Oh, you’ve never heard of Dead Horse Bay? The old mill area, turned manufacturing zone (of fertilizer, created from dead animals), turned landfill, turned nature preserve – sits alongside Floyd Bennett Field by the entrance to Gerritsen Inlet. It’s rich with history, and perhaps richer with filth and pollution.
It’s the former that drew musician and photographer “chvad” to tour the area, but it’s the latter that most impressed him. He wrote, “This place and the surrounding areas don’t seem anything at all like Brooklyn. Not a lot of people and lot of vegetation. Also, an enormous amount of pollution on the shores. Some parts of the beach seemed to primarily be made of glass. If those aren’t reason enough to be careful, the beach also had it’s share of needles washed ashore.”
His slideshow, above, captures a lot of that grit and filth, yet in a hauntingly beautiful way. Check out his site to find more photos and learn about his music.
I wish I was a more talented photographer. The hundreds of photographs I sort through each month – from readers, contributors, aspiring and established artists – well, it’s just a constant reminder of how much I stink at the craft. But thank goodness for one thing: I’ve got this wonderful site to tell other people about all the great people out there.
Reader Athena D. sent over a link to New York Times’ latest Lens post – a profile and collection of Andy Levin’s Coney Island photographs. Levin began exploring and shooting Coney Island in his 20s. But unlike countless others, he avoided the all-too-tempting landscape of the amusement district and opted for the unsung heroes of Coney Island – the families that visit it and make all else possible.
“I tried to stay away from the freak show thing,” Levin told the Times. “Not that I didn’t appreciate what was going on with it. It just wasn’t my intent. I wanted to convey the commonality of the family experience. That’s sort of how I grew up. I think I was naturally more responsive to those elements.”
Levin’s black-and-white photos take place primarily on the sandy shores, with kids and adults swept up in familial bliss (as opposed to the instant gratification of the carny-ville). The resulting sensation of these photos is more akin to what we might remember as residents of the area, spending a regular visit on our summer weekends – and not the touristy weirdness of a mid-trip lark to the People’s Playground.
Long-time Sheepshead Bay resident Natalya Serebrennikova created a profound and playful animated short, Cicada, now competing in a PBS 13 contest. The film tells the story of an immigrant girl’s last days in Ozerki, Russia, her transition to Brooklyn, and her first day of school. With a remarkable amount of detail and specificity, Serebrennikova recounts the tale with beautiful, childlike imagery supported by a smattering of text. And yes, the school depicted is right here in Sheepshead Bay.
Go watch the film and vote for it now. The contest ends this Wednesday, August 25, and if Cicada wins it will be broadcast on Channel 13 on Saturday night.
To most of us, the idea of walking around the neighborhood and listening to its sounds is about as boring as, well, walking around the neighborhood in a totally aimless, pointless way.
So when I first saw Gothamist’s interview with Todd Shalom, founder of the artist-led walking tour company Elastic City, I closed the window and mentally filed the story in the drawer labeled “hipster hooey.” But I recalled a conversation I was having this weekend, about my all-time favorite day in Sheepshead Bay: August 14, 2003.
Graffiti underneath the train overpasses is nothing new, but I saw this piece of street art up today in a few locations. Could it be a new artist is plastering the area? Or is our favorite Red Fish Smoking back with some new installments? It certainly looks to be in his style, and is the same sort of sticker he’s been using for some time. Is it wrong that I actually kind of like this one?
Those who’ve been reading Sheepshead Bites for a long time know that one of our pet peeves is the lack of art and music in Sheepshead Bay. Scratch that – it’s not so much the lack of those things as the absence of any organization or infrastructure to promote cultural activities in the neighborhood. One thing we’ve learned here is that there’s an abundance of creative, talented people in our ‘hood, but there’s no local outlets.
Wait, scratch that, too. There is Arthur Melnick and the Brooklyn Streetcar Artists’ Group (BSAG). We first told you about BSAG last September, when they held their first exhibit at Coney Island Hospital, featuring 49 installments from 22 local artists.
Melnick, the group’s director, and the BSAG coalition returned to Coney Island Hospital on June 4 with a larger exhibit. The opening featured performances from musicians and a silent auction to raise funds for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The exhibit remains open to the public on the second flood of the hospital’s main building until the end of the summer.
Over this one we’re feeling pretty silly. Here we are, constantly complaining that we need more outlets, and when Melnick invites us to the opening it ends up falling through the cracks. So to Melnick, BSAG and our readers, we apologize. Above is a video report produced by Bay Currents in lieu of our own coverage.
A two-week project by British artist Luke Jerram places 60 pianos in public venues across the five boroughs. When we heard that one of these magical devices sat somewhere on the Riegelman Boardwalk in Coney Island, we knew we had to pay it a visit. If you’ve been to any of the events where Sheepshead Bites had a table, then you’ve probably met our self-appointed mascot, Jobana. She plunked down and started playing Enya’s “No Holly For Miss Quinn” before segueing into “Moonlight Sonata.” A crowd formed behind her, making it her first public audience in her life. Meanwhile, I got to take this pretty photo.
Over the years that Steven Cymbrowitz has been in the State Assembly, I must’ve walked past his 1800 Sheepshead Bay Road office hundreds – if not thousands – of times. And yet, a little piece of community culture that adorns his window always seems to go under my radar.
Since November 2003, Cymbrowitz has been using his storefront window as a “walk-by art gallery” for student artists. Every month during the school year, a new exhibit goes up by students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade classes, all from local schools.
“Assemblyman Cymbrowitz believes that art is an important component of a student’s education and every child should be encouraged to expresses themselves artistically,” said Oswalt Heymann, the chief of staff for Cymbrowitz.
Each exhibit follows a theme given to the teacher about issues that would be of interest to children. This month’s show came from eighth graders of Mrs. Davis’ class at I.S. 238.
Now, if you’re wondering how Georgia O’Keeffe is of interest to 14-year-olds, well, you’ll understand when you’re older…
Brooklyn’s oldest art club, All Communities Art, Inc a Gravesend-based, not-for-profit cultural organization listed with the Brooklyn Arts Council under the categories of Multi-Disciplinary Arts; Visual Arts; Music; Literary Arts; and Folk Arts.
The club’s president, Reggy Sonsino, would like to invite you to its upcoming art show and sale featuring: stained glass; oil paintings; sculptures; crafts; graphics; portraits; and photography.
Here is the information: Emmons Avenue & Ocean Avenue (Across from Loehman’s and El Greco Diner in Sheepshead Bay)
Saturday & Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m May 8 & 9; May 15 & 16; June 19 & 20
Rain dates June 26 & 27
