This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Bridging Community and Art: The Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk

Local artists exhibit their work to neighbors and visitors in the 8th Annual Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk

The local area is bursting at the seems with artistic talent, and this weekend our neighborhood's vibrant, artistic side is proudly on display at the Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the popular event.

“If I were to venture a guess,” said Lisa Shimamura, of Colab Projects, as to why the ArtWalk is such a success, it's because the neighborhood boasts "an incredibly rich community of really talented artists" who work "across all media.”

Nearly 10 years ago, the artistic event went from the subject of conversations between Shimamura and artists whom she worked with to an annual event that draws not only neighborhood and borough residents, but visitors from all over the world, including some from England and Germany.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“There was no plan to start it; it just happened,” said Shimamura.

Atlantic Avenue is what Shimamura calls the “backbone” of the event. The walk, on Saturday and Sunday, spans over 10 blocks of Atlantic Avenue, hitting Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Gowanus, and extends onto side streets. View the map.

Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Colab Projects is co-producing the ArtWalk with the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC) and the Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association (AABA), with funding from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

“In the second year of the walk, the AALDC expressed interest in supporting the event," said Shimamura. "I had no intention of continuing it annually because of how much work it was, but because [AALDC] was so enthusiastic, we started co-producing it.”

The 1.5-mile long art tour is a neighborhood effort to connect the public to art and culture — free of any barriers, explained Shimamura, specifically gallery fees or exhibits unbeknownst to the general public. As an added bonus, local artists and businesses are able to attract audiences to shop and dine.

The ArtWalk “supports the local creative community,” Shimamura said. “From an artist’s point of view, [the ArtWalk gives] them a way to show their work out of the studio, outside a traditional gallery setting, and make direct connections.”

In fact, Shimamura pointed out, neighborhood artists have met with curators and have been able to exhibit their artwork throughout the country as a result of the annual Atlantic Avenue event. 

“The ArtWalk is a good way to see the community, and involve yourself in the community in which you exist,” said Mac Premo, a Carroll Gardens-based artist who helped kick off the event eight years ago.

As an artist who specializes in collage work, Premo takes advantage of the ArtWalk setup, in that it provides an opportunity to receive public feedback about his work.

The ArtWalk “creates dialogue,” he said. “You think about things you would not think about normally. And you need reaction [to artwork] to gauge its potency…Having an audience is an important aspect. Arguably, there is no art without an audience.”

Premo, who recently moved his studio to a smaller venue in the neighborhood, is showcasing a piece that will feature a collection of items he has collected over the past 20 years in a project called, “The Dumpster Project.” 

“I didn’t collect items to save. I collected them to use,” said Premo.

The event has, without a doubt, grown year by year, said Christian Haag, president of AALDC.

The growth “shows that people are really enjoying it,” he said. “People want to be involved. Merchants want to be involved…The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

As the ArtWalk grows in size, so do its highlighted events. This year, the program will work more closely with cultural partners, including Axelle Fine Art, Brooklyn Ballet, Flayorpaper, Invisible Dog, Micro Museum, Muriel Guepin Gallery, New York Transit Museum, Proteus Gowanus and Roulette, which will debut its new Brooklyn location during the ArtWalk.

“Roulette plans to be part of the fabric of Atlantic Avenue,” said Shimamura.

Roulette, an experimental music hall that has been in Tribeca for 33 years, and is a major New York City venue for contemporary music and intermedia art, will open at 30 Third Ave., near Atlantic. It will showcase a come-and-go-as-you-please concert during the ArtWalk, consisting primarily of jazz music — a way for the venue to introduce itself to its new neighbors.

“When Roulette started, it was right in the center of artistic activity in New York,” said Roulette spokesman Doron Sadja. “But things have changed, and more and more of our audience and performers are living in Brooklyn, so it just made more sense to us to be where our community is. I know this area pretty well, but I’m sure the ArtWalk is going to introduce me to a lot of places I didn’t know existed.”

Roulette’s two-day John Cage Musicircus will be held during both days of the walk. The Musicircus, named after John Cage's 1967 musical piece, is an invitation for performers to assemble and play together, in which multiple performances occur simultaneously in different locations throughout the venue.

“It’s going to be a collage of different genres and art forms, with the audience invited to wander freely and choose their own sonic and visual adventure,” Sadja said. “Basically, we don’t really know what to expect, but it’s going to be very exciting.”

In addition to Roulette’s concert, ArtWalk goers can check out other styles of music, including rock, acoustic, country and DJ sets. The block party, with music provided by BoCoCa Arts Festival, will take place June 5.

When visitors feel the urge to grab a bite to eat or shop for something off the beaten path, local businesses owners, who look forward to the ArtWalk, welcome pedestrians. Local restaurants and bars offer special promotions and pricing during the ArtWalk Restaurant Weekend, including 10 percent off menu items and buy-one-get-one-free.

Families with children can enjoy a free ice cream at while singing their favorite Beatles tune on Beatles Rock Band. And for the older crowd, local favorites, including , and , are offering drink specials.

“Each year, we try to keep growing,” said Shimamura. “Now that we have this format in place, we serve more people, local artists, organizations and businesses.”

Haag, of AALDC, sees the annual event as a way for not only the neighborhood to showcase what it has to offer, but for Brooklyn as a whole.

“So many people are proud of Brooklyn, which has been in the shadows of Manhattan,” he said. “Atlantic Avenue has changed night and day in eight years…For me, it’s become the Manhattan I always envisioned — minus all the tourists.”

Related Topics: , , and

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?