FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com JUNE 11, 2015 • TIMES 21 QUEENS Hundreds of local artists participate in BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Over 600 art studios across Ridgewood and Bushwick opened their doors for Arts in Bushwick’s ninth annual Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) weekend, from June 5 through June 7. BOS is the largest open studios event in New York City. The three-day arts and culture festival brings together visual artists, performers, musicians and designers to share their work with the public through studio visits, group shows and creative events. Many forms of art, including paintings, sculptures, creative furniture, spray paint murals and much more were on display throughout the studios and streets of Bushwick and Ridgewood over the weekend. Jeff Fichera is a veteran of the BOS scene, this year being his fi fth open studios event, but he still fi nds the event to be exciting. “It’s both invigorating and exhausting to share my work with so many people over a few days,” Fichera said. “It’s incredible to get so much valuable feedback from all of the visitors, but it’s also a very unusual situation to have so many people in the studio. The studio is almost always a place of quiet solitude and so the frantic activity is exhausting.” “I think BOS is one of the best parts about the Bushwick/Ridgewood artist scene,” Fichera continued. “It really defi nes the boundaries of our community and allows everyone to participate and be seen and focuses the attention of the art world on what is happening here. It brings an enormous amount of attention and cohesion to the community.” While some artists focused on showcasing their art, others, like Rodney Allen Trice, were interested in reaching out to collectors for their work. Trice is an artist and designer who creates new pieces of furniture from found objects. “I have been doing this over 20 years,” Trice said. “I’m always inspired by objects I fall in love with and want to make useful again. To get an opportunity for this many people to see my work is a chance to fi nd those unique buyers and collectors who fi nd the same love as you do for the things I fi nd and build with.” Other artists participated in group showings, such as those involved with the Ridgewood Artists Coalition who put their art up at the “Ridgewood Represent!” event at the Onderdonk House in Ridgewood. “It feels great to have my art on display here with everyone else’s for the Bushwick Open Studios,” said Alison Duignan, who was participating in her fi rst art show. “I’m glad it’s less formal because I’ve never showed my work before, so I don’t feel out of place.” Danielle Draik, co-curator of the “Ridgewood Represent!” art show has had her work appear in several other art shows, but this is her fi rst time at BOS. “Being a part of BOS is great,” Draik said. “It’s so connected to the art scene in the area. Having us in Ridgewood, having an event in BOS in such a historic place representing Ridgewood means a lot.” Photo by Anthony Giudice The Ridgewood Represent! art show at the Onderdonk House for the Bushwick Open Studios weekend.
RT06112015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above