Flatbush Artists

Press Release

Contact: Karen Friedland Brenda L. Becker
brendabecker@optonline.net
ArtistKaren@mac.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Flatbush Artists Studio Tour Debuts June 7-8, 2008

First major open-studio event in ‘Victorian Flatbush’ neighborhood;
Public to be welcomed by 27 artists on self-guided tour


Brooklyn, NY, May 20, 2008 -- The visual artists of Flatbush will open their
studios to the public in a weekend-long self-guided art tour throughout the
historic Victorian neighborhood. The first annual Flatbush Artists Studio Tour
(FAST) will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, from 12 to 5 p.m.
Tour maps may be downloaded and printed at www.flatbushartists.org, or picked
up at many local merchants. Admission to the tour is free.

The artists represented on the tour include painters, sculptors, printmakers,
jewelry makers, mosaic artists, and book artists. “We’re all familiar with the
creative life of areas like Williamsburg and Gowanus,” said tour organizer and
painter Karen Friedland. “Now art lovers can add the beautiful streets of Victorian
Flatbush to the vibrant artistic map of Brooklyn, and meet the artists who work in
one of the city’s most diverse communities.”

In addition, a group show of local artists will take place from June 5 - July 2 at
two lively cafés in the heart of the area: Vox Pop and Connecticut Muffin (1022
and 1106 Cortelyou Road), giving tour-goers an opportunity to preview the works
of all the participating artists on the tour. An opening reception for the group
show will take place on June 5, from 7 to 10 p.m.

The Flatbush Artists Studio Tour, presented in cooperation with the Brooklyn
Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC), will take place the same weekend as the
popular Victorian Flatbush House Tour. The studio tour is a separate and
unrelated event with free admission, and will offer both old-house fanciers and art
lovers yet another reason to explore the leafy streets of the area, with its broad
lawns, spacious front porches, and fanciful architecture, on the weekend of June
7-8.

“This event has prompted an outpouring of community support, for which we’re
very grateful,” said Ms. Friedland. Studio tour sponsors include Brooklyn Borough
President Marty Markowitz and two dozen local businesses.

Getting to Victorian Flatbush
The “Victorian Flatbush” area includes the landmarked historic districts of
Prospect Park South and Ditmas Park along with Midwood, Beverley Square
West and East, and Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park.
Visitors may start the free tour anywhere on the self-guided neighborhood map
available at www.flatbushartists.org or at local shops. The closest subway stops
to the tour area are the Q train to the Beverly Road, Cortelyou Road, or Newkirk
Avenue stations (see the map for station locations). In addition, the neighborhood
is served by the B68, B16, B35, and several other buses. Details and driving
directions are also available on the FAST website.