Out of the Ashes, Into the Light: BWAC Returns with an Exhibition at Powerhouse Arts

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) is presenting its first in-person art exhibition since the devastating fire on the Red Hook waterfront in September of 2025 left them without a home base. Unmoored / Unbound, a collaboration with Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, speaks to the perserverance and resiliency of artists in the face of adversity.

Alicia Degener, BWAC President and exhibition co-curator, said, “The loss of our space in Red Hook has been completely overwhelming, but the outpouring of support from the community, and especially the artists who have shown with us, has been what has kept us going. Now we’re getting our heads around starting over and what new opportunities BWAC can pursue — like this exhibition. It’s gone from mind-numbing to exciting!” Ryan Frank, co-curator and BWAC co-Vice President, added, “BWAC is still getting back on its feet and with the help of our neighbor and friend in Powerhouse Arts, this exhibition is a testament to the freedom and opportunity in starting over.”

At a time of political, economic and technological upheaval, art serves as a powerful expression of our uncertain and liminal existence. Unmoored / Unbound is a juried group exhibition featuring 40 artists working across a wide range of mediums who explore themes of loss, transition, liberation, freedom and deliverance in their work. This exhibition presents how art can be a vessel for transition, a source of strength and wisdom, and a conduit for community in times of disruption. Unmoored / Unbound will provide viewers with inspiring and expansive accounts of how artists survive and thrive in dark and challenging times.

Eric Shiner, president of Powerhouse Arts, stated, “A lot of us right now are feeling very unmoored, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for artists to address all of the ills that are going on in the world right now. Not to delve in it, but to make us all heal, to really take it full throttle and take back our ability to be creative and expressive. We hope that this exhibition shines a light on the great work of this great artists community.”

As an organization that is itself unmoored, BWAC is grateful to Eric Shiner and Powerhouse Arts for hosting this exhibition at an uncertain and pivotal time in its 48 year history, during which it has established a consistent community footprint. Both BWAC and PHA serve artists and the communities they inhabit and believe art can and should be a positive force for change. As BWAC searches for a new permanent home, the artists in Unmoored / Unbound inspire its own ability to see freedom and opportunity in times of uncertainty.

Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) is an artist-run organization and an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to help artists develop professionally and deliver programs that connect art to community in innovative, inclusive and impactful ways. For 48 years BWAC has presented the work of local and national artists in juried and member exhibitions, and has hosted countless cultural events and community workshops.

Powerhouse Arts (PHA) is a not-for-profit creative production center in Gowanus, Brooklyn that opened to the public in 2022. PHA brings together artists, fabricators, educators and neighbors and connects them to the tools, spaces and support they need to express themselves and support their practices. Powerhouse Arts envisions a society where creative expression is celebrated as central to personal and civic life.

The exhibition is free to view from May 22 to August 9, 2026 at Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, May 21 from 5 to 8 pm. Hours are weekdays 10 am to 7 pm, weekends 10 am to 5 pm. Note that Powerhouse Arts will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, and Fourth of July, Saturday, July 4, 2026.