On the Avenue: Cold weather, snow mean it’s time to ‘Embrace Winter’

There’s extreme cold and snowfall in the forecast, but there’s no need to panic! Instead, why not simply “Embrace Winter” and celebrate the arts “on the avenue” in Bay Ridge?

The Bay Ridge Arts & Cultural Alliance is once again inviting artists and makers to participate in its Annual Embrace Winter Festival — a celebration of the arts that brings artists, merchants and the community together for special exhibits on display along Third Avenue.

“This will be our 10th anniversary,” BRACA President Victoria Hofmo recently announced.

Although the continued concerns about COVID-19 have caused the group to cancel its typical live performances and hands-on activities, there will still be plenty of art to admire.

Artists will be paired up with a local participating business. The event is run in partnership with the Merchants of Third Avenue, Hofmo said. 

“We encourage you to think about submitting a piece(s) that reflects a winter theme and/or February/March holiday, but you should not be limited by this if you have work(s) that you wish to display,” she added.

Bay Ridge Arts & Cultural Alliance President Victoria Hofmo checks out some artwork displayed inside a Third Avenue business during a recent Embrace Winter Festival.

Featured artists are asked to leave their work up for an entire month — from Saturday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, March 27 — and participate in a special Art Walk on Saturday, March 19 to promote their participation in the event.

Also on that day, makers will set up tables “on the avenue” for the afternoon.

“The day will include a Mardi Gras theme and we plan to have it led by a band, preferably a New Orleans-style street band,” Hofmo announced.

Interested artists and businesses should contact Hofmo directly at victoriahofmo1@gmail.com or 347-860-1932. 

Here’s to another winter of embracing art and commerce on Third Avenue and beyond!

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On Fifth Avenue, members of the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID were pleased to partner with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to host a career fair in Industry City on Thursday, Jan. 27.

“We teamed up with our partners at the Brooklyn Chamber to focus on the employment needs of local businesses,” BID officials said. “Throughout the pandemic, Brooklyn’s businesses have been leading the way.”

The fair featured more than 50 businesses set up at informational tables and ready to recruit jobseekers from throughout Brooklyn. The turnout was impressive, indicating that so many who have lost their jobs on account of the pandemic are indeed ready to return to the workforce.

How wonderful it is to see BID Executive Director Amanda Zenteno and Brooklyn Chamber President Randy Peers working together to continue to help workers and businesses put the pandemic behind them.

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