Red Hook Open Studios Returns for 11th Year After Devastating Warehouse Fire

The 11th edition of Red Hook Open Studios took place on October 10 and 11, just over a year after a devastating five-alarm fire impacted a historic warehouse on Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn. The Civil War-era building is still under a partial vacate order, with a green sidewalk shed enclosing part of the area near the pier. Some artists displaced by the blaze have relocated to studios in nearby buildings adjacent to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Festival co-coordinator Deborah Ugoretz, whose studio escaped fire and water damage, had distributed promotional flyers weeks prior. Some locals expressed surprise that the event was still on, unaware that many artists and makers remained in Red Hook. The festival also included the annual benefit exhibition from Kentler International Drawing Space.