Melissa and Aneesha from Catalina’s Let Love Reign series
Catalina Kulczar is the best kind of photographer: selfless. Her portraits illuminate the beauty in others, and her projects — individually crafted and triumphantly executed — are marked by a social justice bent that lets underrepresented voices sing. Her many and diverse photography series have included moving portraits of girls celebrating their quinceañera and portraits, both loving and poignant, of same-sex couples awaiting marriage equality. That last project is the inspiration for a new book she discussed with Greenpointers — a queer-affirming anthology she’s looking to publish with the help of a Kickstarter. We caught up with the local photographer to discuss her passion projects, inspirations, and favorite neighborhood hangouts.
Greenpointers: How long have you lived in Brooklyn?
Catalina Kulczar: I have lived in Brooklyn since 2011 — three years in Fort Greene, then we moved to Greenpoint in summer 2014.
Do you have a favorite neighborhood spot?
I love going to Brooklyn Label. I love how much natural light fills the place year-round, and the staff there is always friendly and welcoming.
Bushwick Open Studios — #BOS2018 — returns this weekend! Though it of course can’t compare to our own neighborhood’s (and Greenpointers-produced) Greenpoint Open Studios earlier this summer, this weekend’s art fest in Bushwick will be a blast of art filled fun and madness. Take a tour of the industrial chic neighborhood we all love and take in some local art while investigating open studios.
Hundreds of Bushwick artists will have their studios open Saturday and Sunday for visitors to meet them and see their work. For the 2018 edition of BOS, Art During the Occupation Gallery is pleased to show SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE, a painting solo by Sharilyn Neidhardt concerning the rootlessness, alienation, and ultimate freedom of city living in the 21st century.
For a timeline of events, see below, and for more info, visit the BOS site here.
Friday: Launch Party 7–10 PM at 119 Ingraham Street
Art During the Occupation Gallery — in partnership with our friends at Trans-Cen-Der Art Group, Temporary Storage Gallery, and Brooklyn Fire Proof — are throwing an art networking party to mark the LAUNCH of 2018’s Bushwick Open Studios Festival.
Saturday and Sunday: BOS from 12–6 PM (120 Ingraham Street)
Come to the Brooklyn Fire Proof building to take in four floors of local artists! Run by Art During the Occupation Gallery Bushwick — a not for profit contemporary art space showing subversive and difficult work — BOS is an annual event celebrating the multitude of talent and artistic achievement Bushwick has to offer. They delight in serving as a platform for discourse on work that is challenging to authority paradigms, feminist, queer, anti-establishment, hyper-aggressive, mystic, and/or joyously sexual. Our gallery was launched in 2015 by Christopher Stout who serves as gallery founder and director.
Ophelia’s a sough-after gal — flower-bearing maiden, Shakespeare dream role, and subject of countless works of art. Now, Williamsburg gallery Lucas Lucas(57 Conselyea Street) puts a contemporary spin on the classic character in their new exhibit named after Hamlet’s steadfast girlfriend. With aquatic and floral visions expressed in photographs, paintings, and more, Ophelia (I feel ya) offers artists and spectators myriad ways to experience and contextualize this ill-fated but beloved character. Plus, the works are all by women!
Take a look at some pieces below, and stop by the gallery before the exhibit closes on October 7. Or visit here to support and purchase local art.
Kyle Du-Vunn, Deep Creek, 2018, Acrylic and marker on watercolor paper, 16 x 12″
Nudity is a theme no stranger to the artist. As Greenpoint Terminal Gallery states, “The nude is our most essentialized form. It is us at our most vulnerable, without emblematic costume signifying class, culture, or personality. In our nakedness, we lose signifiers of our hierarchies and become our animal selves — natural, innocent, without pretense.”
To see such art on full display, visit the gallery on 67 West Street (Suite 320) from September 7–15 and October 6–20 to experience SKINS, the gallery’s latest exhibit. SKINS is, per the gallery, “a celebration of the body, in its pure, natural vulnerability and beauty. It is also a reminder that we are always both separate and whole.”
An opening reception will be held this Friday from 7–10 PM. For a full roster of participating local artists, see below!
Heather Benjamin Mark Ryan Chariker Madeline Donahue Jenna Gribbon Kate Klingbeil Katarina Janeckova Haley Josephs Irena Jurek Doron Lanberg Sophia Narrett Jenny Morgan Rebecca Morgan Emilia Olsen Danielle Orchard Erin Riley Leonard Reibstein Emma Stern Margaux Valengin Kyle Vu-Dunn Lily Wong
From frozen treats made with upcycled plant based materials, custom handcrafted guitars, ethereal essential oil blends, to tiny terrarium jewelry, and more, we can’t wait to showcase the high quality unique creations by our top 20 curated pick of local makers.
We’re kicking off the festivities with boozy brunch drinks, food by Awkward Scone, and will have activities for all throughout the day including henna tattoos by Miss V, tarot card readings by Starhawk, guitar making demos by FSC Guitars, and magic lessons by the Brooklyn Paranormal Society.
BIBA Williamsburg was once a rubber factory (photo via nowy dziennik by Wojtek Maślanka/Nowy Dziennik)
Formerly a rubber factory, BIBA has the vintage charm we adore and is now home to the only beer garden in Williamsburg with unobstructed waterfront views of the Manhattan skyline. Right next door in the East River State Park, TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint will return with over 40 restaurants and bars for a foodie extravaganza. With a star-studded lineup including food by Michelin-starred chefs, a ticket will get you unlimited tastings of some of the best local flavors! Continue reading →
Ziemia by Martynka Wawrzyniak on display at McGolrick Park
Revel in this, Greenpointers: the first new sculpture McGolrick Park has seen in decades will be unveiled on Saturday.
Ziemia: Our Stories Are Written in Soil is a public art installation by New York-based Polish artist Martynka Wawrzyniak that reflects on the history of our jewel box neighborhood. Greenpoint is a melting pot of families of diverse backgrounds, holding significant cultural ties to Poland with the long-standing Polish diaspora situated in the neighborhood. In honor of the centennial celebration of Poland’s independence being restored, Ziemia is presented thanks to the support and collaboration of the Polish Cultural Institute New York as a multidisciplinary public art project opening from 2–5 PM on Saturday, June 9 with a wide range of activities. Visitors are invited to a family-friendly environment to appreciate the artwork, enjoy live music, educational workshops, and Polish snacks. There will even be a chance to win a trip to Poland by participating in the Sto Lat Polska project!
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 →
A vintage type writer, one of Ann Cofta’s many fabric creations
Ann Cofta finds details in the small: she sews her embroidered art entirely by hand, a slow and deliberate process that allows her to map out the entirety of a Brooklyn water tower or bridge in one small fabric. As a long-time New Yorker, she’s had years to soak in these architecture’s details and dispense them in her work. Ann is also no stranger to local art shows — she’ll be featured at Greenpoint Open Studios come June 2–3 — and below she shares her experience traveling the world, translating cityscapes into fabric, and finding an embroidery community in Brooklyn.
Greenpointers: How long have you lived in New York? Do you work or live in the neighborhood?
Ann Cofta: I’ve lived in New York for 22 years; I live nearby in Woodside (Queens), so I am able to walk to my art studio in Greenpoint. I taught in Brooklyn for 16 years and only recently took a job in Manhattan.
GP: We don’t come across many embroiderers as our local artists; I wonder if you’ve found a community of those artists here?
AC: When there are open studios, exhibits, or other art events, I always seek out artists who work with fabric and embroidery. I am energized by the innovative work I see. I feel as though textile work is becoming a greater presence in the art world, in both galleries and museums. I am not aware of an established community of embroiderers in Brooklyn. However, Brooklyn Craft Company in Greenpoint, and the Textile Art Center in Gowanus, both offer classes. I recently joined the Textile Study Group of New York, which is a national organization that hosts monthly talks and occasional group shows. Continue reading →
Back by popular demand, we will be serving up some Hot Buttered Rum with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rumand The Big Cat Menagerie will be playing music from a gilded past, inspired from vintage jazz.
In addition to our carefully curated group of some talented 50+ makers who will be selling their creations, we will as always have a number of FREE fun activities! Continue reading →
Greenpoint Artists and Art Lovers! Put your paint brushes down for one night and join Greenpoint Open Studiosto talk art over delicious locally brewed craft beer at Dirck the Norseman (7 North 15th St). Starts at 7:30PM. RSVP here.
We had such a great time mingling with the awesome community of artists here and are looking forward to this Thursday!
Now that we have a tentative GOS date of April 29-May 1, we want to talk next steps to make it happen. Anyone who wants to get involved should join. Greenpointers is looking to do bi-weekly studio visits and profile participating artists so if you are interested in participating, connect with us!
