Curated by ART BreakOUT founders Bonnie Astor and Lois Stavsky, “I Am Many: A Visual Meditation on Identity” features a wildly eclectic range of works fashioned by artists crossing generations, geographies and cultures.

Featured above is Queens-based Bangladeshi American visual artist Kaiser Kamal, to the right of his strikingly imaginative mixed-media work, Reinvention II,  A small sampling of artworks from the dozens on view at The Local NY follow:

El Salvador-born, New Jersey-based Dani Reyes Mozeson, “Purple Haze,” Mixed media

Self-taught New York-based multimedia artist Billy Waldman, “Mindscape,” Mixed media

Visual artist and arts educator Bonnie Astor, “Untitled,” Collage on canvas

Queens-based ArTech artists — supported by AHRC NYC — Sydney Burford (on left) with “Untitled,” Embroidery and paint on fabric, and Nadia Insan with “Untitled,” Marker and colored pencils on paper

Self-taught artist Ben Wilson, “Untitled,” Ink on paper

Queens-based Pakistani-American artist Sharjeel Khan, “Lawrence’s Arabia,” Mixed media

Self-taught photographer Sara Ching Mozeson, “Passing Time in Chinatown,” Digitally edited photo

Brooklyn-based, largely self-taught artist Antonio Gomez, “HECHO IN MEXICO,” Acrylic on paper

Self-taught Queens-based artists ANGR, GOUR and DUSK, “Pushing It Forward,” Mixed Media

Located at 1302 44^th Avenue in Long Island City, The Local NY is is easily accessible via the Court Square E, M, G, and 7 trains. The exhibition can be viewed from early morning until late at night.

Photos: Lois Stavsky

Born blind on the island of Tobago, Davey Sandy aka “The Dread” creates distinctly authentic art, often inspired by folks he meets in his travels. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Davey and find out a bit about him.

When did you first start drawing?

As a kid, I was always doodling. But I didn’t take it seriously. In 1986, as a teen, I became serious about making art.

Was there anything specific that stirred you to engage with art at that point?

Yes. It was coming to America. I was born and raised on the Caribbean island of Tobago. And when I came to America, everything was different. The pace was so fast, I was in a state of shock!  It was like I had traveled from the beach to the jungle! And art became an outlet.

What is your earliest art memory? 

The carnival back home — the guys who painted themselves black and draped red snakes around their necks.

What inspires you to keep creating art?

I love it! If I didn’t do art, I’d go stark raving mad!

Have you any favorite artists?

Among them are the self-taught American artist Phil Frost, the noted Dublin-born painter Francis Bacon, and the Dutch American abstract expressionist artist Willem de Kooning.

What about your cultural influences? 

I’m intrigued by Russian culture, particularly traditional Russian costumes. And skateboarding is a major cultural and personal influence. I’ve learned from it not to be afraid of anything!

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

I paint the people I meet in my travels the way I perceive them.

How has your artwork evolved in the past few years?

I’ve developed more modes of expression. I’ve found more ways to express what I see and feel.

Are you generally satisfied with your work?

No! Never! I’m always craving to develop myself further. To accomplish more.

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

It was a Picasso-inspired portrait that I drew on a bus ticket of someone I met on my travels. I then gave it to that person!

How long do you usually spend on a piece?

It depends! I can do a quick portrait in as little as seven minutes; but when I work with oil paints, it’s anywhere from five days to six months.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

I devote about six hours a day to my art.

How important is it to you that others like your work?

It doesn’t really matter to me whether they like it or not. I just want a response!

What are your favorite media to work with?

Oil on canvas, pastels and varied vegetation.

How does your family feel about what you do?

They don’t quite understand my characters. They perceive them as supernatural, but my mother thinks my art is interesting.

Have you a formal art education? 

No. I’m entirely self-taught.

What are some of your other interests?

I’m interested in 80’s Italian bikes and Aqua Vegetation.

Where are you headed? 

To a place where I can make you feel uneasy without my being there.

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

Our role is to shake it up!

Note: A small selection of Davey Sandy‘s artworks will be on view in ART BreakOUT‘s upcoming exhibition, “I Am Many: A Visual Meditation on Identity,” opening Thursday, September 7 at The Local NYC, 13-02 44th Avenue in Long Island City.

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky

Curated by David Rios, Director of Public Programs and Curator of Contemporary Art at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and Fountain House Gallery artist Judith Berman, who conceived the show’s theme, “Toys: Embracing Play” continues at Fountain House Gallery through August 19. Wonderfully intriguing and visually captivating, the exhibition showcases over 40 images suggestive of toys and play that reflect or have impacted the artists’ lives.

“Fantasy,” the beguiling jacket featured above, was fashioned this year by mixed-media artist Elizabeth Atlas. What follows are several more images of artworks — devised in a wide range of media — captured on my recent visit to “Toys: Embracing Play.”

Queens-based multidisciplinary artist Issa Ibrahim, “Mr. Octopus,” 2023, Acrylic, repurposed found objects and candle holder

The prolific Manhattan-based self-taught artist Roger Jones, “Black Ink Love Letter,” 2021, Ink and stamps

Queens-based multidisciplinary artist Susan Spangenberg, “Frida Kahlo (Asylum Doll),” 2022, Acrylic, marker, psychiatric hospital gown on unstretched canvas (hand-sewn) with polyester stuffing and pencil armature

Visual artist Ariel Navarrete, “Marble Race Track,” 2023, Oil on canvas

The always-impactful Zeus Hope, “Your Daddy Loves You, Lil Red,” 2023, Fabric, metal and leather on wood

The ever-innovative self-taught artist Angela Rogers, “Princess of Parties,” 2019, Wire, fiber, and found objects

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.

Photos: Lois Stavsky

When ARTBreakOUT co-founder Bonnie Astor visited Australia this past spring, she encountered an intriguing array of artworks and met several of their artisans. Featured above is the self-taught, aboriginal artist Harold Bowen with his work “Rainbow.” Several more images captured by Bonnie on her recent adventure follow:

A close-up from “Rainbow” that Harold Bowen, a retired electrician, spent six months crafting

Singaporean/Australian sculptor Nabilah Nordin, one of her experimental sculptures

Another “spontaneous, edgey” sculpture crafted by the hugely imaginative Nabilah Nordin

And Nabilah Nordin seated here with Beatrice Gralton, senior curator at Australia’s Art Gallery of New South Wales, as they take a break from installing Nabilah Nordin‘s artworks

The young Mornington Island State School aboriginal student, Rasheeda, whose work tells the story of “a river flowing through her land and the birth of trees.”

Photos by Bonnie Astor

For six weeks this past spring, every Thursday morning Arts Educator and ART BreakOUT co-founder Bonnie Astor accompanied 10 Queens-based AHRC members to The Jewish Museum on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Following each visit to a particular exhibit, the students created artworks — inspired by the exhibit — in workshops conducted by NYC-based artist and educator Paula Stuttman. On Thursday, June 22, The Jewish Museum hosted a pop-up exhibit celebrating the AHRC residency at the museum.

Pictured above is Tamia Hester to the right of her intriguing collage and AHRC Program Coordinator, Magdalena Kosciuch. Several more images captured of the AHRC artists and their artworks follow:

Lamija Kurtovic

Danielle Sage

Yvonne Raby

Sydney Burford

And AHRC Arts Educator Bonnie Astor

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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