A local nonprofit is carving out space for Queens artists at two of the neighborhood's many hotels.
Queens Council on the Arts (QCA) is now accepting applications for its ArtHotel Residency, offering two artists stipends and a place to work at one of two Long Island City hotels, where the public will be able to watch their creations come to life.
The three-month residency program is an effort to spotlight local artists, expose them to new audiences, as well as spark a discussion on the importance of creating spaces for the city's arts community amidst new development, according to Lynn Lobell, QCA's grants and resource director.
"There's always a sense that artists are being displaced — that there's a lack of space for them to create their work," she said.
"It is something that we're trying to bring light. The fact that artists need space to be creative, and to create their work, so we can be enriched in our communities and our societies," she said.
Long Island City has seen a surge in new hotel construction in the last several years, with developers drawn to the neighborhood because of its proximity to Manhattan.
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QCA reached out to two local lodgings — The Paper Factory Hotel on 36th Street and 37th Avenue and the Z Hotel on 43rd Avenue and 11th Street — and both were "totally onboard" with the project, Lobell said.
The two chosen artists will be given a space within the hotels, which will serve as their working studios from April through June. They'll be given a $3,000 stipend and will be required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week at the hotels, according to the plan.
The space at The Paper Factory will be located in the hotel's lobby, while the Z Hotel will provide its artist with a hotel room on its second floor. Both sites will be periodically opened to the public so visitors can see the resident artists at work, according to Lobell.
"Providing for the public who normally don’t get to see artists working on their process," she said.
The residents will also be required to display what they work on during the three-month period in an exhibit or lecture.
The residency is open to artists of all disciplines who are over the age of 18, and they must live in Queens. A full list of guidelines can be found here.
The deadline to apply is March 1 at 5 p.m.
