In 2023, Powerhouse Arts completed the transformation of its Gowanus power station into a premier facility for fabricators, printmakers, and ceramicists to create large-scale works without leaving New York City. Now, the nonprofit is setting its sights on turning the 170,000-square-foot former transit power station into an exhibition and performance space comparable to the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Park Avenue Armory.
This fall, Powerhouse introduced a new performing arts festival on its expansive third floor, guided by Artistic Director David Binder. The festival, headlined by artist William Kentridge’s contemporary opera Sybil (2019), runs through December and features choreographers Hofesh Shechter and Christos Papadopoulos, along with a performance by Carolina Bianchi Y Cara de Cavalo. Complementing these performances is an interactive art installation by Kate McIntosh, which encourages attendees to engage in art creation using provided tools and safety goggles.
Eric Shiner, president of Powerhouse Arts, expressed hope that the festival would demonstrate the institution’s role as a supportive environment for artists and a source of inspiration for the public during challenging times. “Everything that we do here is in support of artists and making sure that artists not only have the space, but the time and the resources to make their artistic dreams come true,” he stated during the gala event on Thursday.
The festival has attracted attention from the art community, with backing from prominent artists like Amy Sherald, Shamel Pitts, and Miles Greenberg. Galleries such as Goodman Gallery and Hauser & Wirth, which has partnered with Powerhouse’s printmaking studio to create affordable artist editions, are also involved. Future annual traditions may include a printmaking fair initiated by master printmaker Luther Davis and Conductor, an art fair showcasing Brazilian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Palestinian, and Indonesian-Thai artists, both set to return next year.
This year, Powerhouse has focused on performance, dance, and printmaking. Recent hires, such as Diya Vij, vice president of curatorial and arts programs, and Brittni Collins, director of public art, indicate plans to broaden visual art exhibitions and public programs. Next week, the organization will welcome its first resident artists: Grace Lynne Haynes, Nazanin Noroozi, and Ngozi Olojede. Hannah Gottlieb-Graham of Alma Communications, now a Powerhouse benefactor, praised the venue’s unique aesthetic and the blend of experiential and traditional art on its graffiti-adorned third floor.
