Known for her seasonal ice cream window in Ridgewood, artist Elisabeth Smolarz explores themes of isolation through her photography. Her installation “Soft Confinement,” showcased at Supermoon Art Space during the Ridgewood Open Studios event, features a solitary male figure navigating a futuristic dystopia, accompanied by AI-generated affirmations and lullabies.
“We’re in a moment right now where a lot of people experience loneliness,” Smolarz shared with Hyperallergic. “I realized from my students at Pratt how lonely they are and that led me to do work with AI.”
The neighborhood, however, remains vibrant and communal, as demonstrated during Ridgewood’s fourth annual open studios event, which attracted hundreds to explore art spaces in converted factories, basements filled with sculptures, and printmaking workshops in playgrounds.
The arts scene in Western Queens, once overshadowed by Bushwick, has emerged independently after participating in North Brooklyn’s open studios festival for years. Ridgewood is no longer mistaken for Bushwick, with Time Out naming it one of the world’s coolest neighborhoods, thanks to its trendy eateries, coffee spots, bars, and performance venues. New additions to the area include UnionDocs, a documentary filmmaker nonprofit, and Low Cinema, opened by HBO’s John Wilson. Ridgewood now hosts a dozen art venues and five ceramics studios, the latest being Ridgewood Ceramics, which opened just ten days ago.
The festival, featuring various pop-up art spaces, has evolved into a lively event. Despite the rain, groups of Gen Z-ers roamed galleries near the Forest Avenue M, Myrtle-Wyckoff L, and Halsey L train stops.
At Supermoon, a childcare facility, hip Gen X parents and their children gathered for the opening of Provisional Horizons, showcasing works by artists Stacie Johnson, Kerry Law, Rob de Oude, Amy Decker, and Mary Billyou. Christopher Rose, who relocated his studio from Greenpoint to Supermoon’s basement 12 years ago, curated the exhibition for the third consecutive year. “It seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year,” he noted. “There’s a lot of artists who have known each other for a long time too.”
At the Center for Information Alternatives (CIA) Gallery on Cypress Avenue, multimedia artist Laura Weyl displayed over 200 photographs, many featuring nude or partially nude subjects, captured over 15 years. Weyl describes these figures as her “muses,” noting their evolving relationships over time. “The story is more important than the image. There’s a lot of mystery. I don’t explain it, but if you look and stare long enough, stories emerge,” she explained.
Ridgewood Open Studios offered numerous intriguing attractions, including art displayed in converted lofts and subterranean spaces. On one street, artist Zovi, known for her whimsical illustrations for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, showcased vibrant plein air paintings of scenes from New York, Connecticut, and her native France. Her favorite MTA illustration features two queer individuals kissing with the tagline, “Spread the love, just not on the escalator.”
Nearby, self-taught painter Andrew Hockenberry filled his Harman Street studio and hallways with abstract canvases he stretched himself, many crafted during residencies in the Italian Alps in 2019 and 2021, which he described as life-changing. Down the street on Woodward Avenue, Clement Oladipo’s studio was adorned with found objects like rusty stove pipes and bike chains, transformed into striking mixed-media sculptures. “I have a tetanus shot for sure, you’re not the first person to ask that,” he quipped.
In the basement of the same building, printmaker Cedar Kirwin welcomed visitors while weaving fabric strips into a quilt. Kirwin began quilting in 2020 as a gift for a friend who had a baby during the pandemic, finding the process liberating. “I don’t have to worry about registration, color mixing, or additions,” Kirwin said. “It’s a very precise medium that has allowed play back into my process. It’s not too messy, I can spread the fabric out, and I love to pick and choose.”
Ridgewood Open Studios founder Nao Matsumoto was amazed by the turnout throughout the weekend, with over 200 attendees at the opening night at his gallery Lorimoto, which displayed 83 works by local artists. As the festival concluded, Matsumoto planned to head to Glendale for a closing barbecue hosted by several artists. “It’s spreading out now,” he said. “People in Glendale started contacting us about participating, but I said I can’t guarantee foot traffic. Eventually, they’ll split off. That’s what happened here.”
