6 Best Creative Spaces for Art and Exhibitions in Gowanus

New York is known for catering to and housing artists of all persuasions – Brooklyn being a huge part of the appeal and the draw for those of a more creative inclination. Gowanus, in Brooklyn, is no exception. We’ve gathered our 6 Best Creative Spaces for Art and Exhibitions in Gowanus, a list of spaces here where artists and creative types might find inspiration.

First up, we have Third Avenue Clay, where if you love homemade pottery, you’ll feel right at home. Adrienne Yurick is the potter who owns this quaint clay shop, fostering the creativity of all her students interested in creating their own ceramics and pottery. Third Avenue Clay offers three-hour classes, where you can work on throwing on the wheel as well as hand-building your pottery. Additionally, you can try expressing your ideas via your pottery, working with stoneware clay, glazes, slips, and stains. You can also view demonstrations and participate in discussions of other works.

If you are less of a fan of pottery, and more art experimentation lover, there’s the New Motor, off 8^th Street. At the New Motor, you’ll find a full-service fabrication studio that collaborates with artists, designers, architects, and brands to create art installations. They offer a full suite of services, with drafting, metalworking, pipe bending, as well as woodworking, laser cutting, UV gluing, and shipping/logistics and storage. New Motor is a one stop shop for all your artistic needs, from small to large. It’s a funky place, and we know you’ll love the vibes.

Speaking of vibes we think you’ll adore, the next place is the Textile Arts Center, off Carroll Street, affectionately known as TAC. TAC is a resource tailored to the mission of raising textile awareness and understanding via educational programs. These skill-based classes allow you to engage with fabrics and traditional fabric crafting. There are techniques taught such as sewing, dyeing, weaving, so participants can reflect on how these fabric skills tie into our social understanding of art and culture.

Forth in our 6 Best Creative Spaces for Art and Exhibitions in Gowanus is Arts Gowanus, a nonprofit that supports and advocates for local art and artists and looks to cultivate the Brooklyn arts community into something more. The nonprofit builds relationships between local businesses, the community, local individual artists, and art organizations. They facilitate professional development workshops, art shows, art collaborations, and exhibitions to showcase the importance of art in the community. You can donate directly via their website or send a check to their address off Union Street.

There’s also the new Powerhouse Arts, a not-for-profit organization which hosts an extended network of art and fabrication professionals and educators who work together to co-create and share artistic practices vital to the well-being of artists and the communities to which they belong. Specifically, Powerhouse Arts houses fabrication capabilities in the materials of ceramic and print, and offers project management and fabrication services for public art.

Finally, there’s Ortega y Gasset Projects, an artist run exhibition space and “curatorial collective.” OyG recognizes that exploration is necessary to artistic vitality – artists are curators and promoters of their own projects. OyG hosts exhibitions showcasing artists from under-represented and marginalized communities. You can apply for your art’s inclusion in exhibitions, attend exhibitions, and also donate to support OyG, and purchase artwork to ensure that the organization keeps going.  

Do you love 6 Best Creative Spaces for Art and Exhibitions in Gowanus? Do you want us to highlight other neat places in Gowanus? Let us know!