Day: October 16, 2024

The post 12PM ET 10/16/2024 Newscast first appeared on Audio Posts.

Gowanus is a well-known haven for artists making the most of an industrial neighborhood, but their creations can be hard to find — unless you know where to look.

On Oct. 19 and 20, Brooklynites will be welcomed into the inner sanctum at Arts Gowanus’ Gowanus Open Studios. Hundreds of artists will throw open their doors and invite locals to explore their studios, check out their work, and maybe take a piece or two home.

Now in its 28th year, Gowanus Open Studios has come to represent the resiliency of local artists in a rapidly-changing neighborhood. Rising rents have forced some artists out of their studios, and many worry the Gowanus rezoning will make the nabe even more expensive.

In 2021, catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Ida devastated Arts Gowanus’ headquarters and many artists’ studios just weeks before the event. Last year, the same: the organization forged ahead after the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia brought six inches of floodwaters into its building less than a month before Open Studios. 

But despite the struggles, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. This year, more than 400 artists from South Slope to Cobble Hill are taking part. Gowanus Open Studios invites visitors to explore the neighborhood both physically and through art. 

As they wander from studio to studio, guided by maps available online and in-person at the event, Brooklynites may pass shops and businesses they’ve never seen before, meet neighbors they’ve never spoken to. 

“This neighborhood has always been such a collaborative, tight-knit arts community, and I think the public doesn’t always see that,” said Johnny Thornton, executive director of Arts Gowanus. “This is like, the one chance that people go ‘Oh, they’re here, they’re working, they’re struggling … dealing with floods, dealing with obstacles … and still continuing to exist here and, hopefully, thrive here.’”

Many of the works themselves explore the area, and its inhabitants, in different forms. Comic artist Bill Roundy’s works explore local bars and drinks, while Elle Yang captures local scenes — including gritty, industrial landscapes – in sunny paintings. A yarn mural, on display at the Old Stone House, is the result of a year of collaborative knitting by the 4th Ave. Yarn Collective. 

Thornton said he’s particularly excited about some banners featuring local artists hanging at the 4th Avenue-9th Street subway station. Adorned with prints of paintings, drawings, and photographs, the banners hang on the gates covering empty retail spaces on the ground floor of the station.

This year, there’s more to do and see, too. On Oct. 19, the Gowanus Canal Conservancy is hosting its annual Open House, with plant sales, workshops, and more; and the Van Alen Institute will throw its Fall Fest with games, music and more the same day. 

That evening, TI Art Gallery in Red Hook, which is exhibiting works from dozens of local artists studio will stay open late, with live performances and other surprises, until 9 p.m., hours after the event usually ends.

It’s an opportunity for the public to enjoy more art, Thornton said, and for artists who are working through the weekend to take a break, check out another artists’ studio, and hang out. 

All weekend, visitors can also attend The Other Art Fair — known for its unique exhibitions — at ZeroSpace on Butler Street, or take guided tours of Arts Gowanus’ public murals. On Oct. 20, the weekend ends with a lively closing party at Tappeto Volante Gallery. 

Thornton said he was “thrilled” so much was happening in the nabe.

“We sort of see this as like, Gowanus kind of comes alive over the weekend,” he said. “I feel like it’s a great way to celebrate Gowanus.” 

Gowanus Open Studios 2024 takes place on Oct. 19 & 20, 12-6 p.m. Admission is free, and more information and maps with all participating locations are available online and in-person during the event.