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Studio success at inaugural Industry City Open Studios event

April 29, 2014 Heather Chin

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by SB News

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The digits on the little hand-held tally counter read 1,585.

That was the number of people who walked into the Visitors Center lobby at Building 2 for Industry Citys inaugural Open Studios event on Saturday, April 26. Collectively, well over 1,600 people participated in the event, say artist organizers, who welcomed visitors into their homes away from home to see works-in-progress and chat about art, inspiration, Brooklyn and more.

To have people coming into your space, commenting on your workit builds a relationship between viewer and artist, said Aleya Lehmann, a fine arts photographer whose studio is in Building 2, located at 220 36^th Street. Its very personal [space and work], so its really special to experience it. People like to look at art, but they dont usually have the opportunity to speak to the artist.

Unlike many other open studios events in Brooklyn, the one at Industry City was organized by and featured 75 of the artists who rent space in the buildings along the Sunset Park waterfront. Art on display included paintings, photographer, sculpture, video pieces and more.

Open studio visitors were also treated to outdoor performances, from House of Strengths (Zoorkhaneh) movement and music piece inspired by traditional Persian gymnasiums, to best-selling author and storyteller Mishka Shubalys excerpt from his latest work and Paul Meadows original slop folk music.

The days festivities featured printed guides to help guests navigate the historic maze of industrial buildings that are fast becoming a hub of creative and manufacturing energy and innovation.

The geography has changed. [Artist communities] were in the East Village and Soho and now are in Brooklyn, Chelsea and Soho, noted Lehmann. Brooklyn has bloomed and we are the newest kid on the block.

I [hope] everyone walk[ed] away with the wow factor, added Carol Dronsfield, a commercial and fine arts photographer who used to work in advertising and now creates art full time. I hope curators saw the talent, that people saw a world thats not their everyday world, and I hope people walked away wanting to buy paint and create art.

To browse a list of participating artists and their work, visit IndustryCityStudios.org.