A guided walking tour of Greenpoint Open Studios, destinations outlined below!
Greenpoint knows its ABCs — the streets, as we all know and love, often move in an alphabetical fashion. But those first couple of streets, shorter and more ostracized than the rest, can sometimes seem a bit off the beaten track. This weekend’s Greenpoint Open Studios (June 2-3) creates the perfect excuse to meander “uptown” a bit and enjoy the free event. Read on below for where we think you should start, stop, and enjoy a sweet pit stop. Follow the map and enjoy!Continue reading →
Tucked away in the northern tip of Brooklyn, there is a hub for creatives where creativity and innovation flows freely. Where artists and entrepreneurs alike gather to manifest their vision and collaborate with their counterparts. Where locals find peace to fuel their focus and manifest their vision. From an outdoor event space to a fine-art gallery and 150+ studio and office spaces, Java Studios (252 Java St) has emerged as platform for creation, owned and operated by artists.
Java Project Art Gallery Opening during Greenpoint Open Studios 2017
As artists themselves, the owners at Java have worked hard to provide space and opportunities to like-minded people. From architects to writers, designers to painters, and non-profits to small businesses, the inhabitants have a diverse range of focus. And it’s this diversity that sets Java apart from similar workspaces-it’s not the studios, amenities, or affordability-it’s the surrounding inhabitants who become neighbors, collaborators, sources of support and inspiration. Art cannot be created in a vacuum-it both reflects and regards the world around it. To be inspired is to be connected, and that’s what Java provides.
In keeping with the larger Java ethos, the physical space has been designed to fit the needs of the its occupants. Unlike other communal workspaces, the studios at Java are private and individualized-your work environment is entirely customizable, and the shared amenities are there to support your needs. The Java Project-a fine-art gallery on the first floor-presents new exhibitions each month, and also features inhabitants’ work. Other amenities include an outdoor spaces, a conference room, slop sinks, WiFi and utilities, package reception, and an on-site handyman, all of which are free and readily available.
The outdoor venue, Java Outback, has been revamped in anticipation of the many upcoming events. For the third year in a row, Java will again host the 2018 Greenpoint Open Studios launch party. The creative spirit and community, along with Java’s support of small businesses, make it the perfect place to kick off a weekend of GOS.
Originally farmland, Greenpoint’s verdant name is an homage to pastures past. But even as trees have disappeared and skyscrapers have risen, local artist Sharon Ascher has had a keen eye for Brooklyn’s organically occurring patterns and nature’s geometric wonders. These terrestrial gifts influence her work, which will be on display in this weekend’s Greenpoint Open Studios. See her work in person at 80 Oak Street from 12pm-6pm this Saturday & Sunday (June 2 & 3), and learn more about her craft in this week’s Thursday Spotlight!
Greenpointers: It seems that much of your work is inspired by nature, yet you’ve lived in New York for decades. Can you discuss the influence the natural world has on your work within our urban epicenter?
Sharon Ascher: I was born in Brooklyn — A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: it only takes one tree to observe and experience the changing colors of the seasons. I grew up near Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and received my my BFA at Pratt. I traveled extensively, crossing the vast ocean, visiting beaches, and trekking mountains and caverns. I became more aware of the changing contours of our coastline caused by global warming.
I have been intrigued with organic shapes and textures and how they are affected by shadow, color, and light. I realized that the same forms are infinitely repeating themselves. This apparent phenomenon is often incorporated into my work. If we allow our minds to be open, our perceptions can change constantly; similar to the clouds as they dance in the the sky or the waves move in the ocean. This is all part of working with energy and its relationship to space.
This continual thread is interdependency: the simple quality of a brush stroke or a tear in paper. There seems to be a connection with the shapes that occur, and the reflections of the inner and outer landscapes. Continue reading →
Greenpoint Open Studios (GOS) returns with more than 400 local artists, who will open up their studios to the public to showcase their works. Free and open to everyone! Visitors will have the opportunity to engage directly with artists in their own spaces, including painters, sculptors, video and installation artists, photographers, printmakers, ceramicists, designers, architects and more. This year GOS is offering several guided tours, workshops and additional fun art events all over the neighborhood. Full schedule of events (including a Launch Party at Java Studios Friday night, Wrap Party at Northern Territory Sunday night) and tour registrations can be found here. A map of all the artists’ studios can be found here.
* Extreme Cities: On Water Contamination and Urban Adaptation @ A/D/O (29 Norman Ave.), 6:30pm, FREE, The future of cities and their role in mitigating climate change. RSVP ^ Evergreen Review @ Bizarre Bar (12 Jefferson St.), 7pm, FREE, readings, prizes and more, More Info * War Witch: The Art of the Curse @ Catland (987 Flushing Ave.), 7pm, $20, jinxes, hexes, curses and challenging the ethics of witchcraft, Buy Tix ♫ Menjuje, Rose Cologne, Purracuda @ Tender Trap (66 Greenpoint Avenue.), 8:00pm, $7, More Info
THURSDAY 5/31
☺Physically Bold Comedy Show @ Pine Box Rock Shop (12 Grattan St.), 7pm, FREE, More Info Buy Tix ♫ TEST/Bandit/Organ Dealer/Chepang/Bea$ters @ St. Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave.), 8pm, $10, Buy Tix ♫ Starina and I Am The Polish Army @ Troost (1011 Manhattan Ave.), 9pm, FREE, More Info ♫ 3 Year Anniversary: Friends b2b Family ~up and down~@ Black Flamingo (168 Borinquen Pl.), 10pm, FREE, Black Flamingo’s celebrating its 3 year anniversary, RSVP Continue reading →
Visitors inside Colleen Blackard’s studio during GOS 2017. Image via Colleen Blackard
This year Greenpoint Open Studios promises once again to be a spectacularly art-filled weekend on June 2nd & 3rd, with more than 400 local artists opening up their studios to the public — plus parties, special events and guided tours of artist studios. Greenpoint Open Studios is free and open to the public all weekend (from 12pm-6pm each day), but if you want to get sone one-on-one time with select local artists and have a little help navigating the hundreds of studios, a guided tour is the best way to go. The tours, hosted by Greenpointers art writer Madeline Ehrlich and former art dealer turned realtor Lynn Del Sol, will help you get up close and personal with participating artists and their work, learn about their craft first-hand and ask questions about their practice.
Here’s a rundown of all the tours offered this weekend. Registration is $20, and you can buy tickets in advance or pay cash on-site. The tours include a stop at a local bar with one FREE BEER per participant!
GOS 2018 map and booklets at CutLoose (117 Dobbin St)
Like last year, we expect the neighborhood to thrive with art-filled activities so to help navigate the weekend, you might want to plan ahead by viewing the gallery of artists who are participating this year, checking out the online map, or picking up a printed guide booklet from any of the eight info hubs: Continue reading →
Once a year, hundreds of Greenpoint artists open up their studio doors to the public for a unique peek inside their process. This year’s Greenpoint Open Studios is happening June 2nd & 3rd, and promises an exciting weekend of art in every medium— from fiberarts to virtual reality to painting to architecture and more. Here are six of our favorite sculpture artists you should definitely check out while you cruise the neighborhood that weekend.
Be sure to check out the full list of artists and sign up for the email list to find out more about fun Greenpoint Open Studios events happening that week!
Alison Kudlow | sculpture 255 Calyer St, third floor, 8A
Based in Greenpoint for about five years, Kudlow’s sculptures explore the sun, cosmos, gender and the ethereal, through the physical translation of her sculptures using a few different mediums: glass, ceramics, resins, and thread. This year, she is creating a body of work specifically to show during Open Studios.
Greenpoint Open Studios is back again this year June 2-3, 2018, and more than 300 local artists (yes, we have that many here!) will be opening their studio doors to the public from 12pm-6pm each day. Last year’s event saw the neighborhood swarming with thousands of visitors checking out artwork in every kind of media. From painting to video to sculpture to textiles to jewelry, Greenpoint artists represent a talented community of art in NYC. Here’s a few of our participating artists that are not-to-miss this year.
Be sure to check out the full list of artists and sign up for the email list to find out more about fun Greenpoint Open Studios events happening that week! Continue reading →
Hey Greenpoint artists, designers, crafters, fabricators, performers, and anyone who has work or work-in-progress to show! Now is the time to sign up for Greenpoint Open Studios and connect directly to thousands of art lovers, who will swarm to our neighborhood to celebrate creativity in Greenpoint!
The festivities start with an epic launch party followed by a weekend when local art studios, galleries, and pop-up spaces, open to the public. Every sign-up gets added to a map and gets a profile on the GOS online gallery.
GOS 2017, Photo by Korey Knecht
Greenpoint Open Studios reveals that we have a vibrant creative community here with over 400 participating artists in 2017 and 350 in 2016! Let’s keep this going strong Greenpoint!
The deadline to enroll as a participating artist for Greenpoint Open Studios is Monday, April 30th. Sign up here! Continue reading →
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THURSDAY 5/31
