An Open Call for NuYoRICAN Soul

We invite submissions from Puerto Rican, Nuyorican artists, and artists of any background whose work thoughtfully engages with Nuyorican themes, culture, history, or community --- whether through solidarity, collaboration, or deep personal interest.

We’re looking for compelling artwork that captures the depth and complexity of the Nuyorican experience --- works that speak to the themes of migration, cultural memory, resilience, joy, and the dynamic relationship between the diaspora and the island.  

This exhibition offers a platform to be part of a rich and layered visual narrative: an exhibition that serves both as a celebration and a conversation --- rooted in history, rhythm, and the voices of those who carry the island in their hearts, wherever they are.   In this space, we seek to honor the soul of Puerto Rican identity as it manifests in New York ---through vibrant color, texture, form and imagery that tells a story.  

We welcome a wide range of visual expressions, for example: portraits that celebrate community and family, abstract works that channel ancestral rhythms, street photography that captures life in the diaspora, installations that explore identity and displacement, or mixed media pieces that blend language, music, and memory. 

Tell the story.  Join the conversation.  

All visual art forms are welcome, including both traditional and contemporary forms such as painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, installation, and digital art.

The exhibition will be curated by Tamavis D. Santiago, a Visual Artist and Independent Curator.

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC Gallery) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, artist-run organization housed in a historic Civil War-era warehouse on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn.   Spanning 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, BWAC cultivates a dynamic artistic community by offering artists at every stage of their careers the opportunities to showcase their work and participate in a meaningful creative exchange.  Explore membership opportunities at bwac.org

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline Sunday, August 22, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, September 13 – Sunday, October 12, 2025, weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 1‐6 P.M.

See the full PDF Prospectus here

Submit your work on Smarter Entry here

ELEMENTS OF MOVEMENT

This summer member artists explore how motion can be seen through art.  Whether it’s the sweep of a brushstroke, the suggestion of change, or the rhythm of repeated forms.

Movement can be expressed in many ways: a figure in motion, a shifting composition, a fluid gesture, or the passage of time.  This show invites our members express motion in paint, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and various other medium.

Coming soon - July 19, 2025

Brooklyn X Pittsburgh: The Industry of Art

Pittsburgh, PA (July 11, 2025) — Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, is proud to present Brooklyn X Pittsburgh: The Industry of Art, a juried exhibition featuring over 140 works by Pittsburgh and Brooklyn-based artists with a Pittsburgh connection. 

“In the footsteps of Andy Warhol, it is important for Pittsburgh’s artists to have an opportunity to engage with New York, the epicenter of the contemporary art world,” notes exhibition juror Eric Shiner. “This exhibition will give a platform to our city’s artists in the heart of Brooklyn so that they can connect, commune and engage with their NYC peers, collectors and institutions and hopefully expand their practice and network in so doing.”

Eric Shiner is the President of Powerhouse Arts, a Brooklyn not-for-profit committed to creative expression that hosts a network of art and fabrication professionals and educators who work together to co-create and share artistic practices. Shiner was also the director of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh (2010-2016) and the Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Warhol (2008-2010).

“It’s great to have such a strong advocate for Pittsburgh artists working on this project,” says AAP Executive Director Madeline Gent. “After visiting the BWAC space in New York, Eric immediately identified the similarities between our organizations and suggested this partnership. We were thrilled that he also jumped on board as exhibition juror when we asked.” 

BWAC is open for regular viewing hours Saturdays–Sundays, 1:00pm–6:00pm and by appointment. To learn more about the exhibition, visit https://www.aapgh.org/brooklyn-x-pittsburgh or https://www.bwac.org/. You can also call BWAC at 718-596-2506 or email info@bwac.org

An Open Call for AEROSOL EUPHORIA: The Urban Street Art Scene

Aerosol Euphoria: The Urban Street Art Scene is a national juried exhibition celebrating the raw power, rebellious spirit, and ecstatic energy of urban creativity.

Inspired by the legendary graffiti-covered walls and alleys of NYC and beyond, this exhibition seeks to spotlight the full spectrum of street-influenced expression.

Artists from across the country are invited to submit work that captures the pulse of urban life – its grit, its vibrancy, and its unfiltered voice. From aerosol-spray, gritty graffiti tags to the stories captured in street photography; we are looking for art that embodies the essence of street art. The art that lives outside the lines -- sprayed, tagged, pasted, sculpted, snapped and shouted.

So, if your work drips with grit, color, voice and movement -- submit it today.

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, September 19– Sunday, October 12, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Submission Deadline: Sunday, August 17, 2025

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, September 19, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Read (and/or download) the full prospectus by clicking here 

Ready to submit? Click here

AMPED: The Art of Rock & Roll

This exhibition celebrates the cultural and historical impact of rock and roll, showcasing the exhilarating synergy between visual art and music while exploring the music’s transformative influence on art.

Amped is a visual expression of the energy you experience when this music moves through you and ignites a fire in your soul. We challenge you as an artist to capture and amplify that energy. The exhibition is open to all visual media.

Coming Soon!

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, July 19– Sunday, August 24, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Biophilia

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

This exhibition explores the beauty, mystery, and pleasure of nature in all its forms. Whether delicate or untamed, fleeting or enduring, organic life inspires and connects us.

Opening soon

●      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.

Creating with Sustainability

We are stewards of this planet we call home and as such have a responsibility to maintain it. This exhibition examines what that stewardship looks like from an artist’s point of view as the BWAC members utilize repurposed and found materials to create wonderful works of art.

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is proud to partner with Materials for the Arts, who have provided access to free materials for non-profits like us as well as public schools and city agencies since 1979. For more information visit them at https://www.materialsforthearts.org/.

Opening soon

●      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.

Fungi

Fungi, is one of the most mysterious and least understood realms in biology. It holds the power to influence, sustain, and even kill us. This multimedia art exhibition brings together diverse creative expressions all inspired by the enigmatic world of fungi.

Coming Soon!

●      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

An Open Call For AMPED: The Art of Rock & Roll

Amped: The Art of Rock & Roll is an exhibition celebrating the cultural and historical impact of rock and roll, showcasing the exhilarating synergy between visual art and music while exploring the music’s transformative influence on art.

We are looking for work that captures the rebellious spirit of rock and roll.

Amped is a visual expression of the energy you experience when this music moves through you and ignites a fire in your soul. We challenge you as an artist to capture and amplify that energy. The exhibition is open to all visual media.

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR SUBMISSIONS

●      Submission Deadline: Final Application Deadline EXTENDED Sun, June 29, 2025

●      Gallery Exhibition Dates:  Saturday, July 19– Sunday, August 24, 2025 weekends 1‐6 P.M.

●      Opening Reception: Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 1‐6 P.M.

Complete details in Prospectus PDF

Ready to submit? Click here

New Yorkers Capturing Nature

This show is designed to showcase how we, as photographers, see nature throughout the city from a variety of perspectives—ranging from up-close details to sweeping, wide-angle views and everything in between. We encourage unique interpretations of nature and aim to highlight the thriving natural world within our
metropolitan environment.

Sierra Photo NYC is a sub-group of the New York City Sierra Club. We bring together nature photographers and enthusiasts who support the Sierra Club’s environmental goals. 

We welcome visitors to our monthly meetings so they can meet others who share their love of nature photography and the environment.

Opening soon

●      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.

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 EXTENDED TO 8AM MONDAY, May 12, 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.

 Sebastian 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 my 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.