RECENT EXHIBITIONS
THE WORM AT THE CORE
curated by Joshua Chiet
On View: March 31 - April 24
Opening Reception: April 2, 6-9pm
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Stemming from the works of American anthropologist Ernest Becker and Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Rank, and proposed by American social psychologists Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski, Terror Management Theory seeks to understand the basic psychological conflict in human beings arising from our unique awareness of the inevitibility of our own mortality coupled with our innate sense of self-preservation. This dissonance results in a constant potential for existential terror which is managed by an anxiety-buffering system consisting of shared culture, individual self-esteem, and close interpersonal relationships imparting a sense that one is a person of value living in a meaningful world.
While the management of this terror can often lead to defensive distortions of reality and the aggressive protection of one’s beliefs and self-esteem, consciously confronted death anxiety can be a gateway for positivity. As Apple founder Steve Jobs said in his 2005 Stanford University commencement address, "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
NON-LINEAR
Queens College CUNY MFA
Annual 2022
Curated by Lilly Wei
On View: March 31 - April 24
Opening Reception: April 2, 6-9pm
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Re-reading Masters
An international Exhibition of Women in Art
Curated by Leda Prado
On view: March 3-27
Opening Reception: March 5, 6-8pm
RSVP for free tickets
Itinerant Eyes
An Installation by
Tamana Araki
On view: March 3-27
Opening Reception: March 5, 6-8pm
RSVP for free tickets
Itinerant Eyes: Pairs of round Mirrors project moving reflections of lights on the walls. When Tamana Araki lived in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas where many Mayan indigenous people live, it inspired her to create these mirrors-like eyes, spirits. Indigenous people believe that animals and nature have spirits.
Cages: An image of a cage came to her mind during the Covid pandemic lockdown. Araki has been exploring the theme of “Immigration” since 2019. The former president’s administration’s action to separate immigrant families at the border and put them in detention centers, impacted her deeply as a mother who lived in Mexico for four and half years. A cage evokes containment and the structure of the border fence. Araki has travelled to El Paso, Texas and Ciudad de Juárez, Mexico to cross the U.S-Mexico border on foot. The sands that she collected at the both sides of the border was mixed into ceramic clay in the process of making the cages. All cages have an opening. Her experience of raising silkworm, observing the emergence of silk worm moths from the cocoon made an impact on the creation of this work.
"Migratory animals do not belong to countries. Humans divide the land by drawing the border. Sometimes national borders separate and contain. No one should threaten the lives of others as they cross the border." - Tamana Araki /荒木珠奈
Tamana Araki /荒木珠奈 was born in Japan and studied art in Japan and Mexico. In 2012 she moved to New York, lives and now works in Long Island City, NY. Araki works in installations, etchings and small sculptures. She has had shows in galleries and museums in Japan, Mexico, Finland, Canada and the U.S.A.
Culture Lab LIC 5-25 46th Avenue Long Island City, NY (Map) Gallery Hours: Thu-Sun 5-9pm
Judicators: Ebony Young, Emily Addison, and Luke Mannarino
Artists:
Kamari Carter
Welket Bungué
Jenny Desrosiers
Marjani Jones
Terika Harris
Leslie Jean-Bart
Issa Ibrahim
Arthur Robinson
Leda Prado
Lytevisuals
Joane Buteau Dumont
Jalaa’a Brinsley
Mark West
Gus Bennett
Sean Waltrous
GÜREJE
This exhibition is about the multitudes of blackness. The breadth and depth of blackness, and in some cases not about it at all. This body of work is the bold, brazen, and a truly individual commentary of artists from all walks of life.
Exhibition on view: Feb 10 - March 27.
Opening reception: Feb 12, 6-9pm
An exhibition in honor of Black History Month.
"Exploring the language and uses of photography, my work addresses the overlooked or hidden aspects of nature and the built environment. The cameraless technique I use, the photogram process, is associated with the early stages of photographic exploration and invention, a time of wonder at the possibilities of photography as a way of recording the world. The resulting images recall early botanical and medical prints, as well as contemporary architectural and scientific imaging such as blueprints, x-rays and scans." - Mary Pinto
Opening Reception: Sat, Jan 8, 6-9pm
On view: Jan 6 - Feb 6
at Culture Lab LIC
in The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, Queens, NY 11101 (Map)
ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES:
Other Ways of Seeing
An exhibition of work by photographers and media artists of all genres who creatively use the Alternative Processes available today.
Curated by Orestes Gonzalez
and Pierre-Yves Linot
Opening Reception: Sat, Jan 8, 6-9pm
On view: Jan 6 - Feb 6
at Culture Lab LIC
in The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, Queens, NY 11101 (Map)
This is a photography based exhibition that explores the different technical methods of creating a photo impression. All techniques (except digital & analogue ) were allowed. This included, tintype, cyanotype, image transfers, chemigrams, albumen, bromoil, collage, and salt prints. We have a variety of printed surfaces that were used for printing, including fabric, metal, glass, wood, and even old dresses.
This international open call drew 200 entries, and 72 artists were selected based on creativity as well as variety. Artists from Argentina, Chile, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Germany, England, Scotland, Italy, and from 12 states are included in our show. But the largest group is from the NYC area, where the plethora of creative artists is most accessible to us at Culture Lab LIC.
About The Curators
Orestes Gonzalez is a photo artist and curator based in New York. His work examines issues of nostalgia, family, and the economic and social forces that shape our lives today. Since 2008, he has curated over 21 exhibits, first at the Jeffrey Leder Gallery, and then independently, since 2012.
His curated exhibit, “Disruption”, opened at the Center for Photography at Woodstock in 2018, and is currently part of the “Migrations” exhibit at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College.
His work is in the public collections of the Perez Art Museum, Miami (PAM), The Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, and in the book collections of The Metropolitan Museum NY, MoMA, & Duke University, among others. He lives in Long Island City, Queens, NY.
Pierre-Yves Linot is a New York-based photo artist and curator. His interest in social justice led him to create “Immigrant Song,” a project in response to the inhumanity of The United States' immigration policies. Using an alternative process, he transfers his portraits and still lifes to watercolor paper.
Pierre-Yves is also curator @todaysalternative on Instagram, and has curated exhibitions at Soho Photo Gallery and at the Shiva Gallery at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
His work has been exhibited in New York at Foley Gallery, Culture Lab/Plaxall Gallery, Photoville, Soho Photo Gallery, and the School of Visual Arts, as well as in Los Angeles, Paris, and Madrid.
The Affordable Holiday Art Fair
at The Plaxall Gallery (Map)
Produced by Culture Lab LIC
and Long Island City Artists
On View: Dec 2-23, 2021
Opening Reception: Dec 4, 6-9pm
Culture Lab LIC presents
Photoville Festival: Queens is Family
Curated by Orestes Gonzalez & Skyler Reid
On View: September 18 - December 1, 2021
Presented outdoors in the Plaxall Gallery parking lot. (Map)
For the first time in LIC, the Brooklyn-based Photoville Festival is including Culture Lab LIC in their annual photo festival.
The series, Queens is Family, takes advantage of our diverse ethnic mix, featuring Queens-based photographers from different backgrounds and ethnicities, all touching on subjects of family, friendship, loss, rituals and sacrifice.
Official site: https://photoville.nyc/Queens-Is-Family/
Featuring:
Salimah Ali
Jose Alvarado Jr
Kimberly J. Avalos
Kamal Badhey
Kisha Bari
Gisella Dionio
Orestes Gonzalez
Vanessa Gonzalez-Bunster
Kris Graves
Neil Kramer
Dean Majd
Erika Morillo
Beatriz Rodriguez
Griselda San Martin
Joey Solomon
AnRong Xu
Culture Lab LIC & HOLOCENTER present
SPACE:LIGHT Alternate Reality
An exhibition of light art and optical media
On View: October 2 - 31, 2021
Opening Reception: Saturday October 2, 7-10pm at The Plaxall Gallery (Map)
This year’s SPACE:LIGHT has a theme centered on an Alternate Reality that each artist personally creates in tandem with additional versions of Realities perceived, installed, and displayed by fellow conceptualizers within the community of Light Art to challenge the bounds of space and time.
Curated by Rita Jiménez and Patrice Scott
Featuring works by:
Maximus Clarke, Valeria Divinorum, Nic Koller, Ksenia, Linda Loh, Sam Moree, Steve Pavlovsky, Geo Stadnik, Erin Taylor and Everything Good Studio (Rachel Ciaverella and Jack Kalish)
Culture Lab LIC Presents
LIC-A Members Showcase 2021
On View: September 2 - 26, 2021 at the Plaxall Gallery (Map)
Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 2, 6-8pm
Saturday, September 4, 2-6pm
This has been a time of re-evaluation for many artists, of a chance to experiment, perhaps, and create imagery reflective of the stressful past year. Artists are naturally gifted with the ability to visualize their thoughts and feelings and to communicate them without words. We are pleased to present to the public this diverse and creative body of work by our members.
In person show curated by Jorge Posada
Online show curated by Carol Crawford
Exhibition coordinators: Nancy Bruno, Alexis Mendoza and Jon Garfield
Location:
Culture Lab LIC at the Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, LIC NY 11101
(entrance through the parking lot)
Featured Artists:
Kimberly Abbott
Catherine Abrams
Monique Allain
Bonnie Astor
Janya Barlow
Aileen Bassis
Romen Baulin
J F Bautista
Dino Blanche
Michele Bonelli
Patricia Bouley
Evan Brown
Xan Cambeiro
Luzia Castaneda
Veronique Chalarca
Irene Christensen
Nicholas Christopher
Robert Convery
Marilee Cooper
Carol Crawford
Adrian DiMetriou
Lenuta Donikian
Eric Friedmann
Ayakoh Furukawa-Leonart
Tina Glavan
Yona Goldfaden
Jean-Marie Guyaux
Akwasi Gyambibi
Steven Harris
Sheila Hecht
Lori Horowitz
Amanda Ioco
Kaiser Kamal
Susan Kaplow
Paul Katcher
Karen Kirshner
June Kosloff
Saori Kurioka
Jonathan Lev
Jane Levy
Alice Lipping
Robert Lobe
Nancy Macina
Ellen Mandelbaum
Leda Maria
Donnelly Marks
Dianne Martin
Anthony Mavilia
LisaMaria Maya
Gail Meyers
Bruce Minson
Nancy Nieves
Francesca O’Malley
Lawrence O’Neill
Becca Olinger
Michael Padwee
Steven Palermo
Mark Pinckney
Jorge Posada
Michael Quintero
Robert Roher
Ashlee Romain
Nancy R. Rouse
Lori Sanford-Ross
Carmine Santaniello
Elinore Schnurr
James Seffens
Andrea Segatto
Jacqueline Sferra Rada
Hisayasu Takashio
Akemi Takeda
Therese Tan
Peter Tews
Preston Trombly
Rouska Valkova
Roussina Valkova
Samuel Varnedoe
Jemina Vita
Sandra Vucicevic
Jon Wagner
Andrew Wheatley
Kim Zack
Note: Due to the recent NYC vaccine mandate, all visitors to the gallery must wear a mask, be vaccinated and will be required to show proof of vaccination (CDC vaccine card, NYC COVID Safe Pass, NYS Excelsior Pass)
Culture Lab LIC Presents
House of Mark West
August 2021 Showcase
July 29 - August 29, 2021 at the Plaxall Gallery (Map)
Opening Reception: July 31, 5-9pm.
This show features a combination of paintings, photography, sculpture, and installation art from artists of color across New York City from the House of Mark West Artist Collective.
Each piece selected, ranging from abstract landscape and documentary-style photography, was driven by their unique cultural experiences. This showcase executes a contemporary blend of the Black and Brown diasporic experience, both locally and globally.
Featured Artists:
Karim Chambers
Sofeia Eddy
Mark West
Fiona Lee
Jeffrey Melo
Brenda Hayes
About the Team:
Mark West Center for the Arts (MWCA), also known as House of Mark West is a non-profit cultural art center, gallery and creative hub for artists across NYC. MWCA is black-owned and praised for catering primarily to Black, Brown, LGBTQ, disabled, and young (K-12) artists and creatives. Their mission is to provide exposure and advocacy for underrepresented artists of all backgrounds. The House of Mark West will open a public museum highlighting African and Diasporic art located in NYC this Fall 2022.
Visit markwestmuseum.org for more details.
PRIDE : A celebration of diversity, identity, and history
June 3 - July 25, 2021 at the Plaxall Gallery
In creating this exhibit, the word Pride was used as a base for inspiration and interpretation. It was designed to be taken literally, conceptually or theoretically. We chose strong, personal work that addresses the issues being discussed today, as well as projects that frame the historical struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and its increasing acceptance into the ever changing mainstream.
This dynamic group of visual artists mostly come from the New York City area, but also from across the country, as well as from Argentina, Taiwan, Cuba, Spain, Venezuela and India.
It is a true representation of the diversity we strive for in our Queens community, and to a wider, more altruistic extent, in our country.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Alex Pigeon
Bradley Hoseley
Carmelo Amenta
Cassi Alexandra
Christopher Stout
Cristina Velasquez
Daniel Alvarado
Dan Halm
David De Lira
David Wes White
Edward Gia
Elianel Clinton
Erika Kapin
Frances Bukovsky
Friends of David and Tom: (Anita Vitale, Cynthia Carr, Gracie Mansion, Jean Foos, Judy Glantzman,
Virginia Hourigan)
Gilberto Ruiz
Ismario Rodríguez
Ivana Larrosa
Jacob Grumulaitis
Jacqueline Silberbush
Jade Palmiotti
JaLeel Porcha
James Falciano
Jamie Ho
Jenna Petrone
Jesse Egner
Joe Klaus
Joel Handorff
Joey Regan
John Hanning
Jonathan Virginia Green
Jorge Mónaco
José Rafael Perozo
Joseph Radoccia
Joshua Tarplin
Keavy Handley-Byrne
Kelsey Sucena
Luisa Madrid
Mariette Pathy Allen
Michael Svizzero
Michela Griffo
Natalia L. Rudychev
Nicholas Loffredo
Nick Simko
Orestes Gonzalez
Pankaj Dahalia
Patricia Dahlman
Pierce Sapper
Rachael Warner
Raul De Lara
Ryan Aasen
Vincent CY Chen
Yorgos Efthymiadis
Zachary Francois
About the Team:
Orestes Gonzalez, Director of Photographic Programming at Culture Lab, Orestes Gonzalez is a photo artist and curator based in New York. His photography work relates to issues of nostalgia, family and the political and economic forces changing our country. He has curated over 20 photography shows since 2008, first at the Jeffrey Leder Gallery in LIC, then independently, since 2012. His curated exhibit “Disruption”, opened at the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) in 2018. Orestes has shown extensively in the US and Latin America, and is in the collections of The Perez Art Museum, Miami, and the book collections of The NY Metropolitan Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York, among others. www.orestesgonzalez.com @orestesgonzalezfoto
Efrem Zelony-Mindell, Artist and Curator Efrem Zelony-Mindell is a white non-binary artist. Some of their curatorial endeavors include group shows: n e w f l e s h, Are You Loathsome, and This Is Not Here. They have written about art for FOAM, Unseen, DEAR DAVE, Rocket Science, SPOT, and essays for artists’ monographs. Their first book n e w f l e s h, published by Gnomic Book and shortlisted for the Paris Photo Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Award 2020, looks to study queerness beyond the body and is in the collections at 50 libraries and archives around the world. Efrem's second book Primal Sight, also published by Gnomic Book, is a survey of contemporary black-and-white photography and includes the work of 146 international artists.
They exist in New York, unless they're elsewhere.
Culture Lab LIC
Artists in Residency Exhibition 2021
May 1 - 30, 2021
Culture Lab is proud to present an indoor exhibition of work produced in 2020 by our resident artists
Featuring work by
Emilija Gasic
All visitors must wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines.
The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, LIC, NY 11101 (Map)
Gallery Hours: Thursday: 5-9pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday & Sunday: 2-9pm
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EMERGENT POISE:
PRATT MFA 2020 ARTIST COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION
March 25 - April 25, 2021
at The Plaxall Gallery
Opening Reception:
Friday March 26, 5-9pm
Artists:
Chao Wang
Stewart Bird
Jerry Chan
Kunkun
Jackie Stanley
Meirav Zaks
Allie Stabile
Jinyong Choi
Emmett Metier
Kosuke Kawahara
Download Exhibition Catalogue (PDF)
All visitors must wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines.
The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, LIC, NY 11101
An exhibition of new art
by Karen Fitzgerald
January 3 - February 7, 2021
at The Plaxall Gallery
Karen Fitzgerald’s solo exhibition 'What The Light Saw" features 30 round, gilded paintings produced with an initial layer of Venetian plaster.
Viewing hours are Fridays, 6-9pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 12-5pm.
Join us for an opening reception on Jan. 9 from 12- 5pm.
A reservation is required for all in-person visits to the gallery.
Get a free timed ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-the-light-saw-exhibition-tickets-129478998169
All visitors must wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines.
The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, LIC, NY 11101
Gallery Hours: Fridays, 6-9pm Saturdays and Sundays, 12-5pm
The HoloCenter & Culture Lab LIC present
December 3 – 27, 2020
at The Plaxall Gallery
Artist installations that experiment with light as a material and medium.
Artists include: Emily Andersen, Ed Bear, Blinn & Lambert, Julian Day & Kamari Carter, Rachel Guardiola, Emma Hendry, Jess Holz, Rita Jimenez, Shohei Katayama, Nooshin Rostami and Evan Voelbel.
Curated by Jonathan Sims.
All illumination will emanate from the artworks that include experimental projection, neon, ultraviolet, stereoscopy, and other manipulations of light.
Virtual Opening Thursday December 3 at 7pm with a streamed experimental audiovisual performance by Testu Collective
The Plaxall Gallery
5-25 46th Ave, LIC, NY 11101
Gallery Hours: Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 5-9pm
To book your free, timed entry, and to access the gesso.app audio guide, visit: www.holocenter.org
PAST EXHIBITIONS (2016 - Early 2020)
2/20/-3/15/2020 Back to the Table - Nancy Bruno
2/20/-3/15/2020 Claytopian New York - Matt Nolen
1/16/-2/16/2020 Six Prespectives - Chuck Baker, LiC-A Member
1/16/-2/16/2020 Dreamscapes - Carol Crawford, LiC-A QCA
1/16/-2/16/2020 Life Interrupted - Orestes Gonzalez
11/7/2019-1/12/2020 Off the Wall - Norma Homberg
10/17-11/17/2019 Space:Light Holo Center Martina Mrongovius
10/17-11/3/2019 LIC Fear III Visiting Death LiC-A Board Member Tessa Kennedy
9/5/-10/13/2019 Creative Mosaic QCA / Knockdown Center Osman Can Yerebakan
7/25/-9/1/19 Rinascimento Femminile Nancy Macina
7/25/-9/1/19 Unbridled LiC-A Member Jaime Bautista
7/25/-8/25/19 Crashing the Party Sculptors Guild Barbara O'Brien
6/19/19 - 7/21/19 Urban Dance LiC-A Member Orestes Gonzalez
6/19/19 - 7/21/19 Welcome to the Multiverse Janet Rutkowski
6/19/19 - 7/21/19 Summer Salon LiC-A Member/ Ward Nasse Gallery Leda Maria
5/15/19 - 6/16/19 LiC-A Members Showcase LIC ARTS OPEN Zoran Crnkovic
5/15/19 - 6/18/19 Plastique Plaxall Plastique
4/11/19 - 5/12/19 Drink Me, Taste Me LiC-A Staff Norma Homberg
4/11/19 - 5/12/19 Inexcusable/Cristian Pietrapiana
4/11/19 - 5/12/19 Faces / Michael Connors
4/11/19 - 5/12/19 High School to Art School/QCA QCA / Knockdown Center Kelly Olshan
4/11/19 - 5/12/19 PS/IS 78 Middle School Showcase PS/IS 78 PTA Amber Keen
3/7/19 - 4/7/19 Rebirth / Luzia Castaneda
3/7/19 - 4/7/19 Inside Out Flushing Interfaith Council/ Fountain House Gallery
3/7/19 - 4/7/19 Women in Art LiC-A Member Leda Maria
3/7/19 - 4/7/19 Dream Again Norma Homberg
2/7/19 - 3/3/19 Towards Light and Color Celia Andre, LiC-A Member
2/7/19 - 3/3/19 Pairings Nancy Gesimondo, LiC-A Member/Board Member
2/7/19 - 3/3/19 LICentric Norma Homberg, LiC-A Staff
2/7/19 - 3/3/19 Fuxico Anna Pillow/Julia Equi, LiC-A Member
12/6/18 - 2/3/19 Off the Wall Nancy Macina, LiCA Member
11/16/18 - 12/9/18 Fall Salon Tessa Kennedy, LiC-A Member
11/8/18 - 12/2/18 Politics of Space Ginger Andro Caroline Bergonzi Colin Chase
10/4/-11/4/18 Manipulated Life Edjo Wheeler, LiC-A Staff
10/4/-11/4/18 LIC Fear Returns Tessa Kennedy, Jason Artiga
10/30/-9/30/18 Fever Franco Repetto, Ivana Larrosa
10/30/-9/30/18 Unnatural Selection Craig Norton
10/30/-9/30/18 My White Dress Diana Bejarno
9/8/-9/30/18 Flushing Bound Nancy Gesimondo, Carol Crawford
7/4/-8/26/18 Yours, And Always Yours Sharon Taylor, Tana Sirois
7/4/ -8/19/18 Tony Vaccaro: Orphan to Photography
7/4/ -8/26/18 Summer Postcard Show
6/9/-1/15/18 Rock, Paper, Scissors Nancy Gesimondo
6/23/-6/30/18 Real Sex Dana Stirling
6/23/-6/30/18 Place Title Here Dana Stirling
6/23/-6/30/18 Teen Art Salon: "Twenty Under 20" Isabella Bustamante
5/16/-6/3/18 LiCA Spring Member Showcase Edjo Wheeler
4/13/- 5/13/18 Escape Velocity Edjo Wheeler
4/13/- 5/13/18 A Fresh Civility John Yau
3/3/-4/8/18 Then She Did Lori Zimmer Melissa McCaig-Welles
3/3/-4/1/18 Eileen Coyne Solo Show Solo member show
3/3/-4/1/18 Women in Art 2018 Leda Maria
12/9/17-2/30/18 Winter Sculpture Show LiC-A Member
11/18-12/31/17 Fall Salon Show LIC Arts Open Tess Kennedy
11/4/-12/4/17 Art From the City's Hearts LiC-A Member Edjo Wheeler
11/4/-11/12/17 Hundred Years Elena Sarni
10/5/-10/31/17 LIC Fear Tess Kennedy, Jason Artiga
8/31/-10/1/17 Making Connections Elizabeth Hoy
6/17/-7/10/17 Beach Elements IV Nancy Gesimondo
5/18/-7/16/17 Walk With Light Tess Kennedy
4/11/-5/11/17 Spring Members Showcase
12/22/2016 LIC-A Winter Gala
11/22/2016 LiCA 2016 Members Art Show Edjo Wheeler