An Open Call For Fungi

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition & Brooklyn Mushroom is proud to announce its open call for the international juried art exhibition “FUNGI.”

 Fungi, one of the most mysterious and least understood realms in biology, holds the power to influence, sustain, and kill us. This multimedia art show brings together diverse creative expressions — such as but not limited to visual art, sculpture, sound art, video, and performance-all inspired by the enigmatic world of fungi.

 We welcome both emerging and seasoned artists to apply. The show will exhibit approximately 40 works. Join us in exploring a realm that bridges art, science, psychedelics, and biology.

 The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is an artist-run, 501(c)3 nonprofit. With 25,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space set in a Civil War- era warehouse on the waterfront of Red Hook Brooklyn. BWAC provides exhibition opportunities to artists of various levels of experience as well as professional development and public engagement. Explore membership opportunities at bwac.org

 Brooklyn Mushroom is a platform dedicated to cultivating knowledge sharing, arts, culture, and community around all things mycological. This past winter, they held their third biannual Fungi Festival, which drew 1,200 people to the one-day event.

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline Sunday, May  16, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates: Saturday, June 07 – Sunday, June 29, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, June 07, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Complete details in the Prospectus PDF here

Ready to submit? Click here

Order/Chaos

Order and chaos are often considered opposites, but they are actually interconnected and can coexist.

In this exhibition BWAC Members tackle questions of how artists in general and how they themselves deal with this dynamic in art. Do they employ techniques governed by outside or objective concerns (physical shape, space, distance, etc. This show is about how do they approach order from that chaos.

If you enjoyed our “Creative Process” exhibition last year you will like Order/Chaos as the member artists share not just a collection of wonderful works but a bit of context as well.

We hope to see at the pier.

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Dreamscapes: Reimagining What Was Left Behind

BWAC is proud to feature Member artist Sergei Saakian's solo show Dreamscapes: Reimagining What Was Left Behind.

This show blends personal memory and imagination of landscapes and figures from Sergei's childhood in Dagestan. Through subtle abstraction and vivid imagery, his works explore the shifting nature of memory and identity, reflecting on how the places and people we leave behind continue to resonate within us.

Sergei Saakian (b. 1959, Makhachkala, Soviet Dagestan) is a New York-based artits whose work explores themes of displacement, identity, and cultural memory. Growing up in a multicultural, historically complex region deeply shaped his approach to painting and drawing, which continues to evolve since his move to NYC in 1990.

The exhibit will be on view on the second floor for our Spring open.

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Animalia

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is proud to announce its national juried art exhibition “Animalia.”

45,000 years ago Homo sapiens pulverized ochre into a powder and mixed it with water to produce a vivid paint they used to represent something with deep symbolic significance and spiritual value on their cave walls in Indonesia: a pig. These “warty pig paintings” are the earliest known examples of abstract thinking and artistic skills by early man. Since that time our obsession with representing animals in art has not waned but flourished.

BWAC kicks off our 2025 season celebrating our relationship with “Animalia” of all kinds represented in various media.

In partnership with local animal rescue groups; dogs and cats will be available for adoption during the show. Trap, Neuter and Release (“TNR”) workshops will also be available for people to get involved helping to maintain NYC’s exploding feral cat communities. “Animalia” celebrates artists long fascination with animals and the art that began with a pig in ochre. 

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Threaded Visions

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is excited to announce the national juried art exhibition “Threaded Visions: Fashion in Art.”

Fashion has long been more than just clothing—it is a statement, a form of self-expression, and a reflection of culture, identity, and time. Throughout history, artists have depicted fashion in their work, immortalizing trends and styles that tell stories of class, power, and innovation. Simultaneously, fashion designers have drawn inspiration from art, incorporating techniques, textures, and narratives from paintings, sculptures, and architecture into their creations. Threaded Visions presents a dialogue between these two worlds from traditional to experimental expressions of art. 

This is an interesting show.

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

An Open Call, Biophilia

BIOPHILIA: The Love of Nature

 From the forests that surround us to the mycelium beneath our feet, nature’s wonders are woven into our world—leaves, needles, branches, sprouts, plants, trees, vegetables, and fruit.

 BWAC invites artists to explore the beauty, mystery, and pleasure of nature in all its forms. Whether delicate or untamed, fleeting or enduring, organic life inspires and connects us.

We welcome all media, including digital, drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, collage, and photography. Original and framed work only.

Whatever appeals to you in nature, we want to see.

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is an artist-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With 25,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space set in a Civil War-era warehouse on the waterfront of Red Hook Brooklyn. BWAC provides exhibition opportunities to artists of various levels of experience as well as professional development and public engagement. Explore membership opportunities at bwac.org

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline Friday, May 9, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, June 7 – Sunday, June 29, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Complete details in the Prospectus PDF here

Ready to submit? Click here

An Open Call, ANIMALIA

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is proud to announce its open call for the national juried art exhibition “Animalia.”

45,000 years ago Homo sapiens pulverized ochre into a powder and mixed it with water to produce a vivid paint they used to represent something with deep symbolic significance and spiritual value on their cave walls in Indonesia: a pig. These “warty pig paintings” are the earliest known examples of abstract thinking and artistic skills by early man. Since that time our obsession with representing animals in art has not waned but flourished.

BWAC kicks off our 2025 season celebrating our relationship with “Animalia” of all kinds represented in any media. In partnership with local animal rescue groups; dogs and cats will be available for adoption during the show. Trap, Neuter and Release (“TNR”) workshops will also be available for people to get involved helping to maintain NYC’s exploding feral cat communities. “Animalia” celebrates artists long fascination with animals and the art that began with a pig in ochre.

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is an artist-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With 25,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space set in a Civil War-era warehouse on the waterfront of Red Hook Brooklyn. BWAC provides exhibition opportunities to artists of various levels of experience as well as professional development and public engagement. Explore membership opportunities at bwac.org

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline Sunday, March 30, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Complete details in the Prospectus PDF here

Ready to submit? Click here

An Open Call THREADED VISIONS: Fashion in Art

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is excited to announce its open call for the national juried art exhibition “Threaded Visions: Fashion in Art.”

Fashion has long been more than just clothing—it is a statement, a form of self-expression, and a reflection of culture, identity, and time. Throughout history, artists have depicted fashion in their work, immortalizing trends and styles that tell stories of class, power, and innovation. Simultaneously, fashion designers have drawn inspiration from art, incorporating techniques, textures, and narratives from paintings, sculptures, and architecture into their creations. Threaded Visions presents a dialogue between these two worlds.

BWAC invites artists to submit original pieces of artwork that respond to the theme of “Fashion in Art.” 

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is an artist-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With 25,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space set in a Civil War-era warehouse on the waterfront of Red Hook Brooklyn. BWAC provides exhibition opportunities to artists of various levels of experience as well as professional development and public engagement. Explore membership opportunities at bwac.org

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline EXTENDED: Final Application Deadline Friday, March 21, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 18, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Complete details in the Prospectus PDF here

Ready to submit? Click here

2024 EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

HAPPY 2025 ALL!

2024 was a year filled with the art 21 different exhibitions and our Holiday Market. Below are highlights of the shows you may have missed. We are actively working on our 2025 calendar which will be posted in the coming weeks.

BWAC Member Spring Show

Spring 1 Juried Show

Spring 1 Juried Show

SUMMER RECAP

Here is a quick glimpse at what you missed or our Summer shows.

Summer Exhibitions at BWAC

FALL EXHIBITION SEASON

We would like to thank everyone that made our Fall Exhibition Open such a success last year. Our shows are for all and it’s especially gratifying to receive so much goodwill from fellow artists.

Cheers~

To all the art lovers that spent time at the gallery or on our site, thank you! We look forward to sharing more exciting shows and new talent with you in 2025!

Cheers~

BWAC Member Spotlight

Welcome to our Member Spotlight as we introduce the world to our wonderful members. We are proud to be a member-based organization providing exhibition and collaboration opportunities to artists working in various media.

We invite you to meet some of our featured artists as we “open the doors” to our artist community.

 Sebastiaan Slomkowski

I was born in New York City and spent parts of my childhood between Greenpoint and Forest Hills before moving to Long Island and graduating from high school in 2008. I was always painting and taking advanced Art classes in my youth, but it wasn't until much later in my mid-20s when I realized I had it in me to make painting into a career.

1. Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach starting a new piece?

I definitely jump the gun a lot and try to get something onto the canvas as quickly as possible, a freedom that comes with abstract art. My work involves so many layers and combinations between line and shape. I often find being too precious in the early stages can slow me down. This requires a certain amount of flexibility in my final vision, understanding that "the mind cannot always see that which the hand will produce", a fundamental part of abstract art, I'm reminded of almost every piece.

2. Working large has advantages [bold, attention-getting] but creates difficulties [studio space, transporting, and hanging]. What led you to work that way?

Unfortunately, yes. As a young child, I saw Jackson Pollack’s 1998 retrospective at MoMA, and ever since that day, I associate my personal place as an artist in the art world with large colorful pieces that have the ability to consume the viewer in an encompassing way, very similar to seeing an inspiring landscape or monument. There is something very important for me about the art being more of an experience you remember than just an image you saw, and that is something I can very much pinpoint to that day at the MoMA all those years ago.

3. You have spent a lot of time in Europe, specifically Finland. How has that informed your work?

I have to be honest here and say it's only ever made me feel like my work is more American. Having gone to art school in London, the combination of having an American accent and large abstract paintings made me stick out like a sore thumb. But in more general terms, gaining exposure to the art world in Europe grew my appreciation for all the different types of art that make up the whole ecosystem. Commercialism is so ingrained in the way American art is presented nowadays. Europe offers a much more institutional approach and seems to support all corners of the art world, not just the market trends.

4. Has your work always been abstract, or did you go through phases with other styles?

This has always been a struggle of mine. The ability to convey a message through creative imagery is one of the pillars that make us human and has been one of the strongest forms of expression throughout our history. So, to be working with paint, color, and lines and never creating something figurative with these tools doesn't sit right with me. I will always prioritize my abstract work, but the urge to create more narrative-based images is always in the back of my mind.

5. You sold a large painting this fall in BWAC. How has that informed the way you think about your work going forward?

To just put my head down and keep producing. When I was a younger artist, I naively thought there was a certain level of expertise you could reach and that's it. So it feels great to be at this stage and still have the appetite to want to push boundaries and evolve my practice.

BWAC 2025 Membership Drive

Do you want to exhibit more of your art this year? Every artist wants to exhibit their artwork as often as they can, and that is what BWAC is all about. You now have the opportunity to become a BWAC member and get your work shown!

• Participate in all member exhibitions or as many as you wish in 2025

• Get discounts on submitting to BWAC juried exhibitions

• Join a community of artists dedicated to helping each other achieve their best

For details on how you can benefit from a BWAC membership, and additional info, click here.

Join now and get ready to exhibit new work in the spring!

Artists having fun!

The 2024 BWAC Fundraising Auction

December 7 to December 22, 2024

Now you can give the gift of art and support BWAC in the process! Choose from paintings, drawings, prints, photographs or sculpture in a variety of styles and sizes. Bidding on most items start as just $50!

Online bidding begins Saturday, December 7 at 1 pm! You can also see the auction items in person in the second floor gallery the first three weekends in December: 7-8; 14-15; 21-22.

To go to the auction now, click here!

Park Slope Windsor Terrace Artists Winter Salon at BWAC

Fifteen artists in the Park Slope Windsor Terrace collective invite you to view their artwork in a variety of mediums — painting, prints, photography, collage and paper relief — during the weekends of December 7 & 8, December 14 & 15, and December 21 & 22, at 1:00 to 6:00 PM each day

OPENING RECEPTION SAT., DECEMBER 7 from 3-6 PM

2024 Red Hook Holiday Market

The Red Hook Business Alliance (RHBA) and BWAC are pleased to present the 2024 Red Hook Holiday Market! Dozens of local artisans and businesses will be on hand with unique, locally-based items for even the most discerning people on your list. You'll find everything from jewelry and fashion to delectable foodstuffs, art cards and affordable art prints ... and more.

The Market is open from 1-6pm three weekends in December only:

December 7-8

December 14-15

December 21-22

Shop local and support local artisans and businesses!

ArtShare for HeartShare Exhibit at BWAC

Now in its 15th year, ArtShare for HeartShare, is a privately-funded transformational program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In-house teaching artists, external arts organizations, and NYC cultural institutions come together to help members of HeartShare Day Programs find and unleash their creative voice through paint, dance, weaving and more.

To continue their 15th anniversary celebration, ArtShare artists are exhibiting at BWAC from November 2 through December 22. Exhibited works -- paintings, drawings, photos and collages -- are available for sale and proceeds return to the artists and also support the continued operational costs of the ArtShare program.

In the BWAC Second Floor Gallery -- stage and café area. Open weekends 1-6 pm

For more information, contact Amihan Ruiz at amihan.ruiz@heartshare.org

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2 to SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024

Salon des Refusés 2024 - 2, the Extension

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition presents an extension of our very own Salon des Refusés 2024

We announced an open call for the Salon des Refusés 2024 exhibit earlier this year for artists who received a rejection letter for The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition. The response and good will we received was so too tremendous that we’ve decided to refresh the exhibit and extend it.

The original Salon des Refusés took place in 1863 when the Paris Salon held its annual exhibition of academic arts. Thousands of artists applied but were rejected and were unable to display their work in the official Salon exhibition. It was determined that their work did not fulfill academic standards of the time. Emperor Napoleon III, who wanted the public to make the decision, organized a simultaneous exhibition of all the rejects in the Palace of Industry. This exhibition included artists such as Manet, Cezanne, Pissarro and Whistler. The exhibition of “rejects” became famously known as the Salon des Refusés 1863.

• Dec 7 Dec 22 Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 6pm

• In our Second Floor Gallery called Bay 100

Transformation of Clay

The second solo exhibition of BWAC’s fall season features Bill Shillalies with a presentation of ceramics entitled Transformation of Clay.

The work explores what Shillalies calls “the distinction between movement and fragmentation” through the observation of the environment: the changes of seasons, rock formation, and natural earth.

Both the practice of making objects and natural forces exert influence on the finished pieces.

• Gallery Exhibition Dates: Saturday, Nov 2 – Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, weekends 1‐6 P.M.

• In the Ground Floor Gallery.

• Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, from 1‐6 P.M.

Light and Shadow

The Member Artists of BWAC proudly present "Light and Shadow" a study of how light and shadow impacts various works, processes, and disciplines, from photography to sculpture, painting, and more.

This exhibition seeks to explore how the dynamic of light and shadow is treated and used to define form, affect mood, and communicate through art.

We invite you to see this expression of creativity in our 25,000 square foot Civil War Era warehouse on the Red Hook’s waterfront.

• Gallery Exhibition Dates: Saturday, Nov 2 – Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, weekends 1‐6 P.M.

• In our Second Floor gallery entitled Bay 200

• Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, from 1‐6 P.M.

FEARLESS WATERCOLORS – “Acuarelas con Cojones”

We are excited about our gutsy watercolor show, starting Nov 2 until Nov 24.

Featuring bold, vivid, flowing, and experimental watercolors relating to all subject matter including abstract, this show will be a great exhibition to conclude our exhibition season.

"Cojones" is one of the most versatile Spanish's words. In this context, the meaning and impact of such a phrase would be lost if translated into literal English. But what a perfect phrase to describe what we want, BOLD, FEARLESS, and full of NERVE watercolors. As the Spanish phrase suggest with guts and panache, "CON COJONES.”

• Gallery Exhibition Dates: Saturday, Nov 2 – Sunday, Nov 24, 2024, weekends 1‐6 P.M.

• In our Ground Floor Gallery

• Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov 2, 2024, from 1‐6 P.M.

Spectrum of Exposure

We are excited to announce our national juried photography show, “Spectrum of Exposure” will be opening October 26, 2024. BWAC welcomes back Fritz (Steven) Weiss, former President of BWAC as curator. With his guidance and selections, we look forward to a spectacular show.

 Ours is a truly unique gallery – a massive Civil War – era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn, NY. Its enormous space affords us the opportunity to exhibit large artwork and photography and we welcome it.

 “Spectrum of Exposure”, seeks to explore the status of Photography in the Post Covid World and provide a comprehensive statement illustrating the art, science, vision, and magic that is Photography today.

 BWAC is seeking photography based work that exhibit the broad spectrum of contemporary photography in “Spectrum of Exposure.” We’re looking for work that illustrates and helps define the world of Photography in our Post Covid society. Submit your work to be considered for an exhibition encompassing it all.

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline October 2, 2024

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, Oct 26 – Sunday, Nov 11, 2024 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, Oct 26, 2024 from 1‐6 P.M.