This weekend marks the fifth annual Bushwick Open Studios festival, a three-day arts extravaganza that takes over the streets and galleries of Bushwick with gonzo performances, exhibits, and workshops celebrating the many spoils of the Bushwick art scene. And despite the L train being screwed this weekend, it's still worth taking an alternate route out to the neighborhood to catch some of the madness. There are 350 artists participating this year, and here's a small sampling of what you can find at the festival. For a full roster of all events and artists, see here.
“So Happy Together"
Over the course of nine weeks this winter, a group of artists met every Wednesday night for an informal collaborative drawing session. "So Happy Together" is the result of those sessions, a mixture of drawings, paintings, collages and cut-outs from 45 different artists.
Norte Maar, 83 Wykoff Ave #1B
Fri, 6-9 p.m.; Sat 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Sun 12-7 p.m., free
Surrealism/ One Day Sculpture Garden
"Surrealism" features twenty artists from the neighborhood "wrestling with their unconscious," and to celebrate the opening of the new show, Factory Fresh artists will be also be constructing a one-day outdoor sculpture garden for gallery-hoppers seeking a breath of fresh air.
Factory Fresh, 1053 Flushing Ave
Sat 1-7 p.m., free
Magnificent Mayhem Showcase and Party
The "official" Saturday night party of the fest, MM will feature music from Deathrow Tull, The Nuclears and Technicolor Lenses, plus "dance and movement" from performers Fresh Ground Pepper and Coco Carol. There will also be live painting by Crystal Clarity, Maggie Muldoon and someone named 0H10M1ke, and live screen printing from Werdlink.com, with promises of even more mayhem to be announced.
The Morgan Performance Space, 25 Bogart St, back room
Sat 6 p.m.- 3 a.m., $5
Music & Film Festival
Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, a whole slew of local musicians and filmmakers are taking over Goodbye Blue Monday. A full lineup is available here for film and here for music, but here are some names to look out for.
In film: Jason Martin (Power Animals, videos and live performance on topics including witchcraft and gender hybridity, Saturday at 6 p.m.), Eric Cheevers (16 mm films and music videos from the likes of The Walkmen, Saturday at 8:30 p.m.), and Ray Sweeten (oscilloscope and video feedback, Sunday at 8 p.m.)
In music: American Sun (rocking girl-pop, Saturday at 8:45 p.m.), LoveStruck (rockabilly-ish garage rock, Saturday at 10:15 p.m.), and Lightning Kites (dreamy retro Euro pop, Sunday at 8 p.m.).
Goodbye Blue Monday, 1087 Broadway
Sat 6 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sun 6 p.m.- 12 a.m.
Brooklyn Torch Project
This child-friendly mixed media workshop is described as "a local currency project working to bring an alternative paper exchange medium to North Brooklyn," which could mean anything from Post-it notes to Kleenex, for all we know.
Brooklyn Fireproof, 119 Ingraham St #411
Saturday and Sunday, 2-5 p.m.
Meet Me at the Market
A group of artists working with everything from painting, drawing, sculpture, dance, performance art, comedy, jewelry and food will set up shop in the historic Moore Street Retail Market, offering interactive classes and exhibitions throughout the weekend.
Moore Street Retail Market, 110 Moore St
Saturday and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. (open at 10 a.m. Saturday for coffee)
