If Red Hook Open Studios is Brooklyn’s intimate, waterfront version of an open studios weekend, Gowanus Open Studios is the big one. Now marking its 30th year, it’s organized by the nonprofit Arts Gowanus and brings more than 400 artists across over 90 locations – making it, by most accounts, the largest single art event in the borough each fall.
Why Gowanus Open Studios Is Worth the Trip
Gowanus has quietly become one of the densest concentrations of working artist studios in New York, largely because its old industrial buildings offered the kind of raw, affordable space that disappeared from Williamsburg and Bushwick years ago. Open Studios weekend is the one time of year the public gets to walk into those buildings directly – not a polished gallery presentation, but the actual working spaces, with artists on hand to talk through their process and sell directly. This year adds a new dimension: visitors can step inside the first wave of permanently affordable artist studios secured through the 2021 Gowanus rezoning, many occupied for the first time.
About the Exhibition
What began thirty years ago as about a dozen Gowanus artists opening their studio doors to neighbors has grown into a year-round nonprofit. Arts Gowanus now runs exhibitions, public art, and artist programs throughout the year, and advocates to keep Gowanus affordable for the artists who work there.
That advocacy took physical form during the 2021 Gowanus rezoning, when Arts Gowanus negotiated a Community Benefits Agreement with waterfront developers securing more than 100 permanently affordable artist studios across 11 new development sites along the Gowanus Canal. Rent is set at $1.66 per square foot per month, with annual increases capped at 2 percent. Each building also includes one deeply subsidized studio through a Fellowship Program for artists earning less than 50 percent of the Area Median Income, which provides free studio space, material support, and career mentorship. Twenty-two of these studios are now occupied, and during GOS 2026, visitors can step inside them for the first time. A related 2,000-square-foot Arts Gowanus community center with exhibition space and three residency studios is expected to open in 2028.
“Thirty years ago, a handful of artists opened their doors to their neighbors. Today, hundreds of artists do the same, and thanks to the permanently affordable studios we fought for in the rezoning, artists will be making work in Gowanus for the next 30 years too. We’re staying, we’re here, and Gowanus is going to stay an arts and culture focused neighborhood. We can’t wait to show new residents what makes Gowanus so special,” said Johnny Thornton, Executive Director of Arts Gowanus.
2026 Highlights
30 for 30 at Union Channel (240 3rd Ave) – an anniversary exhibition of 30 Gowanus artists, bringing together longtime Open Studios participants and artists showing for the first time, including graduating Arts Gowanus Fellow Sashia Jiang
Affordable CBA studios at The Shop (420 Carroll St) – visit artists in the first subsidized studios secured through the rezoning, including graduating Fellow Shelby Jackson
TI Art Studios (183 Lorraine St) – a recurring anchor venue for the event. View a group show called the Sun Show, featuring solar-themed artwork. TI Artists are continuing the popular stamp book project, where visitors can collect stamps from participating artists in TI as they move through the building
Exploring the Arts Intern showcase at 540 President St, through Arts Gowanus’s partnership with the youth arts nonprofit
GOS 30th Anniversary After Party at Union Channel (240 3rd Ave), Sunday, 6:30-9pm
Event Details
On view dates: Saturday, October 17 – Sunday, October 18, 2026
Hours: Noon – 6pm both days
Address/Boundaries: 90+ locations from Pacific St to 19th St and Smith St to 5th Ave – between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, near Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill, adjacent to Red Hook
Website: artsgowanus.org
Cost: Free
Access: By foot, bike, bus, LIRR, car, subway, or kayak
Maps: More than 10,000 printed maps distributed across the neighborhood with wayfinding signage; digital map and artist directory at artsgowanus.org
Planning Your Visit
With 90+ locations across a wide footprint (Pacific St to 19th St), pick a cluster of blocks rather than trying to cover the whole neighborhood in one day
Reachable by subway (F/G lines serve the area), bus, LIRR, bike, car, or – per the organizer – kayak via the canal
Grab a printed map from the neighborhood’s wayfinding signage, or use the digital map and artist directory on artsgowanus.org
If you want to see the new CBA-subsidized studios, The Shop (420 Carroll St) is the one to prioritize
At TI Art Studios, keep an eye out for the Sun Show and the artist stamp book
Stick around Sunday evening for the 30th anniversary after party at Union Channel, 240 3rd Ave, 6:30-9pm
FAQ
Is Gowanus Open Studios free?
Yes, admission to visit participating studios is free.
What’s new for the 30th anniversary edition?
Visitors can tour the first occupied studios from the 2021 rezoning’s Community Benefits Agreement, including the Fellowship Program studios for artists earning under 50% of Area Median Income, several of which are open to the public for the first time this year.
How is this different from Red Hook Open Studios?
They’re separate, similarly structured events in neighboring parts of Brooklyn. Gowanus’s edition is considerably larger – 400+ artists across 90+ locations versus Red Hook’s smaller roster – and falls about a week earlier on the 2026 calendar.
Do I need to RSVP or buy tickets?
No – it’s a free, walk-in neighborhood event with no registration required for general visitors.
