BROOKLYN — Get ready for some artsy crowds this weekend, Bushwick.
More than 600 artists and galleries are opening up their doors for the ninth annual Bushwick Open Studios this weekend, with daylong events expected to draw more than 10,000 people to the neighborhood, an organizer said.
Artists will be on the streets and in their studios between at least noon and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, giving the public a chance to see their work and spaces.
Though there will be official and unofficial BOS events all weekend, the organizers have recently decreased the number of splashy gatherings, according to co-lead organizer Samantha Katz.
The focus this year will be on getting people into the studios, she said.
"We wanted to reshift to the accessibility of artists," she said. "We're making big strides to get folks directly into the studios."
Last year, about 10,000 people attended over the course of the weekend, Katz said. This year is expected to be just as big, if not bigger, she said.
A full directory of studios can be found online, in an Android and iPhone app, and in books that will be available in print at information hubs this weekend.
The weekend kicks off on Friday night with a party and group show sponsored by Tumblr at Be Electric, at 1298 Willoughby Ave.
In addition to being able to view art inside studios, attendees can expect art to fill the streets as well.
One artist duo will be romping around with wearable sculptures made out of milk cartons.
Another set of artists will take over Grattan Street outside Pine Box Rock Shop in a Brooklyn-Detroit show called "Transplant," which will explore "patterns and effects of individual and group migration," according to a description.
People will be creating galleries out of their cars and hosting impromptu parades, Katz said, and live music will likely be heard playing from rooftops.
"You never know what you're going to get," she said. "That’s what I kind of love about it. You kind have to go with the flow."
But for those who are looking for a definite party, there's been buzz about the Troutman Street block party hosted by Bushwick Collective, the group behind many of the murals in the neighborhood.
More than 30 street and graffiti artists will be painting live, and a family friendly section will be available, too.
Bronx rapper Fat Joe, the artist behind the 2002 hit "What's Luv?" is also slated to perform.
"It’s very spirited," Katz said.
For more information, arts-focused publications Paper Mag, Bushwick Daily and Hyperallergic all have guides for which studios to check out.
