Astoria’s Thriving Art Scene: Top Local Artists, Events & Creative Spaces You Need to Know in 2025
While some outsiders remain in the dark, Astorians are well aware of the bountiful and ever-expanding art scene that exists in the neighborhood. So many incredible visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians reside here, contributing to a community that never fails to support and celebrate its creatives. No matter how long you’ve called Astoria home, you’ve probably found yourself directly engaging with local art in one way or another.
Whether it was attending a memorably hilarious comedy show, stumbling upon a great night of live music at a neighborhood watering hole, or purchasing a handcrafted work of art from one of the many shops around town that showcase Astoria-based artists. For those interested in learning even more about this thriving art scene and the talented individuals that comprise it, though, this curated guide to art in Astoria — featuring quotes and interview snippets from key figures in the scene — is perfect for you.
Artists You Should Know:
AJ The Awful
AJ Riccio, known professionally as AJ The Awful, has been an Astoria resident since 2011. Probably most recognized as the artist behind the stunning, yearly calendars featuring neighborhood storefronts that are sought after every January, AJ’s connection to Astoria inspires a lot of the work she creates. As a Pratt graduate, AJ worked as a creative director in the commercial design field following their time in school. Finding that this career left little time for personal artistic endeavors, she credits an arrival in Astoria with reigniting a certain passion for creation.
“It wasn’t until I moved to Astoria, Queens in 2011 that I was overcome with the urge to paint again,” she has stated. The diverse community and abundance of long-standing, picturesque institutions and businesses that fill our streets inspired AJ. “Unlike other areas, it had retained so much old-world charm while embracing a wide diversity of lifestyles … I became inexplicably moved to capture it.” And capture it, she has.
Through their storefront illustrations and painted slice-of-life scenes of the neighborhood, AJ has immortalized a litany of Astoria landmarks over the years. In regards to their popular calendars, AJ tries to be all-encompassing. When asked how she decides which locations to feature, she said, “I like to have a mixture of different types of places … new and old establishments. Bars/restaurants and places that are free to the public. Also, places that are scattered all over Astoria geographically.” But, she made it clear she has to feel a genuine connection to an establishment to include it. “I like to only feature businesses I personally support. With what little power I have, I like to use it to support places I love, and places I feel are invaluable to the neighborhood.” This authentic, community-minded approach comes across in AJ’s creations. It’s clear when viewing their work that AJ has a genuine sense of appreciation and love for the neighborhood and the locations she chooses to capture.
To support AJ, you can visit ajtheawful.com, where she sells prints, calendars, and postcards. And if you are a fellow artist, you can check out a “Queen’s Creative’s Hangout,” a monthly zero-pressure meet-up for local artists hosted by AJ’s passion project, The Quitting Factory, at Heart of Gold. Information can be found at @thequittingfactory on Instagram.
@ajtheawful I @thequittingfactory I ajtheawful.com
Johnnerdraws
Johnnerdraws, otherwise known as John R. Dingley, has only been drawing and painting professionally for a short time, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at his work.
Though he was interested in art from an early age, his current artistic journey really only started during the pandemic, when his wife encouraged him to turn to a creative outlet after losing his bartending job when the world shut down. John found success quickly by developing a distinctly whimsical style and using it to capture Queens, and New York City as a whole, in a unique way.
“I love capturing the city’s humor and character,” John told me. His lighthearted view of NYC’s trademark quirks shows up frequently in his work — sometimes it’s a portrait of a rat wearing Timbs while holding a bacon, egg, and cheese, other times it’s a drawing of a pigeon seated at a piano on Steinway Street. In describing his paintings, he stated he likes to “celebrate the charm of the city … and the little moments that make New York feel like home.”
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, John has lived in Queens for the past 12 years. He referred to Astoria as a “huge part of my journey,” and a “neighborhood with so much heart — diverse, creative, and full of small businesses that genuinely support local artists.” One of those small businesses that has been an integral part of John’s career is Lockwood. They were the first store to sell John’s art, and still carry his work to this day.
Currently, John is collaborating with Alewife Brewing, creating custom paintings of local bars that stock the brewery’s beers. John’s enthusiasm for the project stems from the fact that it allows him to celebrate and highlight small businesses that have helped make the community what it is today. When speaking on Astoria’s artistic community in particular, John shared a story that tells you everything you need to know about the people who comprise it.
In December, he was set up as a vendor at the Astoria Market at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden when his wife went into labor. Instantly, all the vendors around him jumped into action and helped him break down his booth as quickly as possible so he could rush to the hospital. “That moment really speaks to the kind of support and camaraderie that exists in the Astoria art scene,” John said. If you’d like to support him just like the community did that day, you can visit johnnerdraws.com to check out all the incredible artwork he has for sale.
@johnnerdraws I johnnerdraws.com
Alice Lipping
Alice Lipping has lived in Astoria for more than 20 years. Throughout that time, she has made an indelible mark on the community’s artistic scene. Her own breathtaking abstract paintings can be found hanging in venues all across Astoria, surrounding areas of Queens, and the rest of NYC, but she’s also responsible for uplifting and showcasing the work of so many others. Through her work as the curator of The Brick Wall Gallery at Bar Dalia, she has brought great exposure to countless local artists.
The idea for The Brick Wall Gallery originated in 2021. After Bar Dalia opened, Alice approached the owner, Tom Romano, about hanging some of her artwork on the bar’s long brick wall. Tom said yes. Then, when Alice asked which artists the bar would feature after her, Tom offered her the opportunity to have creative control of the artwork displayed on the wall. The idea was immediately exciting to Alice, “I had the freedom to curate shows and bring together local artists in a hospitable venue that was open to everyone,” she said. The vision for the gallery was to feature local artists who were unrepresented or had trouble finding exposure. When speaking on what the most gratifying part of curating the gallery has been, Alice said, “Creating relationships between people and providing a space where they have a voice through their art. My favorite moment during these shows is when some of the past artists come to the openings of the new ones as a show of support. I always get a little choked up when this happens.”
In terms of her own art, Alice describes her work as being “mostly influenced by the colors and textures of the Urban Landscape.” She is also inspired by the vibrancy of the Long Island Studio she creates out of, Studio 34, and the extraordinary people she’s met through it. Having lived in Astoria for so many years, she obviously has a special relationship with the neighborhood. Though she’s seen it transform and change many times, she feels Astoria has kept its charm and remained one-of-a-kind due to the people who live here. “We have so many creative and talented people living in this community and some amazing opportunities to help support the local arts. I am so thankful to help contribute in some small way to bringing this together,” she said in regard to the community’s art scene.
Alice contributes to the scene not only as a curator and an artist, but as a teacher as well. At Bohemian Hall, Alewife Brewing, and On The 7 LIC, she teaches monthly Abstract Paint n’ Sip workshops. Believing in the power of people coming together through art, Alice described the joy that these workshops bring her by saying, “Bringing people together is what really makes this community so inspiring and special.” If you would like to support someone who has given so much to the community over the years, you can find Alice’s shop and examples of past commissioned pieces at alicelipping.art.
@aliceabstract I @brickwallgallery_bardalia I alicelipping.art
Caryn Cast
As a muralist, painter, and sculptor, Caryn Cast has been passionate about art her whole life. That passion was first cultivated at eight years old when she was the only non-adult student in a pastel portrait class held in the dusty attic of a frame shop. She credits being surrounded by charismatic elderly women in that class with influencing her desire to paint portraits of quirky older ladies as an adult.
Born and raised in the Florida Panhandle, Caryn made her way to Astoria in 2009. Her first artistic job in the neighborhood was drawing portraits on the sidewalk chalkboard of Astoria Bier & Cheese Broadway. “It was there where I got to practice a lot of my ideas, as well as meet so many wonderful people in the Astoria community,” she said. In the following years, she began partnering with — and creating signs, menus, and murals — for a variety of local businesses including Comfortland, Ovelia, Lockwood, Queens Comfort, Wolfhound, Astoria Wine & Spirits, Dominie’s, Raktan Muay Thai, Compton’s, Boulis Cafe, King of Falafel, Yoga Agora, and Break Bar & Billiards. Also a contributor to the Welling Court Mural Project it’s safe to say Caryn’s art has made a profound and ever-lasting mark on the neighborhood.
Some of the local establishments, organizations, and evens related to the art scene that hold a special place in Caryn’s heart are Dave’s Lesbian Bar, Shop Small Astoria, the Creatives Meetup, InCasa Decor, Our House, 31st Ave Open Streets, and Newtown HQ. “I will always consider myself very lucky to have been a part of this community,” she said referring to Astoria. If you would like to support after she has done so much to make our neighborhood just a little bit more beautiful, you can find her work at caryncast.com
Events, Programs, and Small Businesses to Support:
Astoria Film Festival
The founder of the Astoria Film Festival, Nina Fiore, is a Harvard graduate who was born and raised in Astoria to a pair of working-class immigrant parents. With a background in television and digital media production, she knows firsthand how hard it is to break into the industry without any connections. The idea for the festival started as a way for her to give kids from her home neighborhood the necessary skills, experience, and connections to launch a career in media.
Nina has also worked as an afterschool educator. As she was homeschooling her disabled son, she had a hard time finding programs that would accept him so, as any loving mother would, she began teaching her own classes. Her film-oriented classes quickly took off. This is when an idea sparked, these classes are what ultimately led to the festival being what it is today.
Currently, Nina’s nonprofit organization runs 12 film programs in 10 schools. The festival itself features short live-action and animated films and is divided into multiple parts, including a student showcase, a youth festival for filmmakers 24 years old and younger, and a main festival. With an impressive and connected board of directors and advisory board behind it, the festival’s primary goal is to get emerging filmmakers’ work in front of industry professionals.
When describing the festival’s ever-evolving nature, Nina said, “It varies yearly, depending on the submissions we get and who gets involved. So last year for example our board member Bryan Korn who’s an Annie/BAFTA/Emmy award-winning animation producer wanted to offer more animation programming. (He) put out a call for submissions which was well received so we had a large animation session.” This year they are offering something new, as a result of one of Nina’s current passions. “I’m currently addicted to K-Drama,” she told me, “and we have a board member Yunah Chung who’s a VP at a Tokyo-based SVOD platform called SAMANSA. So, she put a call out for Japanese and Korean submissions … we received so many we ended up doing a special program with the Korean Cultural Center NY.”
As the festival has given exposure, necessary education, and valuable industry internships to so many young filmmakers, Nina described the most rewarding about founding it to be “all of the work with and for our youth.” And to young, local filmmakers who may not be aware of that work, she wants them to know the following, “We are all about Astoria, we love our home, we do whatever we can to help promote (your) films and create a positive festival experience.”
This year’s festival is taking place from May 29th through June 2nd, and submissions are currently being accepted.
@astoriafilmfestival I astoriafilmfestival.org I [email protected]
Gift Box
One of Astoria’s most inviting and charming shops, Gift Box has always made a concerted effort to fill its store with unique pieces from local artists and artisans. Since it opened, it has been one of the premier destinations in the neighborhood for local art to be showcased. As a beloved fixture in the community, the team behind the store feels grateful just to be able to work and exchange ideas with all of the talented creatives who live here. For many artists, Gift Box was the first retailer to carry their work. Handmade greeting cards, home decor, and art prints are among their best-selling items.
Finding artists to work with is a constant search for the Gift Box team. Local markets and online platforms give them an opportunity to constantly discover new artistic voices. Moreover, while many of the artists they work with initially approached them, they encourage local creatives looking to form a potential partnership to reach out to them.
To show how much of an avid champion they are for local art and artists, and to support the community, they’ve provided me with a list of names they would like to highlight. These are artists and businesses that deserve your support so please check them at the following Instagram handles: @astorialtr, @pennymadeit, @atelierbycat, @hola.imback, @boubah360, @olympiacrafts, and @crystalthompsonart.
25-11 Broadway I 347.813.4881 I @giftboxastoria | giftboxastoria.com
Astoria Music Collective
According to the founder of the Astoria Music Collective, Miguel Hernandez, the size, vibrancy, and talent of Astoria’s music scene is hard to top. “I’m originally from Manhattan, and used to live in Brooklyn, and have been a part of both those scenes and nothing comes close to Astoria,” he told me, “and ours are REALLY top-tier musicians. Same goes for the bands, it’s stunning to me that these bands aren’t signed.”
Miguel’s program, which is beloved by local musicians, is nearly 10 years old. It started when he took over as the music booker and open mic host at The Quays Pub after a friend of his moved out of town. As the neighborhood’s music scene grew, he became inundated with requests from local artists looking for places to play. So he decided to branch out, and pretty quickly, booking just one room turned into booking dozens. On New Year’s Day 2016, he officially came up with the name “Astoria Music Collective.” Since its creation, the program has helped countless musicians hone their craft by finding places to play in the neighborhood.
“I am now and have always been a fan of live music,” Miguel said when asked to describe the most gratifying part of running his program and working with local musicians. It’s safe to say this passion for his chosen field is what has made the Collective so successful, and Miguel such a beloved member of the community. That love was put on full display when the community came together to support Miguel after he suffered a serious health scare last year. When looking back on the two months he spent in the hospital, he said, “The community rallied behind me and raised money so that I could pay my bills and keep going. My guest list at the hospital was pretty much all musicians. It was particularly touching to me that I had impacted so many people’s lives that they would go to bat for me like that and support me, I’m eternally grateful to them.”
As a strong proponent of his community and the neighborhood’s music scene, Miguel encourages those who want to join to just show up. “Best way to get involved is to go to the open mics. It gives us an opportunity to hear your work and interact with you,” he said.” When it comes to any artistic scene, a healthy and inclusive community is vital. And, as a community-minded individual, it’s very clear that Miguel’s ultimate goal is just to see musicians in the neighborhood thrive. “The relationships, I think, are most important to me, when we have that, we can band together and try to win as a community.” Young, local musicians should feel immensely grateful that Astoria’s scene is being shaped by people like him.
Art House Astoria
Founded by Jane and Michael Burgess, Art House Astoria is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing exceptional and affordable visual and performing arts education to children of all ages and abilities in Astoria and its surrounding neighborhoods. Offering a diverse range of programs, including theater, music, and visual art classes, the organization really prides itself on being all-encompassing.
Boasting an impressive staff of qualified, locally-based instructors, Art House Astoria places an emphasis on cultivating a passion for the arts while ensuring students receive top-notch education. They also collaborate with several other local organizations and public schools to extend opportunities to underserved communities, making it apparent they are extremely committed to the idea of providing accessible arts education to all.
While there are many great organizations present in Astoria, Art House really is one of the neighborhood’s most commendable. The work they’ve done, and continue to do, has had a profound impact on the lives of so many young Astorians.
23-35 Broadway I 347.738.4148 I @arthouseastoria | arthouseastoria.org
Pancakes Records
Pancakes is much more than just a neighborhood record shop. Since it opened in 2023, the chic Steinway storefront has acted as a cultural and artistic hub in Astoria. Of course, it is a place for patrons to flip through records and purchase some worthwhile physical media. But, Pancakes also makes it a priority to showcase local musicians.
From selling their music in the store to hosting a ton of live music events in their back room, Pancakes has championed countless Astoria and NYC-based musicians over the past couple of years. Moreover, it has been a place for Astorians to come together to discuss, celebrate, and enjoy music. It is a genuinely special community space, one that every musically inclined resident has come to greatly appreciate.
Music fans should make a point to follow Panckes on social media to keep up with their live show announcements. This month, Ellie Rouge is scheduled to perform a set on the 14th.
20-77 Steinway St I 718.233.8666 I @pancakes.records | pancakes-records.com
