Two Events You Can Get ARTSY at This Week

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and enjoyed the publishing of our 50+ Things to Do This Summer list! Let us know if there are any of your go-to’s that we missed! Of course summer screams pool time, parks, seafood and well, ice cream (had to), but it’s also a great time to channel that extra free time into something you wouldn’t normally have time to do–or wouldn’t do at all since it’s out of your comfort zone. Sometimes art/culture events can fall into that category, but we have some super-fun, accessible artsy activities to share for this week!

First, over 10 years ago the first FIGMANT NYC started as a free, one-day “participatory arts event” on Governors Island with over 2,600 participants. Every year since it has increased exponentially, and this year’s festival is taking place on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 at its new location of Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island–much closer to us! FIGMANT is all about making art “participatory,” ie: not just staring at gallery paintings on walls. “Art is not just something that you stand still and quietly look at–it is something you participate in. You touch it, smell it, write on it, talk to it, dance with it, play with it, learn from it,” their website says.

Astoria local Tati Vitsic will be participating with her “DIY FIGMENT Postcard,” an interactive activity where adults and kids can create their own postcards using stamps designed by Tati, collage and different drawing materials. People will also be able to have their photo taken and printed to customize the card and to transform it into a magnet. The whole event looks great for kids!

Also on Saturday is the MADE In Queens Variety Show and Exhibition at the Plaxall Gallery at 5-25 46th Ave in LIC, part of the Van Alen Institute‘s “LICNYC: Site City Future.” Site City Future is a series of public engagement programs spurred by the heated debates around Amazon’s proposed–and then abandoned—plan to build its HQ2 in Long Island City. Over the past four months, those programs have explored urban development and growth in LIC from the design perspective, and now it’s time for the artists to show what it means to be MADE in Queens. Spend the afternoon celebrating all things LIC with the eclectic mix of home-grown pop-up-performances, music, dance, circus acts, visual art, and more.

Running from 1–6pm, featured performances by artists representing some of LIC’s favorite arts organizations include: The Chocolate Factory Theater’s Tess Dworman, Local Project’s Damali Abrams and Circus Warehouse’s Kelsey Strauch.