In Gowanus, Brooklyn, NYC: Open Studios Hits 30 With 400+ Artists and First Look at CBA Studios

Gowanus Open Studios turned 30 on the weekend of October 17–18, with more than 400 artists opening their doors at over 90 locations across the Brooklyn neighborhood. Run by the nonprofit Arts Gowanus, the event was free, with studios open from noon to 6 p.m. both days. Visitors went inside former factories, warehouses and studio buildings, talked with artists about their work and process, and bought pieces directly from the people who made them.

The event began three decades ago, when about a dozen Gowanus artists invited their neighbors into their studios. Arts Gowanus has since grown into a year-round organization running exhibitions, public art and artist programs, and advocating for affordable space. This year's coverage area ran from Pacific St. to 19th St. and from Smith St. to Fifth Ave., with more than 10,000 printed maps and wayfinding signs.

The headline of the anniversary was a first look at the studios won through the 2021 Gowanus rezoning. Under a Community Benefits Agreement with waterfront developers, Arts Gowanus secured more than 100 permanently affordable artist studios across 11 sites along the canal. Rents are $1.66 per square foot per month, with annual increases capped at 2%, and each building includes one deeply subsidized Fellowship studio for an artist earning under 50% of Area Median Income. Twenty-two studios are now occupied, and visitors could enter those at The Shop (420 Carroll St.) and Society Brooklyn (498 Sackett St.). A community center with exhibition space and three residency studios is expected in 2028.

Other highlights included "30 for 30," an exhibition of 30 artists at Union Channel (597 Union St.); "The Barn on Bond," a large-scale installation show curated by Manju Shandler at 281 Bond St.; a Saturday artisan bazaar at the Old Stone House, a fall fest at Van Alen Institute and a mural reveal party; and a Sunday evening anniversary party at Union Channel. Executive Director Johnny Thornton said the affordable studios mean artists will keep making work in Gowanus for the next 30 years.