You’ve done Museum Mile, hit up the Chelsea galleries on a Thursday, and perused the sidewalk art in SoHo. So, for your next art fix, head to Queens’ Long Island City for a less touristy roster of artsy offerings. See the 7 best places in Long Island City for art lovers.
We are huge fans of Queens and we love exploring this beautiful Borough. It’s the largest Borough in size, but loses to Brooklyn regarding the total population. Yes, Brooklyn wins! Almost 50% of the neighborhood are foreigners which is an astounding number right?
We just love this diversity and everything that comes with it! Different cultures, styles, fashion, accents, languages, points of view, music, art. It’s all so inspiring!
Diane Pham and Dana Schutz, from 6sqft have put together the 7 best places in Long Island City for art lovers. The neighborhood is also know as LIC – short and intimate.
And, just because you’re crossing into Queens, don’t think you’ll be sacrificing any creativity or imprimatur.
From world-famous contemporary art collections to smaller spots like a workspace dedicated to figurative drawing.
Noguchi Museum
It’s not uncommon for a museum to be dedicated to a specific artist, but it is rare for it to be designed and established by the artist himself, in this case Japanese American artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi.
In 1985, his Noguchi Museum opened, displaying what he considered the most representative examples of his life’s work and becoming the catalyst for change in the neighborhood.
In addition, a decade earlier, the artist had purchased a small photogravure plant and gas station across from his studio and filled it with his sculptures, architectural models, stage designs, drawings, and furniture designs.
After a major 2004 renovation, the museum now features two floors of indoor exhibition space, indoor-outdoor galleries, and an outdoor sculpture garden. So, temporary exhibits are now part of the programming, and these explore Noguchi’s influence on contemporary culture.
Hours:
Wednesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 6pm
Closed Mondays & Tuesday
Location: 9-01 33rd Road
Socrates Sculpture Park
A block away from the Noguchi Museum is the Socrates Sculpture Park, a waterfront park and public art museum.
The location was previously an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite, but in 1986 a group of local artists and residents, headed up by artist Mark di Suvero, transformed the four-acre site into a public sculpture museum.
Guests have the option of a self-guided tour or a guided tour, and the organization also offers a farmers market, seasonal outdoor film screenings, and activities such as yoga, capoeira, tai chi, and kayaking and canoeing.
And, throughout the year there are plenty of performances, ranging from dance to theater to opera. Plus, it’s free and open every day of the year.
Hours: 365 days a year from 9am to sunset
Location: 32-01 Vernon Blvd
http://socratessculpturepark.org
Sculpture Center
NYC has plenty places to see contemporary art, but this is the only such museum dedicated to contemporary sculpture.
The Sculpture Center moved to its current location in a former trolley repair shop in 2002, and today this building serves as a sculptural piece in itself.
Artist and designer Maya Lin handled the initial redesign and just a few years ago, Andrew Berman Architects expanded and renovated the building, adding an enclosed courtyard for outdoor exhibitions and events.
Furthermore, unlike many institutions, the Sculpture Center is a non-collecting museum, meaning every year you’ll get to see a fresh batch of experimental, innovative exhibits.
They commission new work, as well as present exhibits by emerging and established artists and also have a series of free public programs and events such as artist talks, open studio days, and film screenings.
Hours:
Thursday – Monday: 11am – 6pm
Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Location: 44-19 Purves Street
Fisher Landau Center for Art
Adaptive reuse is a theme when it comes to the locations of LIC arts institutions and the Fisher Landau Center for Art is no exception, housed in a former parachute harness factory.
Designed by the late English architect Max Gordon, the modern museum (which offers free admission) houses the 1,500-work contemporary art collection of Emily Fisher Landau.
Moreover, these includes the work of some of the past 50 years’ most influential artists, like Andy Warhol, Kiki Smith, Glenn Ligon, Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Jenny Holzer, and Robert Mapplethorpe, many of whom she supported early in their careers.
Also, on display is Ms. Landau’s 150-piece collection of mid-century furniture designer Warren McArthur, as well as a rotating exhibit series.
Hours:
Thursday – Monday, 12pm – 5pm
Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Location: 38-27 30th Street
Eleventh Street Arts
Eleventh Street Arts veers from the modern to the traditional, presenting new works of drawings, paintings, and sculptures that invoke, challenge, and celebrate classical tradition.
Also unique is the fact that its exhibitions are curated by artists who lend their own interpretation to a specific style or theme such as still life, nudes, or architecture.
In addition, Eleventh Street Arts offers a chamber music series, from Chiaroscuro to Bach, and sponsors a resident chamber music artist.
Hours: Monday – Saturday: By appointment only.
Location: 46-06 11th Street
Grand Central Atelier
Adjacent to Eleventh Street Arts is the Grand Central Atelier, a collaborative workspace dedicated to figurative drawing, painting, and sculpture.
In addition to exhibitions, concerts, lectures, concerts related to this study, the organization provides rigorous training and open sketch nights, as well as artistic competitions and fellowships.
So, those interested in more formal study of the traditional art form can enroll in a full-time program that lasts up to four years.
In addition, the shorter, one-day workshops and classes, ranges in topic from self-portrait and foundations of figure drawing, to still life to the classical architecture methods of the École des Beaux-Arts.
Hours: By appointment only.
Wednesday evenings – 5:30pm
Friday afternoons – 12:30pm
Location: 46-06 11th Street
http://grandcentralatelier.org
MoMA PS1
MoMA PS1 became an affiliate of the Museum of Modern Art in 2000. But, it’s actually one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in the nation.
They’re located in an abandoned 19th-century public school building, which they often transform into site-specific works. The most well-known of which, may be their annual summer Warm Up. There, a winning entrant turns the open-air courtyard into a temporary, environmentally focused installation that accompanies a music series.
Satisfying their commitment to displaying the world’s most experimental art, past retrospectives have included Mike Kelley, Franz West, and Gordon Matta-Clark.
So, be sure to see light artist James Turrell’s permanent installation “Meeting,” one of his famed skyspaces. Plus, other long-term installations by Sol LeWitt, Cecily Brown, Alan Saret, and Richard Serra.
Hours:
Thursday – Monday: 12pm – 6pm
Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Location: 22-25 Jackson Avenue
Lastly, if you are loving the idea of heading out into Long Island City, in Queens to explore these 7 best places in Long Island City for art lovers, but prefer going with a fantastic tour guide, contact us! Our experts can provide art specialists to help you around.
Plus, we work a lot with Corporate groups of all sizes, so let our experts cater a fantastic experience for your team or your clients.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Scott Hoffmann for MoMa PS1; Nicholas Knight/©The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, NY/ARS; Kyle Knodell for Sculpture Center, Kelly Akashi for Sculpture Center; Mariana Hernandez-Rivera for Grande Central Atelier; and all museums & galleries.
*Last Update on March/2020.*
