Hentschker, Festival Director
SANTÉ! by Cirque Kikasse (Quebec, Canada) is a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy, and breathtaking balancing acts… all on their extraordinary food truck! The troupe transforms tables and chairs into a balancing tower 30 feet in the air, creating comic chaos as they clean their truck and trampoline, and flooding the area with popcorn. A light-hearted tour de force sure to tickle your inner child and thrill your kids. Presented by DOWN to EARTH International Festival of Multidisciplinary Performance in Public Spaces.
Join us on Thursday, September 4, 6:30pm at Culture Lab LIC for an outdoor experience you won't forget. Festivities begin at 6:30PM and are free to the public.
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director and Executive Producer: Elena Siyanko
DOWN TO EARTH Festival Director: Frank Hentschker
Producer and Associate Director of Programs, Segal Center: Meg Araneo
Producer: Natalie Rhine
DOWN TO EARTH, NYC’s First International Festival of Multidisciplinary Creation in Public Spaces, brings world-class international performance, theater, contemporary circus, opera installation, and participatory events—absolutely free—directly to New York City’s vibrant, diverse communities. An initiative that embraces global exchange and democratizes cultural expression, the inaugural festival runs from August 29–September 7, 2025. The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at The Graduate Center CUNY serves as the festival's curatorial hub, organizational home, and fiscal agent. Here in NYC, partnering with parks in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens and collaborating with more than 10 dynamic cultural and community organizations, we’re staging performances and workshops across multiple urban spaces. Citizen expression beats at the heart of the festival’s artistic vision. DOWN TO EARTH affirms art’s critical role in the economic, social, and mental well-being of all New Yorkers. With a focus on how artistic presence transforms the experience of place, and the powerful role of outdoor creation in transforming communities and spaces, DOWN TO EARTH seeks to expand access to cultural expression, privilege public assembly, and combat the injustices inherent in socio-economic exclusion. Central to the festival's mission is our commitment to dismantling cultural barriers by offering free programs for students, youth, immigrant communities, and families. By attracting a diverse public to free outdoor arts and in-situ performances that are accessible and inviting, the festival will redress the shortcomings of an expensive system of cultural dissemination. Downtoearthfestival.org
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Culture Lab After Dark presents
Nice One! Comedy
Laughs meet art at Culture Lab LIC, where stand-up comedy takes center stage in a vibrant gallery setting!
Upcoming Dates:
September 4, 8pm
September 18, 8pm
Thanks to our sponsors:
Plaxall Inc, TF Cornerstone, Steve Madden, Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts
ReproEco
Six Short Plays with Dance
Friday, September 19, 7pm
Saturday, September 20, 3:30pm
MultiStages, ReproFreedomArts.org, and Culture Lab LIC are joining together to present ReproEco, a collection of six short plays written by six fabulous women that connect our reproductive health and the environment.
Through humor, mythology, Afro-futurism and drama, we look at toxins, our bodies, our communities & our futures.
Playwrights Diane Breeser, Cindy Cooper, Alinca Hamilton, Mildred Inez Lewis, Cassandra Medley & Laura Shamas.
ReproFreedomArts.org commissioned these talented playwrights, who represent a cross-section of America, to create new works inspired by investigations and conversations with experts in reproductive rights and environmental justice.
This presentation includes original dances created by Jennifer Chin to accompany the plays.
Co-produced by Cindy Cooper and Lorca Peress
Directed by Lorca Peress & Allison Astor-Vargas
Music composed by Sun Hee Kil
Dramaturgy by Lisa Lindstrom
The Plays:
"Maybe Our Baby" by Diane Breeser: A pregnant woman has a comical nightmare after reading an article on forever chemicals in her doctor's waiting room.
"Until the Change Comes" by Cindy Cooper An advertising duo begins to question their work after an uninvited visit from Theo Colborn, a woman scientist from years gone by who became the first to identify toxic harms to health.
"Always Never Really Here" by Alinca Hamilton Monica and Gabrielle Tompkins, a mother and daughter, face the harsh realities of living without clean running water in the verifiably real town of Sand Branch, Texas.
"Through Water Into Blood" by Mildred Inez Lewis After a devastating miscarriage, a West Virginia woman confronts her birth doula and they both realize the role toxic chemicals may have played.
"We Are Our Ancestors Reasons for Living" by Cassandra Medley In an Afro-futurism style, intergenerational women experience an altered world in which nature is so degraded that the out-of-doors must be delivered and enjoyed virtually.
"Priorities" by Laura Shamas In a dystopian future, two gynecologists and a midwife meet in secret to prioritize the needs of their pregnant patients, so they can escape to a better environment.
The Let Loose Choir
LIC’s Monthly Singing Party
A joy-driven gathering for all who love to sing – from mini improvised songs in the moment (Circlesinging), to a 4-part harmonized song.
The Let Loose Choir is an open invitation each month to all who love to sing. At the start of each gathering, we take time to get creative as a group, improvising mini a capella songs and grooves in the tradition of circlesinging.
All are welcomed to participate at any level of comfort — creating a phrase on the spot, supporting others’ creations, or just enjoying the jam. Then we dive into a beloved song arranged in 4-part harmony — sheet music and rehearsal tracks sent a week in advance to all who RSVP. As we bring the song to life, we strive not for perfection, but for the celebration of collective creation — the uplift, the joy, the release, and the coming together.
Sunday, September 21, 3pm
Sunday, October 19, 3pm
Free Summer Wellness Series With Cintrella
Curated by Sputnik Yoga
May-October at Culture Lab LIC
Join us for a sweet Sunday experience that balances body, mind, and soul in the heart of summer!
Unwind and rejuvenate with our first-ever Culture Lab LIC Summer Wellness Series, designed to bring balance, energy, and relaxation to your weekends. Running from June through October, this monthly event offers a perfect pause between your Sunday brunch and evening concert plans. Each session features a variety of wellness practices such as Yoga, Meditation, Somatic Movement, Mindfulness Exercises, and Music for Healing.
Whether you're looking to stretch, reset your mind, or simply relax, the series provides a peaceful and inviting environment for all levels. It’s the ideal way to create space for self-care, set the tone for the week ahead, and recharge your energy before heading into the evening's concert experience!
Free, Outdoors (Weather Permitting)
Upcoming dates:
Sunday, September 21, 3pm
Sunday, October 12, 2pm
Samuel Beckett's
Happy Days
Starring Pamela Rickard
& Stephen Wangh
Directed by David Grove
Winnie is literally and figuratively stuck in place, using humor and memory to keep her fears at bay in the face of an uncertain future.
Friday, September 26, 7:30pm
Saturday, September 27, 7:30pm
Friday, October 3, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 4, 7:30pm
"Oh, this is going to be a happy day! Another happy day!" So announces Winnie as she begins another day in Samuel Beckett's absurdly profound and darkly comic masterpiece, HAPPY DAYS. Clinging desperately to the ephemeral presence of her husband Willie as memories surface and stories repeat, Winnie tries to maintain a normal life in a strange new world. She soldiers on, no matter what… fighting the emptiness both within and around her.
SpeakEasier Language Exchange
4th Saturday of every month
Are you learning Arabic, Spanish, French, or Farsi? If so, please join us for the monthly SpeakEasier Language Exchange at Culture Lab LIC! This is a fun and interactive event where you can practice your target language(s) with fellow language enthusiasts.
Whether you're a beginner or fluent speaker, everyone is welcome to participate in this exciting exchange.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to meet new people, practice your target language, and discover a beautiful cultural center in the heart of NYC’s Long Island City!
Hope to see you there!
Upcoming Dates:
Saturday, September 27, 3pm
Saturday, October 25, 3pm
Saturday, November 22, 3pm
Saturday, December 27, 3pm
Free; Donations Appreciated
Pass the Crown
Voices & Memory
Exhibition extended to Sunday, August 31.
On view during gallery hours, Thursday & Friday, 5-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 2-9pm. Free Admission.
Pass the Crown: Voices & Memory is an interactive media installation exploring dementia, memory, and legacy within communities of color. Expanding on the Pass the Crown photo portrait series, the project was inspired by the artist Pri’s late grandmother, who had dementia and wore a crown in the final photo portrait taken of her by the artist. That crown became a symbol of resilience, memory, and dignity. That very same crown is now passed from model to model within the Pass the Crown photo series, with each model impacted by dementia, representing the continuation of their stories. Drawing from over a decade of experience as a dementia caregiver of both her grandmother and aunt, the artist creates an interactive experience that invites audiences to engage with personal histories.
The installation features five large-scale editorial portraits, each framed with symbolic materials reflecting the subject’s life. An interactive timeline highlights key moments, while Augmented Reality (AR) allows visitors to unlock deeper layers of each story through images, audio, and personal artifacts. Pass the Crown: Voices & Memory honors the strength, wisdom, and love that endure beyond memory loss, preserving the legacies of those affected and inspiring conversations about care, connection, and the power of storytelling.
Pup-Up
at Culture Lab LIC!
Hearts & Bones Rescue and LIC Feral Feeders with be here with plenty of pups and kittens that are in search of their forever home!
Also, check out local vendors offering treats, apparel, services and more! Help your dog beat the heat with splash pads plus tennis balls, treats, swag and more!
Free Admission! Come for the animal fun and stay for FREE live music at 5pm!
Thank you to our sponsors:
Plaxall Inc, TF Cornerstone, Steve Madden, Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts
Se fue
A Live Performance of the Cuban Art Song Project’s Debut Album
Friday, October 10, 7:30pm
Join the Cuban Art Song Project for a live performance of their debut album, Se Fue. The Cuban Art Song Project (CASP) is a collection of the best Latin and Classical musicians in New York City. CASP’s mission is to help preserve Cuban art song, zarzuela, and popular music and present it through a modern lens. Its core members include Cuban American soprano, Isabella Lamadriz (founder) and pianist, conductor, and arranger, Pablo Zinger. Latin percussion phenom, Takafumi Nikaido and Latin Grammy winning bassist, Pedro Giraudo join CASP for their debut album. Se Fue features the songs of composer Ernesto Lecuona, affectionately known as the, “Gershwin of Cuba.”
A Minor Relief
Multi-disciplinary artist, ayo ohs, debuts her first album, A Minor Relief, with a site-specific night of music, dance, and theater. Along with musician Treya Lam, ayo weaves personal stories and songs together with humor, incisiveness, and grace.
Through this site-specific journey, ayo guides the audience through life experiences in identity and freedom in a rapidly-changing world. Personal and relatable, ayo’s lyrics explore silence and agency, in an effort to find voice. Both playful and contemplative, ayo asks us to reflect and reject where we are today, to find a little relief.
Friday, October 17, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 18, 7:30pm
Stay late on Friday for an after-show mingle & album opening party. Stay late on Saturday for a conversation with the artist.
ayo ohs (A.O./she/they) is a socially engaged artist, performer, and director working with movement, music, and healing arts in Lenapehoking/Brooklyn, NY. ayo has presented choreography and spatialized audio compositions in venues in NY and San Francisco, where their work was described as “feisty, clever and poignant” by the SF Bay Guardian. In 2023, ayo released the public art project, The Silent Unseen Audio Tour: An Embodied Introduction to Asian American History, an audio tour tracing histories of Asian American immigration through Flushing Meadows Park and the Queens Museum.
In theater and installation, ayo has collaborated extensively with Andrew Schneider, including: HERE (Jacob’s Pillow 2025), NOWISWHENWEARE (BAM 2023), NERVOUS/SYSTEM (BAM 2018) and AFTER (EMPAC/The Public Theatre 2018). In dance, ayo was an original cast member in Faye Driscoll’s Thank You For Coming series (2013-2018) including performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob’s Pillow, the Venice Biennale, and additional international and US tours. ayo is a founding member of Movement Research’s Artist of Color Council and has been an artist in residence at New York Live Arts (Fresh Tracks), Yaddo, Groundworks Space, and an Engaging Artist’s Fellow at More Art. They hold a BFA summa cum laude from NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Experimental Theatre Wing. Find ayo under “ayo minor” on most major music-streaming platforms. A Minor Relief is their first EP of music.
Photography credit: Maria Baranova
Album cover artwork by Victoria Ravelo
Dating App Disconnect
The Rhythm of Connection with Cultura Pa' Lante and The Full
Thursday, October 23, 7-10pm
Let’s put passion back in motion.
Join us for a night of rhythm, romance, and real connection. We’re trading swipe fatigue and speed dating for salsa steps -- with live music and a community of people who are ready to feel something real.
What’s in store:
- A short guided panel about reconnecting with your passion
- A mini salsa lesson (no experience or partner needed!)
- Live romantic Latin music and dancing
Culture Lab LIC will be offering a cash bar to keep the night flowing.
Ticket proceeds support live musicians and local artists.
Xena: Warrior Musical LIVE!
Lucier&Rose invite you to an immersive screening of Xena: Warrior Musical Live!
Friday, October 24, 7-10pm
All ages
An epic tale of mythological escapades and intense sapphic love, Xena: Warrior Musical was performed at 3 Dollar Bill in September 2022 as a limited preview and captured in this multi-camera edit. If you missed it the first time, now is your chance to experience this new take on the Xenaverse! If you saw it and loved it, come relive the adventure with friends and make some new ones! Aphrodite, Goddess of Love (Stephanie Craven) will host. Featuring guest performers, surprises to enhance your viewing pleasure (think Rocky Horror Picture Show), and a wild Amazon Dance Party to follow. Free popcorn. Wine and beer are available for purchase. Dress code: Amazons, warriors, goddesses, sapphic figures of myth… you get the idea.
Spooktacular Sounds
A Halloween Musical Adventure
Sunday, October 26 · 4 - 5pm
Join us for a spooktacular musical adventure where you and your little ones can jam, dance, and play!
Come dressed in your favorite costumes and get ready to swing and shiver from head to toe with a thrilling variety of music, including spooky favorites and interactive moments that will delight and entertain.
Plus, a costume parade and treats for all!
Our talented musicians will perform a mix of lively and enchanting tunes, from classical Halloween pieces to jazzy numbers that will get everyone moving.
Enjoy spooky favorites like “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” and eerie classical compositions that set the perfect Halloween mood.
Interactive moments will include:
• Sing-Alongs: Join in on the fun with spooky sing-alongs that everyone can enjoy.
• Dance-Alongs: Follow along with our musicians and dance to the rhythm of the music.
• Instrument Petting Zoo: Let your little ones explore different instruments and even try playing some themselves.
This program is sure to create unforgettable Halloween memories for the whole family, blending the joy of live music with the excitement of interactive play. Don’t miss out on this festive and fun-filled event complete with treats!
Kids under 13 are free!
Jingle Bell Swing
Sunday, November 30, 4 - 5pm
Interactive concert blending winter classics with jazzy twists and favorite family tunes, creating a festive celebration for all!
Get ready to jingle, jazz, and jam at Jingle Bell Swing! This interactive concert blends beloved winter classics with jazzy twists and favorite family tunes, creating a festive celebration that's fun for all ages.
Join us for singing, dancing, and musical play as our talented musicians bring the season to life with vibrant melodies and toe-tapping rhythms. From swingin’ snowy scenes to delightful surprises, this joyful experience is the perfect way to connect, celebrate, and make magical holiday memories together!
Children under 13 are free!
2025 Emergence Artist
Residency Program
Culture Lab LIC is excited to announce our 2025 Emergence Artists in Residence!
These diverse and exceptional performace based artists will be a part of Culture Lab LIC's New Works Festival coming this Fall!
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Culture Lab LIC's Emergence Artist Residency is a developmental performing arts program geared toward the support and creation of new work.
Started in 2021 by former Director of Performing Arts, Tana Sirois, the Emergence Artist Residence began as a desire to offer free rehearsal and performance space to performing artists. Since its conception the residency has been further developed and led by Artistic Director Tess Howsam expanding the program to include peer review sessions during the artists year and culminating in Culture Lab LIC’s New Works Festival November and December.
Vendor Registration
2025 Outdoor Vendor Market at Culture Lab LIC
Click to read more & register:
Culture Lab LIC voted Best Art Gallery!
The people have spoken and named Culture Lab LIC Best Art Gallery in the Arts & Entertainment Section!
Queens residents have continued to stand behind their favorite local businesses in the FourLeaf Best of the Boro 2025 competition.
Thanks to all our supporters!
And now we've been nominated AGAIN!
Voting is now open for Best of Boro 2026!
We've been nominated in the following categories:
- Best Art Gallery
- Best Concert Venue
- Best Theater Performing Arts Space
- Best Festival for "Taiwan Fest at Culture Lab LIC"
You can vote once per day, per category!
Meet the People
behind Culture Lab LIC...
Without our team, none of our programming would be possible. Catch a glimpse into the lives of the people who make up the Culture Lab team, and all of the beautiful qualities and characteristics they posses to "make art happen!"
And be sure to check out all the ways you can help make 2025 Culture Lab's best year ever!
Become a Member!
Culture Lab LIC is celebrating 5 years & we need you to help us build the next 5!
Thanks to you, in 2024 our mission to bring impactful art to Western Queens has flourished beyond our wildest dreams. Your contributions--whether through donations, volunteer efforts, or simply by spreading the word about our initiatives --have helped us to make a profound difference in the lives of artists and art lovers in our community.
Your generous support not only fueled our programs but also directly impacted the artists we serve, providing them with invaluable opportunities and resources, and a platform to share their stories, visions, and inspirations with the world.
With your continued support in the coming year, we aim to expand our reach, continue to present local and international artists, and further enrich our community through art.
Here are 3 ways you can help...
Donate so we can continue to present the great art & events you love.
Join the Culture Lab LIC Family by Becoming a Member!
Help us keep our doors open by becoming an Official Sponsor!
Our ART GALLERY is open Thursday & Friday, 5-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 2-10pm. Keep your eye on our social media for updates on our upcoming theatre, dance and comedy performances!
As a member of Culture Lab LIC, you directly support dozens of arts, cultural and neighborhood organizations enjoyed by the entire community. As a Thank You for your awesomeness, each of our membership levels offer something for everyone: $2 off drinks, early viewings to monthly exhibitions, artists talks, Culture Lab LIC swag, and discounts to theater, dance, music concerts, and special events. We have an exciting season ahead of us and we cannot wait to share it with you!
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NYC Council Member Julie Won
NYC State Senator Kristen Gonzalez
Karen Dimit in Loving Memory of Greg Dimit
