Brooklyn, New York to host 18th ‘Dumbo’ waterfront arts show

Associated media

The DUMBO Arts Festival is holding its 18th celebration of art on the waterfront, featuring ‘big headed’ critics, hydroponic tomato plant sculptures, a travelling dance party, a tour of DUMBO’s industrial history, and much more. Sponsored by Two Trees Management Company, the DUMBO Arts Festival is happening for one weekend, 26–28 September, creating a serendipitous museum in the streets. More than 200,000 people are expected to flock to DUMBO, where the festival will unfold throughout six city blocks with more than 100 open studios and art throughout the neighbourhood’s shops, parks, buildings, alleyways and more. 

DUMBO is full of public art by extraordinary artists all year round, and I am thrilled that this year’s festival showcases our local artists as well as talents from around the world. The artists are bringing experimental and interactive pieces to DUMBO that are engaging and entertaining – there’s something here for everyone to experience,said Lisa Kim, Two Trees’ Director of Cultural Affairs.

The DUMBO Arts Festival is the single largest free art event in New York City, bringing innovative and challenging artwork to a diverse audience and providing a career-making platform for artists from around the world. 

The festival highlights Brooklyn’s commitment to and presence in the arts community by presenting the best in local, national and international art amid the breathtaking backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline. Festivalgoers will enjoy indoor and outdoor visual art installations and exhibitions, digital and interactive art, visiting artists in studios, street murals and performances throughout the neighbourhood. The festival has been a mainstay of the arts calendar since its founding in 1997, and has recently been embraced by Brooklyn’s tech community as a place to present fun and experimental creative projects to a diverse audience.

DUMBO Arts Festival

Friday, 26 September from 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, 27 September from Noon to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 28 September  from Noon to 6 p.m.

Festival highlights include the following events.

Curious about the remains of old railroad tracks outside of her DUMBO studio, artist Karen Mainenti created DUMBO Underfoot, highlighting the rich history of industry literally underfoot by stencilling the goods the trains used to carry along the tracks.

Artist Megan Marlatt is turning her art on the critics with The Big Head Brigade. The big head versions of artists’ favourite power couple, New York Magazine’s Jerry Saltz and the New York Times’ Roberta Smith, will roam the festival, occasionally stopping to dance and check out the artwork.

Urban farming becomes art with Truffula Loraxia, Lee Mandell of Boswyck Farms and XAM’s hydroponic interpretation of Dr Seuss’s Trufula Tree.

Many New Yorkers will identify withBy Day, By Night, Karoleen Decastro’s piece highlighting the work that people do to both survive and stay true to the things they love. Photographers have been wandering the city talking to strangers and getting their insight on their work and passions. Visitors are encouraged to take their own By Day, By Night photo.

Thomas Stevenson’sDisco Transformer will create a travelling dance party throughout DUMBO when what looks like a typical street vendor cart transforms into disco party, with the help of local DJs.

Gun control activists Moms Demand Action will display the Mother’s Dream Quilt, containing meaningful fabric from victims and survivors of gun violence. The quilt represents how gun violence has become a part of the fabric of America.

It looks like you’re relaxing under a calm beach scene, but the image is actually a still from a popular and infamously violent video game in Joan Pamboukes’ Where the Sky Meets the River.

The resident researchers from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program present creative uses of technology inOffice Hours, combining programming with sound, video, digital fabrication and physical interaction to explore a variety of concepts, ideas and experiences.

For Global Virtual Drawing Party, Beatriz Ramos and DADA developed an online platform for artists to create statuses, and comment on others, with drawings instead of text. Drawings from around the world will be projected with artists on site responding in real time.

Famed local theater St. Ann’s Warehouse will become a gallery of video and tech based artwork where visitors can paint the walls with colour pixels, set the rhythm of light and sound by their heartbeats and watch a sculpture of obsolete electronics come to life.

The 2014 festival is made possible by a number of invested local partners, including the DUMBO Improvement District, the developers of DUMBO Heights and Empire Stores, as well as returning partners M&T Bank, Chicago Title Insurance, East River Ferry and local patrons Leaf Medical and Mark Jupiter Furniture. 

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