Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism and keep our reporting and criticism free and accessible to all. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today. In the warehouse of what used to be the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Station power plant, small children toyed with pottery and even learned how to solder alongside the pros on Saturday, June 15.
As part of a “Community Art Day,” the nonprofit Powerhouse Arts opened its doors to all of Brooklyn for free for the first time since its debut last year. Usually a space for art fabrication, the 170,000-square-foot venue has long wanted to draw in locals of all artistic abilities, including young children. The event is part of a broader outreach effort by Powerhouse Arts to fulfill its mission to foster a space for “artistic practices vital to the wellbeing of artists and the communities to which they belong.
” “I’m hoping this sparks creative joy in everyone at any age, even if you’re like someone who hasn’t touched art in, like, 50 years,” artist Jenn Williams, director of Learning and Engagement for Powerhouse Arts, told Hyperallergic at the event. Williams had recently finished a ceramics program with 75 high schoolers. Part of the value in connecting these students to Powerhouse Arts, she said, is showing them how they can make art into a career.
“Here, you’re like, ‘Oh, these are actual fab.