This past weekend marked a First for me.
I participated in my first New York art show.
Greenpoint Gallery’s “Small Works Show” opened this past Friday night. The exhibit featured artworks by a healthy group of emerging artists in the Brooklyn area working in mediums from paint to pencil to ready made objects (toy cars and toy soldiers popped up in – and out from – some works).
Hidden in the upper levels of an old nondescript building on the edge of Greenpoint, the gallery show felt like a secret underground party arranged by the hippest art crowd. Upon entering through the discrete, unmarked door from the bleak and icy street, visitors climbed two flights of stairs only to enter a warm and buzzing gallery room hosting a solo show. The next floor housed the group show and was even more packed. Artists and friends chatted over Pabst Blue Ribbons as incense curled through the air. A band set up as gallery goers perused the works and lounged on the much-loved couches, propped up amidst the fake potted trees and random mannequins wearing alien masks. The decor was almost as weird as some of the art on view. A fitting environment that made me feel weird and welcome all at once.
All in all, a good start.