BY EMILIE MURPHY
Dumbo, “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,” is a highly Instagrammable neighborhood that also happens to boast world-class art and cultural attractions. Once a manufacturing hub full of abandoned warehouses, Dumbo is now a vibrant area that is one of Brooklyn’s biggest draws. With newfound popularity buoyed by an influx of galleries, creative spaces, and public art, this former no man’s land has been refashioned into the height of cool.
Public art
From window installations to monumental murals, Dumbo has a wide range of public artworks on constant rotation. “Every project is different,” explains Alexandria Sica, President of the Dumbo Improvement District. “For example, our latest round of mural installations which include works by Cey Adams, Marka27, and Sofia Dawson, were part of a new Downtown Brooklyn + Dumbo Art Fund that used a grant from New York State. Those were chosen through an open call for proposals and we had a dedicated selection committee that included rockstars of the art world and local stakeholders alike.” Other pieces are commissioned directly by the BID, and still, others are brought in by the Public Art Fund.
Claudia Wieser, “Rehearsal,” 2021, Ceramic, digital prints, stainless steel. Presented by Public Art Fund at Brooklyn Bridge Park, July 29, 2021 — April 17, 2022. Courtesy Claudia Wieser; Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen; and Jessica Silverman, San Francissco.
Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
This variety of sources and stakeholders keeps the public spaces dynamic and fresh. On any given day, visitors can view site-specific sculpture installations such as Claudia Wieser’s Rehearsal, an immersive experience in Main Street Park, or a variety of murals along the BQE created as part of the Murals for the Movement initiative. Meanwhile, on Main Street, a small space brings big ideas in the form of Main Window, a rotating public art space that has been featuring works by Brooklyn-based artists since 1980.
