Education

BRAC New Friday Art Workshops

Register for one or more until Dec 13th

4:30pm - 7:30pm

Would you like to finish your week with some art?

Come and join us on Fridays this Fall for fantastic afternoons of exploring arts with printmaking, painting, figure drawing, and more!

Our three-hour workshops are set up to deep in and sharpen your artistic skills, share with the community and enjoy!

November 10th - Printmaking with Tammy Wofsey

November 17th - Live Model Figure Drawing with Douglass Guy

Dec 1st - Abstraction & Mark Making with Marta Blair

Dec 8th - Live Model Figure Drawing with Douglass Guy

Dec 15th - Paper Cut-Outs in Light and Dark (Notan Art) with Marta Blair

Workshops are $12 per session and are open to everyone ages 7 and above; with the exception of our Figure Drawing sessions, which are $20 and limited to ages 18 and older.

For more information about available workshops, visit our Education Page.

Register on Eventbrite

Exhibitions

The Avocet Portfolio 2023

Fine Arts screen prints created at ART AWARENESS in the Catskills Mountains from 1985 to 1992

November 4 - December 16

Opening Reception: November 16th, 6:00-8:30pm

(Curator Tour at 7pm)

Curated by Andrea Callard

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) is pleased to present The Avocet Portfolio 2023, an exhibition of 48 fine art screen prints by 31 artists that were produced between 1985 and 1991 in a farmhouse studio at the non-profit cultural organization, Art Awareness, located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Lexington, NY.

In this pastoral setting, artists from New York City worked alongside artists from upstate using a new line of nontoxic inks to complete forty-eight editions of screen prints over seven summers. In groups of three or four, artists mutually supported the production of each print to produce editions ranging from 10 to 25 large-scale prints.

The range of these vibrant, and richly layered prints are stylistically diverse. Some take inspiration from the studio’s rural surroundings, depicting fauna, figures and landscapes coexisting. Others explore geometric abstraction or nascent geopolitical concerns. Seen together, The Avocet Portfolio reflects the dynamic exchange of ideas, techniques and innovations central to creative collaboration, an extension of the sensibility of the printshop’s primary organizers, Andrea Callard and Jolie Stahl who were original members of the well-known activist collective, COLAB (Collaborative Projects, Inc.), known for its DIY exhibitions and multimedia projects including the renowned 42^nd St. Show produced in Times Square in 1980. Twelve of the members of COLAB were among the 31 participants invited to the Avocet workshop over the seven years of operation. This fertile creative period represents a vital moment in the history of experimental printmaking.

RSVP for Opening Reception

GALLERY HOURS:

Tuesday - Friday: 2:30 - 6 PM

Saturday: 12 - 5 PM

Gallery hours are only in effect during the exhibition dates.

Thank you all for joining us on Halloween!

We had a sweet afternoon, delicious cake and the cutest ornaments!

As part of the LIGHTS ON AFTER SCHOOL program we offered a FREE Watercolor class to celebrate Fall Season on October 26th.

Thank you to all who joined.

It was a huge success!

And we say good bye with a great Thanksgiving recipe

Mashed sweet potatoes

We’re not saying sweet potatoes mashed with maple, butter, and cream are the world’s most perfect side dish, but…well, they come close. Consider the evidence: the prep time is short; the cooking time is hands-off; you need just six simple ingredients, including salt and pepper; and the only equipment involved is a potato masher—no food processor, Instant Pot, or even hand mixer required.

10 servings

6 lb. sweet potatoes (about 12)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, warmed

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ? tsp. Morton kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Step 2

***** 6 lb. sweet potatoes (about 12) two times each with a fork and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cook sweet potatoes in the oven until very tender, about 1 hour. Remove and cool slightly.

Step 3

Halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out warm flesh into a large bowl. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or, for a smoother purée, force through a potato ricer. Stir in ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half, warmed, 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ? tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.

Do ahead: Mashed sweet potatoes can be made 2 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350° oven or a microwave.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

BRAC COVID-19 Protocols

Proof of vaccination will be required upon entering building for all persons over age 6. Use of masks during classes is required. For general questions about classes, please email [email protected].