GO Brooklyn: Art At The Brooklyn Army Terminal

On September 8 and 9, the Brooklyn Army Terminal glimmered with local artists’ paintings, three-dimensional canvases, sculptures and photographs as a part of chashama studio’s annual open studio event held in conjunction with the borough-wide Go Brooklyn Art – Open Studio Weekend.

The event granted Brooklyn’s independent artists a chance to showcase their work, allotting each artist a small room in which they could exhibit their pieces for the public’s viewing.

Artists were visibly delighted not only to have the opportunity to display their finest artworks to the general public, but to meet other artists from the Brooklyn area and bask in the creativity.

“It’s been really nice to have this event,” said Leola Bermanzohn, Brooklyn-raised painter and muralist. “It’s great to see local people coming through and learning about the artists here; and it’s great for connecting to the community.”

Artists were split up and situated in two different buildings in the Brooklyn Army Terminal, located at 140 58 Street in Sunset Park. Both buildings had their doors open to the general public—free of charge—and allowed visitors to move in between floors and peruse different exhibits.

The open house also acted as a competition; attendees could opt to register online before or during the exhibit and vote for their favorite artists. The winner will have a chance to present his or her work at the Brooklyn Museum on December 1.

Competition is not what incentivized artists to enroll in the open studio, however. “I think the competition aspect is the smallest part of it. It’s really the antithesis of what this is all about. The event is just a nice way to get the public involved,” explained Abby Goodman, a featured artist.

Artists were both overwhelmed and humbled by the community’s response. At the entrance to each gallery, small notebooks overflowed with email addresses and phone numbers of people who were interested in staying abreast of the each artist’s progress.

“It’s been an incredible opportunity. So many people have showed up,” said Tirtzah Bassel, an Israeli artist currently living and working in Brooklyn. chashama’s second annual open studio event received an astounding communal response, leaving both artists and the neighborhood at large excited for next year’s event.