At ArtCal Zine Hrag Vartanian reports on the Bushwick Open Studios & Art Festival that took place over the weekend in Brooklyn. “This year’s three-day Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) � part of the larger Bushwick Open Studios & Arts Festival � landed on a blistering weekend in June that hindered studio hopping for everyone but the artistically most adventurous. The event demonstrated the growing presence of this north Brooklyn neighborhood in the city’s artscape. A mixed bag of quality and vision, BOS has grown to include hundreds of artists in about 100 locations. From the neighborhood’s new downtown area near the Morgan L stop to the cemeteries near Jackie Robinson parkway, this huge swathe of New York’s most populous borough attracted over a thousand art tourists from near and far. Now with various non-profit institutions (Lumenhouse, 3rd Ward), four art galleries (Ad Hoc, English Kills, Pocket Utopia, Factory Fresh), a burgeoning downtown area (Morgantown) and an artistic energy that encourages experimentation, the latest installment of BOS may be proving that Bushwick is getting ready for a bigger role in the city’s creative life.” Check out his excellent slide show. For more coverage of the Bushwick Open Studios, check out BushwickBK, a site devoted to life in Bushwick.
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Interview with Bushwick artist Deborah Brown
“What�s your favorite part of living in Bushwick?: I like the mix of people, the authenticity. I like the gritty landscape, the pockets of beauty, the eccentricity of the architecture, the clash of cultures and customs, the sense of possibilities. I like my neighbors. I love being part of the artistic community and getting to know other artists working here. I love what the organizers of Arts in Bushwick are doing.”