The bridge from Manhattan to the New World of Brooklyn’s art venues is strong. Local artist Juliet Kasbar shares seven of the best art spaces in Brooklyn.
New York is and will always be one of the world’s most important art cities. It is a mecca of culture and offers unparalleled opportunities for experimentation and inspiration. The amount of diversity in landscape, people and interests is an endless resource for artists. Supporting the abundance of works made in this city are spaces and galleries that let the public view and engage in discourse on every subject type.
The cosmopolitan art community of Manhattan has recently expanded over the past few years to include Brooklyn as an international destination for artists, gallerists, and collectors alike. Major blue-chip gallery, Luhring Augustine, has opened a second location in trendy Bushwick following the influx of artists pushed out of Manhattan years ago and into the formerly more affordable Brooklyn. There is nothing new about gentrification following artists, but here are the top galleries and art spaces to visit if you are crossing the bridge.
The Brooklyn outpost of this Chelsea art space continues to show work across mediums of painting, photography, installation, performance, video, and sculpture from an array of talented international artists. With the space to accommodate large-scale installations and longer-term projects, the focus of the Luhring Augustine’s Bushwick location remains on international living contemporary artists. (25 Knickerbocker Ave)
2) Pioneer Works Center for Arts and Innovation
This non-profit art organization located in Red Hook is a bit a of trek, but totally worth it. Founded by artist Dustin Yellen, Pioneer Works Center for Arts and Innovation has an interdisciplinary approach to the creative fields of visual art, science, and sound. Although this is not a gallery, the space has frequent exhibitions, artist-in-residence studios and a scientific laboratory, and plays host to a radio station. The non-profit, free-of-charge institution is open to the public. (159 Pioneer St)
3) Sardine
Also, in Bushwick this cute gallery is as it’s name suggests, small but packing quite a punch. Open for five years, Sardine believes in ‘art for arts sake’ and carefully curates shows with a focus on solo exhibitions as the space lends itself to an intimate experience. (286 Stanhope St)
Dutch artist Paulien Lethan opened the quirky Holland Tunnel Gallery in 1997 and it now has three locations. The venue was closed for a bit and now opens for special events. Only accommodating up to six people at a time, the gallery hosts music concerts and exhibitions featuring international and local talent. “Stairmasters”, the second Williamsburg location, is housed on the 4th floor of a brownstone next to the original gallery. With large group shows hosting up to 100 different artists at a time, the diversity of expression is without question. If you are traveling to Greece, there is a third location on the island of Paros located inside a historic Cycladic home. (59 and 61 South 3rd St)
Having relocated to larger space in Bushwick in 2014, Microscope Gallery negotiates between the white space of commercial art and the black space for videos, projections, performance and digital artworks. Catering to the intent of the artists, the gallery focuses on time-based practices and holds weekly events with screenings, lectures, readings, and performances to highlight the curatorial program. (1329 Willoughby Avenue, #2B)
This white-cube space shows playful artwork, challenging the ideas of who and what can be shown in an art space. Opened by the duo who runs the design and marketing company Lanningsmith, Moiety Gallery is half to the whole they consider in their outlook (as reflected by the gallery’s name). Installations by artists, chefs, athletes, florists, and other professions normally unseen are considered with as much value as traditional art forms. The Williamsburg gallery’s biggest strengths are its sincerity in the pursuit to present original art as well as offering an unforgettable experience. (166 North 12th St., ground floor)
7) Soloway
This artist-run space in Williamsburg is located in a former plumbing supply store from which it takes it’s name. The international range of artists and quality of exhibitions is immense. Away from the commercial leanings of galleries dependent on curatorial awareness, this refreshing take renders the artists’ intentions as the top priority. Both charming and substantial, Soloway represents the Brooklyn spirit of DIY in conjunction with sophistication. Open on weekends. (348 S 4th St)