The Wonder Gallery — a partnership between Parachute Literary Arts and the Coney Island History Project — officially opened May 23.
Anders Goldfarb’s photographs of Coney Island are on display at the new Coney Island History Project exhibit. Photo by Anders Goldfarb via the Coney Island History Project
by by Olivia Seaman, Brooklyn Paper
A seasonal gallery space dedicated to Coney Island’s vibrant arts and culture scene opened its doors for the first time Memorial Day Weekend with free exhibits from two Brooklyn artists inside the Coney Island History Project.
The Wonder Gallery — a partnership between Parachute Literary Arts and the Coney Island History Project — officially opened May 23 at the History Project’s Exhibit Center, located at 3059 West 12th Street beside the Wonder Wheel.
The inaugural season will feature documentary photography by Brooklyn-born artist Anders Goldfarb alongside “The Coney Island Zine Machine,” a new interactive installation showcasing miniature zines by Sheepshead Bay artist Kelly Luu.
Left: Photo by Anders Golfarb. Right: Photo via Coney Island History Project
The gallery will remain open weekends and holidays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day, with free admission for all visitors.
In a statement, Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch, cofounders of the Wonder Gallery, reflected on Coney Island’s rich history.
“Coney Island has a long history as a source of inspiration for artists, photographers, and writers. We are thrilled to share our new Wonder Gallery, a space that highlights Coney Island’s cultural and ecological aspects,” they said.
This season showcases two Brooklyn artists with unique perspectives of Coney Island.
Goldfarb’s exhibit presents black-and-white photographs taken throughout Coney Island during the late 1970s and early 1980s. A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Goldfarb documented beachgoers, neighborhood residents, and longtime boardwalk regulars during a period of transition.
Using a Rolleiflex and Leica camera, Goldfarb also captured now-lost architecture and off-season gatherings of longtime locals at neighborhood bars. His work spans more than four decades of documentary photography and has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Goldfarb also assisted renowned photographer Saul Leiter for many years and currently teaches photography at Pace University in Manhattan.
The new exhibit by the Coney Island History project opened Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day Weekend. Photo via Coney Island History Project
Luu’s contribution to the exhibit offers a more playful and personal look at Coney Island through pocket-sized mini-zines dispensed from the Zine Machine in plastic capsules. The collection includes tiny Dreamland postcards, artwork inspired by the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, and “Coney Island Baby,” a zine reflecting on Luu’s childhood memories growing up around the neighborhood.
A self-described “Coney Island baby,” Luu works across photography, book arts, letterpress, and zine-making. She currently serves as the Mishkin Gallery’s Nagelberg Fellow and interns at the Center for Book Arts.
In addition to the new Wonder Gallery exhibits, visitors to the Coney Island History Project can also explore historic artifacts, photographs, maps, films, and memorabilia chronicling the area’s colorful past. Guests can also take souvenir photos with “Cy,” the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops, and the original Steeplechase horse from the historic Steeplechase Park ride.
For more information about the exhibits or the Wonder Gallery, organizers encourage visitors to contact the Coney Island History Project at events@coneyislandhistory.org.
Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.
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