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Two arrests in attack of firefighter in Middle Village

webadmin on July 27, 2021

Two teenagers who were part of a crowd who attacked a 44-year-old man who was walking his dog near Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village have been arrested.
The names of the 14-year-old and 15-year-old suspects are being withheld by police because of their age. Both have been charged with gang assault.
The assault took place on Friday at 10 p.m., when the victim confronted a group of people lighting fireworks, yelling and screaming. A verbal dispute escalated into a physical encounter.
A video captured by a bystander that was posted to the Juniper Park Civic Association’s Facebook page documented the moments leading up to the assault. The victim can be seen backpedaling away from the crowd as members of the group take away his dog and press closer.
Seconds later, the off-duty firefighter was tackled to the ground and driven into the concrete by an assailant who managed to wrap his arms around both of the victim’s legs.
What appears to be a group of about ten men in their early 20s descend on the victim, who is physically overwhelmed by the crowd and unable to escape, unleashing a series of kicks and punches.
The victim sustained cuts and bruising, but refused medical attention.
“Last night, things spun completely out of control,” said Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. “You had upwards of 200 young adults rampaging through the park at different intervals, and then descended on a man walking his dog.
“Thugs and ‘thugettes’ know there are no consequences for their actions because almost nobody gets arrested any longer in this city,” continued Sliwa. “We’re going to try to bring some civility to a park that was always known as a peaceful sanctuary for the people in Middle Village and Glendale.”
While acts of violence are unusual, fireworks and late-night parties are not, said Paul Howells, a Middle Village resident who is fed up with the excessive use of fireworks throughout the summer in the park. “These people come around in cars, set them off and just leave all the trash there.”
Matthew Wenz, an 18-year-old student who will be attending Adelphi University in the fall and lives near the park, could not believe that kids from his neighborhood would attack a civil servant.
“It’s disgusting,” he said “It’s a horrible attack that shouldn’t happen anywhere, never mind this neighborhood.”
Councilman Bob Holden was quick to react following the attack and condemned the crowd’s behavior. Before being elected to the City Council, Holden was the longtime president of the Juniper Park Civic Association.
Holden met with the 104th Precinct’s commanding officer and representatives from the Parks Department to demand immediate action to keep the park safe.
“Quality-of-life crimes, like unreasonable noise, lead to more serious crime and it must be shut down so that our parks are peaceful and safe,” Holden said. “Deputy Inspector [Louron] Hall assured me that enforcement will be stepped up with added measures taken so that there will be no more incidents like the one at Juniper Valley Park.”

Bodypainting Day in New York

webadmin on July 27, 2021

The eighth annual Bodypainting Day was celebrated in Union Square over the weekend. The event was hosted by Brooklyn artist Andy Golub and his nonprofit Human Connection Arts (HCA), and featured a number of 26 artists painting 45 nude models.
The year’s theme was resilience, as well as a focus on body positivity.
“I think it’s important to show that New York City is getting better,” said Rocket Osborne, a New York City-based architect.
For four hours, models of all shapes and sizes served as human canvasses, as bystanders took photos and video.
After getting painted, the group marched to Washington Square Park for a photo shoot at the iconic arch. The group then took a double-decker bus to an afterparty at HCA in Greenpoint.
Golub is known for his human canvas paintings, often painting numerous models and then arranging them for an even bigger piece of art.
“We painted a whole bunch of people and it’s going to look like an Andy Golub at the end because he’s going to go over with his black lining,” said Tom Sebazco, an Astoria-based artist.

Queens Night Market is thriving post-pandemic

webadmin on July 27, 2021

Since its opening in 2015, Queens Night Market has built a reputation for its large crowds, diverse vendors, and delicious cheap bites. Although the pandemic forced the food festival to limit capacity and enforce restrictions, it has now returned to full capacity and shows no signs of slowing down.
Queens Night Market founder John Wang and his partner, oral historian and author of the book The World Eats Here: Amazing Food and the Inspiring People Who Make It at New York’s Queens Night Market, Storm Garner, discussed the festival’s origins, success, and cultural importance.
“The really short story is that I was a lawyer, got tired of it, paid off the student loans, and wanted to try something new,” Wang explained. “There were a lot of ideas, but one that seemed really cool was to start New York’s first night market, modeled off the ones I experienced in Taiwan but also something that was uniquely New York.
“We also wanted something uniquely un-New York: being affordable,” he added. “That was the genesis of the $5 price cap.”
Although the food at Queens Night Market is inexpensive, it does a remarkable job of representing the many diverse communities living within the borough.
“The truth is that Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx are all diverse, but Queens just happens to be the most diverse,” Wang said. “I think the year we launched was the year that Queens was named the ‘World’s Borough.’ It is, by some accounts, the most diverse place in the world.”
“I think it really is something unique,” Garner chimed in. “It felt a bit like an endangered species during the Trump era and certainly during the pandemic, but now it feels like it’s coming back.
“I challenge anyone to think of a place in all of New York, diverse as it is, where you can stand in the same place and within 50 feet of you in any direction talk to somebody whose life story is so different from your own and the person next to them,” she added. “The seven train is often just as diverse, but less happy.”
Located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the site of the famous 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, the Queens Night Market features over 100 vendors whose artwork, merchandise, and food celebrates the cultural diversity of Queens.
Yet like all of New York City’s institutions, the market was fundamentally challenged by the pandemic. Although many vendors are returning this year alongside the festival, others were not able to support themselves without a year’s worth of revenue.
“One of my favorite vendors, someone who I thought was really nice, lost her ability to be a vendor at the Night Market,” Wang explained. “ They lost their apartment because they couldn’t pay rent and had to move in with extended family out of town. We’ve been trying hard to get them back to New York.”
Despite these hardships, Queens Night Market continues to be a source of great joy for both Wang and Garner.
“There’s usually five or 10 or 15 minutes, usually when I have a beer or wine in my hand, that I can sit back and enjoy what has happened,” Wang said. “You stare around at all the smiling faces and it looks like all of New York City is in attendance.”
“If you come to the Night Market, especially in the last few weeks since the pandemic reopening, I have to say it’s just the most magical feeling,” Garner said. “It’s just so much joy. There are so many uncynical New Yorkers, who I’m sure they’re cynical in most of their lives, but for a few hours on a Saturday night everyone’s nice to each other.”
Queens Night Market is held at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park near the New York Hall of Science every Saturday night from 6 p.m. until Midnight. The market’s summer season lasts until August 21 and is followed by a fall season lasting from September 18 until October 30.

For more information, visit queensnightmarket.com.

Community helps restore vandalized statues

webadmin on July 27, 2021

The statues of the Blessed Mother and St. Therese the Little Flower have been a cherished part of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Forest Hills since it opened its doors in 1937.
On the morning on July 17, it took only minutes for a woman to drag them into the street and smash them. She is believed to be the same woman who toppled the statues on July 14.
Through the darkness came light, however, as community residents and organizations who joined forces to replicate the statues.
As of Monday, 129 people donated over $19,500 to a fundraiser posted on Go Fund Me started by Brian Allen on behalf of Knights of Columbus–Our Lady of Mercy Council and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.
The goal is $25,000. In addition, donations can be mailed to Our Lady of Mercy Statue Repair at 79-01 Kessel Street.
As an lector and 14-year parishioner at the church, Michael Conigliaro (also a District 29 City Council candidate), is playing a significant role in fundraising, protecting his parish, and speaking up about hate and vandalism. Upon learning about the crime, he contacted Deacon Dean Dobbins. He said,
“I reached out to a 112th Precinct colleague with a request that a patrol car be parked outside the church and it was granted,” said Michael Conigliaro, a lector and 14-year parishioner at the church.
Replacing the statues shows that hate or disrespect aimed towards any house of faith will not be tolerated.
“For people who pass the parish, they will always see the beauty of the statues and understand what they represent,” added Conigliaro. “Before someone considers performing an act of hate, they should try to empathize and consider what the effect of the damage will have on the community.”
“The statues were such an important element for a young child who needed that gentle but strong maternal figure in their lives” said Lori Jarema, who was a student at Our Lady of Mercy in the 60’s. “I love the pictures we took in front of Mary from my First Communion and graduation.”
Nancy J. O’Connor and her family were parishioners from 1951 to 2006.
“Replacing these statues for the current members and people who recall Our Lady of Mercy fondly sends a message that we will not be intimidated by this type of behavior,” she said. “Each day we see more reports of vandalism and violence, and these actions must have consequences.”
Although Andreea Sudresianu is not a parishioner, she contributed to the fund to replace the statues.
“I used to stop for a few moments and say a little prayer every time I passed by, and I rediscovered this beautiful place on my daily walks during the pandemic,” she said. “I always felt safe on these streets, but I wonder where that woman is and how she dared to do such a terrible thing.”

Reflecting on a serene spot in Woodhaven

webadmin on July 27, 2021

Now that summer is in full swing, a lot of people will be taking advantage of the good weather and take walks through Forest Park. And is there a more beautiful spot in town than Strack Pond?
Because it’s not entirely visible from the road through the park, as well as completely hidden from Woodhaven Boulevard, you can be forgiven for not knowing where it is.
Strack Pond sits directly across and below the Bandshell and the Forest Park Carousel at the bottom of a deep depression left behind by glacial movement over 20,000 years ago.
It has always been a pond, except for a brief period of time when it was filled in an ill-fated attempt to create baseball fields.
So now you know where it is and a bit about its history, but where did the name Strack come from?
As a young boy during the early 1960s, Lawrence Strack played baseball for several local little leagues including the Cypress Hills Bombers, Little Fellers League and Rich-Haven Little League.
Strack joined the Army and went through basic and paratrooper training in Georgia. He returned home before shipping out to Vietnam to marry his childhood sweetheart, Theresa Shannon of Woodhaven. He began his tour in Vietnam in November 1966 and died in combat on March 3, 1967.
When the city converted this pond, which was unnamed for all those many years, into a pair of ballfields, American Legion Post 118 in Woodhaven petitioned to get them named after Strack. Although Strack never played on those ballfields, he did ice skate on the pond that was there.
“Lawrence Strack lived in the tradition of American Youth and was an avid sports fan and participant,” the resolution to rename the fields read. “In the true tradition of an American, Lawrence made the supreme sacrifice that any American can make for his Community and Country when he gave up his life in Vietnam.”
Much was made of the fact that Lawrence Strack played on local ballfields as a boy, but it was also noted that Private First Class Lawrence Strack was not far removed from being a boy himself when he was killed.
Lawrence Strack was only 18 years old.
Just before the second anniversary of his death, legislation passed through the City Council and the new field was dedicated as PFC Lawrence George E. Strack Memorial Field.
However, the fields themselves would be short-lived. Because they sat at the bottom of this natural depression in the ground, one that had housed a pond for many years, it held on to any water it received.
Even a small amount rain could cause the field to get muddy, and after a heavy rainstorm it could take days to recover.
During the late 1970s, the fields were badly damaged by vandals. Over the winter, some drove their automobiles over the field through the mud. By the time teams showed up for their first practice a few months later, all of the deep grooves in the mud were rock solid.
Assemblyman Frederick D. Schmidt came up with a solution, arranging to have a fire truck at the top of the hill connect to a hydrant and soak the field. Once it was muddy again, the coaches and managers did their best to rake it smooth.
It was playable, but no one who ever played on that field trusted a ground ball.
The ballfields were eventually converted back to a natural pond in a project that took two years to complete. When PFC Lawrence Strack Memorial Pond was opened to the public in May 2004, his family attended the dedication.
Since then, Strack Pond has become one of the more beautiful and most photographed locations in Woodhaven. It is very popular with hikers and bird watchers.
It is a beautiful spot, a great place to enjoy nature and the steep hill is a small price to pay for that kind of peace and tranquility. Although Woodhaven Boulevard is just a stone’s throw away, you can hardly hear it.
Take a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet and remember the young man, a boy really, whose all too short life ended so violently.

Northeastern Towers Annex to provide senior housing

webadmin on July 27, 2021

An affordable housing development in Jamaica is providing seniors of all backgrounds in Queens with living space that is clean, safe and enables them to age gracefully, but just as importantly is affordable.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony last week marked the completion of an annex that adds an additional 158 units to Northeastern Towers, including 56 homes for formerly homeless seniors.
It is comprised of 58 studios and 100 one-bedroom apartments, each designed with the mobility of its residents in mind.
There are two sets of wide elevator doors on each floor and handrails lining the hallways. It also has amenities, including an exercise and wellness center, gardens, personal care room, and an office for social services.
Through the Housing Choice Voucher program, tenants will pay only 30 percent of their income in rent.
“We are delivering on our promise to put seniors first and create deeply affordable housing with on-site services to help them age with dignity,” said Louise Carroll, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
District attorney Melinda Katz allocated $3 million in discretionary capital funding while serving as borough president to the project, which allowed for the inclusion of a solar canopy, roof deck, and other amenities that will support seniors.
“This project is a shining example of what can be accomplished when local government and community organizations work together,” she said.
The Northeastern Towers Annex fits with the broader initiative of addressing housing instability among low-income New Yorkers that is partially due to gentrification and rising rents. It was financed jointly by the HPD and HDC with a total of $93.6 million in public and private investment.
“No senior should ever be priced out of the neighborhood they love and proudly call home,” said current borough president Donovan Richards. “With more than 300,000 seniors living here in The World’s Borough, we look forward to more such ribbon cuttings as we work tirelessly to make sure that Queens is an affordable place to live for all, but especially our seniors.”
The project broke ground in 2018. Approximately 90 percent of the apartments are already rented.
“If you have the land, you should certainly be looking to model and duplicate this because we need to get ahead of the problem that we have over 60,000 people sleeping in shelters tonight,” said Richards. “We know when this eviction moratorium is lifted in September, we are going to see these numbers jump astronomically.”
Stephen Julty, 63, is a native New Yorker and one of the first to move into the annex. He said his new home is much better than the assisted living facility he was placed in by a hospital before being accepted to Northeastern Towers.
“I’m very emotional right now,” he said. “I realize how lucky I am as I hear the numbers, considering that I’m one of 28,000 applicants to this building.”
One of the building’s standout features is its central air conditioning system and the ample amount of natural light in each room, two features that are less likely for low-income seniors living in rent-stabilized apartments.
The project was developed in partnership with the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Fifth Avenue Committee and Mega Development.
“May the North Eastern Towers Annex and original building, be a great representative of Christ’s ministry, in healing, preaching, teaching,” said Pastor Ted N.C. Wilson, who is president of the Seventh-Day Adventist World Church. “Let us remember that we are to do that which is right in helping people here in the city.”

Another push to shut down work at Bayside yard

webadmin on July 27, 2021

Bayside residents have had enough of a yard the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) has been using as a “temporary” staging site for overnight construction work on the Port Washington line for the at least the past six years.
Neighbors of the rail yard say they are often woken up several times a night by the work and loud diesel engines pulling in and out of the yard.
In addition to the noise, residents contend the site is being used to store flammable chemicals and other potentially hazardous materials.
“This is not a safe situation for any of us, it’s beyond inappropriate,” said Karen Digiacomo, who lives next door to the yard on 217th Street just south of 40th Avenue. “All of this has been done with complete disregard for us. We have been more than patient.”
Digiacomo said if the LIRR fails to take action, her and her neighbors have discussed filing a class action lawsuit.
Stephen Panagiotakis moved to his house on 218th Street next to the yard one year ago with his wife and two small sons. The overnight noise is a nuisance, he said, but so are the trucks entering and leaving the site all day long.
“There are trucks barreling down 40th Avenue,” he said.
Tony Avella, the Democratic nominee for City Council, said when he was last in office as a state senator in 2018 he spoke with LIRR president Phillip Eng about the issue.
“Eng promised to reduce activity, but now it’s worse than ever,” Avella said at a rally with residents on Monday calling on the LIRR to end activity at the site.
Assemblyman Ed Braunstein said he also sent a letter to Eng and the LIRR about the issue in 2017, suggesting the agency find an alternative site for the staging work. He suggested moving the operation to Willets Point, a far-less residential area mostly surrounded by Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. He followed up again in 2019.
“The people in this neighborhood have been tortured by the Long Island Railroad for long enough,” Braunstein said earlier this week. “People do not deserve to live like this.”
Representatives from the MTA and LIRR did not respond to requests for comment.
While the LIRR has been unresponsive in the past, Avella said this time around they might have an ace up their sleeve. On Sunday night, Avella said Senator Chuck Schumer called to congratulate him on his primary win, and asked if there was anything Schumer could help with.
Avella mentioned the issues at the Bayside yard, and Schumer said he would reach out to LIRR officials to discuss the matter. Avella said Schumer’s help is important because many train operations are overseen by federal agencies.
“Having the senate majority leader on your side is a big deal,” Avella said.

College Point Task Force ready to get to work

webadmin on July 27, 2021

In June,Borough President Donovan Richards created the College Point Task Force to address quality-of-life issues in the neighborhood by facilitating communication between residents and different city agencies.
“Unlike what was happening before, every agency is now at the table,” Richards said last week while meeting with members of the task force. “Since those task force meetings convened, we have begun to see agencies speaking with one another and some of the issues addressed in the community.”
Democratic City Council candidate Tony Avella, who used to represent College Point in both the State Senate and City Council, praised the formation of the task force. He hopes it can help address the deplorable condition of the streets throughout Collee Point.
“It’s like a Third World country,” Avella said. “No other neighborhood in the borough of Queens has streets like this. We need to call attention to it.”
Standing in front of a poorly paved road at the corner of 120th Street and 20th Avenue, Avella explained how the Borough President’s Task Force and other bureaucracy-reducing measures will enable City agencies to address multiple issues within a single project.
“Here is a perfect example,” Avella said while gesturing towards the street. “We needed the sewers done, a project that began the last year I was in the Senate. But when you finish a street, you need to finish it. The agencies should also resurface the street before they move on to the next street and leave.
“If there has to be more money in a sewer contract so that the street can also be resurfaced, that’s a quick fix, we can do that,” he continued. “But the agencies need to change their mindset so they can do that.”
Avella will face off against Republican challenger Vickie Paladino this fall in the general election. Avella used the Task Force as an example of the changes he would bring about in the district if elected thanks to his strong connections in the political world.
“I have a lot of contacts from my time in the council and the senate with agencies and people in politics,” Avella said. “I actually supported the borough president in the special election. I also have a relationship with new mayor Eric Adams. We both served on the state senate.
“We all have the same intention to go back to the local issues, delivery of city services, and making the city agencies more responsive,” he added.
“Forget about the political ideology,” Richards added. “That doesn’t matter and shouldn’t matter when it comes to addressing quality-of-life issues. I think we can all agree that we want clean streets, smooth roads, and infrastructure that works.”

Catching up with Lincoln Restler

webadmin on July 27, 2021

Having earned an impressive 63.9 percent of the electorate (16,537 votes to be exact) after ranked choice voting, Lincoln Restler is poised to be the next Councilman representing District 33 in North Brooklyn. Since he is running unopposed in the Fall, our paper recently caught up with Restler to discuss his political history and his goals for Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, and the other neighborhoods he will represent.
Born and raised in Brooklyn Heights, Restler got his start in politics as a founding member of the New Kings Democrats and as a volunteer for the Obama campaign. Over a decade later, he is proud to see how much the progressive movement has grown in Brooklyn from its humble beginnings.
“When we founded the New Kings Democrats almost the entire political establishment was in opposition to us,” Restler explained. “Every elected official, every political club, and every political union was lined up with Hilary Clinton, but we realized that despite having none of that institutional support, we were able to garner over 49% of the vote in Brooklyn for Barack Obama.”
He continued: “That was because of the dynamism of his [Obama’s] campaign, but also the hard work we put in at subway stops, knocking on doors, and calling voters. It inspired many of us to look locally at how we could make a difference across the borough that we live in. We had no idea of the depth and breadth of corruption across our local political landscape.”
After finding early allies (including Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez), Restler and the New Kings Democrats went on to help elect reform-oriented progressives in a number of City Council Districts throughout the borough. However, now that Restler is entering the Council himself, he is less focused on political labels and more focused on addressing issues in his North Brooklyn district and throughout the City.
One such issue is gentrification, another trend that has taken Brooklyn by storm in the decade since Restler’s political beginnings.
“We have seen more new development in our district than any other in the city of New York since 2010. It’s not even close,” Restler explained. “Too many of my neighbors are struggling to get by today. And the few affordable apartments that have been built aren’t affordable. I’ve never met anyone that finds a $2,350 studio apartment affordable.”
Restler points to the 2004 and 2005 rezonings of Downtown Brooklyn and Greenpoint and Williamsburg respectively as the root causes of this affordability issue. However, he does not label himself as an anti-development candidate. Instead, he is focused on using his Council seat and political power to reform certain aspects of the City’s land-use policy.
He specifically highlighted the State’s 421a program that incites development with tax breaks. Although it is a state program, the City Council can repeal certain options within the program that allow developers to sell ‘affordable housing’ at 130% percent of the area median income, a step that Restler hopes to take in his first days on the Council.
Restler also spoke at length about holding the City accountable to completing the parks and schools that were promised to North Brooklyn during the 2004 and 2005 rezonings, including the yet to be finished Bushwick Inlet Park.
Restler advocates for a more comprehensive approach to community feedback to address hyper local issues, including the pushback against open streets and outdoor dining by some residents in Greenpoint. He also discussed the need for a community-led approach to street safety and vision zero policies, especially following the tragic hit-and-run death of beloved local teacher Matthew Jensen on McGuinness Boulevard this past May.
“My goal as a legislator is to be in constant communication with my community, getting regular input, feedback, and new ideas about what we can do to make our neighborhood and our City even better,” Restler said. “That’s why I’m hoping to organize regular active town halls and be an accessible 24/7 Councilmember that people know can reach out to for help with local problems but also be a partner to help implement bold ideas to make our neighborhoods more affordable, more sustainable, more livable, and more dynamic.”
The incoming City Council class includes many progressives (including other incoming Brooklyn representatives Jennifer Gutierrez and Shahana Hanif), and Restler is confident that they will be able to pass many measures furthering their progressive agenda. He is also longtime friends with incoming Brooklyn Borough President and former Bushwick City Councilmember Antonio Reynoso.
Additionally, Restler has previously worked with Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for Mayor, during his time as a State Senator and the Brooklyn Borough President. Although Adams is viewed as more of a moderate, Restler is hopeful that the most-likely next Mayor will be open to working together towards progressive ideas.
“I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to find a lot of common ground on a variety of different issues,” Restler said. “I ran on a stridently progressive platform and committed to representing those values and the values of the residents of the 33rd City Council district. Sometimes that will be in agreement with the mayor and sometimes it won’t.”

The Other Art Fair seeks to make art more accessible

webadmin on July 27, 2021

The art world has a reputation for being inaccessible and expensive. The Other Art Fair, a relatively new travelling art fair, is trying to change that.
Founded in London a decade ago, the show is focused on introducing new audiences to the exhibition experience and giving new artists an opportunity to have their work showcased. This past weekend The Other Art Fair brought this mentality to Greenpoint with an in-person fair at the Brooklyn Expo Center.
Fair director Nicole Garton discussed The Other Art Fair’s work and the vibrancy of North Brooklyn’s art community.
“The art world is definitely exclusive and intimidating for a lot of people, including people who consider themselves collectors,” Garton said. “They feel intimidated walking into a gallery. No one wants to feel stupid asking about the price of an artwork.”
The Other Art Fair is designed to be accessible to new art audiences, with many pieces selling for less than $100 (the Greenpoint Fair features prices as low as $30). All prices are displayed clearly on the artwork as well to add transparency to the purchasing process.
“Some people might not be ready to buy art, but maybe they just want to be around it or experience a fun day out,” Garton explained. “So it’s been a hallmark of the fairs that we always have a bar, DJs, and fun interactive elements so you can at least be part of it and participate and have some fun. If you find some art you love, it will be even better.”
In addition to exposing new audiences to artwork, The Other Art Fair works to expose new, undiscovered artists to the world.
“The spirit of the fair is to help provide a platform for artists who maybe are just starting out or they’re advanced in their career but they don’t have a gallery representing them,” Garton said. “It’s been a great way for artists to realize that they don’t have to rely on a gallery necessarily to have a career. You can be an independent artist at the fair and sell your work directly and just connect to your buyers.”
To increase the connection between artists and audiences, The Other Art Fair always has featured artists attend the fair in person. The artwork on display includes pieces from local artists, artists throughout the country, and artists across the globe.
The Brooklyn Fair is supported by a particularly large community of artists working and living in the borough.
“I’ve heard it said that as a stand-alone borough, Brooklyn is the fourth largest city in America,” Garton said. “So this is a legitimate place that has its own community, its own values, its own pulse. I think Manhattan gets enough attention, so we really wanted to embrace what’s going on here natively in a really organic way.
“I think, of our exhibitors, about 65 percent are based in New York City,” she added. “And so many of those are actually working here in Greenpoint, so they’re just a few blocks from where they do their work every day.”
Garton believes that art is a more fulfilling experience when viewed up close, and is particularly happy that the Brooklyn fair is being held in person.
“Some things you just can’t really appreciate online,” she said while discussing the pandemic’s impact on the art world. “So I think right now I’m kind of diving into the three-dimensional works with lots of texture, just because my eyes have been starved for that for so long. That’s been a highlight.”
The Brooklyn fair attracts visitors from far and wide, with art lovers traveling from as far away as Toronto, Ohio and North Carolina. The Other Art Fair hopes to make visitors feel welcome in Brooklyn.
“You don’t need to have an advanced degree to appreciate art,” Garton said. “It’s kind of like with music, you can turn on the radio and just respond to what you like. So with art, you can just come to see what’s happening. And if you fall in love with something, you can bring it home, put it on your wall, and live with it.”

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