As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition is reflecting its layered history and evolving cultural identity with a new exhibitions.
For more than two centuries, the waterfront has been shaped by industry, migration and conflict. From Revolutionary War activity near Red Hook in 1776 to present-day redevelopment, the shoreline has remained a place where communities and cultures intersect, according to the coalition.
Between Two Waterfronts: A Brooklyn Landscape examines the waterfront as both a physical environment and a symbolic space shaped by development, climate pressure, displacement, and everyday life. The work focuses on how industry, housing, labor, and migration continue to reshape the shoreline.
Summer of Soccer, presented in collaboration with Socceroof and Favela Project Inc., looks at global soccer culture ahead of the 2026 international tournament in New York. The exhibition highlights personal experience, local soccer communities, and the sport’s cultural reach.
Crazy Joy Time for You is a solo exhibition by BWAC member Kumi Hirose. The work uses bright, pop-inspired imagery to explore emotional contrasts, including joy, tension, and internal complexity.
BWAC has long been connected to the Brooklyn waterfront. The organization first mounted exhibitions in DUMBO in 1978, later operated for 35 years in Red Hook, and lost its historic 1869 warehouse studio after a fire destroyed the space.
“I hope those who view the works in this exhibition will reconnect with the free emotions that reside within themselves,” said Hirose.
The group is now temporarily based in Sunset Park. The exhibitions are on view weekends from 1:00pm to 6:00pm on the third floor of the Whale Building, 1453 53rd St. An opening reception will be held July 2 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Admission is free. The gallery will be closed on July 4.
