Bay Ridge art galleries? Yes, they exist, and they’re growing rapidly. Today on the show we are sitting down with local gallery impresarios Jeannine Bardo and Elena Soterakis. Jeannine is the founder of the Stand4 gallery on 78th street, and together they run the BioBAT Art Space a short walk north at the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
We’ll explore the origins of Bay Ridge’s burgeoning art gallery movement, and take a peek behind the scenes of how a show is put together. Along the way we’ll learn about the many local artists who are increasingly looking toward their own neighborhood for studio space. Finally we’ll explore how science, activism, and environmentalism are woven throughout the local art scene!
Show Notes
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- Introduction
- The Origins of Stand4 Gallery
- Is Bay Ridge specially suited for the arts?
- The Storefront Art Walk
- The Origins of BioBAT Art Space
- Art Administration & partnership
- Elena & Jeannine as artists
- How local artists support each other
- The need for arts funding
- Advice for new artists in Bay Ridge
- Upcoming exhibitions
A Few Of Your Local Galleries
Bay Ridge’s art galleries always have something new, showcasing both local artist and international stars. Be sure to swing by some of the local art spaces mentioned in the podcast.
Stand4 Gallery
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Google Maps
Stand4 is Jeannine’s gallery with four artists-in-residence occupying a former doctors office on 78th Street. It’s an extension of her Stand project, which began in 2014 curating exhibitions across Bay Ridge. The exhibits include the now-closed Butcher Bar, the Brooklyn Stitchery, Reich Paper on 3rd, and the big Sheltered Past exhibition at the Carriage House at 212 Bay Ridge Avenue.
Stand4 is an intimate gallery space, set primarily in the waiting room for of a re-purposed doctors office inside a row-house at 414 78th street. It still has the old awning on the door, so don’t be fooled!
While there is an exhibition on view, gallery hours are usually on Saturdays with additional openings for performances and artist talks. The space is also an active studio year round.
Stand4 Artists In Residence
Jeannine Bardo / Danielle Bullock / Joanie Flickinger / David Gitt
BioBAT Art Space
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Google Maps
BioBAT Art Space is the SciArt gallery located in the lobby of BioBAT at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. A big chunk of our episode today is dedicated to exploring the origins and behind-the-scenes operation of the gallery with co-founders of the space Jeannine Bardo and Elena Soterakis.
- Mary mentions her love of Suzanne Anker’s Remote Sensing 47, which adorns the publicity materials for the Summation & Absence exhibition.
- You can check out Elaine Whittaker’s Screened For, which as Jeannine and Elena mention in the show, sparked an amazing conversation between artists and scientists in the gallery.
Current Exhibition: Summation & Absence
May 17 – August 16, 2019
Gallery hours Monday – Saturday, 12 – 6 PM
Brooklyn Army Terminal, Building A
140 58th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220
PrintSpace
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Google Maps
PrintSpace is the studio and gallery of Ellen Coleman Izzo. Jeannine mentioned that Ellen was an essential link in making the introductions that eventually led to BioBAT. Ellen holds workshops on first Fridays and second Sundays of the month too, and also offers private studio rental time for the presses! A must-visit for printmakers in the neighborhood.
Are you a local artist? Do you run a gallery we missed? Get in touch so we can help tell your story too!
What a great interview!
Thanks Kate! We hope to do even more, both about BioBAT, the arts community in Bay Ridge, and coming soon, some deep-dives into healthcare and biomedical science. 🙂