CURRENT & Upcoming EXHIBITIONS
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.
Credit: Qinza Najm
[Un]Framing Gender
From Pakistan and South Asia to America
On View: June 5 - July 27 during gallery hours, Thursday & Friday, 5-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 2-9pm. Free Admission.
[Un]Framing Gender invites viewers to traverse the intricate terrains of gender identity, culture, and self-expression through the artistic lens.
This dynamic exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists from South Asia and America, showcasing innovative works that reflect the shifting landscapes of masculinity and femininity in contemporary society.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, each piece challenges conventional narratives and stimulates dialogue about the roles and perceptions of gender in both regions.
Building from the 2022 exhibition, 'Zenana Mardana', curated by Pomme Gohar, [Un]Framing Gender offers a vibrant space for conversation and introspection, encouraging audiences to reconsider the intersections of culture, power, and personal expression transcending geographical boundaries and challenging cultural stereotypes.
The show is a curatorial collaboration by Tess Howsam (Artistic Director, Culture Lab LIC, America) and Pomme Gohar (Creative Director, Phenomena, Pakistan).
Featuring work by:
Meher Afroz
Fariba Alam
Mariette Pathy Allen
Rina Banerjee
Sandra Cavanagh
Tabinda Chinoy
Shirley Cruz
Anindita Dutta
Diovanna Frazie
Siavash Golkar
Orestes Gonzalez
Amin Gulgee
Abdul Jabbar Gull
Sayeda Habib
Jinstar
Elsa Marie Keefe
Umaina Khan
Alexandra Limpert
Firoz Mahmud
Alejandro Meza
Qinza Najm
Xandria Noir
Susan O'Brien
Jamie Owens
Ramya Shenoy
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Tess Howsam
Tess Howsam is the Artistic Director of Culture Lab LIC and an accomplished international curator and director with over a decade of experience contributing to New York City’s artistic landscape. Known for her innovative approach and cross-disciplinary collaborations, Howsam’s work explores themes of gender, audience engagement, and global artistic dialogues. Her theatrical work has earned a New York Times Critic’s Pick and a feature in New Yorker Magazine, and in 2023, she was honored with The League of Professional Theatre Women’s Lucille Lortel Award. As Artistic Director, Howsam has spearheaded numerous exhibitions at Culture Lab LIC that walk the line of performative and visual. Highlights include “Instrumental: A Retrospective on the Life & Work of Ken Butler” (2024), “Luminous: The Art of Neon” (2023) and The Inevitability of Absence (2023), presented alongside “The Incomplete Collection” by Linked Dance Theatre bridging visual and theater arts. Deeply committed to international collaboration, she co-curated The Search for Utopia (2024) with Slovakian art center Malý Berlín, bringing together Slovakian and American artists to reflect on utopian ideals. That same year, she served as a jury member for Artiade: The Olympics of Art in Basel, Switzerland, strengthening her dedication to global artistic dialogue. In 2025, Howsam is thrilled to co-curate two exhibitions that foster creative exchange across borders. Art Exchange: America x Italy celebrates cross-cultural artistic collaboration, while [Un]Framing Gender: From America to Pakistan explores gender identity and representation through a transnational lens.
Pomme Amina Gohar
Pomme Amina Gohar is a distinguished creative director and international art curator, renowned for her innovative contributions to Pakistan's art, design, and fashion landscapes. As the CEO and founder of Phenomena, an event design company established in December 2010, she has been instrumental in crafting bespoke luxury experiences that seamlessly blend art, design, and fashion. With over 25 years of experience, Pomme has curated numerous art exhibitions and events, both domestically and internationally. Notably, she curated the "Zenana Mardana" exhibition at Frere Hall, a groundbreaking show exploring gender dynamics through art. As part of this exhibition, she also presented "A Tribute to the Masters," a lifetime event honoring Pakistani legends Sadequain, Ismail Gulgee, and Jamil Naqsh. She was instrumental in managing the first-ever Karachi Biennale in 2017, leading the lighting direction and creating immersive artistic environments. Pomme is also dedicated to nurturing emerging artists, evident through initiatives like the 'No Filter'—a bold showcase of sculpture, fine art, photography, and performance—celebrating unfiltered expression across diverse mediums. She also curated the Grand Art Festival, "Galliyon ke Rang," held at Port Grand in Karachi, celebrating the city’s vibrant street art culture. She was also the first style editor of SHE Magazine, Pakistan's first and most prestigious women's magazine. She was awarded 'Woman of the Year' in 2022 by the first lady of Pakistan for her contribution in the arts and subsequently in 2025, awarded Exceptional Woman of the Year in Arts by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Pakistan. Pomme's philosophy of "less is more" reflects her commitment to quality over quantity, ensuring that each project is executed with meticulous attention to detail and creative flair. In 2025, she will co-curate [Un]Framing Gender: From America to Pakistan in New York—an international art show exploring gender identity and representation through a transnational lens, further solidifying her global presence in the art world. Building from Pomme's 2022 exhibition, 'Zenana Mardana' in Pakistan, [Un]Framing Gender creates a dynamic space for South Asian and American artists to engage in critical dialogue, inviting audiences to rethink the intersections of gender and identity—transcending borders and challenging cultural stereotypes.
Fine Art At Culture Lab LIC
Culture Lab LIC is a nonprofit art gallery providing a full calendar of monthly exhibitions by emerging and mid-career artists working in visual, installation, interactive, digital and video art. Our exhibitions are often complemented by a diverse series of multidisciplinary performances as well as artist talks, panel discussions & workshops. Culture Lab LIC collaborates with local organizations, individual artists and curators to bring in new ideas, develop cohesive monthly programming and participatory events, with a goal of promoting the cultural growth of our community.
Currently Culture Lab LIC programs between 20 - 36 exhibitions annually with an average of over 1000 visitors monthly, and does not take a commission from the art we sell. Per our mission statement, all proceeds from the sale of art exhibited at Culture Lab LIC goes back to the artist.
Our programming is unique because of the proposal structure we work with as well as our open-door policy towards community volunteers and outside organizations seeking space for different projects. For almost all the exhibitions we have an “Open Call” where all artists have the opportunity to submit their artwork for consideration.
Our team works hard to bring thoughtful, beautiful and groundbreaking programming to Queens.
