Christopher Stout, Artist and Founder of Bushwick Art Crit Group, shares his favorite places to enjoy Bushwick art.

By: Christopher Stout, Artist and Founder of Bushwick Art Crit Group.

I have been making art since the mid 90’s, first in my hometown of Washington, D.C, next for many years in the parallel universe known as San Francisco, and since 2007 here in New York.

I founded Bushwick Art Crit Group two years ago because I specifically wanted to give back to the art world in Bushwick, which has brought me so much joy. BACG started as a monthly artist lecture series. I asked permission and based our program from a similar lecture series run by artist and friend Linda Griggs, who has her studio in the Lower East Side.

As we’re all gearing up for this year’s big spring art exhibition season, here’s a quick primer on where and how to see great work by Bushwick artists.

1.Find great Bushwick art in the Monolithic Gallery Warehouses

Here you will find an abundance of interesting Bushwick Art galleries, such as Studio10, THEODORE:Art, fuchs projects, as well as the much loved nonprofit spaces NURTUREart and Momenta Art. Fabulous choices are everywhere and options abound!

2. Find great Bushwick art in our neighborhood’s Blue Chip Galleries

They’re big and they’re industry standards… the high art obsessed make it point to track and follow Bushwick top tier galleries such as Luhring Augustine and Deborah Brown’s Storefront Ten Eyck.

Photo: Philip Taaffe at Luhring Augustine Bushwick, on view until April 26th

3. Find great Bushwick art in bespoke, emerging art spaces whose work merits a special pilgrimage

There are certainly a bevy of choices for art lovers who are willing to travel for more maverick and unique experiences. Here are some of my personal favorites that are strongly worth noting:

Brooklyn Fire Proof gallery recently rebranded as Temporary Storage Space Gallery after a total space renovation. Since then they’ve been showing exceptionally well thought out and smartly installed shows under the direction of Burr Dodd and Hazel Lee Santino.

The current example is a Russian art themed show on view until March 8th.

Work by Artist Eric Oglander and Douglas Degges, “Makring Stuff Out of Things,” Wayferers Gallery, on view March 6-22.
One of Bushwick’s favorite local art duos is Eric Oglander and Douglas Degges.

They have a 2-person show “Making Stuff Out of Things,” opening March 6th at Wayfarers Gallery in which each one will be responsible for choosing, curating, and installing the other one’s work.

 

4. Find great Bushwick Art on our Streets

Street art in our neighborhood has been elevated to the status of guided tours… oh, and those shirts you’re seeing all over the Lower East Side right now might be from Sines Art.

5. Find Great Bushwick Art at the Neighbor’s Place

Image caption: Installation view of SEASTEAD AT NIGHT, a new exhibition by Brooklyn artist Victor Liu at REVERSE on view Feb 27th—March 22nd.

Gasp!!! Some of my favorite Brooklyn art spaces are technically in Williamsburg, our trendier neighbor to the East. Shows at Pierogi Gallery, REVERSE video-focused art space, or neighborhood pioneer Front Room Gallery are always a sure thing.

6. Find Great Bushwick Art in Chelsea

As New York prepares for this year’s Armory Art Fair weekend, which includes The Armory Show, the ADAA show at Park Armory, VOLTA, and Pulse, a younger edgier fair, named SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, captures the energy independence, and DIY spirit of Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Photo: Moyihan Station, home of this year’s SPRING/BREAK Art Fair