By Katarina Hybenova
While there is no end to my love for Bushwick, I have to admit a huge crush on Ridgewood lately. While Bushwick is sweet in its industrial tenderness, Ridgewood is like a time travel to an old timey hometown. The increasing number of artists and art spaces moving up north to Ridgewood is even more of a reason to go and show some love to our neighbors…
After the more famous, Famous Accountants, two new galleries found their home in Ridgewood- Small Black Door and Valentine. Moreover, the galleries are only a walking distance from each other, and both had openings on the Friday night.
Small Black Door is a gallery behind a small black door (unsurprisingly), in the basement of a Ridgewood town house. The space has a friendly feng shuei, and the co-founders Matthew Mahler and Jonathan Terranova, who are both artists, did a great job in bringing the community together. The reception at Small Black Door felt like the gallery has been around forever, and the party was great! The gallery presented The Unfunny Show, a collection of drawings that make you chuckle. The curator Matthew F. Fisher said he had the idea for a long time.
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Over at Valentine, Fred Valentine, proud of his beautiful space, presented a solo show of Andrew Moszynski who focuses in his works on building and fucking. How adorable!
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When the openings came to an end, we all, under the lead of the Ridgewood’s local Matthew Mahler, headed to Gottscheer beer hall at Fairview Ave. Did you know that Ridgewood was historically settled by Germans and Italians? Well, Gottscheer is an evidence of Ridgwood history; it is an old fashion German beer garten with green table cloths, bratwurst, and cheap tasty beer. We loved the old photographs on the walls- a 70s athletic team; several decades of winners of Gottscheer miss pageant competition; a jukebox; the ballroom prepared for a sweet 16 party (ocean themed)….
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A couple of regulars were pretty shocked by the art crowd that suddenly emerged at their pub at first, but I think that we coexisted nicely at the end. We were all drawn by a mutual intention after all – to have fun or Viel Spaß haben.
Art: Small Black Door: The Unfunny Show, curated by Matther F. Fisher
Valentine: Andrew Moszynski at Valentine, through December 11, 2011
Drinks: GOTTSCHEER HALL, 657 Fairview Avenue, Ridgewood, New York 11385
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