Donald Rattner, founder of MODULE R—which opened a year ago at 141 Atlantic Avenue—is profiled in the latest issue of Brooklyn’s The L Magazine. Writer Kristin Iversen offers, “How can we exert some control over our spaces in the absence of oneiric home renovation? Enter MODULE R, a high-concept, modern design store.”

The upscale boutique, dedicated to “modular, reconfigurable and customizable design,” was launched by architect Rattner, who was inspired to open the store after he was commissioned to design 30 identical modular prefabricated hotel cottages for an historic spa resort in West Virginia. He says, “This got me interested not only in modularity, but in any kind of creative product or system that accommodates reconfigurability, co-creativity and flexible design. When I discovered that no one in the design, retail or gallery sectors had thought to specialize in this body of work, I figured it was my duty to rectify the situation.”

L says that Rattner, who our Heather Quinlan profiled in 2010, feels the store benefits from “the architects, graphic designers and members of the creative class” who live in the area.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52927

Silhouette artist Deborah O’Connor will be at the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, 55 Pierrepont Street (between Henry and Hicks) this Wednesday, November 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Her silhouette portraits of children or pets are priced at $35 each, with up to three duplicates available for $15 each. Framing is available in several options, from a simple mat for $10 to a black classic oval frame that can hold up to four silhouettes for $65.

To make an appointment, please call 718-624-3435.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/51808

This morning I resumed my routine of taking a brisk walk along the Promenade, down Squibb Hill, around Pier 1, and back. I was anxious to see how this part of Brooklyn Bridge Park had weathered the hurricane. On the way in, I passed this blaze of fall foliage (click on image to enlarge). More photos and text after the jump.

Looking north along the riverside esplanade toward the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

A single, battered Rosa rugosa clings to its bush, surrounded by rose hips.

Frank Gehry’s 8 Spruce Street shows its Bernini drapery in the morning sunlight. A Machine, part of Oscar Tuazon’s “People” series of sculptures, is in the foreground.

The Brooklyn Bridge, seen through the trees.

Looking south along the Esplanade; the skeleton of the shed on Pier 2 is in the background.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/51203

On their afternoon jaunt through Brooklyn Heights today, Baby Fink noticed an interesting window display at the ClarkPet.com store and asked Mrs. Fink, “Mommy, doggie, what doin’?” The only way post modern parents like us can even attempt to explain such a menagerie is with the late 90s classic by the Bloodhound Gang, “The Bad Touch”. For those of you who were well into your “hey you kids get off my lawn” years by then suffice to say that A) They did, in fact, get off on your lawn and B) do the phrase “you and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals why don’t we do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel” ring a bell?

Larger photo and the full BHG video after the jump.

Folks, do you really think this is NOT a posed display? For Mrs. Fink’s part: A Gold Star Day for the most likely bored teenager who pulled this off.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49685

The ever-entertaining end-of-summer Atlantic Antic—which brings madness, music and playful mayhem to a 10-block stretch of Atlantic Avenue, bordering Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill—will convene Sunday, September 30, noon to 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC), it offers 500+ retailers and pop-up shops pawning goodies, food, dancing, family fun and more, between Hicks & Fourth Avenue.

The 38th-annual Atlantic Antic is “much more than your average street festival,” organizers say. “The longstanding and well-loved celebration of a myriad of cultures crosses several historic neighborhoods and brings together a wide array of sights and sounds. The Antic is an exhilarating experience for the whole family.” Imagine: belly dancers, falafel, family sing-alongs and Homer & Mrs. Fink in their Brooklyn Bugle booth, all in a single setting.

This year’s theme is “Have it All on Atlantic: From the Waterfront to the Arena.” AALDC President Christian Haag declares, “In a year where Atlantic Avenue has grown exponentially, I am happy to say the Atlantic Antic has, too. Come again or for the first time and see why this is New York City’s greatest street fair.” For more about the Atlantic Antic, including directions and parking information, see here. The event will be held rain or shine (Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/46989

Fantastic fun! A tilt-shift film shot in Brooklyn by German filmmaker Joerg Daiber. Below the jump, check out the locations in Brooklyn Bridge Park (heavily featured), Downtown, DUMBO, Brooklyn’s Main Public Library, Grand Army Plaza and Coney Island. Read details of the “making of” here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/46727

Sholay Productions, sponsors of the monthly Manhattan Desilicious bash, are bringing the extravaganza to Brooklyn to celebrate India and Pakistan Day. “Desilicious Freedom Fling: An Outdoor Summer Dance Party” will be held Saturday, August 18, from 6 p.m. to midnight, at Dekalb Market, on an open-air dance floor, featuring a blend of Bollywood, Bhanga and House Music by Ashu Rai. Opening act Atif will offer Indian and Pakistani dance beats, while large screen Bollywood visuals will also be projected.

Dekalb Market is in Downtown Brooklyn at 138 Willoughby Street and Flatbush Avenue. Admission to the Desilicious Freedom Fling is $10 before 8 p.m., and $15 after. The local chefs at Dekalb Market will also be on hand to serve up dinner between dancing.

“Explore the market to meet Brooklyn artist-entrepreneurs and sample the diverse dining offerings. Look out for some tasty West Indian dishes by Brooklyn’s Kallabash cuisine,” Sholay Productions says. “Don’t miss an exuberant evening of mingling, nibbling, shopping, dancing and liberated Desilicious revelry.” (Drag queens are a regular fixture at the Manhattan parties.) The space is partially covered, so the festivities will take place rain or shine.

See more at Facebook here; and a New York Times profile of Desilicious here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/45595

Three tree-like “sculptures” that, uh, resemble barren dead hardwood, have taken root in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Created by Oscar Tuazon and presented by the Public Art Fund, the towering artworks, curiously titled “People,” are located on Piers 1 and 2 and will be on luminescent display through April 26, 2013.

According to a release, “These hybrid sculptures incorporate both natural materials and industrial building techniques—local trees and cement casting are at the core of each work—and explore the idea of architecture, labor and reinvention.”

In the first work, a tall tree trunk is supported with a minimalist steel triangle that conceals a spring from which water flows. The second is formed by a 10-foot square cast cement cube with a tall tree embedded at its central axis. The third tree trunk anchors a basketball hoop and a handball wall. All allege to function as “both as an icon and a passageway along the pier.”

(Photos: Curbed)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/44537

Smiles, everyone! Over the weekend, BHB pal/BH resident Grumpy Bert in Brooklyn launched the new art exhibition “Plush Stories: These Plush of Mine.” The showcase of personal stories & photos of plush toys includes 50+ exhibits from the likes of Scotland, Trinidad & Tobogo, the U.K. and Australia. Stories run the gamut, from heartbreaks to reunions. Bert says, “Some plush are simply cute, others just strange.” The exhibit runs through August 5.

Bert’s shop and mini gallery is located at the DeKalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn at 138 Willoughby Street, and offers a collection of “cutesy, artsy gifts, designer toys, art prints, books, magazines and apparel.” Owner/operator Bert says, “We’re just a little mom & pop business surrounding ourselves with things we love.” Pics from the June 30 Opening Night reception below the jump.

(Photos: Grumpy Bert)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43470

The Photoville exhibit located along the uplands of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 3 from June 22 to July 1, has added a rustic touch to the Brooklyn Heights waterfront. In fact, it makes the former powder blue warehouses that lined the locale look downright charming.

Brooklyn-based art cooperative United Photo Industries’ “photographic village” comprises 30 enervated metal shipping containers offering a “celebration of photography,” alongside exhibitions, lectures, hands-on workshops, nighttime projections, a mini dog run and beer garden.

A look down from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, however, reveals a scene that looks more like the remains of Kurt Russell’s apocalyptic 1981 film “Escape from New York.”

RELATED: TK Small Gets Results: Exhibit Made More Accessible

The Photoville website describes its mission as “a Brooklyn-born, art-presenting cooperative dedicated to identifying, harnessing and occasionally conjuring unexpected exhibition opportunities. All in the name of fostering conversation, championing new directions in photography and cultivating ties within an ever-expanding, globe-trotting community of photographers.”

(Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43300

The ISSUE Project Room brings in architect and community leader Tom van den Bout as its new Board Chair. The nonprofit member of the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance, established in 2003 by artist Suzanne Fiol, is an outpost for cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary arts in the borough.

Brooklyn Heights resident Van den Bout is an architect and founding partner with NV/design.architecture in New York. Before launching the company in 1995, he worked for several other prominent architectural firms. He also served as President of the Board of Governors for the Brooklyn Heights Association for three years, and a Board Member for 12+ years.

He has lived in the Heights since 1991, and brings to ISSUE a strong background in community service. His BHA work focused on development of Brooklyn Bridge Park, preservation and the BHA’s centennial. Van den Bout also served on the boards of the Dodge YMCA, Prospect Park’s Audubon Center and as Chair of the Landmark Committee of Brooklyn Community Board 2.

Van den Bout succeeds the four-year term of Steve Wax, a partner at Campfire media and founder of Cine Manifest and Chelsea Pictures. In addition to van den Bout’s appointment, the Board elected consultant Jeanne Lutfy, former President of the BAM Local Development Corp., as Vice Chair; and David Sims of Lever and Beam, LLC, as Treasurer. Marcus Brauer, of Russell Reynolds Associates also joins the Board.

Van den Bout comments, “It’s an honor to serve as chair for such a wonderful board and such a vital and important performing arts organization. This is an exciting time at ISSUE. Our move to the historic theater at 22 Boerum Place, the impending renovation of the space, the growth of our audience and connection to a new neighborhood will create new opportunities for our organization and the artists we support.”

ISSUE supports emerging and established experimental artists through 100+ programs each year, including music concerts, literary readings, films, videos, dance, visual and sound art, new media, critical theory lectures and discussions, site-specific work, commissions, educational workshops, master classes and genre-defying interdisciplinary performances that challenge and expand conventional practices in art.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41821

The ISSUE Project Room brings in architect and community leader Tom van den Bout as its new Board Chair. The nonprofit member of the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance, established in 2003 by artist Suzanne Fiol, is an outpost for cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary arts in the borough.

Brooklyn Heights resident Van den Bout is an architect and founding partner with NV/design.architecture in New York. Before launching his own firm in 1995, he worked for Steven Holl Architects, Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Associates, Kohn Pedersen Fox and Michael Gabellini. He also served as President of the Board of Governors for the Brooklyn Heights Association for three years, and a Board Member for 12+ years.

He has lived in the Heights since 1991, and brings to ISSUE a strong background in community service. His BHA work focused on development of Brooklyn Bridge Park, preservation and the BHA’s centennial. Van den Bout also served on the boards of the Dodge YMCA, Prospect Park’s Audubon Center and as Chair of the Landmark Committee of Brooklyn Community Board 2.

Van den Bout succeeds the four-year term of Steve Wax, a partner at Campfire media and founder of Cine Manifest and Chelsea Pictures. In addition to van den Bout’s appointment, the Board elected consultant Jeanne Lutfy, former President of the BAM Local Development Corp., as Vice Chair; and David Sims of Lever and Beam, LLC, as Treasurer. Marcus Brauer, of Russell Reynolds Associates also joins the Board.

Van den Bout comments, “It’s an honor to serve as chair for such a wonderful board and such a vital and important performing arts organization. This is an exciting time at ISSUE. Our move to the historic theater at 22 Boerum Place, the impending renovation of the space, the growth of our audience and connection to a new neighborhood will create new opportunities for our organization and the artists we support.”

ISSUE supports emerging and established experimental artists through 100+ programs each year, including music concerts, literary readings, films, videos, dance, visual and sound art, new media, critical theory lectures and discussions, site-specific work, commissions, educational workshops, master classes and genre-defying interdisciplinary performances that challenge and expand conventional practices in art.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41821