We are happy to announce that the Off-Brand show is returning to Art Retail Therapy (A.R.T.), an art supply and stationery store in Jackson Heights on December 7, 2024!
Jackson Heights, NY—Off-Brand 3.0, a group show of Queens artists, will open on Saturday, December 7, at a local art store and community art space, A.R.T. (Art Retail Therapy) on 84-26 37th Ave in Jackson Heights. It is the third iteration of an exhibition that integrates artworks into the retail environment.
The exhibit will run from December 7 through Saturday, February 1, and will present the work of 21 Queens-based artists, chosen from an open call. The show is curated by JHAT (Jackson Heights Art Talks) in partnership with A.R.T. The December 7 opening will begin at 6:28 pm with Sunset Ceremony guided by Elizabeth Velaquez. Artist Maria Liebana’s performance, titled Venus’ Garden Disco, will take place later in the evening.
The experience of Off-Brand 3.0 allows shoppers to encounter a variety of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations as they browse the store’s offerings. Work might be suspended from the ceiling, hanging above displays of paints, or sitting on shelves next to bottles of ink. The show aims to create a sense of surprise and delight in a non-traditional gallery setting.
The opening night will feature performances by artists Elizabeth Velaquez and Maria Liebana:
Velaquez’s Sunset Ceremony is a performance piece that shows gratitude for the sun’s warmth, light and nutrition. Members of the public will be guided to move through a series of collective actions: clapping, listening, breathing, drinking and eating. To end the ceremony, participants can choose to partake in the final ritual—a subversive communion. A natural homemade drink and small treat, both derived from corn, will be consumed to mark the end of the Sunset Ceremony.
Liebana presents Venus’ Garden Disco, an immersive art installation and performance inspired by the private, enclosed gardens of Jackson Heights. Within this intimate, gated garden, a character named Venus Glotana—a vibrant embodiment of transformation and identity—will DJ for a small audience of 4-5 guests. These visitors, chosen randomly from the opening crowd by receiving a pink ticket in a sealed envelope, will enter the garden through an entrance marked by a pink velvet rope, creating an exclusive, evocative atmosphere within the installation.
Participating artists include: Alejandro Pinzón, Ali Lasky, Damaris Chamorro, Elizabeth Velazquez, Helen Quinn, Jardley Jean-Louis, Jess Levey, John Baber, Josefina Bahamondes, Juan Hinojosa, Katrina Slavik, Liliana De Abreu, Marc Brudzinski, Maria Liebana, Myah Bugle-Clowncar, Mary Pinto, Melanie Brussat, Nitin Mukul, Paul Krause, Pierre Obando, Sonya Gropman
Thank you New York Foundation for the Arts and NY Department of Cultural Affairs for supporting this project and for helping to bring the arts to neighborhoods across Queens! #QAF2024
Off-Brand 2.0, opened on December 2, 2023 at Art Retail Therapy (A.R.T.) and ran through January 27, 2024. This was the second iteration of an exhibition that integrates paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations into the retail environment.
The 22 participating artists included: Bonnie Astor, Will Kaplan, Sonya Gropman, Jasmin Chang, Jonathan Feldschuh, Rebecca Hervas, Ann Cofta, Maria Liebana, Alejandro Pinzon, Sunaina Rao, Jasmin, Lágrimas, Willis, Noah Bassman, Alessandra Expósito, Brenda Minan, Suran Song, Neggme Elreda, Priscilla Stadler, Helen Quinn, and Ellen Niz. The opening featured a movement research piece titled Separate Staves, by Suran Song + William Weis III. The work is centered around the Korean verb “to love” (saranghada, 사랑하다) within a projected immersive environment and with an original song.
Off-Brand, a group show of Queens artists, opened on December 10, 2022 at A.R.T. (Art Retail Therapy) store on 84-26 37th Ave in Jackson Heights. The exhibit ran through Saturday, January 28, 2023 and featured the work of 27 local artists. The show was curated by JHAT in partnership with local art store and community art space, A.R.T. The JHAT team included Linda Ganjian, Paul Krause, Deborah Wasserman, and Stephanie Beck.
The December 10 opening featured a live performance by John Bjerklie, a.k.a. “BigHat.” This character, modeled after the iconic plein air artist, squared off with visitors to paint each other’s portraits in a mock studio installation constructed of easels, pallets, and drop cloths.
Off-Brand featured artworks integrated into the retail environment. Shoppers encountered a variety of paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations as they browsed the store’s offerings. Work was suspended from the ceiling, hung above displays of paints, or sat on shelves next to bottles of ink. More than showing examples of how certain art supplies have been put to use, the show aimed to create a sense of surprise and delight in a non-traditional gallery setting. See images below or on JHAT’s IG page.
The goal of Off-Brand was to celebrate the local creative community and rally around a newly-opened small business. (The exhibition also marked the one year anniversary of A.R.T., which opened in December 2021.)
Participating artists included: Marina Kappos, Carla Lobmier, Laura Fayer, John Bjerklie, Helen Quinn, Ivana Larrosa, Suran Michelle Song, Norma Markley, Sandra Mack-Valencia, Pierre Obando, Erick Teran, Jesse Lambert, Carlo Nieva, Damaris Chamorro, Jonathan Feldschuh, Will Kaplan, Jennifer Williams, Stephanie D. Beck, Christen Clifford, Evie McKenna, Derick Melander, Nitin Mukul, Eung Ho Park, Mary Valverde, Linda Ganjian, Deborah Wasserman, and Paul Krause.
JH Art Talks 
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