Queens Council on the Arts moves to LIC

Queens Council on the Arts’ new space is ready to host programming and art shows. Photo courtesy of QCA

BY Rachel Vick

Queens Council on the Arts announced that a new multipurpose space in Long Island City opened the first week of July.

The larger space has enough room for artists’ studios, a performance space, and staff offices to take care of QCA’s needs and serve the community in one place, the organization said.

“Queens’ artists have a new place to call home, a place where they will be recognized as being at the center of our community,” said Executive Director of QCA Hoong Yee Krakauer.

“Our new location is designed to be inclusive, fully accessible, and welcoming to the different needs of artists in our diverse borough,” Krakauer said. “We are thrilled to open our doors and welcome HS2AS as the first of many programs and artists to join us in Long Island City.”

The organization had been operating out of an office building in Astoria but needed the extra square footage to host programming and give local artists somewhere to create and showcase their work.

QCA’s summer program, High to School Arts School, is currently taking over the space and working to prepare the students’ portfolios for art school applications.

“It has been a challenging year for so many across Queens, especially our local artists,” said Joe LoBello, interim president of QCA Board of Trustees. “This is an incredible milestone for QCA, and symbolic of New York City’s reopening.”