A Sampling from the BWAC Maker's Market: Part 1

There are many reasons to visit the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. Multiple exhibits of members work as well as juried shows with art from all over the country are hanging simultaneously.

Another excellent reason to visit BWAC is the Maker's Market. This shop offers a wide variety of artwork, crafts, health and beauty products, juvenile fiction and coloring books made by BWAC members.

Here's a sampling of that variety. John and Wendy offer pet inspired artwork from cat pillows, digital prints, collage and more. Have a cat or a dog? Or just like them, you'll love their work.

John and Wendy, Cat Pillows

Look at this Tattooed Dog, digital print on canvas. We certainly have our pet fans covered.

John and Wendy, digital print on canvas

 

Ingrid Butterer offers a beautiful selection of fiber and ceramic art in a soothing palette.

 

Alicia Degner's tile coasters are a perennial favorite. They feature iconic scenes of New York City.

 

Alicia Degner, tile, Brooklyn Bridge

 

A recent addition are Jessie Schulman's cards of her stunning nature photography and as well as her Rosh Hashanah cards.

 

 

 

Lisett Clark is selling notebooks, very small books and prints of her fabric collage pieces. If you look carefully you can see her tiny book earrings.

 

Speaking of earrings I was thrilled to find Pat Dignan's Out of the Woods selection of jewelry. I am a huge fan of treasures found in the woods. Here are her lichen earrings.

 

I am selling collages, prints and yesterday added free coloring book pages to introduce my two coloring books available in the Maker's Market.

This is truly the tip of the iceberg of the wonderful offerings at the Maker's Market. There are literally hundreds of items available for immediate purchase. We've got you covered for beautiful, whimsical, humorous, practical and just plain cool.

Maker's Market is open during regular BWAC hours, Saturday and Sunday 1 - 6 pm. The shop is located right by the front door on the Van Brunt side of the gallery.

Share this post with your friends and family. Make sure they know about this wonderful opportunity to not only support local artists but to add  more art to their lives.

Have work in the Makers Market? Let me know what you'd like me to feature in Part 2.

Studio Visit: Renee Radenberg

It all started with a ferry ride. I am a big fan of Renee Radenberg’s glass art and I wanted to learn more about her process and see her studio. As it turned out, my son was visiting from Florida with his bike at the time so we grabbed the ferry to visit Renee and bike on the boardwalk in  Rockaway Park.

Verrazzano Bridge

Renee’s studio is the entire lowest level of her home, rebuilt after being destroyed during storm Sandy. I’m sure it was impressive before but now it’s a showplace of her work, tools and supplies.

 

Renee in her studio

 

This assortment of glass welcomes visitors on entering the studio highlighting the color and unique quality of glass. What becomes immediately clear is that she has tools! I have never been in a studio space so decked out…but then I'm more likely to frequent drawing and painting studios with few requirements for tools.

 

 

I was immediately drawn into the work she had on her tables.Each piece goes through a number of steps in the process to completion: sawing, layering and distorting. If you are interested in working with glass, she does offer classes.

Glass has such unique qualities of color; think stained glass windows. Translucence is obviously an important characteristic but glass can also be opalescent with it's own appeal. As with any material it has its own language. That language certainly speaks to me.

This piece is made with glass frit (crushed glass) and then fired which forms a ‘Lacey’ look.

This piece is layering of glass with textured glass (fired so you can feel the glass but it is fused to the top layer of glass. We call it a Tac fuse) on the top layer. The materials used are glass powders, glass enamels, frit and small pieces of sheet glass.

More Tools

Did I say tools?

For sawing glass

Set up for photographing her work

We had a wonderful visit, saw some amazing art and had a nice bike ride and ferry ride home.

Be sure to check out her work at the BWAC Makers Market. There are many lovely pieces in a wide range of prices.

Renee's website 

Renee's Instagram  She does a great job including video of her work in progress

I look forward to more studios visits with BWAC members. Let me know if you are interested.

Kristin Reiber Harris

krharris46@gmail.com

Learn the Art of Curating as an Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered how an exhibit at BWAC comes together? 

 

What needs to happen to get the work in the door and up on the walls? BWAC’s exhibition schedule provides numerous opportunities each year for members and interns to assist the curators and learn the ropes, one of the myriad experiences BWAC makes available to its members to expand their skill set and support each other.

A curator needs to know the gallery space like the back of their hand. The real magic is placing each work of art in the perfect spot, arranging the pieces to be mutually complimentary and creating a visual flow through the exhibit. This is part of the magic and expertise of a skilled curator.

There's lots of handwork to hang the show. Artwork has to be unpacked and packing materials stores for return shipping. Work is then placed around the gallery to finalize the placement of each piece. Last but not least is the hanging, which involves ladders, screw guns and levels.

Want to get involved? Terry Urban and Sandy Forrest are curating the Wide Open exhibition and would appreciate your help. You can reach Sandy at sandyclare@earthlink.net. Not available now, you can always contact BWAC admin (beewack2019@gmail.com), presidents or board members to volunteer. Join in the fun, learn something and make a difference.

 

What would you like to see highlighted in a BWAC Buzz post? Let me know. I am always interested in your thoughts. krharris46@gmail.com

 

BWAC is Back

BWAC burst into spring with three blockbuster shows now on view Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm - 6pm through June 5th. We had a good crowd celebrating the opening of our 2022 season and appreciating the amazingly diverse and exceptional collection of artworks on exhibit.

Elements Manju Shandler, Tapestry, tapestry

 

Elements

Elements is a national juried show focusing on a contemporary interpretation of the five elements, considered the building blocks of life. There are 122 of pieces in the exhibit from artists all over the country. Elements is also available on our Artsy site.

 

Sky Earth Sea, Susan Handwerker, Orange Turtle, ceramic

Sky Earth Sea

Aligned with Elements, the BWAC members show on the second floor of the gallery is Sky Earth Sea. The member shows provide numerous opportunities during the season for member artists to exhibit their work.

 

Art and Artists for Ukraine, Jeffrey Haddorff, Listen to My Eyes, clay and steel

Art and Artists for Ukraine

With matching funds provided by Gap Inc, Art and Artists for Ukraine is a fundraiser for Ukranian refugees. Half of the proceeds will go to the USA for UNHCR fund established by the United Nations to help refugees of the war in Ukraine. The Gap’s generous contribution doubles the assistance provided to families in need. See the exhibition and make purchases on the BWAC Artsy site.

My Favorites

As I walked through the gallery on Saturday, I was impressed with the diversity of the work represented. There is something for everyone…you must see it for yourself.

Here are a few other standouts for me.

Elements, Terrie Powers, Earth Exposure, painting on unstretched canvas

 

I am a rock hound and love this depiction with its scale and palette. The image renders an almost light and airy quality to these grounding objects.

Elements, Ann G Corbett, Gardener's Eden, acrylic and marker on canvas

 

What a perfect depiction of spring: the exuberance of new growth and that wonderful pale green we associate with the season.

 

Sky, Earth, Sea, Broderick Price, Yankee Doodle, archival giclee

 

I had the opportunity to talk to Broderick and spend some time observing this work. I am drawn in and find new vistas to explore every time I look at it.

 

 

Sky, Earth, Sea, John Jerard

What great whimsy, although I am sure this is based on a real creature. The 3D work in these three exhibits adds so much to the experience. For me the work really came alive.

Makers Market

Don't forget the artwork available in our store as you enter the gallery. Sandy Forrest has some new ceramic boxes and this jar, almost good enough to eat.

 

 

Makers Market, Sandy Forrest, ceramic

Have you seen the shows? 

What were your favorites? What caught your eye?

I want to entice you to get down to the gallery before June 5th or actually get down numerous times and bring your friends. BWAC is Back!

Please share this post with your friends and family. BWAC is all about artists helping each other and sharing our work.

 

Meet BWAC Member: Hyacinth Paul

I "met" Hyacinth because I uploaded her work to the BWAC Artsy gallery. I enjoyed seeing her paintings and became especially curious about her art making when I learned about her background as a scientist.

 

A Walk in the Woods,  16X20 inches without frame and 18X22 inches with frame

 

 

 

 

 

Hyacinth is donating this painting to BWAC's Ukraine fundraiser.

Why do you make art?

 I make art because it makes me feel happy and I was surprised that it moves people and they respond to it positively as well.  It starts a conversation and that is so satisfying to me.  It is a way for me to communicate my thoughts I feel in a particular moment through the colors on my palette. I stopped creating art on a canvas after I turned nine years of age once I picked science as a subject of study, I did not have the time to create paintings.  But after 2018, I just can’t stop creating!



What tools/materials do you find essential in your studio?

 I need a peaceful place to create, above all.  The stillness of the night where my thoughts are free is key.  In terms of physical materials, a good painting surface, quality paints - both oils, & acrylic and more recently water colors are essential. I also like experimenting with different mixed media that I incorporate into my paintings as well as implements other than brushes. 



Where do you find inspiration?

 My inspiration is the beautiful world around me.  I am inspired by bright colors.  I love the interplay of color and believe that color sparks synesthesia and involuntarily evokes feelings of joy.  I was always drawn to bright colors and used it in my everyday life.  Unbeknownst to me, when I created 58 paintings in the 58th year of my life and arranged it on my website, I was shocked to see how colorful my paintings were. Upon analyzing the reason why that was so, I came to the conclusion that I was using color all my life to lift up my spirits.  

Meet BWAC Artist: Renee Radenberg

 

Globe,cast glass, 7"x7"x7"

I met Renee through the Makers Mart, instantly intrigued by her creations in glass. I am not well versed in the techniques used to work with glass and to me it's just magic. I have enjoyed following her work and getting an idea of the very wide range of objects she creates.

 

1. Why do you make art? 

I create so people can experience the wonderment of glass. Glass has a wonder-ful physical property - transparent or opaque - allowing you to see the illusion of space and depth, the constant play of positive and negative spaces.  This causes a magical flow within the glass, embodying fun, playfulness, and the spiritual energy of nature. This can be healing - by holding you in the present moment to enjoy that magic, be enthralled and charmed so you forget the world’s challenges. 

2. What tools/materials do you find essential in your studio?

As a glass artist I need a lot of equipment and materials to create the different techniques of fused glass. The most important piece of equipment is the Kiln (I have 2 kilns) where the ‘magic’ happens. Then there are equipment needed to grind the glass, such as wet saw, lap grinder, wet belt sander, ring saw, and a sand-blaster.
Of course glass is the number one material. Glass has numerous colors that comes in sheets, glass powders, crushed glass (called Frit), glass ‘stringers’ (looks like spaghetti), and billets (large thick ‘bricks’ of glass used to cast glass).  

Get a Jump on Spring with The Elements!

 BWAC is excited to open the Spring season with the juried show The Elements. Don’t delay, entry deadline is March 13.

Link to the prospectus for The Elements.

Submit your entries here.

 

BWAC is pleased to have Curatorial Fellow Scout Hutchinson of the Whitney Museum of American Art as the juror for this exhibition.

The theme of this juried show is the five elements. Many cultures and traditions have wanted to simplify the workings of the universe to five components/building blocks.  The different philosophies have their own unique lists but with much overlapping. This exhibit defines the five elements as wind, fire, earth, sky and air. 

This is the BWAC challenge: visualize what this ancient tradition means in our modern world. What can you add to this age old dialogue?

Prizes

What’s in it for you? First, second and third Best of Show winners will be featured on BWAC’s Artsy page. Every accepted entry will be on exhibit at the BWAC gallery space in Red Hook, Brooklyn from April 30th to June 5th, 2022 and on sale to gallery visitors. 

BWAC's Artsy gallery 

The prospectus for the show provides all the details about the submission process, please read it carefully.  Here are a few highlights. 

Submission is through SmarterEntry with online payment starting the process. The fee for three images is $35 and $5 for each additional image. There is a discount for BWAC members, be sure to check the BWAC newsletter for details. This show is open to all residents of the US and territories who are 18 years or older. 

Submitted images need to be JPG, TIF, or PNG files with the longest side 1,280 pixels or less, up to 2MB each. The image entry number is to be included in the filename when submitted.

This is a wonderful opportunity for BWAC members and artists all over the country to exhibit their work at our fabulous space in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Be sure to share this information with friends.

Link to the prospectus for The Elements.

Submit your entries here.

Why I'm A Member of BWAC: Join Us

Kristin Reiber Harris:

I have been making animation, prints, drawings and teaching for over 40 years. I moved to NYC (Bay Ridge) three years ago. I came for family reasons but liked the idea of being in such a creative environment. As luck would have it, Alicia Degener (BWAC co-president) is a neighbor and I met her soon after I arrived. She was very generous to include me in a number of shows last year as a non-member. I am now officially a member and on the Board of Directors. 

I enthusiastically embrace my active participation in BWAC because it is inclusive, ambitious and truly invested in supporting the arts and its members. The space is an exciting venue. I have seen some incredible artwork and met (despite this crazines) many wonderful artists. The more the merrier, JOIN US!  KristinHarrisDesign.com

Brooke Lambert:

Although I live and work in Lowell, MA, I am always looking for new ways to expand my network and exhibit my art beyond the Boston area. I first discovered BWAC while searching for printmaking calls for art in New York. I applied for BWAC’s juried show Prints 2021 and was excited to get in. At the show opening and closing, co-presidents Susan and Alicia both encouraged me to join BWAC. I was so thrilled! Living in Massachusetts, BWAC membership involves  traveling 4-6 hours to participate in shows and my volunteer contributions are done remotely. I think it’s well worth it for this amazing opportunity to enter into the New York art scene and share my art with the impressive community of artists in this gallery and beyond. JOIN US!

BrookeLambertArtist.com

                                         

Alicia Degener:

I am a member to work with fellow artists to run one of the most inspiring exhibition spaces in NYC.

I have no less than 25,000 sq ft of civil war warehouse space overlooking the Statue of Liberty in Red Hook Brooklyn to dream up and curate shows with my fellow members. Providing artists with an amazing space to realize even their biggest ideas is very rewarding as well as the appreciation folks express when they interact with art in person. JOIN US!  www.etsy.com/shop/BrooklynLish

                                         

Susan Handwerker

Why I’m in BWAC? So many reasons! I’ve learned so much about making and displaying art, jurying, curating, publicizing shows, interacting with other artists and visitors, the extraordinary complexities of maintaining a gigantic gallery space and a volunteer organization simultaneously. But mostly, i just know it’s the best deal in town for artists, friends, visitors and collectors! It makes the New York art scene a little more friendly and encouraging for artists to engage with other artists, to access professional feedback and have a beautiful space to exhibit. Bwac allows our diverse community to give voice to new creative directions and push past boundaries with each other’s help. Artists helping artists. Really! JOIN US!

susanhandwerker.com

Check out the BWAC website for information about membership benefits.

BWAC Membership Application

BrooklynSeoul: Meet the Curators Lee Geuryung and Lee Hojin

BrooklynSeoul is currently on view at the BWAC gallery in Red Hook through December 12. Don't miss this exceptional exhibit. You can read this review in the BWAC Buzz for a preview.

                    Lee Geuryung  The self-portrait _ acrylic on canvas_38 x 60 inch

The Curators

Sister and brother team, Lee Geuryung and Lee Hojin are the co-curators of BrooklynSeoul. It's always informative to learn about the curators, their point of view and their objectives with an exhibit. I had the opportunity to meet Lee Geuryung at the Chashama Studios Open House in October. I learned about the exhibit she had proposed to Alicia Degener that was going to open November 13. She told me  she was soliciting Korean, Korean-American artists and artists whose work represented Korean artistic traditions and current Korean contemporary art. As a long time student of Asian art, I was already looking forward to seeing the artwork she would put together. Extra bonus, I love the pun of the title.

As you will learn in the interview, Geuryung is a very new member of BWAC. How incredibly exciting to welcome new members with this kind of vision and energy to  our community!

ChaShaMa Open Studios...Meet the BWAC Artists in Residence

 As a newbie to the multiverse that is Brooklyn, Open Studios are a great way to connect with artists. You have the opportunity to meet artists and see both their work and their working environment. So when BWAC co-president Alicia Degener suggested I visit the ChaShaMa Open Studio event at her studio complex in Sunset Park, I was pleased I could arrange my schedule to do it. My visit will be reported in two posts. The first about BWAC members with studios at this facility and the second about other artists I met on this adventure.

It turned out to be a pleasant 35 minute walk from my apartment. It is located in the Brooklyn Army Terminal which is not a warm and fuzzy place. It’s very large and a bit intimidating…even figuring out how to get in. Fortunately the wise ChaShaMa folks knew I was coming and put out a few signs at strategic locations. 

                     Maurya Brennan, Special Event & Cultivation Director for ChaShaMa

When I finally found the studios, with some help from other pilgrims, I was greeted by Maurya Brennan, Special Events & Cultivation Director for ChaShaMa. I was fascinated to learn ChaShaMa’s origin story. Founded by Anita Durst in 1995, it was dedicated to her mentor who was a filmmaker. In Farsi, ChaShaMa means “to have vision”.  Maurya informs me the ChaShaMa is a complex of over 50 studio facilities and galleries all over NYC. Lots of information on their website. https://chashama.org

There are 96 studios just in this complex at the Army Terminal. I stopped by Alicia Degener’s studio to check in. She has a great space with the coveted windows. I saw her tile prep process set up and a collection of paintings on the wall outside her studio space. She wasn’t there when I first arrived so this was a self-guided tour. I really enjoyed seeing the paintings and drawings on the wall outside her studio. I most frequently see her work on tiles and it's wonderful to see the originals full scale. You can see more of her work on her Etsy site. Or follow her on Instagram @adegener

Alicia Degener, work on paper ont the wall outside her studio

When I did connect with Alicia, she directed me to two fellow BWAC members who have studios at ChaShaMa.  My first stop was with Jonathan P Fischer. We have all seen his work because he has frequently provided graphic design services for BWAC.

                           Jonathan P Fischer, Ombra, 2020, paper collage, 62" x 39"

As a designer/collage artist  I was especially interested to see his work and learn about his process. As you might imagine, his studio was full of magazines and other images from various sources with samples of his work hanging from the wall.

Jonathan P Fischer in his studio

The components of his work I found the most interesting were from movie billboards and posters.  He referenced his days in Rome and finding movie posters he incorporated in his work. We talked a little bit about how copyright issues impact/or don’t impact on his work and collage in general. We had a very pleasant visit. Learn more about his work on Artsy.

                             

Geuryung Lee in her studio

Geuryung Lee was my second stop. She is a very active BWAC member currently curating an upcoming exhibit. As described on the BWAC website:  Brooklyn Seoul presents a fresh variety of art with an emphasis on the world as we know it now from a distinctly Korean point of view. Emerging and mid-career (and under-represented) artists are highly encouraged to apply.

Anticipated Opening is November 13, 2021. All disciplines are welcome. Application fee: $35 (U.S.)Enter at Smarter Entry

  Geuryung Lee, The Rain Coat, mixed media on canvas

This large painting welcomed me into her space. I was immediately drawn to a series of large lithographs Geuryung had on the wall of her studio. They consisted of black brush strokes and one color creating a bold, fluid statment, strong and fluid simultaneously.

                   
Geuryung Lee, the Gratitude series, lithographs

                               

Learn more about her work on her website and Instagram @geuryunglee. I am looking forward to the opening of Brooklyn Seoul that will celebrate art from Korean artists, national artists and Asian culture. See you there. 

I was sorry to miss connecting with BWAC artists also in residence at ChaShaMa Stephanie Norberg and James Rose. 

Stay turned for my next installment about the other artists I met at the ChaShaMa Open Studios.

This blog is produced and written by BWAC board member Kristin Reiber Harris.                You can contact me at krharris46ATgmail.com.

Meet BWAC Artist: Donnelly Marks

         Donnelly and I have had a chance to get acquainted as new members of BWAC. I have great respect and admiration for her as a person and an artist. She is very creative and prolific and I enjoy watching her work on Instagram as it evolves.  Turns out, as you will see, she is very eloquent as well. Read on. 

                           Wing Nº 1, 20"x30", photographic collage on 140 lb watercolor paper

1.     Why do you make art?

 

Creating art is an exhilarating, magical, mind-altering experience and to get lost in the process is a wonderful feeling. Making art puts me right in the moment as well. There’s nothing like being in the now to lift the spirits, which is especially helpful in times like we’re going through now with Covid.

 

Meet BWAC Artist: Brooke Lambert

 

Brooke Lambert, Blossoms, 8"x10", collograph and gauche

I recently met Brooke because her wonderful prints are on the panel next to mine in the Hello, Brooklyn show now hanging at BWAC. I was immediately attracted to her palette and the joyful nature of her work. As a fellow printmaker, I appreciate her dedication to the process and the unique results it produces.

1. Why do you make art?

I make art to express and communicate my feelings about my surroundings

in nature and to share beauty. I believe it’s important to share beauty in the

world and be a source of positivity in people’s living and working

environments. Art for me is about taking something that’s important to me

and making it visible and more beautiful to other people. I’ve always

thought that the best songs are personal to the person who wrote them but

relatable to anyone who listens to them. My goal for my art is similar: to

make something with deep meaning for myself but also something that

translates to the viewer.

2. What tools/materials do you find essential in your studio?

    My works are primarily collagraphs because I’m drawn to the sculptural

qualities and rich range of color I can achieve in this way of working. To

build a collagraph plate, I first take a piece of matboard and cut it down to

my desired print size. I cover the plate with materials I’ve collected,

including string, netting, and pieces of fabric.

After I arrange my materials on the plate, I use a staple gun to attach

them to the plate while using a brush to cover them with gesso, creating a

sculptural, low-relief surface. I take that plate to my printmaking studio

and cover it with ink using a large brush. When it is completely covered

with ink, I use balled-up tarleton to wipe the ink off most of the plate, so it

sticks only in the crevices in my design.

    I put my plate on my printing press and cover it with wet 100 percent

cotton rag paper. I cover that with newsprint, then run it through the press

to make a print. The enormous pressure of the press drum and press

blanket push materials on my plate into the cotton rag paper to create an

embossed print.

    I take my print and go back to my home studio, where I paint with

gouache to add luminosity and color to my pieces. The results are original

painted collagraph prints.