Astoria Bank and LaGuardia Community College have unveiled a new student photography exhibit at Astoria Bank’s new Long Island City Branch at 26-26 Jackson Avenue (at Purves St.). Members of the public are welcome to visit the branch to view the exhibit, titled “LIC Past, Present & Future,” exploring the evolution of the vibrant neighborhood of Long Island City (“LIC”).
At an opening reception held recently at the branch, more than a dozen student photographers from LaGuardia Community College were joined by friends, family, professors and administrators, as well as members of the local business community who admired the students’ work.
The exhibit, which runs through April 2017, celebrates LIC’s history as a hub of industrial design and manufacturing, its present day as a rapidly-developing neighborhood, and predictions of what its future may look like.
LaGuardia’s commercial photography students were asked to canvas the neighborhood to capture its energy, community and markers of cultural significance. It was curated by LaGuardia Community College Photography Program Director Scott Sternbach and his team.
The exhibit’s theme is especially meaningful for Astoria Bank, a full-service community bank which was established in Long Island City well over a century ago, in 1888, as well as for LaGuardia Community College, which has been a prominent institution in LIC since 1971.
“Giving our students an opportunity to showcase their work in a well-trafficked local business is enormously meaningful for our photography students,” said LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow. “This gives them a taste of life as a working photographer, and provides valuable learning about all it takes to curate and execute a photography exhibit from start to finish. We’re enormously grateful to Astoria Bank for supporting our students in this way.”
At the Opening Reception for the “LIC Past, Present & Future” Photography Exhibit, LaGuardia Community College student photographers show their work and are joined by College administrators, representatives of Astoria Bank, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the LIC Partnership. The public is welcome to view the exhibit on display at Astoria Bank, 26-26 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, through April 2017.
In recent months, Astoria Bank has partnered with LaGuardia Community College to fund a scholarship program for students pursuing associate’s degrees in commercial photography, and is also providing financial literacy workshops to help LaGuardia students better manage their personal finances now and into the future.
“We are dedicated to making a difference in the Long Island City community and are proud of the wonderful partnership we have with LaGuardia Community College. Their students are passionate about developing their skills and careers, and we’re excited to showcase their work in our branch for the community to enjoy,” said Astoria Bank Executive Vice President Brian Edwards.
The public is welcome to visit the exhibit during the bank’s convenient operating hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
At the Opening Reception for the “LIC Past, Present & Future” Photography Exhibit, LaGuardia Community College student photographers show their work and are joined by College administrators, representatives of Astoria Bank, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the LIC Partnership. The public is welcome to view the exhibit on display at Astoria Bank, 26-26 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, through April 2017