About Us | Art, Music & Theatre in Long Island City, Queens, NYC

Mission Statement

OUR MissioN

Culture Lab LIC is a 501(c)(3) formed to be the arts and culture umbrella for Western Queens. We present local, national, and international art of all genres, while supporting New York artists and other nonprofits by providing space, resources and a sense of community.

Operating out of a 12,000 square foot converted warehouse, Culture Lab LIC hosts two fine art galleries, an 80 seat theater, classroom space, an 18,000 square foot outdoor venue, and a robust residency program. Culture Lab LIC is dedicated to upholding, equity, diversity and inclusion across all our platforms.

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Our Team

OUR TEAM

Edjo Wheeler, Executive Director

As Co-Founder of The Plaxall Gallery, Edjo has produced over fifty fine-art exhibitions, forty theater and musical productions, over one hundred classes and educational programs and dozens of community events. He has helped raise thousands of dollars for local charities by activating this center for their benefit.

Edjo is a sculptor, designer, curator and filmmaker in New York for the past twenty years. He has been establishing original programs for the arts his whole life, curating his first art exhibition and traveling educational theater troupe when only eighteen years old. Programming credits include the New York Film Academy, School for Film and Television and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has worked on twenty films, sixteen television shows and over eighty stage productions as a producer, director or stunt coordinator. Projects include YouTube Originals Sherwood, The History Channel's Woman Warriors, Court TV's Haunting Mysteries, One Life to Live, Guiding Light, and New Amsterdam. Edjo directed over 50 documentary films for The US Department of Energy, Con Edison, Good Will Industries, The City of New York, among others, raising over 1.8 million dollars for these nonprofit educational platforms.

Building The Plaxall Gallery and Culture Lab from scratch with such an amazing team has been a highlight of his career.

Sabrina Bodé, Director of Operations

Sabrina Bodé is a multi-faceted community & cultural worker, born and raised in Queens, NY. She is an experienced program coordinator and developer, youth educator, a lifelong dancer, and a seasoned nightlife manager. From studying both Political Science and Public Policy at SUNY New Paltz and Hunter College, Sabrina seeks to bridge the gaps between the arts and social impact + equitable economic development. Previously coordinating workforce programs at Global Kids, Sabrina now joins the team at Culture Lab LIC as General Manager to collaboratively implement new, innovative structures to ensure further growth, success, and expansion of Culture Lab LIC.

Outside of her admin work, Sabrina leads Sabby Baila dance projects and classes, which seek to honor stories of cultural and social movements from around the globe. Her expertise lies in Hip Hop, House, and Latin styles of dance, paying homage to her own background and hometown of NYC.

Sabrina is excited to further serve her Queens community by upholding the significance of community, partnerships, and diversity here at Culture Lab LIC and finding creative strategies to push forward Culture Lab’s mission and organizational development.

Tess Howsam, Artistic Director

Tess Howsam is an international director and installation artist. An artistic maverick, Howsam has worked as a multi-hyphenate artist, director, and curator in NYC for over a decade. Central to Howsam’s work are questions of gender roles, audience integration, and building collaborations across artistic mediums. Howsam is a reoccurring Co-Director on projects with Germany company Das Letze de Klinode. Founding Artistic Director of interdisciplinary immersive theater company Exquisite Corpse Company (ECC), Howsam leads the development of ekphrastic immersive theater. ECC’s interactive piece, ZOETROPE, was the New York Times Critic’s Pick and featured in New Yorker Magazine. Howsam has held artist residencies at Guild Hall (East Hampton), El Centro de las Artes de Querétaro (CEART) Querétaro, Mexico, and Town Stages (NYC).. Her work has been featured throughout NYC at venues such as: The Barrow Group, Governors Island, SoHo Rep, and HERE arts center.

“What I love about Culture Lab LIC is that it is an exciting collage of artistic mediums and a space for everyone. When I first came to Culture Lab LIC, I was drawn to it as an artist and an inspirational space to create and produce new work. As Culture Lab LIC’s Artistic Director, I am proud to serve an organization that champions its community, a community built by international and local artists and our neighbors. ” In 2023, Tess was the recipient of The League of Professional Theatre Women’s Lucille Lortel Award.

MFA - Interdisciplinary Arts: Goddard College, Washington
BA - Theater: Bard College, New York

Dawn DeVito, Director of Events & Marketing

Dawn DeVito joins Culture Lab with an extensive background in hospitality management and a passion for the arts within the community. Born and raised in Flushing, Queens and a self-taught illustrator, photographer and graphic designer, Dawn’s main focus in her art and work is New York City.

When not at Culture Lab, Dawn is a returning CUNY student with a focus in Museum and Gallery studies. Dawn’s main passion project is finding ways the arts can be used for coping with mental illness.

Dawn is excited to be involved with Culture Lab LIC and add her expertise to their growth and success as well as help further their mission through community events and partnerships.

dawndevito.com

@d_a_w_n_dawwn

Sabrina Bode

Dawn DeVito

Tess Howsam

Staff