Bisected by the rumbling BQE and hugged by Newton Creek, the southeastern parcel of Greenpoint is a hot spot for a self-guided Greenpoint Open Studios walking tour. Are you up for an adventure off the beaten path? Ready to see some fabulous art and get to know Greenpoint’s industrial southeastern edge?
This slice of Greenpoint is an eclectic mix of industry and residential blocks and affords great views of the new Kosciuszko Bridge. It’s home to painters, sculptors, installation artists, photographers, film-makers, fashion designers, a taxidermist/entomology artist, and more!
You can begin at Nassau Avenue station on the G train, walking a few blocks east and then past the lovely, tree-filled McGolrick Park.
First stop: The northernmost studio in this section, 231 Norman Ave, features the awe-filled and humorous landscapes of painter Johnny DeFeo and the narrative paintings of Aaron Zulpo.
Second stop: From here, we continue east past The Place Bar & Lounge to 681 Morgan Ave, where you can catch Loretta Lomanto’s photography exploring body image and gender, and the sculptural works of Amber Maykut, a taxidermy and entomology artist.
Third stop: Heading south on Morgan, we arrive at 649 Morgan Avenue, a studio complex featuring 21 participants working in a wide range of media, including:
1. Photography (David Arky’s unusual x-ray photography and Cuban-born Alberto Oviedo’s portraits)
2. Painting (James Brittingham’s hybrid collage-paintings, Chad Felix’s abstract compositions, Jen Ferguson’s ephemeral landscapes and playful fantastical creatures, Matthew Fletcher’s clean painted patterns, Hal Hirshorn’s atmospheric landscapes, Brian Hubble’s depictions of places, Shane McAdams’s explorations of landscapes, Paige Vickers’s graphic and concept-driven paintings and Shane Walsh’s abstract collage-inspired paintings)
3. Sculpture/multimedia (Yingjie Bei’s fascinating installations creating man/machine conversations, Patrick Delorey who materializes time-based processes into physical objects, Vincent Dermody’s delightfully kitsch and magical vessels, Steve Keister’s ceramic assemblages and Keith Nelson’s sculptures made of found materials)
4. Fashion (Atomic Freedom, Top-Shelf Graphics NYC and Alton Toussaint)
5. Sound / Music (Walt FM LLC)
6. and the artist space/gallery Young Space.
If you make all the rounds and then still feel up for it, the tour continues below, but we won’t blame you if you decide to spend the rest of the afternoon immersed in the work above 😉
And, if you are in need of a caffeinated pick-me-up, you can find it at Alkemy Brewlab at 290 Nassau Avenue, or The Coffee Shop at 269 Nassau Avenue. Ready? Ready!
Fourth stop: At the Garage at 71 Sutton Street, you’ll find the colorful abstract paintings of Kate McQuillen. And, just a stone’s throw away are abstract painter Kelli Stretesky (282A Nassau Ave, #2B) and painter and furniture designer Anthony Zollo (292 Nassau Ave, #1F).
Fifth stop: Heading south on Apollo Street, we’ll pass the BQE overpass, and the newly renovated William Dougherty Playground. On to Lombardy Street where, heading east, we find ourselves at 473 Porter Avenue, our easternmost studio building.
It is home to 12 participating artists including: painters Michelle Brandemuehl (subtle and sublime explorations of people, places and things), Natalia D’onofrio (colorful abstract translations of music into visual compositions), Alexander Deschamps (transformations of signage, graphics, textures and found objects), Jacqueline Ferrante (explorations of urban textures), Julia Garcia (fast-paced material paintings), Jeff Karus (process-driven ephemeral abstractions), Jason Osborne (painted collages inspired by Monet’s Haystacks), Bret Shirley (contemporary archeological paintings) and Adriano Valeri (faithful depictions of urban ecosystems); abstract drawings of the human form by Matthew Brennan; surreal animation and film/moving image performances by Will Rahilly; and Aaron Wax’s photographic works exploring his family narrative.
Sixth stop: Our second-to-last stop, just to the south, is at 488 Morgan Avenue. There you’ll find painters Robert Engert (abstract works), Shelley Himmelstein (explorations of space), and Elisa Jensen (liminal and mythical paintings), as well as sculptor Natalie Moore’s ephemeral wire sculptures, and installation artists Michael Krondl’s immersive and visceral photographic installations and Christina Freeman (creator of UltraViolet Archive, which provides visibility to artists and materials often unseen due to banning, cultural amnesia, bias and censorship).
Seventh stop: Finally, we end our tour to the northeast at Edwin Vera’s ceramics at 199 Engert Avenue.
You made it! Though off the beaten path, this section of Greenpoint is home to a vibrant and diverse community of artists. Stop by to check it out and help support local artists in our community!