By Bill Parry
The 5th annual LIC Art Open promises to be the biggest and best ever with more artists, larger venues, more sponsors and a more professional approach by its organizers.
Founder Richard Mazda has seen real estate booms in other neighborhoods impact art communities to the point where festivals have “diminished” in recent years whileethe LIC Arts Open grows stronger.
“We started like a baby and grew into a child, now we’re just about to enter junior high,” he said. “The quality of the art has improved because of the great venues, the artists want to show their best works and now we have the room to do it.”
The five-day festival begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday with over 500 artists involved. There are 65 venues, covering every Long Island City neighborhood, from The Local NYC, Open Door Restaurant, Resobox Gallery and Mazda’s own Secret Theatre.
“This year we’ve also got huge spaces in The Falchi Building and right next door at The Factory LIC, two previously ‘tired’ warehouses who now have a new lease on life after renovations,” Mazda said. “It’s much bigger than anything we’ve ever done before.”
Carolina Penafiel, the director of Local Project, joined Mazda’s team as the events and exhibitions coordinator and one of the five new curators who are working on the project. “I’m really looking forward to the Falchi and the Factory, they’re going to be electric,” she said. “There will be 80 to 90 artists in each of those buildings showing on multiple floors. The whole Open is better organized, people are more committed and I’ve loved the experience, it’s been great for me and for all my artists at Local Project.”
Her non-profit organization helps new artists get off the ground and assimilate into the LIC art community that is on display throughout the festival. City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), who served as an award presenter at Tuesday’s annual garden party fund-raiser that kickoff the Open, explained how the community is at the core.
“The LIC Arts Open has helped put Long Island City’s cultural scene on the map,” Van Bramer said. “Each year I am proud to support this one-of-a-kind event which helps raise the profile of Long Island City’s vibrant mix of artists, galleries and studios. Local artists play a tremendous role in our community and the LIC Arts Open allows them to shine.”
A unique feature to the Open takes place on Saturday and Sunday when over 200 artists open their studios to the public to share their work. Another highlight of the festival is Neighborhood Night Out, where each night is dedicated to a specific area of Long Island City such as Court Square or Hunters Point.
The Open comes to an end on Sunday, May 17, with a closing party at the Court Square Studios, at 21-38 44th Rd. There will be a concert presentation of “Hair” and a silent auction of a hundred pieces of art.
“The LIC Art Open is no longer just for western Queens,” Mazda said. “The growing pains we’ve had over the first few years have been worked out. We’re much more professional and organized and that leads to more recognition as a major event on everybody’s calendar.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
