Curated by Fountain House Studio Director Karen Gormandy and by Fountain House Gallery artists Issa Ibrahim and Boo Lynn Walsh, “Truth Tellers” presents a wide range of visual responses — by both Fountain House artists and LIC-A members — to both personal and societal issues.

Featured above is Asylum Dolls (Average Gals), four hand-sewn dolls with a handwritten framed centerpiece, fashioned this year by the self-taught Fountain House Gallery artist Susan Spangenberg. Several more artworks in varied media on exhibit in “Truth Tellers” follow:

Fountain House Gallery artist Miguel Colon, “Crawling Man with Onlooker,” 2023, Flashe on canvas

NYC-based LIC-A member Richard Meyer, “Refugee,” 2022, Oil and collage on panel

LIC-A member Lori Horowitz, “Traveling Through the Time of Covid,” 2021, Colored Pencil on monoprint

LIC-A member Elinore Schnurr, “In Our Mind’s Eye,” 2011, Oil on linen

LIC-A member Karen L. Kirshner, “Asylum Seekers,” 2019, Acrylic on canvas

Fountain House Gallery fiber artist Alyson Vega, “American Flag Disclaimer Statement,” 2019, Fabric and ink, machine sewn

ART BreakOUT cofounder and LIC-A member Bonnie Astor, “Sticks and Stones,” Hand-made book

Reading from her book, Bonnie will be accompanied by music and interpretive dance tomorrow, Saturday, June 24, from 6-8pm — along with other performances in conjunction with “Truth Tellers.” And in addition to tomorrow evening’s performances, there will be a Curators Panel on Saturday, July 1, 6pm-8pm.

The Factory LIC is located at 30-30 47th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10am-6pm.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness. LIC Artists, Inc. is a non-profit arts advocacy organization founded by artists and incorporated in 1986 in Long Island City.

Photos: 1-7 Lois Stavsky and 8 courtesy of LIC Artists, Inc.

Working in a wide range of styles, Queens-based Gabriel Fuentes has fashioned dozens of infectious artworks that he is beginning to exhibit in public settings. I recently had the opportunity to interview the young artist.

When did you first start drawing?

I was always drawing – as far back as I can remember.

What is your earliest art memory?

Getting yelled at for drawing stick figures in the hallway of our South Bronx apartment building.

What inspires you to keep creating art?

It’s been one of the only constants in my life, and it is the one thing I feel confident doing.

Who are your favorite artists?

Among them are: Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, MC Escher, Takashi Murakami, and Jackson Pollock.

What are your major cultural influences?

The graffiti culture, American cartoons, Japanese & Greek architecture. I grew up in a predominantly Greek neighborhood in Astoria.

Is there a central or overall theme that ties your work together?

Stretching the limits of what is seen as ordinary.

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

I’ve become open to trying new mediums and techniques. I used to work solely with pencils and markers on paper.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Never! I can never look at my art objectively because I’m so fixated on the details and what I could have done better.

How long do you usually spend on a piece?

Anywhere from a few hours to a few months.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?  

About 80%. When I’m not doing it, I’m almost always thinking about it.

What are some of your other interests?

I love Old School New York — everything from vintage clothing like Coogi to vintage video games.

How important is your viewers’ response to you? Is it important to you that others like your work?

It’s important to a degree. I’d love it if you do like it because I want to awaken feelings within the viewers. But if they don’t like it, I can respect that.  Art is subjective and everyone has a different taste.

What are your favorite media to work with?

Spray paint, paint markers and pencils.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve created?  Why?

The bathroom that I converted into a NYC train. (Note first featured image.)

What is your main source of income? 

I work in a rehabilitation center up in the Bronx.

Have you a formal art education?

No! I’m self-taught.

Where are you headed?

I see myself as a tattoo artist. No matter what I do, I’ll be surrounded by art.

What do you see as the artist’s role in society?

To show others the bittersweet truth of our lives.

Your role?

To give others the same feeling I had when I first saw a Salvador Dali painting.

Interview by Lois Stavsky; all photos courtesy the artist

Rich both visually and conceptually, the color red evokes a wide range of responses and emotions. Currently on view at Fountain House Gallery are over 40 riveting artworks in a spectrum of styles and media elicited by this distinctly intense primary color. Curated by Pamela Bell and Nancy Caton, “RED” continues through July 5 at Fountain House Gallery

Pictured above is “Reflections on a Red Letter Day,” fashioned in 2023 by the gifted, self-taught fiber artist Alyson Vega. Several more artworks on exhibit in this alluring group exhibition follow:

Self-taught multidisciplinary artist Susan Spangenberg, “The Allure of Grapes,” 2023, Velvet fabric, found object birds, ink, charcoal, and acrylic on canvas

“RED” co-curator Nancy Caton, “Meditations Within Lines”, 2023, Pencil and pen on paper

Acclaimed Korean American photographer Kelly Han, “Untitled 5” from the series “Bless This House,” 2023, Inkjet print on archival fine art paper

The wonderfully expressive artist Madeleine Hope Arthurs posing with her three artworks: “Rage,” . “Fear,” and “Courage,” 2023, Graphite, watercolor and gouache on paper

Self-taught painter and mixed-media artist Roger Jones, “Go a Long Way Home,” 2022, Acrylic on canvas

Florida-born self-taught artist Mario Fontenla,” Red Passion,” 2023, Digital art print

Largely self-taught artist Tzu Moy, Opening pages of “The Red Book,” 2023, Water paper, watercolors, magic marker, gold and silver

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12pm to 6pm.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photo credits: 1, 3, 4, & 7 courtesy Fountain House Gallery; 2 & 5 City-As-School intern Antonio Gomez; 6 & 8 Lois Stavsky

Seventeen-year-old City-as-School student and Parsons Scholar Antonio Gomez has been busily creating a diverse array of intriguing artworks on a wide range of surfaces. What follows is an interview with the young Mexican-American artist, along with images of his creations:

When did you first start drawing?

I’ve been drawing my whole life, but I began to get serious about it during the Covid quarantine.

Why inspired you to start?  

I saw one of my brother’s friend’s artworks, and I liked his self-taught style and sensibility.

What is your earliest art memory? 

I remember drawing cartoony faces while riding the train when I was about 11. I also remember drawing meerkats engaging in a variety of activities in a little notebook.

What inspires you to keep creating art?

I like the feeling when I finish. I feel proud. It’s a great feeling.

Who are your visual favorite artists?

My favorite artists include: Keith Haring, Angel Ortiz aka LA ll, Alex Katz, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera and  Frida Kahlo.

What are your cultural influences? 

The cultures of hip hop, video games, cartoons and movies.

Any particular cartoons/movies?

Smiling Friends, Regular Show and Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse.

Is there a central or overall theme that ties your work together?

The sense of always staying a child — maintaining my innocence. But — at the same time — allowing myself to grow and being able to show that in my work.

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

For my first drawing, I simply used sharpies on a page out of a composition notebook. Now I work often with acrylics, and I recently discovered painting on recyclable surfaces like the discarded wooden boards I picked up on the Lower East Side last week.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Not yet. There are many more techniques I’d like to learn and tiers I’d like to reach.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve created?  Why?

One of my most recent wood panels. I also like my most recent shirt/hoodie design. (Put pic of hoodie) I like it because it’s simple and it says a lot.

How long do you usually spend on a piece?

Anywhere from 30 minutes to a week.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?      

Most of the time — especially at night.

What are some of your other interests?

Music. I’m open to all kinds of music. I love hip-hop. I also like watching basketball games on TV and playing video games.

Have you exhibited your work? If so, where?

I recently exhibited several pieces at the FRIDGE ART FAIR on the Lower East Side.

Yes, and they all sold! How important is the viewers’ response to you? Is it important to you that others like your work?

Not really! I’m proud of anything I create, regardless of how people respond. I’m creating every day, so immediate validation doesn’t really matter to me. But making other people happy through my art gives me a reason to continue. 

What are your favorite media to work with?

I like screen printing and collaging. But I’ll always like to paint.

How does your family feel about what you do?

They’re proud of me.

Have you a formal art education? If so, from where? And — do you feel — that it was importantI’m mostly self-taught, but I’m starting to study art on a formal basis.

My current school, City-As-School, connected me with the Parsons Scholars Program that meets on Saturdays.

Where are you headed? 

I don’t know! I’ll see where art takes me. The ultimate goal for me is to show my work in as many galleries or alternative spaces as possible. 

What do you see as the artist’s role in society? Your role?

Making other people happy while making oneself happy. As far as my role, I want to show what I, as an artist, have to offer. I’m interested in visually conveying my perspective on life and teenage experiences and emotions.

Photo credits: 1-5 & 7 Antonio Gomez ; 6 Alejandro Gomez & 8 Lois Stavsky

Note: Image #4 is a collaboration between Antonio Gomez and Jordy C.; the model who posed with Antionio’s hand-printed hoodie in image 6 is Angel Gomez

Continuing at the FRIDGE ART FAIR through Sunday at Gallery Onetwentyeight is a selection of artworks curated by ART BreakOUT.

Featured above is Queens-based self-taught artist Gabriel Fuentes posing with his mother beneath his newest painting, Doomsday, fashioned with acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Several more images of the artists and their works on exhibit follow:

Brooklyn-based, largely self-taught artist Antonio Gomez with his artworks to the left and right of his cartoony head

Queens-based multidisciplinary self-taught artist Susan Spangenberg beneath her cat collages fashioned with acrylic and cat food labels on canvas

Queens-based multidisciplinary artist Issa Ibrahim to the left of his three new paintings

Queens-based largely self-taught artist Lamija Kurtovic to the right of her two portrait paintings

ART BreakOUT co-founder, artist and educator Bonnie Astor with her paintings and collages to her left and right (top rows)

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary self-taught artist Shayne Bovell with his recent piece, Wet Paint

Self-taught photographer Sara C. Mozeson to the right of her double exposure experimental photography and her two Coney Island images

El Salvador-born, New Jersey-based artist Dani Reyes Mozeson to the left of his artworks on paper and his Jerusalem photography

A huge thanks to FRIDGE ART FAIR founder Eric Ginsburg for including ART BreakOUT in this year’s fair.

You can visit ART BreakOUT w/ FRIDGE ART FAIR at Gallery Onetwentyeight at 128 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side today and tomorrow (Saturday) from 2-9pm and on Sunday from 12-6pm

Photos: Lois Stavsky; assistance with post, City-as-School intern Antonio Gomez

On view through May 10 at Fountain House Gallery is Compulsive Genius. Curated by Suzanne Lemakis and Fountain House Studio Director Karen Gormandy, it presents a delightfully diverse array of artworks by several Fountain House Studio resident artists.

Featured above is Love for Homes — recently created with mixed media by the ever-intriguing, self-taught artist Roger Jones. What follows is a small sampling of other artworks currently on view at Fountain House Gallery:

The distinctly versatile painter Gary Peabody, “MD 5322,” 2022, Acrylic on canvas

Parisian fashion designer and self-taught studio artist Christine Albane, “Feerique,” 2022, Mixed media

The wonderfully expressive Anthony Newton, “Hope,” 2022, Acrylic on canvas

The hugely inventive, self-taught multidisciplinary artist, Angela Rogers, Mesmerizing installation of newly-crafted mixed-media works

The self-taught, ever-alluring fiber artist Alyson Vega, “Pier Long View,” 2023, Mixed media

The remarkably skilled Bronx-born artist Miguel Colón, “Stand Up,” 2019, Acrylic on canvas, along with three studies for the work

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12pm to 6pm.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Post and photos by Lois Stavsky with City-As-School intern Antonio Gomez

A popular subject among many artists, “the animal kingdom” is particularly embraced by those who are self-taught. The image featured above, Angora Cat, was rendered by the late Polish-American artist Morris Hirshfield in the late 1930’s after he had retired as a women’s tailor and footwear manufacturer. Several more images of self-taught artists’ renditions of animals — as seen in a range of diverse settings — follow:

The late African-American, Alabama-native Bill Traylor, “Untitled,” ca. 1939-42, Opaque watercolor and graphite on beige card — as seen earlier this year at SAAM in DC

The late Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani, “Roebuck and Landscape,” Oil on cardboard — as seen back in 2018 at the Albertina Museum in Vienna

Finnish artist Raija Nokkala, “Watching and Worrying,” 2018, Acrylic on canvas — as seen last month at GINA Gallery of International Naïve Art in Tel Aviv

Honduran artist German Ramon Duron, “The Calling (Noah’s Ark),” 2017-19, Oil on canvas, as seen last year at GINA Gallery of International Naïve Art in Tel Aviv

Photos of images: Lois Stavsky

On view through March 26 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is “Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South.” Featuring dozens of works in a range of styles and repurposed media by Southern Black artists — whose lives were rife with racism and poverty — the exhibition is a testament to their creative spirit and sheer inventiveness.

Conceived by the late Memphis, Tennessee native Joe Light, the image featured above, “Bird Trainer,” was fashioned in 1987 with oil-based enamel and spray paints on found wood paneling. Several more images I captured while visiting the exhibition last month follow:

The late Alabama-born quilter Sue Willie Seltzer, “Columns of Blocks,” 2003, Cotton

The late Georgia native Nellie Mae Rowe, “Judith Wearing A Party Dress,” 1978, marker, ballpoint pen, and graphite on paper

The late Miami native Purvis Young, “Family,” c. 1980, Paint on cardboard

The late Alabama native Thornton Dial, “Clothes Factory,” 1995, Mattress frame, rope, carpet, fabric, plastic, enamel, spray paint, industrial sealing compound on canvas mounted on wood

The late Alabama native Mose Tolliver, “Self-Portrait of Me,” Undated, House paint on wood panel

Located in the National Gallery of Art’s East Building, “Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South” can be viewed daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Photos of artworks: Lois Stavsky

Williamsburg-based artist Alexis Fagan identifies herself/themselves as neurodiverse and disabled. “Power structures know me as an alphabet soup of conditions,” states the artist. ART BreakOUT co-founder Bonnie Astor met Alexis at a meet-up at Summertime Gallery this past fall. Recently, Bonnie and I had the opportunity to interview the young artist.

What is your earliest art memory?

When I was very young, I remember opening up a book and seeing Picasso’s painting “Guernica.”  I immediately felt understood.

That’s amazing! When did you first begin creating art?

I was a toddler when I learned how to pick up a pencil to draw some of my favorite comic characters — Plastic Man, The Thing, The Incredible Hulk and The Transformers.

Have you any favorite artists?

Among my favorites are the American interdisciplinary artists Park McArthur and Gary Baseman.

What are some of your cultural influences?

Black and white movies starring Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. And my Ukranian heritage. My family members are all survivors.

Is there a central theme that ties your work together?

I aim to break down boundaries.

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

It used to be more representational. It is emerging into a synthesis of my multiple knowledges and techniques.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

Never!

What is your favorite piece that you’ve created? 

“Now Everything Is Ruined” (Ed. note: image featured above)

How long do you usually spend on a piece?

Anywhere from 30 minutes to a week.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art? 

I couldn’t say, because everything I do is connected to art.

What are some of your other interests?

Physics, mathematics, writing, animation, philosophy and street art.

Have you exhibited your work

Not yet!

Is it important to you that others like your work?

It’s not that important!

What are your favorite media to work with?

I enjoy working in just about all media — oil, acrylic, watercolor, tempera, pastels, inks, graphite, charcoal, sculpture, animation and writing.

How does your family feel about what you do?

My mom is encouraging. When I was growing up, she always took me to galleries.

Have you a formal art education?

I earned a BFA in Illustration from Parsons.

Where are you headed?

I’d like to get back to sharing my art on the streets. And in five years, I’d like my work to be seen in MoMA, my favorite museum.

What do you see as your role as an artist in society?

To bring to the forefront such issues as the challenges posed by disability and injustice. To maximize choice and minimize suffering.

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky and Bonnie Astor and edited for clarity and brevity by Lois Stavsky; all images, courtesy of the artist