Bushwick residents are tidying up this weekend for a few thousand guests.
Neighborhood artists are welcoming visitors to more than 500 studios from Montrose to Myrtle Avenues on June 1 to June 3 for Arts in Bushwick’s sixth annual Bushwick Open Studios.
Navigating one of the largest free art crawls in the city can be exhausting and confusing — we remember going when it was only a handful of art spaces — and there’s even a helpful new app that Arts in Bushwick produced just for the weekend.
But stick to the largest loft buildings containing a honeycomb of art studios and scores of busy artists.
We’ve picked out a 12 our favorite spots that are worth the trip.
250 Moore Street #108
Who needs a three-hour wait at Roberta’s when you can pass the time across the street at Paul D’Agostino’s gallery, Centotto. Austin Thomas, Meg Lipke, Josh Willis, and Gili Levy are featured.
117 Grattan Street
Grattan Street is one of the smaller loft buildings but has a collection of longtime Bushwick artists, including ceramicist Andrew Cornell Robinson and Adam Simon, whose work is a steal — literally!
119 Ingraham Street
Down the street, you’ll find the Brooklyn Fireproof complex, where you’ll find a mix of painting and video art studios. Check out Rebecca Litt and Gili Levy’s painting studio on the third floor and head downstairs to the bar for some refreshments.
566 Johnson Avenue
Bushwick’s youngest curator Ashley Zelinskie is presenting new work from the neighborhood’s den mother, Deborah Brown, at her gallery, Active Space. Joining them, Bushwick’s cheerleader-in-chief Katarina Hybenova is curating a lovely group show. Good vibes all around.
1182 Flushing Avenue
One of our favorite small studio buildings is home to Bushwick pioneer Rico Gatson, who killed it at Exit Art recently, and Bjoern Meyer-Ebrecht, whose architectural collages are always intricate and stunning.
1820 Flushing Avenue
Time to hit the ‘Donk, aka The Onderdonk House, the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in the entire city.
Check out the compelling sculpture garden in the backyard and learn about life in 17th century Queens before all the artists moved there.
1717 Troutman Street
Next door to the historic site is one of the largest art lofts in the festival, which include art galleries Parallel Arts Studio and Regina Rex, one of the leading small galleries in the neighborhood. Stop by Ray Cross’s screenprinting shop and pick up a badass t-shirt or tote.
49 Wyckoff Avenue
Back in Brooklyn, visit the third floor of a storage warehouse and you’ll find Ben Godward’s globular foam sculptures that remind us of the Nickelodeon slime geyser, and Myles Bennett’s inspiring cut paper sculptures.
83 Wyckoff Avenue
Stop by curator Jason Andrew’s gallery, Norte Maar, exhibiting Bushwick triple-threat Oliver Ralli’s paper and film collages. The best of Bushwick in one place — and there’s mimosas on Saturday morning!
322 Troutman Street
Sneak into this first floor working studio featuring Brent Owens’s tapestry-inspired wood sculptures, Sarah Bednarek’s model shop, Stephen Truax’s geometric paintings, and Jess Grable’s creepy chandelier made from horseshoe crabs.
70 Jefferson Street
You’ll find something to love at Jefferson Street’s Airplane gallery, curated by Lars Kremer, Liz Atzberger, and Kevin Curran.
108 Starr Street
Jules de Balincourt, the Duke of Bushwick, converted his Starr Street abode into an art fair called Bushwick Basel and filled it with cubicles for each neighborhood gallery to exhibit work. If you want a taste of what the area’s gallery scene has to offer, this is the place.
Arts in Bushwick’s Bushwick Open Studios. June 1–3. For times and locations, www.artsinbushwick.org/bos2012
