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LIC Arts Open Festival Taking Place Mid-May

LIC Arts Open

April 30, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez

A festival celebrating Long Island City’s art scene will make a return for the eighth time in mid-May.

The LIC Arts Open Festival will stretch from May 16 to May 20, and is held at several locations throughout Hunters Point, Court Square, and more. Works in varying mediums and styles, including paintings, photography, and dance performances, will be showcased.

The event’s launch party will be held on May 16 at the Plaxall Gallery, located at 5-25 46th Ave., beginning at 7pm. Over 100 artists will be featured in the gallery’s large space, along with a performance from a dance group.

Over at the Secret Theatre at 44-02 23rd St., a kick-off concert by a string quarter will begin at 8 pm.

Other locations for the arts festival include Hunters Point South Park, the Factory, and the SculptureCenter.

The event also features an “open studios” component, where the public can explore the workspaces of dozens of artists in varying styles and media. The open studios section runs from midday to 6pm on May 19 and May 20.

For the third year, Long Island City-based artists will also be collaborating with Plaxall, the plastics manufacturing company, to create works of art out of plastics using thermoforming, a process that was invented by the company’s founder, Louis Pfohl.

The works will be featured in a show called “Plastique Trois,” curated by William Garrett, which opens May 15 and runs for the duration of the festival.

“What better place to host a thermoforming exhibit than just across the Basin from where our grandfather opened our factory more than 70 years ago?” said Paula Kirby, who helps run the third-generation company. “We’re really looking forward to seeing what some of the community’s most creative artists come up with, and thrilled to once again contribute to the LIC Arts Open.”

A 28-page guide to the festival’s events, artists, participating locations, and more can be found here.

“I am proud of what we have achieved in eight years, and the various exhibitions and events around this year’s festival make me feel that we continue to punch above our weight with a dynamic artist community that is fully engaged and ready to tell their story,” said Richard Mazda, Executive Director of the event and founder of the Secret Theatre.

For more information on the festival, visit the LIC Arts Open website.