Getting a late start on my annual Art By Cycle tour of Queens, I sped over to Socrates Sculpture Park last Sunday for an art workshop with Nick Paparone.  This New York-based artist, who was among last year’s emerging artist fellows at Socrates, had set up a silk-screening workshop in the studio pavilion. Step by step, he introduced the assembled group of 20 or so to the process of making t-shirts emblazoned with a quote by the relational aesthetics artist Rikrit Tiravanija.

Nick, it turns out, was an early adopter of silk-screening, having produced rock-band t-shirts for sale during his high school years. More recently, he set up a t-shirt factory/store at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise for Rikrit Tiravanija’s Fear Eats the Soul show last year and made t-shirts printed with FEAR EATS THE SOUL, in bold typography, selling them for $20. He also made a few limited edition shirts, which were actually ‘test proofs’ printed front, back, and sides, and smeared with ink; being unique items, each one sold for $500.

Over the afternoon, a mountain of white t-shirts gradually diminished as everyone took as many turns as they wanted to get down with the method. By 4 pm, dozens of shirts emblazoned with FREEDOM CAN NOT BE SIMULATED were drying in the sun; and there were at least 2 people ready to start up their own screen-printing shops.

The main exhibition at Socrates Sculpture Park is Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City with works by Natalie Jerejimenko, Mary Miss, Rikrit Tiravanija, and George Trakas. The summer programs and workshops continue, with a Resourceful City Living workshop this Sunday on grilling [it’s Father’s Day, got it?], which will take place in Rikrit Tiravanija’sinstallation. On Saturday, there’s a workshop on making art supplies from everyday household ingredients. Next Wednesday there’s a Solstice Celebration, with art workshops and a “silent disco party.” There’s a regular schedule of Yoga, Pilates, Capoeria, and Tai Chi, and a Greenmarket on Saturdays; kayaking in Hallets Cove on weekends; music, movies, and Shakespeare; workshops for teens; workshops for kids, and more, all free. Visit the website for information. Photos: Peggy Roalf.

Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY.

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