Saturday kicked off the 25th annual Gowanus Open Studios (GOS). Organized by Arts Gowanus, the event features more than 400 artists opening the doors of their workspaces to visitors throughout the weekend. According to artist Ellen Chuse, a participant for 21 years, GOS began in the late '90s with only a handful of artists from three buildings on the northern end of the Gowanus Canal – 295 Douglass Street, 280 Nevins Street, and 543 Union Street. The event has grown exponentially over the years with more than 100 participating venues – including shops, bars, cafes, and galleries.
With only one free day to explore the massive event, I decided to visit large, centralized clusters of artist studios at Ti Art Studios at 183 Lorraine Street in Red Hook and 540 President Street (home to the Arts Gowanus office & Brooklyn Art Cluster Studios) in Gowanus. My socialbility still not fully recovered following the pandemic isolation, I gravitated to familiar faces but did get to chat with a few artists I'd not met before. Due to COVID, Arts Gowanus had to reinvent Open Studios last year, and hundreds of artworks were displayed in storefronts along a stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Click here, here, here, and here to see my coverage on last year's event.
See my photos from Saturday below then get yourself to Gowanus today to meet some talented local artists. More info and map at artgowanus.org.
Ti Art Studios, 183 Lorraine Street, Red Hook
Textile artist Traci Johnson outside her studio at Ti Art Studios
A recent FIT grad, textile artist Traci Johnson transformed her studio into a vivid, plushy dreamscape.
Traci Johnson in her studio.
Demarcus McGaughey (right) and friends in his studio
Recent work by Demarcus McGaughey
K Haskell's drawings and collage work document beauty within decay. The illuminated installion on their wall depicts a cancer cell.
Recent work by K Haskell
Sculptor Ward Yoshimoto creates intricate assemblages with found objects. Several of his works feature materials discovered at Dead Horse Bay.
Marlene Weisman poses with her
Optimystics collages. Weisman also designed all the graphics for Gowanus Open Studios.
Natale Adgnot stands with a fascinating new installation in her studio. Check out her Chromaticism exhibit from November 2020
here.
Karen Gibbons in her studio. Read about her retrospective show, and former long-time Gowanus workspace,
here.
Feminine Rising, a recent work by Karen Gibbons.
Artwork by Ellen Chuse
Ellen Chuse at her studio in Red Hook.
540 President Street, Gowanus
Jo-ann Acey was one of several artists at 540 President whose studios flooded during Hurricane Ida. A
Go Fund Me was set up to help her recoup and recover extensive losses. See my interview with Acey from November 2020
here.
Miguel Ayuso in his studio. Ayuso founded
La Bodega Gallery, a popular creative/community hub in South Slope before it closed in 2020.
Midrene Lamy working on a self-portrait.
Lamy's self-portrait is a response to the COVID pandemic.
Mark the Artisan set up his art truck in the parking lot of 540 President.
Usually parked on Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg, Mark the Artisan will be in Gowanus throughout the GOS weekend. Read about his August 2021 exhibit at Established Gallery
here.
Mark the Artisan at work
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