Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. These folks make it all the lovelier. And, all they want is a fridge. Oh and heat. Oh and did you read about the protection of artists from rent increase? Enough said? Thank you.

DONATE NOW!
READ ABOUT NAMESAKE MOSES FOWLER.

LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER LIA FOWLER ABOUT PAINT IT NOW SHOW.

Fowler Arts Collective is a studio and gallery collective located in the historic Greenpoint Terminal Market building on the Brooklyn waterfront. Established in July of 2010 by Lia Post, Fowler’s Founder, Director and only employee, Fowler offers artists affordable studio spaces and access to communal facilities such as a small woodshop, an artists’ lounge, and a gallery space. There are 18 studios in Fowler housing 24 artists, as well as an 800 square foot gallery and event space. View a photographic tour of our artist studios and gallery here.  The gallery at Fowler is the site for collaborative exhibitions, classes, events, and readings. The gallery program is not limited to Fowler studio artists. We also accept exhibition and event proposals from New York City artists and beyond.As a collective, Fowler is not a traditional gallery. We function as a non-profit, and the gallery program is focused on exhibiting collaborative exhibitions between artists. By focusing on collaborative exhibitions, Fowler gives the selected artists a chance to take over the gallery and produce a show that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to organize, free of space or financial restrictions. The Fowler studios are based directly on graduate art school studio buildings with open studio plans, shared communal facilities, and hang-out areas (check out a slide show of our artists spaces here). The gallery and studio areas are not separated, so any event or exhibition in the gallery brings visitors and dialogue into the Fowler artist’s studios.Fowler is based on the idea that art is fundamentally a way to communicate with others using a visual language and that working within a lively community of other artists can be a huge benefit artistically, energetically, and even financially. The community at Fowler has been building and growing, and we want the chance to keep doing so! Fowler started out as a vast, empty industrial space. It has since evolved into a hotbed of artistic pursuit. Check out a slide show of the space being constructed by Lia and a few Fowler artists last summer. We have come a long way!

The Impact

The Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn is filled with artists of all kinds, but it lacks a cohesive gallery and arts scene. Fowler aims to be a site for this community of artists to meet, collaborate, and learn. Since our very first opening exhibition in October 2010, Fowler has become an important part of the emerging artist community in North Brooklyn. Check out a slide show of our October 1st, 2010 opening here. Since then, we have produced five successful exhibitions, and we have stayed afloat — with flair! — despite a very small budget.

Affordable studio space in New York City is extremely difficult to find. The fact that the studios at Fowler are always filled to capacity is a testament to the fact that Fowler came to the right neighborhood at the right time! Fowler is making it work with very little funds, but we are in desperate need of some basic facilities upgrades and a dedicated budget for the gallery and events program. Receiving this funding would ensure that Fowler has the opportunity to continue being a part of the artistic community of New York and that its small family of artists can continue to thrive.

We have received wonderfully positive press during these past 8 months. Check out our press links here. Also, check out a video by James Kalm, of the Brooklyn Rail, to tour one of our recent exhibitions, FIST CITY. Note the uniquely gritty alleyway that leads you into the Fowler space. (READ MORE.)

What We Need & What You Get

Fowler is seeking funding to help support and expand the gallery and events program with a dedicated budget as well as to ensure that the studio spaces remain as affordable as possible as rent for the space inevitably rises. Fowler is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, so any donation you make is tax deductible. Each level of donation receives a special gift from Fowler. As a benefit for the different levels of giving we have stickers, mugs, T-shirts, tote bags, artwork by Fowler artists, and more!

Our Fundraising Goals

Gallery

Upgraded Lighting: 7 fixtures at about $60 each plus 18 halogen light bulbs: $800

Exhibition budget for the next 6 to 8 months: $3000

(budget covers catalog printing, hanging hardware, paint for the walls, trash pick-up after openings, beer and wine, and many misc. supplies particular to each exhibition).

Facilities

Adding ductwork to the heater in the space so we don’t freeze again this winter brrrrrr: $800-$1000

(Set of lockers to keep valuables safe: $800)

**UPDATE: We were just gifted a set of lockers from the crazy building we live in! So instead of lockers:

Poland Springs drinking water for a year. There is no drinking water in our building, so having a water cooler would improve the Fowler quality of life and save the world from all of those plastic bottles: $400

Bigger fridge. We have a mini-fridge that is much too mini for 25 artists: $400

Any money we don’t use for these expenses, or if we happen to make more than our goal (yay?!), will be used to protect the artists from rent increases.

Total Funds to be Raised: $6,000

Other Ways You Can Help

If you have visited Fowler and fallen in love, or you just admire Fowler’s optimism and drive, please share our campaign on Facebook and let all your friends and family know about us! Every single donation, no matter how small, will make a huge difference to the life of this artist collective. We are artists—we can make so much with very little! And please come to visit us. We would love to meet you. Find us through our website.

For more information and photographs, please visit these websites. Love, Fowler

Website: http://www.fowlerartsbrooklyn.org

Blog: http://fowlerartsbrooklyn.tumblr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fowlerartscollective