Bay Ridge residents celebrated the 11th annual Art Walk on Saturday, where art lovers rejoiced at the work from local would-be Picassos.
During the event, which was hosted by the Bay Ridge Arts and Cultural Alliance, attendees were guided through different shops, where store owners presented the work of artists from around the area.
According to a BRACA spokesperson, the event was created as a way to get the community to engage with art during the winter months when people tend to stay home.
“Bay Ridge has so many rich cultural opportunities, but not so many at this time of the year. By February, we are all suffering from cabin fever. Embrace Winter was created by BRACA in 2013 to fill that gap-time,” the spokesperson said in a statement. So why not have fun and enjoy a laidback event that partners and promotes local businesses with local arts & cultural organizations.”
The day began at Cosentino’s Fish Market where owners displayed work from the Scandinavian East Coast Museum. According to event organizers, this year’s presentation focused on ‘Remembering the Norwegian Resistance’ with pieces highlighting Norway’s fight against Nazi propaganda.
Victoria Hofmo, founder and president of BRACA, explained the artwork to attendees along the walk.
“This is an old town. This is an old Dutch colony and we’ve been making art for a long time. We just wanted to promote each other,” she said to the crowd. “It’s really just to promote all of the artists and cultural groups.”
Other stops included fan favorite cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and boutiques in the area including Caffè Café, A.L.C. Italian Grocery and Towne Boutique.
Green Spa, a wellness center off of Third Avenue, boasted work from Aeilushi Mistry, a teaching artist, performer, and
choreographer, who centers their work around ancient Indian traditions.
“My work relies on honoring five elements. I am grateful to have blessings with such natural phenomena occurrences. I continue to tell stories through various platforms,” Mistry said.
BRACA launched in 2013 with a mission of supporting and promoting the cultural richness of Bay Ridge — and group continues to look for more ways to implement art appreciation into the neighborhood.
