Art Is Everywhere in Park Slope
From local galleries to cafes and bars, you don’t have to travel far to see amazing artwork in the neighborhood!
There are lots of great places to check out art in Brooklyn and Park Slope is no exception! Our neighborhood is home to many artists as well as venues for viewing and purchasing artwork. From traditional art galleries, performance spaces, shops, bars, cafes, and more, there are many spots where you can get a daily dose of art.
I’ve been writing about art for years and recently became the new director of 440 Gallery. I love venturing around the neighborhood to check out exhibits and support local art spaces. Here’s a list of some places to enjoy art around Park Slope.
440 Gallery, 440 6th Avenue (between 9th & 10th Streets)
440 Gallery is an artist-run gallery that’s celebrating 20 years in Park Slope! With a current roster of 18 member artists, 440 hosts new exhibits every month and two national juried shows each year. On view through March 16 is longtime gallery artist Karen Gibbons’ solo exhibit Allusion (Illusion and Delusion). Using a mix of found materials, photos, collage, acrylic, and pastel, her works examine our complex relationship with nature in layers of imagery and mystery. Jo-Ann Acey’s The Journey Home, opening March 20, features abstract paintings that evoke memories of “home.”
Art Collective Cafe, 97 7th Avenue (between Union & President Streets)
Art Collective Cafe, a coffee shop and wine bar that blends culinary and visual art, presents the Portraits Show: What is a portrait? On view through April, this group show features work by members of Park Slope Windsor Terrace Artists that explores the art of portraiture. Participating artists include: Stephanie Amend, Mary Cuddihee, Phil DeSantis, David Fleischmann, Mary LaRose, Robert Lurz, Tom Nau, Paula Rennis, Mari Renwick, and Janie Samuels.
Assembly Member Robert Carroll's Office, 416 7th Avenue (at 14th Street)
Assembly Member Robert Carroll has been kindly exhibiting work by local artists in the window of his office since 2017. Featuring artists of all levels and ages—from public school students to senior center members and everyone in between—the exhibits rotate every couple of months. Recently, works by Amanda Morales and Joyce Weinstein were featured. Currently, you can see watercolors by Robert Lurz and photos by Tom Nau. Stop by as you stroll down 7th Avenue and take a peek.
Bayaal, 158 5th Avenue (between Douglass & Degraw Streets)
This shop specializes in unique handmade goods (jewelry, housewares, furnishings) made by artists and artisans who are local or from countries across Africa. Bayaal hosts monthly exhibits and always has a selection of paintings and prints in stock. Currently available are mixed media works by John-Herbert Wright (pictured) and acrylic paintings by Sidy Fall.
Follow @bayaal.nyc to find out who their next featured artist will be.
Freddy’s Bar, 627 5th Avenue (between 17th & 18th Streets)
What doesn’t Freddy’s have? This famed watering hole hosts music, comedy, burlesque, karaoke, movie screenings, and art exhibits. Opening Thursday, March 20, stop by between 5-7pm for the opening reception for painter David Alan Katz’s solo show, Liquid Landscapes Revised.
Nails Salon, 563A 5th Avenue (between 15th & 16th Streets)
Opened last May in a former nail salon, this gallery hosts a diverse array of solo exhibitions and group shows featuring local creatives. Recent shows have included What is a Line, featuring work by calligraphy master Shunkin Takahashi and Years and Years of Matter Out of Place showcasing collagist/photographer Colin Strohm. Follow @billythemerrell to find out what’s up next at the gallery.
Nitehawk Prospect Park, 188 Prospect Park West
Check out some artwork before your next movie at Nitehawk Prospect Park. Up on the mezzanine, at the theater’s Trees Lounge, the Park Slope Windsor Terrace Artists team curates seasonal group exhibits showcasing work by member artists. The theme for the current exhibit is Winter Solstice. Even if you don’t have tickets for a movie, you can still head up to the second floor to enjoy a drink and the artwork.
The Old Stone House, 336 3rd Street (between 3rd & 4th Streets)
This historic reconstruction of the 1699 Vechte-Cortelyou House, located in Washington Park, focuses on preserving and teaching local and national history in the context of our neighborhood. OSH also hosts a contemporary art program, showcasing artwork in its Great Room, overlooking the park. On view from February 27 through April 27 is America the Beautiful, a group exhibition of works created within the last ten years that address the complexities of the nation’s history and current political, environmental, and social turmoil while simultaneously celebrating what it means to be an American today. Read my article on the exhibition here.
Open Source Gallery, 306 17th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
This arts-based non-profit organization provides a forum where art intersects with the community and the world at large. Open Source inspires a diverse and creative community for people of all ages and backgrounds, emphasizing free expression, experimentation, sustainability, and social engagement. On view through March 23 is Yu Shuk Pui Bobby’s Future Debt. Return Today, an examination into how human genetic engineering impacts identity. The exhibit features ceramic sculptures and video that explore the delicate nature of identity in our tech-dominated times.
Ossam Gallery, 300 7th Street (between 4th & 5th Avenues)
Part of J-Collabo, a non-profit that provides programs to “celebrate and explore Japanese arts and culture,” Ossam Gallery regularly hosts exhibitions by local artists. Last month, the venue exhibited Dimensional Duet featuring Damien Olsen Berdichevsky’s sculptures composed of found materials and Robert L. Pepper’s oil and acrylic paintings. J-Collabo recently announced “Art into Everyday Life,” an open call seeking artwork that supports social causes to print on t-shirts that will be exhibited and sold at Ossam from May 3-June 1. Follow @jcollabo on Instagram for more info.
Roots Cafe, 639 5th Avenue (at 18th Street)
This community hub hosts monthly group exhibits. Neighbor, café regular, and artist Nelsena Burt-Spano curates the selection of artwork. Throughout March, the cafe will exhibit conceptual mixed media portraits by Wendell Cole, abstract paintings by Ryoko Endo, and landscapes by John Kneapler. Follow @rootsbrooklyn for updates on upcoming shows.
Shapeshifter Lab, 837 Union Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues)
ShapeShifter Lab launched in 2011 in Gowanus as an experimental performance space and relocated to Park Slope last year. They host innovative musicians from around the world and exhibit work by local visual artists. Currently on view through April 2025 is Artist/Teacher, a group exhibition that celebrates the creativity and dedication of artist educators.
Spoke the Hub, 748 Union Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
Founded in 1979, Spoke the Hub is a dance and community arts center that hosts solo art exhibitions in its Wow…Works on the Wall series. Opening March 7 and running through the 28th, catch Catherine Orrok’s Equivocal Grids, a selection of grid-based abstract paintings. Orrok explores the basics of perception through color and the delineation of space on a flat surface, applying paint so that her hand and energy are apparent in the brushstrokes.
Volare Espresso Bar, 199 5th Avenue (between Berkeley & Union)
This cozy Italian coffee shop regularly showcases an array of work by local artists. Currently on view: a trio of plant prints by Yushin Kato, floral watercolors by Daniel McDonald, a pair of bird’s eye city views by Robert P. Weiss, and a series of small plein air oil paintings of Vermont by Ella Yang. Order a coffee and pastry to-stay and enjoy the artwork.
Pam Wong is a Brooklyn-based writer and curator who loves contemporary art and sharing community stories. Follow her on Instagram at @arthagnyc. For more of her writing, go to arthagnyc.substack.com.
PS: I have photos on display (and for sale) at Sandwich Girl Cafe and also Active Transport!