It’s late spring in New York City, and you’re probably being inundated with images of all the highly Instagrammable art happenings that are perpetually popping up around here. Though it’s inarguably awesome to have access to so much new art on the reg, maybe you want to have a serious art binge without venturing into Manhattan or taking a boat. Look no further than the 16th Annual SONYA Art Walk this weekend!
But who is SONYA, and how is her body of work prolific enough to warrant a whole art walk? SONYA stands for South of the Navy Yard Artists, and it’s a non-profit visual arts organization that has brought together artists working and exhibiting in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Wallabout, and Bedford-Stuyvesant since 1999. Their two-day, free-to-the-public open studios event features over 50 local artists, from up-and-coming to well-established, working in a full spectrum of fine art disciplines, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and video. Many artists’ studios will be open to the public, so you can meet the people who’ve been creating cool things right in your neighborhood. Several shops, cafes, and restaurants are exhibiting work as well, which means you can conveniently stop and enjoy the offerings of local businesses while you’re out getting cultured. If this is somehow not enough free art for you to ogle, there will also be live-creation events taking place at Fowler Square and the Putnam Triangle. As far as we know, Jay-Z will not be involved.
Another important feature of the Art Walk is that several bars in the vicinity are putting on Art Walk happy hours– yes, four words that become even more beautiful when strung together. Swing by Dick and Jane’s, the Great Georgiana, Madiba, Hops Hill, Alice’s Arbor, Speedy Romeo, Brooklyn Public House, Corkscrew Wines, 11238 Coffee, Brooklyn Moon, and Tipsy for deals (the first two of which can be made even sweeter with your Brooklyn Cocktail Book.)
The Art Walk can be as drawn out as you want it to be, as it is a self-guided tour. Download a map here or pick up a guide at one of their information hubs– Fowler Square, the Putnam Triangle, DC Optics (390 Myrtle Ave.) or Tipsy (584 Myrtle Ave.) If you want to get a head start in brushing up on local art, the opening party takes place on Thursday, May 28 at Alice’s Arbor (549 Classon Ave.) This whole thing is going down rain or shine, and as you can see from the aforementioned map, it covers a pretty broad area of Brooklyn, so pencil in the SONYA Art Walk between 12pm and 6pm on May 30 and 31.