By Naeisha Rose
Hotel guests at the Paper Factory in Long Island City and at the SpringHill Suites LaGuardia in Corona will have the opportunity to interact with artists as they produce artwork for both hotels starting mid-February, according to the Queens Council on the Arts.
Artists across the borough have a chance to produce work for a hotel and receive $3,000 in funding for the Queens Council on the Arts hotel residency program by submitting their proposal by Jan. 8 at 5 p.m..
Queens-based artists also have the chance to attend a QCA ArtHotel Residency open house on Wednesday to sign up in person for the program at the participating hotels — the Paper Factory Hotel at 37-06 36th St. and LaGuardia at 112-15 Northern Blvd. — according to QCA spokeswoman Lynn Lobell.
The Paper Factory’s open house hours are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., while LaGuardia’s hours are at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to Lobell.
The two artists who are selected will receive $3,000 over the course of three months and must be able to dedicate 20 hours of open studio time for the residency, according to the QCA.
During the open studio time, artists get a chance to engage with the public, sharing their vision while putting their creativity on display.
The residency is intended to give artists a safe place to focus and work in the public realm, build an audience, and to be seen working within the Queens community, while in turn giving denizens a chance to see an artist at work. It is also meant to support working artists as they become displaced due to development and gentrification across the borough.
The residency program is made possible with funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Greater New York Arts Development Fund, and the City Council.
The QCA is a non-profit dedicated to fostering artists and art organizations throughout Queens for the benefit of the community’s diversity, according to www.queenscouncilarts.org.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
