WILLIAMSBURG — A collective of contemporary artists have transformed a stretch of Williamsburg’s North Sixth Street into an outdoor art gallery, covering all sorts of surfaces with paint, digital projections and even crochet.
The transformation between Kent and Wythe avenues began with an overhaul of facades, flowerpots and fences, which were covered in white paint to prepare them to become part of the exposition.
Then on Saturday more than 20 artists descended onto the block and covered the newly-created canvasses— plus cars, bikes and anything they could find — with their art while a crowd of onlookers shared in the creative process.
“My art has always sought to bring color, life, energy, and surprise to the living space,” said Polish-born participating artist Olek in a press release.
Olek created the “Forgotten Barrier,” an 80-foot crocheted yarn fence that preaches, “All we need is love and money.”
The exhibit will remain open through June 29 and includes work by Justin Lowe and Jonah Freeman — “The Starchamber,” a visual and digital experience surrounding the works' namesake the 1970s cult sci-fi hit — and Ryan McNamara, whose work “Dance” brings an interactive dance celebration tailored for each viewer.
The event, dubbed Open Canvas by creator Absolut Vodka, will head to San Francisco later this summer.”
“Open Canvas serves as a reminder that we can all transform our present and future if we adopt a daring spirit and use creativity to stretch everyday reality,” said Maxime Kouchnir, an executive at Pernod Ricard, which distills Absolut Vodka.
Artists in the project include: Asger Carlsen, Tony Cox, Craig Damrauer, Ara Dymond, Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe, Aurora Halal, Dev Harlan, Valerie Hegarty, KATSU, Andrew Kuo, Ryan McNamara, Joseph Montgomery, Mark Nystrom, Olek, Rostarr, el_peego, JK5, Dominic Neitz, Signal, TwoJay, Kevin Phillips, itsalrightwerealright.com, Justin Beal, Michael Zahn, Lucas Knipscher, Steven Rose and Joanna Seitz.