Mission Statement

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LIC Artists, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) arts advocacy organization with a mission to:

• Increase the visibility of professional visual artists working in the Long Island City area

• Expand the range of opportunities available for Queens artists 

• Develop a sense of community and camaraderie among area artists

• Create and promote public art events and projects for the cultural enrichment of the Queens community.

 

Founded in 1985 by professional visual artists rooted in what was then an industrial, sparsely residential Long Island City, LIC Artists, Inc. (LIC-A) was built on the conviction that artists thrive through mutual support and shared visibility. Incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 1989, LIC-A has grown from a small member collective into a multi-service arts organization serving 400+ artists across Queens and throughout the greater NYC area. LIC-A advances its founding mission through open-call exhibitions, artist workshops, community partnerships, and the LIC Arts Open festival.

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--LIC Arts Open–
The LIC Arts Open is an annual five-day open studios festival held each May across Long Island City. Now in its 13th edition (May 13–17, 2026), the festival featured 130 artists opening their studios alongside 12 curated pop-up exhibitions—each curator selected through public open calls, who in turn selected participating artists through the same process—totaling 500+ exhibited artists across studio and exhibition contexts. Collaborators included Fountain House Studio, Brickhouse Ceramic Art Center, Queens College, La Guardia, Secret Theatre, Culture Lab LIC, Art Students League, Pratt University, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, and The Blue Bus Project, among others.

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