Bushwick Open Studios

Look, I had this really great idea. I would crash at a friend's place in Bed Stuy Friday night and then walk around Bushwick visiting friends and art heroes with studios there. This all went exactly according to plan except that I was hung over (I swear, three drinks does not usually do that), it was 90 degrees Farenheit, and 100% humidity. After elbowing into the downstairs neighbors' recovery Rock Band, I attempted to live the Summer in Brooklyn way.
Rapid movement was out of the question. I uneasily digested a cheeseburger and 32 oz. of iced coffee and wandered over to 1717 Troutman. Some NYAA alums had been the first to rent a space in the warehouse-turned-workshop building, and it was great to see them churning out new work, plus all the artists who had moved in since then.

Cecilia Roberts, "Dierdre and a Rat Trap"


Sarah Elise Hall, "stasis" sculpture

Leelee Chan and Ginny Casey, a couple of recent RISD grads, have studios in the same building. Leelee is doing some great thing with recycled material sculpture, my favorite medium of late.


Jeff Fichera does extremely closely observed paintings and drawings (from a landscape painting background) of chaotic everyday surfaces.

Jessica Angel uses stencils to make Janet-bait techno-kitch paintings.

Further Janet-bait is Aaron Williams' collaged and constructed uses of space photography.


There were something like 100 other studios besides this big building but I was too knackered to do more than stick my hair under yet another open fire hydrant and nap through my friend's birthday party.

Sustainability as an idea is everywhere but I am still always amazed at how art keeps being made, and therefore leisure time bankrolled, somehow. I know it comes from the idea that beauty is important to have around all the time. I don't want to take that for granted while every grant, mostly unfulfilled, argues it over and over.

There are still things going on today out there so get thee to the Jefferson stop!