Van Alen Fall Fest

Van Alen Fall Fest
Saturday, October 19
1–5 pm
303 Bond Street, Brooklyn

As part of Gowanus Open Studios and Archtober, join us for an open house to learn more about Van Alen, interact with some of our public art projects, and meet your neighbors. Drop in anytime for a lively afternoon of games, tunes, artist-run activities, and a public art resource fair. Fall treats provided by Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Sigmund’s, and Treelicious Orchards.

Learn more about our Fall Fest partners below!

Add to calendar: Google | Outlook | iCal

1–2:30 pm: Mookntaka

Mookntaka (MOO-kin-tah-kah) is a Gowanus-based artist duo by Mark Zlotsky and Karyn Lao that creates art to encourage people of all ages to connect through play. They will feature The Friends and Follies—a cast of interactive, inflatable sculptures—and lead a drop-in pompom art workshop.

3:30–5 pm: Dear Neighbor,

Artist Tiffany Baker is collecting personal stories of how Gowanus residents have been impacted by and recovered from flood events. Past and present residents (ages 12+) are invited to talk or write about your experiences of flooding through this guided workshop. Your stories will help to create a unique community art project launching in 2025!

Workshop materials provided in part by Materials of the Arts.

ArtBridge empowers local artists to transform construction fencing into canvases for art. We seek to place artists at the center of public life, while prioritizing exhibitions that amplify the voices, cultures, and histories of local communities. ArtBridge’s exhibitions have covered more than 60,000 square feet of public space, providing unprecedented exposure for hundreds of artists.

Buro Happold is a global engineering practice with strong roots in our local office communities; providing engineering, consulting, and design services. Our lighting design team is committed to supporting lighting and art in our public spaces through direct project involvement and advocacy on behalf of community groups.

Located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn’s growing Gowanus community, Dancewave creates quality dance education for people of all ages (from 3-103), backgrounds, abilities, and experience levels. Our mission is to provide access to supportive and empowering dance experiences that center social, emotional and cognitive development through movement.

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP)’s ambition is to make all of New York a better place to live, to maintain what works and improve what doesn’t. We want to encourage and inform the community about how to be involved as civic leaders in their neighborhood, by raising awareness about the Community District Needs Process and the Principles of Good Urban Design and how these tools benefit communities.

Neighborhood Safety Initiatives at the Center for Justice Innovation is building a model for the future by reimagining community development. We invest in residents, transform public spaces, and influence policy—with community at the core. Pictured here is Sprout, a neurodivergent playscape developed through a participatory design project with residents from the NYCHA Polo Grounds Houses in Harlem.

New Project has been proud to call Brooklyn home for 20 years. Our studio’s art fabrication specialists collaborate with artists, cultural institutions, public arts organizations, and city agencies on art installations throughout NYC. Helping artists realize their vision and bringing art to the community has always been at the core of what we do.

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building thriving neighborhoods across the five boroughs. SBS partners with community-based organizations to enhance the public realm and foster commercial revitalization through public space programming, art, and tactical transformations.

Newly opened in Gowanus, Powerhouse Arts is a not-for-profit organization committed to creative expression. Join us all afternoon to learn about arts fabrication and create your very own button or magnet. Immediately wear your button or exchange your art with other artists at Van Alen Fall Fest!

In the United States, TYLin’s Buildings Sector currently comprises 200+ professionals including 70+ professional engineers and 20+ LEED accredited personnel. TYLin is proud to participate at the Van Alen Fall Fest; their Building Equity Initiative (BEI) provides pro-bono and low-bono professional structural engineering services to support the efforts of non-profits and public programs.

Young New Yorkers (YNY) is an arts-based non-profit that offers diversion programs for individuals aged 12-25 years old who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. Our organization is built on three pillars: art, activism, and welfare.