Brooklyn Collective
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Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens Type of Place: Arts Description: In this age of mass production (and massive corporate profits), places that sell only the work of local artisans--and where those artisans receive 100% of the sale proceeds--would seem to be fading into fantasy. But clothing designer Tessa Phillips and jewelry designer Rachel Goldberg keep the vision real with Brooklyn Collective, which just celebrated its second anniversary on a charming block in the Columbia Waterfront district, adjascent to Carroll Gardens and Red Hook. Ten to twelve artisans at a time display their work in the shop. All are Brooklyn-based (thus the name). All share the rent while their work is displayed, and each artist gets all the money from every sale of his or her pieces. The artists rotate every 3 months, with the exception of Phillips and Goldberg, who maintain a more permanent presence. "We were frustrated being 'edited' by other shops--here, artists can show what they please," Phillips explains. If you design clothes and also make soap, so be it. If you're a photographer who happens to knit as well, no problem. Jewelry, skin products, fine art, clothes, and home accessories are sold here, with artists free to ignore preconceived boundaries. Fine-art-wise, we especially noticed Nicole Ugay's painted portraits, starting at $300, and Matt Schwartz' photographs, based on early-70s polaroid transfers, starting at $200. The skin products and clothes are distinctive and affordable; and Phillips practices her own boundary-trashing philosophy by offering not only clothes but "porno yo-yos" (not really as racy as they might sound, but quite cute, and well within reach at $12). Here's a chance to support working artists and end up with unique, well-crafted, and reasonably priced items to boot. Take it. - Pamela Grossman; Oct 8,2006
Brooklyn Collective 198 Columbia Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 (718) 596-6231 http://www.brooklyncollective.com/ Map Subway
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