Upcoming Happenings
Welcome to the Backspace, where we are grateful to be able to host a wide variety of community-oriented events. We invite you to join us for weekly yoga, live music, artist-led workshops, local makers’ markets, visual art exhibitions, children’s story times, private parties, and so much more.
Upcoming Happenings are listed here below! We hope to see you at one or more of them :)
For new vendor / artist / event submissions, please know that we primarily book out our Happenings calendar through our annual Open Call, which has passed for 2026.
For rental of our space for a private event, please reach out by email to info@brooklynartery.com and include “private event” in your subject line.
Many thanks to our neighbors, visitors, event partners, and friends for making these first three years at the Backspace so full of life!
Election Eve 2026 Party: Rebirth
When we create art, stories, rituals, and spaces that remind us of our collective power, we can redefine and reimagine what democracy for is for ALL of us.
We're proud to be community partners for Race Forward’s Cultural Week of Action on Race and Democracy, happening through November 3 in cities, towns, and virtual spaces across the country.
Join us to laugh, move, connect, get creative, and reflect on what we’re ready to leave behind—and what we want to build next.
Inspired by Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Rebirth is about making room for the joy, connection, healing, and collective imagination we need to keep going. We’ll celebrate how people show up for one another and take part in civic life. Together, we can model the world we want and stand in solidarity with communities across the country. No panels or long speeches. Just a night to reflect, release, and rejoice before Election Day.
Featuring:
Communal altar building led by: Melissa Almaguer
Comedy by: Milly Tamarez
Music by: Alida and Aidan
DJ set by: Katrina Reid
This event is FREE, but please RSVP to let us know you’re coming!
A Cultural Week of Action event hosted by Race Forward and Organizing Partners GADIM and The Brooklyn Artery.
Live Music: Gaia Quartet & Martina Livero
Gäia Quartet will be playing repertoire from their record "Change of Course" (Ropeadope) as well as new compositions written especially for these master improvisers.
Martina Liviero is an Argentine songwriter, composer, guitarist, and vocalist based in Brooklyn. Her work blends South American songwriting with chamber music, contemporary jazz, and experimental folk. Her debut album Formas al Desaparecer, on Hilo Records, features nine original compositions, recorded between Belo Horizonte and New York City.
Doors at 7:30 PM, show at 8 PM. Beverages will be available for purchase.
Live Music: Flagrant II EP Release with Nicomo + Fieldings
Come—have a swig of this autumnal musical potion (trust us) at Brooklyn Artery in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, to celebrate the release of Flagrant II’s debut EP, Shallot Eyes 🧅 👀
Flagrant II is the new singer-songwriter project from Alex Kirkpatrick. With two albums out as the drummer-songwriter-bandleader of Loosie, Shallot Eyes is Alex’s first “bedroom record,” featuring him singing, playing (almost) all instruments, and self-recording/producing from his humble Crown Heights apartment. The live band will feature Alex on guitar and vocals, Gary DeAngelo on guitar, Ben Murphy on bass, and Rachel Housle on drums. Indie rock-folk bouillabaisse seasoned with slowcore, shoegaze, ambient music, and jazz.
Nicomo makes songs on your shoulder, impressionistic folk and rolling waves, shadows and conversations misunderstood.
Fieldings is the musical nom de guerre of singer-songwriter Lucinda Hearn, making dreamy indie folk built on found sound.
Doors at 7:30 PM, show at 8 PM. Drinks will be available for purchase. $15 donation goes directly to the artists.
Music for Solidarity Benefit Show
Music for Solidarity is back!
Music for Solidarity is a live music fundraiser series hosted and curated by the Brooklyn Artery. Each show features 2-3 sets of music by community-oriented artists, and all proceeds are donated to a mutual aid organization. For 2026, our focus is organizations working to protect immigrant rights.
Proceeds from 11.7.26 will be donated to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, a national organization that advocates for unaccompanied and separated kids in the immigration system.
Thank you so much to @katievonschleicher & @nuriagraham for joining this community initiative and being part of this series. Stay tuned for more special guests joining the bill!
Pottery Workshop: Hand-Built Bud Vases
Spend the day exploring clay in this hand-building workshop! You’ll learn how to use slab hand-building techniques to create 1-2 handmade ceramic bud vases. In addition to covering the basics of slab-building, we will explore creating surface designs and patterns with found objects and patterned rollers, and learn simple carving techniques.
Your creations will be fired and glazed after the workshop, and ready for pick-up at The Artery by the first week of December.
All materials are included and beginners are welcome! Please sign up HERE.
The workshop will be led by Esther Sapan, the Brooklyn-based ceramicist behind Owlette Ceramics, a shop specializing in whimsical, functional pottery for all.
The Art Table
Doesn't it feel like it's becoming increasingly difficult to make art these days? Let's gather for commiseration, collaboration, and skill-sharing. Writers, visual artists, musicians, textile artists, filmmakers, photographers, people who have been making art for a couple years—if you've been wanting to meet other artists, especially outside your discipline, come and share your work! We'll have an hour to chat and an hour for 4 -5 people to share their work and receive feedback. Come help us figure out what this space can do for all of us.
Niv Sekar and Bailey Quinlan will be hosting. Please RSVP to let us know you’re coming!
We'll have a laptop and projector. If you’ll be sharing digital media (audio, video, images) please email to Bailey & Niv before the event at baileyqphoto[at]gmail[dot]com & nivmakes[at]gmail[dot]com. In an effort to preserve the attention of the space, we’ll be ending entry at 7:15pm.
The Backspace of the Brooklyn Artery is wheelchair accessible, but please note that the bathroom is not. However, we can direct you to a nearby, friendly location with an accessible restroom if needed. The bathroom is genderless. Masks are encouraged but not required. We’ll also have masks available on the day of the event. If you have specific accessibility needs, please reach out via DMs—we’ll do our best to support you.
Craft Circle
The last Craft Circle of 2026! And the perfect opportunity to work on your handmade holiday gifts :) Hosted by Kylie Rae Brown. No RSVP required. Craft Circle will return every third Monday starting in January.
Radio Ambulante: Club de Escucha
¡Bienvenides al Club de Escucha de Brooklyn! Cada tercer martes del mes nos reunimos para escuchar una de las historias de Radio Ambulante y charlar sobre ese y muchos otros asuntos que nos importan, preocupan, divierten y emocionan como latinx. ¡Esta edición es la última del año!
Por favor confirma tu participación aquí.
Este evento será realizado completamente en español y todas las personas (nativas o no nativas) son bienvenidas.
*Radio Ambulante cuenta las historias de América Latina es uno de los podcasts en español más escuchados en todo el continente.
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Welcome to the Brooklyn Listening Club! Every third Tuesday of the month, we gather to listen to one of Radio Ambulante's stories and discuss about that and many other topics that matter, worry, entertain us and cause emotion as Latinx (and people who love Latin America). This will be this year's last edition!
This event will be held completely in Spanish and everyone (native and non-native speakers) is welcome.
*Radio Ambulante tells the stories of Latin America and is one of the most listened-to Spanish-language podcasts across the continent.
Yorùbá Folk Song Workshop with Taiwo Aloba
Come sing and play with us! This 45-minute workshop offers an introduction to traditional Yoruba folk songs.
In this interactive, hands-on workshop, you will learn Yoruba folk songs, rhythms, and call-and-response techniques. Using traditional instruments such as the shekere and agogô, Taiwo will facilitate a communal music circle, teaching melodies, explaining lyrical meanings, and guiding participants in creating harmonies together. The setup will be circular and inclusive, encouraging vocal participation, movement, and group rhythm-making in an uplifting, accessible environment. All are welcome. Please bring a small percussion instrument if you have one!
Participation is $15. Please sign up HERE.
Taiwo Aloba is an award-winning theater artist, playwright, cultural practitioner, and visual artist based in New York. She serves as the Founder and Artistic Director of African Theater Inc.
Live Music: Elsa Nilsson & Dani Gurgel + Ellie Pruneau
Elsa Nilsson & Dani Gurgel met for the first time at a Jazzahead jam session which is that kind of loud and busy conference environment where you meet a gazillion people and only keep in touch with a few. No one would have believed their 1 am conversation about Elsa coming to Brazil, staying at Dani’s, and recording at Da Pá Virada was real, it sounded like the kind of check-bouncing pleasantries people exchange on their way out. But when Elsa found herself traveling to South America with her New York based band she joyfully and immediately reached out to Dani to ask if the offer was genuine, and it was so genuine she went twice.
Sobre Água literally means both “About Water” and “Over Water”. That’s how Dani described São Paulo to Elsa in her first days in the city. The main avenues are built over dozens of channeled rivers and creeks. When it rains, this concrete-covered underground basin has nowhere to flow but up causing intense and sudden flooding. Elsa, in her way, built this image into a composition for which Dani wrote lyrics — their first musical collaboration.
On this first São Paulo adventure Elsa and Dani laid ground for this project. They got to know Seattle bassist Kelsey Mines who was traveling to Brazil at the same time, started developing the project with drummer Thiago Big Rabello, who would also join them as producer and engineer, and sat in with Danilo Silva at his iconic São Paulo gig and jam session, Som das Quartas. Together they explored the musical landscape of São Paulo and formed a friendship and a collaboration which would inspire some of the album originals. A year later, they rejoined at Da Pá Virada Studios as a band. The music on this album is a combination of original collaborative and individual compositions for this group, and some re-imaginings of earlier work.
For this concert celebrating the release of their first album Dani, Elsa and Kelsey will be joined by legendary Brazilian pianist Debora Gurgel.
Ellie Pruneau is a pianist, composer, and educator based in New York. She specializes in small group instrumentations, including piano trio, quartet, and voice with prepared piano. Her compositional style values the importance of combining many genres including classical, funk, video game, and indie. Pruneau’s compositional work earned her a place at the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead workshop in 2019, and the 2022 Alumni Commission for the Indiana University Jazz Department. She has performed with notable musicians Greg Ward, Ari Hoenig, and John Raymond. Her accompaniment on Amanda Gardier’s album Flyover Country (2019) was described as “percussive and harmonically sophisticated” by Downbeat Magazine.
Paint & Sip: Pet Portraits!
Let your pet be your muse!
Join us for fun evening of painting your furry baby, grandpuppy, or four-legged-roommate! A great opportunity to relish in and capture all that you love about your (or your family or friend's) pet. This also makes a great and fun(ny) gift in time for the holiday season!
Led by our amazing friend, local artist and art therapist, Melissa Alvey.
All materials & your first drink included. Just bring yourself and a photograph (or a few) of the furry friend you'd like to paint. Please sign up HERE to grab a spot!
Hand-Quilting Workshop
Join us for a cozy fall afternoon to learn the basics of hand-quilting at the Brooklyn Artery’s Backspace on October 25th at 1 pm. Artist and neighbor Lea Cawthorne will teach how to plan your hand-quilted designs and the basics of hand sewing. No prior sewing experience required!
Take home your own small quilted wall hanging, information on the steps of quilting, and supplies to keep working on your quilt at home. All materials provided by Brooklyn Creative Reuse <3
Participants are encouraged to bring along a meaningful item to use as embellishment on their quilt. Think old textiles, a special trinket, a curious piece of trash! There are no wrong answers.
Come stitch, meet new people, and slow down to make something beautiful with your hands!
Sunday, October 25th, 1 pm - 4 pm
Fee: $30 includes all materials. Reach out to us if payment is a barrier – no one turned away for lack of funds! Sign up HERE
Italian Wine Class with KCW
Italy is a wonderland for wine lovers, but it can be daunting if you want to dive deeper than Chianti and Pinot Grigio. From the Alps to the Aeolian Islands, the boot is jam-packed with unique grape varieties, unfathomable appellations, and ancient traditions. Join KCW co-owner & ex-Italian wine importer Jim for a primer in Italian vintage!
Wednesday, Oct. 14th
7-8:30PM
$35 per person
Space is limited so RSVP here asap! 🍷🥂
The Art Table
Doesn't it feel like it's becoming increasingly difficult to make art these days? Let's gather for commiseration, collaboration, and skill-sharing. Writers, visual artists, musicians, textile artists, filmmakers, photographers, people who have been making art for a couple years—if you've been wanting to meet other artists, especially outside your discipline, come and share your work! We'll have an hour to chat and an hour for 4 -5 people to share their work and receive feedback. Come help us figure out what this space can do for all of us.
Niv Sekar and Bailey Quinlan will be hosting. Please RSVP here so we know you’re coming!
We'll have a laptop and projector. If you’ll be sharing digital media (audio, video, images) please email to Bailey & Niv before the event at baileyqphoto[at]gmail[dot]com & nivmakes[at]gmail[dot]com. In an effort to preserve the attention of the space, we’ll be ending entry at 7:15pm.
Beginner-friendly Gouache 101 Class
Join our beginner-friendly gouache 101 class. This introduction to painting is designed to build confidence with gouache through a playful subject matter — abstract vulvas! The project draws on a 100-day protest series by artist Liz Groeschen, and this class is your chance to make your own. Slow down and get loose with a fun, expressive medium while creating several of your own small painted works on paper. No art experience needed!
What You'll Learn:
The basics: How gouache behaves — mixing, layering, and controlling water.
Core techniques: Flat color blocking, blending, and adding line and texture.
Color and shape: Building confident, playful forms using a limited palette.
What's Included:
Gouache paints, brushes, and paper provided for use in class.
Step-by-step guidance in a supportive, judgment-free space.
Participation fee: $35. All materials provided. Please RSVP here!
Music for Solidarity
Music for Solidarity is a live music fundraiser series hosted and curated by the Brooklyn Artery. Each show features 2-3 sets of music by community-oriented artists, and all proceeds are donated to a mutual aid organization. For 2026, our focus is to fundraise for organizations working to protect immigrant rights.
Proceeds from 8.28.26 will be donated to the Immigration Defense Project (@immdefense), an organization working to secure fairness & justice for immigrants through legal advice & training, impact litigation, community defense, policy, and advocacy.
hemlock is the swamp-raised, “phone-fi" alt-folk project of multi-disciplinary creative force Carolina Chauffe, currently anchored in south Louisiana, but more often on the highway. Doggedly DIY, touring nearly nonstop for the past few years on “permatour”, they strive to play gatherings that return music to where it has always existed - the house, the porch, the field, the waterside. An avid documenter and self-proclaimed amateur archivist, Chauffe touts a prolific discography spanning hundreds of self-released songs since the project formed in 2018, including their ongoing phone-recorded song-a-day for-a-month saga.
Katy Pinke is a painter, singer-songwriter, and multidisciplinary artist based in New York. Her stripped-down 2024 debut album (produced by Phil Weinrobe – Big Thief, Hand Habits), was described by Pop Matters as “dreamlike but rooted in authentic, basic principles of songwriting and performance.” Strange Behavior, her follow-up record (2025) has drawn comparisons to Aldous Harding, Julia Holter, and Suzanne Vega. Her most recent full-length release, a daring covers record with Okkervil River guitarist Will Graefe, was praised as one of KLOF mag’s “albums of the year” for 2025. In 2026 she released the“Wonder” EP, a 7-minute journey through daring and stark avant-pop microsongs, serving as translations of the language of her paintings. Pinke often incorporates art and puppetry into her performances, building immersive worlds around her music.
The Art Table
Doesn't it feel like it's becoming increasingly difficult to make art these days? Let's gather for commiseration, collaboration, and skill-sharing. Writers, visual artists, musicians, textile artists, filmmakers, photographers, people who have been making art for a couple years—if you've been wanting to meet other artists, especially outside your discipline, come and share your work! We'll have an hour to chat and an hour for 4 -5 people to share their work and receive feedback. Come help us figure out what this space can do for all of us.
Niv Sekar and Bailey Quinlan will be hosting. Please RSVP to let us know you’re coming.
We'll have a laptop and projector. If you’ll be sharing digital media (audio, video, images) please email to Bailey & Niv before the event at baileyqphoto@gmail.com & nivmakes@gmail.com. In an effort to preserve the attention of the space, we’ll be ending entry at 7:15pm.
Body Banter: Movement Workshop
Body Banter is an ongoing movement and empathy investigation into the human experience, led by performance artist Synead Cidney Nichols (@synead). By breaking away from traditional movement structures and forms, we create space for liberation and collective ideation about the future. Through this guided movement exploration, we harness introspection, self-awareness, and empowerment to create social, emotional, and political impact in both our inner and outer worlds.
Synead Cidney Nichols is a New-York-based poly-disciplinary performance artist, musician, and social justice advocate. Her work spans music, theater, dance, and movement- based healing exploring Black queer sovereignty, pleasure, rage, capitalism, and reclamation of self.
Spots are $22 each, reserve your space HERE.
