FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 • QUEENS BUSINESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
queens business
Astoria art studio presents ‘Dwelling’
window display and online exhibit
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Woodside-based textile artist
Ann Coft a contemplated the
word “Dwelling,”
the title of her
exhibition at
Astoria’s AlterWork
Studios, and its
multiple meanings.
“It can be thought
of as a place where
a person lives, or
a shelter. Th at is a
very grounding concept;
having a home
and a place to stay,”
Coft a told QNS.
“To dwell is about
where one’s attention
is directed.
Th at fl uctuates for
all of us, and can
even be elusive at
times.”
Coft a is a visual
artist who
works with an
array of media,
including sewing,
quilting,
embroider y,
collage and
printmaking.
Th e work that will be displayed
at AlterWork Studios, located at
30-09 35th Ave., are colorful fabric
quilts depicting city buildings
and water towers — all sewn by
hand.
Coft a began the series of buildings
and city structures over a
year ago, but the quilts’ quiet
s o l i t u d e feels particularly
timely
during the
time of COVID-19.
“While they are
not a response
to COVID, they
do reflect the
moments of solitude
one can feel at
any time, even in a city teaming
with people,” she said.
Th e exhibition marks the end
of Coft a’s four-week online residency
at AlterWork Studios.
While there, she completed
her largest panoramic quilt to
date, entitled
“Cityspace with Two Towers.”
Th e piece is 29 inches wide and
56 inches long, depicting sideby
side maroon and orange
buildings with two water towers.
Th ere are also several smaller,
intricate pieces depicting classic
New York City buildings and
water towers.
Th e artist has an art studio
in Brooklyn, where she’s able
to create uninterrupted, with a
sense of peaceful isolation.
“Th ese past few months, it
has been a bit of a refuge,
one of
the only places
besides my
apartment
where I feel close to normal:
no mask, just me and my art,”
Coft a said.
Th e exhibition, put together by
Tim Kelly, can be viewed in full
on AlterWork Studios’ website
until Sept. 19.
But if individuals are in
the neighborhood, some of
Coft a’s pieces can also be
viewed on the studio’s window
installation until Sept.
7 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Th e studio building will
not be accessible to the
public. Viewers will be expected
to maintain social distancing
and wear a mask at all times
while viewing the exhibit from
the sidewalk.
“I am so pleased the work is
up as a window display,” Coft a
said. “While we were installing
it, I could see that it was drawing
the attention of people passing
by on the street. I am thrilled
that folks can see art in person
again, both i n
this exhibit
and around
the city as galleries
and
mu s e u m s
are opening
back up.”
Photos courtesy of AlterWork Studio
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