Park Slope Exhibit Asks Artists To Imagine 'Brooklyn Utopias'

BROOKLYN, NY — A new art exhibit on its way to Park Slope will imagine more than 100 versions of utopian future in Brooklyn.

The installation — set to take over the J.J. Byrne Playground fence and Old Stone House in the spring — will ask artists to consider what "utopia" would look like for neighborhoods surrounding the Gowanus Canal.

It is being run by Arts Gowanus and the Old Stone House & Washington Park, who opened the project for submissions late last week.

"Artists may choose to present “utopian” visions for the future of these neighborhoods or highlight the people, places, activities and other elements that help us feel joyful and connected in the present," the organizers wrote.

The "Brooklyn Utopias: Along the Canal" project will take the accepted submissions and display them both along the fence at the playground and in an exhibit inside and around the Old Stone House.

The fence installation will include more than 100 artists images, transformed to 36 by 36-inch banners along Fifth Avenue, Fourth and Third streets. The Old Stone House installation has room for 15 artists, according to organizers.

Both will be on view from April 10 through June 30.

"As in all past Brooklyn Utopias exhibitions, we welcome a mix of celebratory and critical work, and visionary proposals as well as those that involve direct participation or action," they wrote.

The visions of utopia can explore differing visions for the future of the communities, including those proposed by politicians, developers, community groups and others, organizers said.

Here's what to know in order to apply:

Apply for the Old Stone House exhibition:

• Submission deadline: January 31, 2022
• Exhibition sites: Old Stone House Great Room (2nd floor), 336 3rd street (between 4th & 5th avenues), Park Slope; as well as building exterior and surrounding gardens
• Exhibition dates: April 10-June 30, 2022
• PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

Apply for the outdoor banner exhibition:

• Submission deadline: March 1, 2022
• Exhibition site: fence surrounding J.J. Byrne Playground, on 5th avenue, 4th and 3rd Streets, Park Slope
• Exhibition dates: April 10-June 30, 2022
• Eligibility: This exhibition is open to artists of all media and career stages as long as their work can be photographed and reproduced on a two-dimensional banner. The artists do not need to live or work in the neighborhoods bordering the Gowanus Canal, but the work must address the theme of utopia and those neighborhoods in some way (Gowanus, Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill, and Red Hook).
• PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY!