Well, kids, it is officially May which, for me, stands for margaritas, wearing white and, of course, Bushwick Open Studios! While this event is still a few weeks away, the galleries are already getting ready for it and the neighborhood is literally buzzing with activity. There is a slew of galleries at the 56 Bogart building celebrating openings this weekend, while other galleries are giving viewers once last chance to see their show before closing up shop. This week we can also celebrate a couple of stellar events in Williamsburg and Bed Stuy that are surely worth the trek. With so much happening, it’s a good thing you have us to curate your weekend for you! Here’s how to get the most bang for your buck for your art weekend!
I don’t know how about you and your acid experience, but one time on that mountain cottage, a guy with a small, innocent looking paper appeared, and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Crazy story, right!?
Anyway. We are stealing the acid theme and the acid song from Small Black Door gallery which is having a Post Acid opening. Here are the best events in our beloved hallucinogenic township of Bushwick.
We have been praising Newtown Radioon and on. The fact is that we absolutely love this Internet radio station broadcasting from Bushwick. And yes, we can’s stop listening to it all the time. So hold it against us if you want, but since these guys launched their brand new awesome website, listening to the fresh new sounds from Brooklyn and beyond has never been better! To celebrate their re-birth, Newtown Radio is throwing a huge party at Shea Stadium! You can imagine that these guys would have the best bands in town playing, and it is absolutely true. Dirty Beaches, Windowspeak, Black Marble, Family Portrait, Cousins and MORE will play on Saturday night! The whole parade will cost you $15 (or $12 in advance).
Indian soap opera about the art world based in Bushwick? Sure! Meenakshi Thirukode, in collaboration with The Bogart Salon, is gearing for the filming of a crazy meta-narrated story that has never been told! We interviewed Meenakshi who told us all the spicy details about Bollywood and more. We believe this project is really worth your attention, folks. On Saturday night, the crew will kickstart their Kickstarter campaign in a glamorous Bollywood style. They will have hindi music, make up artist, vintage clothing and jewlery – all in Indian style. Additionally, the exhibition of art created for the film by Stefano Ortega and Federico Massa will open at the same night. All your donations will go to support the kickstarter campain.
Bear Skin is the name of the art show featuring tattoo artists: Rachel Hauer, Spencer Alexander, Adam Paterson, Jeremy Aquilino, Timmy Martineau and Bishop203. We simply love the idea of putting together an art show featuring tattoo artists! With tattoos and tough kids comes punk music, so the art show will feature also concerts of Big Shots Jett Brando, Wyldlife, Ritz Riot. $4 will get you in and includes free wine until 9pm!
We’re listing ANOTHER awesome event for Saturday night. Yep, it might be a lot to handle but you gotta do what you gotta do, and rest when you’re retired or move to Williamsburg (*joke ya, Willy people*). Sardine is a cute Brooklyn-made accessory shop and an art gallery on Standhope St. They have been closed for couple of months now, and we’ve missed them. So go feel like a sardine at Sardine (it’s a tiny space), and check out great art by local talent (Monica Cook, Rob de Oude, Sam Martineau, Gary Murphy, Alexandra Rubinstein, Robin Scheines, Adam Taye, Andrew Zarou).
On Friday night, head over to Ridgewood, and look for small black door, because you will find some post acid art behind them. Following their epic mention in the NY Times, we are expecting the gallery to be awesome. As usual (Andrea Bergart, Thomas Burke, Lisa Candage, Myla Dal Besio, Rob de Oude, Adrian Jevicki, Matthew Mahler, Jenna Ransom, Adam Parker Smith and Aaron Williams).
Ehm, ehm, we also have a page where we list all the cool events in Bushwick/Ridgewood area. Check it out here.
Visitor to the 1st Parallel Art Space opening in front of works of Andrew Zarou.
Bushwick was AGAIN exploding with art openings this past weekend, and the famous studio building on the border of Bushwick and Ridgewood, 17-17 Troutman didn’t get left behind. The second gallery in the building after the excellent Regina Rex Parallel Art Space opened on Saturday night. Parallel Art Space is a successor of Camel Art Space, a quirky gallery that used to be located in East Williamsburg. We informed you some time ago about the move of the collective to 17-17 Troutman studio building.
Rob de Oude and Enrico Gomez of Parallel Art Space share an amazing studio that immediately neighbors their new gallery. Rob de Oude told us previously that they are looking to build a space smaller but cleaner space than Camel used to be. He also told us that they used to work a lot with guest curators at Camel but at Parallel they are excited to curate for a while themselves.
We caught Rob de Oude of Parallel Art Space two weeks before the space opened, working hard to make sure that the new space will be just perfect.
The result of their endeavor is truly amazing. Parallel Art Space doesn’t owe anything to its name, which references geometry, among other things. The space is pristine, the walls are beautifully made, and the angles are perfectly right.
The studio of Rob de Oude and Enrico Gomes immediately neighbors with their new gallery. Yes, we envy their fabulous view.
Furthermore, their inaugural exhibition was fabulous. Alter Minimal, Lexicon Series Vol. 1 is a carefully crafted group show featuring some of the most promising artists from Brooklyn (Clinton King, Lance Lankford, Gary Petersen, Suzanne Stroebe, and Andrew Zarou) who in their art engage in exploring minimalism in different degrees. Perfect composition pleasing one’s brain was the dominant feel to Ater Minimal on Saturday night.
Alter Minimal, Lexicon Series Vol. 1 at Parallel Art Space is on view through May 20, 2012. Opening hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 6pm.
A look from the side at one of the Lance Lankford's pieces.
Gary Petersen
Gary Petersen in discussion with Ridgewood-based artist Joe Ballweg.
“Hipster brunch is a late, low fi version of brunch in East Williamsburg,” said the ironic invitation from Rob de Oude from Camel Art Space. Last weekend was the final weekend for their current exhibition Narrative Ability (and Matthew Mahler and Andrew Zarou in the Project Space), and actually the final exhibition weekend for Camel Art Space as well. Indeed, Camel Art Space is moving from their current location on 722 Metropolitan to 1717 Troutman in Bushwick. I stopped by to check out the food art at Camel, and to chat with Rob de Oude and Enrico Gomez about their upcoming move.
One of the reasons for the move is that many galleries left the area and Camel became sort of an isolated animal in East Williamsburg. However, the main reason for the move is of practical nature. The building on Metropolitan Ave has become increasingly unstable. Leaks and other unsafe conditions are not the best spaces to store and exhibit art…That’s why Rob and his fellows from Camel didn’t hesitate to sign the lease at 1717 Troutman. Unlike other art spaces who are coming to Bushwick because of the increasing hype of the place in the art world, for Camel the move to Bushwick is more than natural. Not only does the space have more of a Bushwick than Williamsburg vibe, but Rob has lived in Bushwick for over six years and is actually happy that he can walk to his studio after several years of L train trouble.
Camel is not only moving their gallery but also their art studios. Rob said that the new space will be smaller, but they are welcoming the decrease of space as they want to focus on smaller and solo person art shows for the future, and get deeper into curation. They also want to exhibit more of their own work, as Camel Art Space was focusing mostly on big group shows and guest curators. Camel Art Space will be losing its name and is also leaving their mascot, the wood camel, behind. The camel came with the building, and no one would refer to the building differently as a result. The artists haven’t decided on the new name yet, and to my tiny disappointment, they ruled out animals from the selection [*sigh*]. The new space will be ready for the 1st show in April. We can’t wait!
Camel Art Space has been operating on Metroplolitan Ave since 2008, though Rob de Oude has been renting his studio in the building for at least 10 years. Camel Art Space started as a collective of artists who had studios in the building, and who were aspiring to curate group shows and to show their own work in the gallery space. Rob said that the decision to use the space at 722 Metropolitan as a gallery followed the recession peak of 2008, after which many galleries in Williamsburg had to close down. He felt like Camel has the necessary space and enthusiasm to fill in the sudden gap, and has been doing a great job since.
Welcome to Bushwick*, guys!
Correction, 1717 Troutman is one block into Ridgewood.
(Andrea Bergart, Thomas Burke, Lisa Candage, Myla Dal Besio, Rob de Oude, Adrian Jevicki, Matthew Mahler, Jenna Ransom, Adam Parker Smith and Aaron Williams).
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