Fountain House Gallery recently organized an evening trip to view our artists’ work at two Long Island City locations: The Citigroup Building and Fountain House Studio. A group of Gallery artists, staff, and friends enjoyed a smooth ride in the commodious van that ferried us to both sites.

First stop: The ground floor of the Citigroup Building, located at One Court Square. There we viewed an off-site community display titled “A Kingdom in Pieces,” a collaborative exhibition that pairs animal figures from the teaching collection of the American Folk Art Museum with similarly themed works by Fountain House Gallery artists. This global menagerie of diverse occupants tells stories, evokes emotions, expresses ideas, and teaches us about ourselves in relation to the natural world. 

“A Kingdom in Pieces” was featured in the “This Week in Arts” column of The New York Times, and it is indeed a feather in the cap for Fountain House Gallery artists to present their work alongside pieces from the collection of the prestigious American Folk Art Museum. Congratulations to the participating artists: L.B. Berman, Catherine Borisov, Mercedes Kelly, Angela Rogers, Barry Senft, Susan Spangenberg, and Alyson Vega. The exhibit will remain on view through March 29, 2019.

After keeping company with creatures at the Citigroup Building, we traveled to Fountain House Studio, located in Long Island City’s landmark Silks Building, where we were welcomed by Studio Coordinator Karen Gormandy. The current group of Resident Artists whose work was on display were: Martin Cohen, Miguel Colón, Roger Jones, Barry Senft,  Susan Spangenberg, and Don'ae Tate.  The array of artwork was impressive, encompassing pieces in various sizes and mediums. The atmosphere at the Studio was festive, enhanced by tasty tidbits furnished by the Wellness Unit. 

Visitors to the Studio had an opportunity to speak with the exhibiting artists about their work processes, techniques, and subject matter. It was inspiring to witness the artists in their element, now that their long-held dream of having a studio space has become a reality. Access to the Studio is not limited to Fountain House Gallery artists; all Fountain House members are encouraged to make art at the Studio during designated drop-in hours (with art supplies provided free of charge!).

As the group departed the Studio and traveled back to Manhattan, we chatted about our impressions of the wide range of artworks we had seen. Fountain House Gallery’s Long Island City “doubleheader” was a night to remember.