As I viewed the works I was struck not only by the highly developed technical facility of the artists, but the originality and distinctly personal quality of the art. Some pieces are directly related to the artist’s past or present reality—images of memory or observation, whether actual or metaphorical, that evoke home, family, friends or cultures deeply embedded in the artist’s consciousness and surfacing up from that mysterious amalgam of skill, feeling, and ideas that we call creativity. Other works are cerebral or analytical, starting with a concept or theme that is then executed in thoughtful variation, whether metaphysical or empirical, to express each individual's unique vision.

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What is undoubtedly true, as seen in this show, is that visual art, like music and poetry, is deeply connected to our identity and spirit, and that it is alive and well in Queens. Just as musicians, from Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz legends called Queens their home, there is today a society of visual artists in neighborhoods throughout the borough that share a special history and a vibrant present that we are proud to call our colleagues and friends, and to showcase at the center of Queens in Flushing Town Hall. We thank the Long Island City Artists Association for making it possible.

Amy H. Winter, Director and Curator

Godwin-Ternbach Museum

Queens College, City University of New York