Arts in Bushwick: "Open Spaces" & Etsy!

"Open Spaces"
a one day art festival

December 2, 2007

Arts in Bushwick presents a day of group shows in galleries and alternative art spaces

Brooklyn , NY (November 13, 2007) – "Open Spaces" a free, one day festival of group shows in alternative spaces and art galleries, takes place December 2nd in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The purpose of Open Spaces is to foster connections within the Bushwick arts community, create forums for artists to show their work, and to cultivate curatorial opportunities for individuals in the neighborhood.  Over thirty galleries, private residences and local businesses will be hosting curated group shows of local artists. These spaces will be open to the public from 12 to 8 PM.  The creative energy and diversity of the Bushwick art community will be presented through an impressive variety of media: performance, visual art, installation, dance, poetry, music and more.  In addition to the myriad forms of art and entertainment, a panel discussion featuring representatives of Bushwick's diverse stakeholders will open a dialogue regarding gentrification and sustainable development.  Open Spaces will continue into the night with live music, sketch comedy, and a dance party.

This past June, Arts in Bushwick organized Bushwick Open Studios, a three day long arts festival.  BOS 07 proved to be a great success featuring an estimated 400 artists and performers. As an aspect of BOS 07, several artists turned their lofts into temporary gallery spaces for and hosted group shows. This generous gesture provided opportunities for numerous artists to collaborate, network, and show their work in various exciting alternative spaces.  Out of this exercise, the concept for Open Spaces was born.  Inspired by the success of BOS 07, Arts in Bushwick has invited neighbors to put together interdisciplinary group art shows as part of the Open Spaces event.

Centered around the Morgan and Jefferson stops on the L train, Open Spaces will be easily accessible by foot within the one day period. More than 30 separate locations are hosting shows, featuring over 200 artists. Open Spaces is a unique opportunity to see incredible art in the  neighborhood where it is created.

Arts in Bushwick is an all-volunteer organization whose mission is to promote and support local artists, serve the community at large through arts education and creative accessibility, and to help organize all residents and stakeholders in Bushwick in fighting development-driven displacement and working towards an integrated, sustainable community.

For more information, see www.artsinbushwick.org

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image: The Face of Nature, 2007 by Esty photographer Irene Suchocki

While in Bushwick, check out Etsy! at Pocket Utopia:

Pocket Utopia presents

Etsy!

Opening Dec. 2nd 4:00 - 6:00 pm

A selection of artists from the hand-made artworld from the online site by the same name (http://www.etsy.com):

Susan Angebranndt
Megan Bogonovich
Tiina Burton
Peter Cunicelli
Abby Glassenberg
Dan Grzeca
Hal Hahn
Janice Lagard
Cathy Nichols
Erin Partridge
Corey Ramsey
Shannon Rankin
Irene Suchocki
Karen Switzer
Kim Westad
Xusah

December 2 - December 23, 2007

POCKET UTOPIA
1037 Flushing Avenue
(L Train to Morgan Ave., Bushwick)
Open Saturdays and Sundays 12-6 and by appointment
Call: 917-400-3869

Pocket Utopia is pleased to present a selection of artists from Etsy, an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade.  Etsy was launched in 2005 with the vision of building a new economy and presenting a better choice:

Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade.
[more info]

Pocket Utopia is an away-from center, off-center, exhibition, salon and social space run by artist Austin Thomas.

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More via BrooklynBased.net, 11/28/07:

All Tomorrow's Art Parties

[...] "I think of Bushwick as what Soho was 30 years ago," says local curator and Chelsea gallery assistant Steve Weintraub. "There was a big artistic community there, and here it's the same way. There's a lot of drive to participate, and a lot of people wanting to come together to do things" — like Open Spaces this Sunday. [...]