 It is always good to see someone find a use for a vacant storefront and a relief when our world can make space for art instead of commerce. Even better when it is local. From October 13 through November 13 the former Mike's International space 552 Flatbush will be host to a temporary gallery featuring the work of PLG artists.
First, from October 13 - 24, the gallery will host Between Neighbors, featuring the work of Philadelphia-native but PLG-resident Brian Fernandes-Halloran.
Between Neighbors
552 Flatbush
October 13-24
2pm-6pm
FREE
 Second, from October 30 - November 13, a group show will fill the space. The Neighborhood Show, sponsored by PLGNA and PLGarts, will feature dozens of local residents and has an extensive performance and event schedule including music, dance, spoken word and a crafts fair.
The Neighborhood Show
552 Flatbush Ave.
October 30 - November 13
M-F 2-8
SAT 10-8
SUN 12-6
For a detailed event schedule, go to PLGarts.
 Just three weeks ago The Q at Parkside reported on the demise of Trippleclick Computer. In what has to be a record for this neighborhood, a new tenant is already readying the premises for their studio.
As early as this Friday, 661 Flatbush Avenue will be the third location for burgeoning ink empire Torres Tattoos. Their other stores (in Park Slope and Sunset Park/Bay Ridge) carry clothing and jewelry and have a piercing specialist on premises.
I'm not much of a tattoo guy; when I think about tattoos I usually end up saying things like this, but looking around I feel like I'm among the last holdouts in the neighborhood. Now nobody will have to travel anymore.
Owner Leo Torres, who is more than happy to give you a tattoo that will give children nightmares (j/k Leo! the nightmares will be all mine!), said that they will be having a 50% off sale - for tattoos, I think, not all merchandise - when they open on Friday.
Image via Torres Tattoos.
 Local puppeteers Alphabet Arts, who previously brought us City of Hamburgers and Puppets Got Talent - are doing a fundraiser but this time the show is for adults.
On Monday, May 2 Alphabet Arts is holding their 1st Annual Couty Fair at Jalopy Theater. The county fair experience will include:
Blue Ribbon Chili Cook-Off
Berry Delicious Bake-Off
Hee-Haw Hilarity with The Simpsons’ Mike Reiss
Foot-Stompin’ Live Music with John Foti and more
Carnival Games & Prizes
City of Hamburgers After Dark… Puppets Gettin’ Naughty!
Whistle-Wettin’ Beer & Wine
and a Hoedown with DJ Ca$h Machina!
The show is for 18 and over so don't bring the kids. Go so that they can put on more events that you can bring your kids to. All proceeds support 2011 performances by the Alphabet Arts ensemble. If you can't make the show, you can donate directly here, which would be cool.
Alphabet Arts 1st Annual County Fair
Monday, May 2 at 7PM-Midnight
Jalopy Theater
315 Columbia St. between Hamilton and Woodhull
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
 On our way to the Prospect Park Halloween Walk on Saturday, we happened upon the installation of a public art work on the Lincoln Road Bridge. Brooklyn artist Crystal Gregory was busy stitching gorgeous, handmade crochet pieces to the wire metal fencing.
The piece, called Foot Traffic, was made possible through a grant from the Department of Transportation, which also funded Specter's mural on Parkside Avenue. Foot Traffic will be up for a year, or until the elements (human or otherwise) take over.
An official opening for Foot Traffic will be held this Thursday, November 4, at 6 pm on the bridge, followed by a reception at K-Dog. Come on down!
And if you'd like to see more of Ms. Gregory's work, including an earlier public art installation at PS. 122, do check out her website.
Above: Shadow photo courtesy of LinRoFORMA. For more photos, see the LinRoFORMA website.
 If you find yourself woefully lacking in knick-knacks, this weekend is your chance to remedy the situation. PLG Arts is once again sponsoring ArtMart 11225, an open-air bazaar for local artisans.
Brooklyn Paper beat us to press on this, so we are going to crib some of their copy:
Lincoln Road will be taken over with handmade jewelry, including Lingua Nigra’s alluring gold bangles, knitwear, clothing, pottery, and even instruments...
In addition to the artisans, artists will be hawking their wares and, when you get hungry, Enduro and Meytex will be around (Selling? Offering samples? I don't know; all I know is that they will be there.) For a sampling of vendor bios, photos from last year and sponsors, check out the event site.
Finally, the Maple Street School will be selling children's clothes, toys and books as a fundraiser for the school.
Lincoln Road between Flatbush and Ocean (gmap)
Saturday, October 2d
10AM - 6PM
Rain or Shine*
*The Maple Street tag sale — but not ArtMart itself — has a rain date of Sunday, October 3d.
 The geniuses behind last year's Hawthorne Street Block party performances of City of Hamburgers are returning to the neighborhood as part of the Brooklyn Public Library's Make A Splash! Summer Reading Program Celebration. Alphabet Arts will be performing The Giant Squid and the Seagull, a shadow puppet show by Kali Therrien & Mandy Weiss at the Flatbush branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (22 Linden Blvd. btwn. Bedford and Flatbush (gmap)). The play is based on the children's book of the same name by Sgott Mackenzie, which I hope will be available at the show. The Giant Squid and The Seagull show
Wednesday, 8/18 at 2pm
Flatbush Branch, Brooklyn Public Library
***FREE!*** PLG-based nonprofit Alphabet Arts is thrilled to welcome Kali
Therrien and Mandy Weiss to its family of talented artists. Kali and
Mandy will present their shadow puppet show, "The Giant Squid and the
Seagull," as well as some other fun and surprises, at the BPL Flatbush
branch on Wednesday, 8/18 at 2pm to help the kids celebrate their
accomplishments in Brooklyn Public Library's Summer Reading Program.
Raffle prizes from Sesame Workshop; Electric Company; Penguin Young
Readers; and more...
Hand puppetry lessons, a sing-along, and other fun surprises with Kali and Mandy will follow the show. You can let them know you are coming by responding to their Facebook event. The Alphabet Arts crew will be back at the Hawthorne Street block party as well. When we find out what they'll be doing, we'll be sure to let you know.
 There's a new art show up at K-Dog that you need to check out: Daniel Goers's "Scrap Ecology" draws upon urban cast-offs and plant specimens, an aesthetic reminiscent of modern Asian interior design, but with enough whimsy to keep things interesting. We like!
If Goers's name sounds familiar, he, with partner Jennifer Wong, created the "robots and cats" panel for the PLG Arts mural project. The painting was probably our favorite, but, sadly, it was removed and replaced with doors in order to accommodate construction.
You can check our more of the duo's work at Myrtle Avenue Bird Town, a public art project on display in Fort Greene through December 2010. The installation is located at two sites: the Northwest corner of Fort Greene Park at Myrtle Avenue and St. Edwards Street and Person Park at Myrtle Avenue and Carlton Avenue.
This just in from the email pile: Tze Chun Dance Company has a unique project premiering this Spring in different neighborhoods in Brooklyn… We've recently completed rehearsals for our newest work titled "Parlour Games," which is a 45-minute dance inspired by parlor games played around the time of the Brooklyn Brownstone boom in the late 1800's.
We will be performing the piece in a number of Brooklyn brownstones and houses between April-June 2010 and the historic houses in Prospect Lefferts would be an ideal venue for the small performances… If you know of vacant buildings or apartments that are on the market or in between leases, this would be a convenient place for us to perform.
Our performances are free, and open to the public. We are simply looking for beautiful houses to perform in.
What do you say, people? Contact Tze.Chun (at) gmail.com with any ideas.
 We are late coming to all of these, but we're going to blog them all the same.
First of all, there is word (again) that the city is going to provide funds for the refurbishment of the grand Loew's Kings Theater on Flatbush and Tilden. The $70 million renovation project being undertaken by Houston's ACE Theatrical Group (which apparently doesn't have a website?) is expected to be completed by 2014 and, when completed, host 250 events a year. If you don't want to wait until 2014 to see a show, however, Midwood Street resident Jeremy Shamos is currently appearing on Broadway in Clybourne Park at the Playwright's Horizon Theater. Of particular relevance to PLG, the play covers the issue of gentrification in the neighborhood where Raisin in the Sun took place. Jeremy himself scored an interview in Playbill, where he gave a shoutout to PLG.
(UPDATE: The New Yorker gives the show a rave, including a shout-out to the "delightful" Jeremy Shamos. Congratulations!) Finally, much to our embarrassment, we forgot to blog about the performance of Lefferts Avenue's Gwynne Watkins musical Tea With Chachaji, which was at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center earlier this month. There is still a chance to see the show, as Stanford Lively Arts is having three shows on February 28th.
 I don't talk about it much here because it would undermine the neighborhood blog if it became a personal listing service, but I am a comedian. I also don't talk about it much because I haven't performed much since Sidney was born 16 months ago. That said, I am performing tomorrow at Vox Pop in Ditmas Park.
My friend Rachael Parenta has started producing a monthly comedy night and has invited me along with fellow PLG resident Paul Goncalves, Emily Epstein, Luke Thayer, Pat O'Shea and host Abbi Crutchfield. Vox Pop Comedy Night Sat. Nov 21st 9pm -10:30pm Free And then, after the show, karaoke. Come out and laugh.
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