Non-profit organization
Powerhouse Arts
A former Gowanus Canal powerhouse turned into a center for art fabrication, education and exhibitions, where ceramics, print and textile workshops operate alongside a vast, column-free hall for shows and performances.
The story
Powerhouse Arts occupies the former "Batcave" on the Gowanus Canal, beside a Superfund site. Its Grand Hall, a cavernous column-free room of more than 22,000 square feet with raw brick walls covered in graffiti, once held the turbines that powered Brooklyn's railroads and streetcars. Today it hosts exhibitions and performances such as William Kentridge's Sibyl, and The Ark, a show of 90 animal sculptures, launched a year-round exhibitions program. Behind the scenes, fabrication shops help artists realize projects: ceramics using wheel-throwing, slip casting and 3D ceramic printing, large-scale screenprinting, and public art. The Alpha Workshops make handmade wallpapers and hand-dyed textiles and offer decorative arts training to people living with disabilities. There are also classes, talks, free drop-in family Crafternoons and a store selling work made in-house.
Good to know
TAGGG AI- ✦Check the website before going, since what is on view or onstage in the main hall changes from show to show.
- ✦Arrange tours or visits in advance, as walk-ins without an appointment may be turned away at reception.