By Naeisha Rose
The Queens Council on the Arts, a nonprofit that supports diverse artists throughout the borough, will award $465,000 to 136 artists and art organizations at the Paper Factory Hotel on Jan. 25 during an event from 6 to 8 p.m. at 37-06 36th St., Long Island City.
“One of the most important aspects of the Queens Arts Fund grant is that it offers validation,” said Lynn Lobell, the grants and resource director for QCA.
The organizations and individuals selected for the grant are chosen by a group of their peers, which comprises fellow artists, art administrators and community members who want a say in what gets funded in their neighborhood, according to Lobell.
“For some of the grantees, they would not be able to create and then present their work if they did not have the funds to pay artists and pay for materials to create.”
The Queens Arts Fund and the support from the QCA allows the individuals and organizations to pursue art and reach a wider audience than they would on their own, according to Lobell.
“Another reason for the importance of this grant is the ability to provide emerging artists and community-based organizations of diverse backgrounds and disciples to provide open and equal access for audiences in all communities of Queens,” Lobell said.
Among the recipients of Queens Arts Fund grants are 56 Queens artists and 67 community organizations.
The artists and organizations work within seven disciplines: visual arts, film, theater, multimedia, literary art, dance and music, according to QCA.
Half of the individual artists work with senior citizens at 28 senior centers across the borough in places like the Holliswood Neighborhood Senior Center, the Corona Neighborhood Senior Center, the Queensbridge-Riis Neighborhood Senior Center, the CCNS Woodhaven Neighborhood Senior Center, the KCS Flushing Neighborhood Senior Center and many more homes for the elderly in Queens.
According to a spokeswoman for the QCA, another purpose of the art fund is to get local artists working on community programs and art projects to help increase the cultural vibrancy of Queens.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
