THE ARTS IN BUSHWICK

Bushwick Open Studios draws art and art fans to the neighborhood.

I ASSURE YOU WE'RE OPEN

Freelance photographer and painter Neil Constantine invites viewers to step up and step into his micro studio, a rented U-Haul van parked in front of the Morgan subway stop during Bushwick Open Studios.

The annual arts festival launched in 2006, meaning it has entered its teens, but it’s clear from the stickers, grunge and inescapable garbage that there is no plan to grow up and be the next Art Basel. The three-day festival ran from September 20-22, 2019, and featured over 200 artists in traditional and nontraditional venues throughout the neighborhood.

TOO MANY HUMANS

Graffiti, festival posters and stains give color to a once-blank wall. Posters advertising the festival went up one week in advance, giving direction to the crowds of people walking from studio to studio. The goal of the volunteer-run event was to celebrate the arts in Bushwick and empower artists by connecting them with galleries, nonprofits, businesses and new fans and customers.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

A couple checks the map then steps into the street to examine a giant mural on the wall, an example of the ubiquitous street art that puts Bushwick on the map in the art world. Bushwick Open Studios offered eye candy of all stripes, with photography, paintings, sculpture, stained glass, video presentations, and even participation from tattoo shops and beauty parlors.

CHANGING BORDERS

A walk through Bushwick reveals a mix of active and abandoned warehouses, covered with tags and higher-level artwork. The neighborhood shifted from a manufacturing hub to a mostly residential area over time, and the retreat left empty buildings that inspired many large-scale paintings on their walls.

ON THE MOVE

A cyclist rides down a quiet street just one block from the bustling arts festival. Bushwick is considered a working-class neighborhood, but rapid gentrification has changed the skyline, demographics, and types of art visible in the area. One of the larger goals of the festival was to connect the community and make local art accessible to longtime residents as well as newcomers.

SHOP LOCAL

A local vendor sells wares outside of the Morgan subway stop, as he does every week regardless of what events may be going on. Past Bushwick Open Studio festivals were criticized because many organizers and artists did not live in the area, so money earned from sales did not go back into the neighborhood. In 2019, organizers emphasized local talent and created an $8 print version of the map for sale, as well as $25 covers for the parties.

ONGOING ART

A messy box of paintbrushes and wine remind visitors that many featured studios are active, and these spaces catch paint drips and inspiration year-round. Arts In Bushwick, the volunteer-run organization that throws the annual festival, also organizes events for kids and bimonthly figure drawing and adult dance classes to keep the art going year-round.

HIGH AND LOW

Photographer and fine artist Fiona Aboud stands by some of her work, abstract images of women underwater. Her work has been published in New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine and others, but Aboud explained that she liked smaller events like Bushwick Open Studios for the opportunity to interact directly with viewers and other artists.

THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND

The impact of so many people walking through the neighborhood is visible in the overflowing trashcans and peeling posters the following day. The organizers have yet to address the environmental impact of the festival, showing that there is still room for growth and development.

STRAY ONES

An alley cat sculpted from chicken wire appears to walk across a fence by the Morgan subway stop. Festivals come and go, but local artists such as @StrayOnes continue to fill the streets with art of all types, which make Bushwick a creative, weird and beautiful neighborhood.

MODERN CLASSICS

Sneakers and heels hang from an electric wire above the festival, as has been done in Brooklyn for generations. With one foot in the present and one in the future, it's clear that the arts in Bushwick are changing and developing, but there continues to be potential for artists in the neighborhood.

Photos and text by Julie Tracy.

Bushwick Open Studios is an annual arts festival organized by volunteer-run group Arts In Bushwick. 2019 was their 13th year in operation.