![\"bwac](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MixCollage-12-Dec-2025-04-55-PM-9026.jpg\")
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On Dec. 14, BWAC will host a holiday fundraiser to support its impending move after a devastating fire. <\/p>\n
File photo by Lloyd Mitchell\/Courtesy of BWAC<\/p>\n
For a while after a fire devastated<\/a> a historic Red Hook warehouse, the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition \u2014 one of the building\u2019s oldest tenants \u2014 hoped they would someday return to their space. They, along with dozens of artists and small businesses, thought their displacement would be temporary.\u00a0<\/p>\n But in November, they got bad news. The damage was worse than had been anticipated, and the building will likely be uninhabitable for years. BWAC\u2019s lease was terminated, as were many others.<\/p>\n The building\u2019s owner, The O\u2019Connell Organization \u2014 now headed by Gregory O\u2019Connell Jr. after the death of his father \u2014 had charged most tenants below market-rate rent in order to keep artists in Red Hook, said BWAC<\/a> President Alicia Degener.\u00a0<\/p>\n But keeping costs low meant forgoing fire insurance, leaving O\u2019Connell solely responsible for the costs of rebuilding. When the warehouse is ready again, they warned that the rents will be much higher. BWAC won\u2019t be able to afford its old space.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI get it, but we\u2019re homeless,\u201d Degener said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n BWAC inhabited a two-story studio at 481 Van Brunt St. for 35 years. The volunteer-run nonprofit was founded by a group of artists in need of a place to exhibit their work in 1978, and still works to support local artists and keep art accessible for Brooklynites with seasonal exhibits, workshops and other events.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, Degener and BWAC are starting the search for a new home, and new funding. On Dec. 14, the organization is hosting a \u201cHoliday Bash\u201d live fundraising auction to support its impending move.\u00a0<\/p>\n The event, held at The Cidery at the Red Hook Distillery, will offer live music, food, and a live auction of works from more than 30 artists, including pieces created by BWAC members and donated by supporters. Some of the donated pieces came from the collection of former BWAC president John Strobeen. Bidding is set to begin at just $65, and a second online auction will start on the BWAC website on Dec. 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n Local businesses and organizations also chipped in, donating raffle prizes like a high-level membership to the Brooklyn Museum, a $300 gift card for a meal at Brooklyn Crab, candles, coffee and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the fundraiser, Degener and the BWAC team will spend the winter writing a new business plan and searching for a permanent home, she said. Before, BWAC \u2014 operating as a nonprofit with inexpensive rent \u2014 was more focused on just breaking even.\u00a0<\/p>\n The studio was only open on weekends, and relied largely on foot traffic and donations.\n<\/p>\n \u201cNow we\u2019re going to have to rethink ourselves entirely, because any of the spaces we could possibly get is not necessarily going to have foot traffic, and we\u2019re going to need to be open like a regular business, like five days a week,\u201d she explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n They already have several promising leads in Sunset Park, she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Until then, Degener hopes to host some pop-ups in Red Hook and in nabes like Coney Island and Bay Ridge, and wants to partner more closely with organizations like the Brooklyn Museum and Pioneer Works for events and exhibits.\u00a0<\/p>\n BWAC is expecting some large-dollar donations from Red Hook businesses and will likely apply for a low-interest disaster loan<\/a> offered by the federal Small Business Administration. After the Dec. 14 fundraiser, Degener hopes not to need more fundraisers to stay afloat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to constantly be asking people to give me things,\u201d she said. \u201cI think this is a one-and-done, probably. Then let\u2019s move on, and find a new place, and \u2026 do what we do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Degener has remained optimistic in the aftermath of the fire, focused on keeping BWAC afloat. The community has been incredibly supportive, she said. Weeks after the fire, locals scrambled to ensure Red Hook Open Studios<\/a> could go forward, and more people have applied to be on the BWAC\u2019s this year Board of Directors<\/a> than ever before.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll always, always miss BWAC there,\u201d Degener said. \u201cThere will always be BWAC, but that space was really special \u2026 we are about to go into our 48th year. We would like to make it to 50. We need to get it to 50.\u201d<\/p>\n The BWAC Holiday Bash<\/a> will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 3-6 p.m. At The Cidery at Red Hook Distillery, 184 Van Dyke Street in Red Hook. Tickets<\/a> are available for $35.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Dec. 14, BWAC will host a holiday fundraiser to support its impending move after a devastating fire.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69293,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[35872,35873,1149,3456,2571,98,100,99,35874,33833,35875,545,35876,35877,9,24,12,370,63,35878,18392,35879,35880,35881],"class_list":{"0":"post-69292","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-481-van-brunt-street","9":"tag-alicia-degener","10":"tag-art","11":"tag-artists","12":"tag-arts-and-entertainment","13":"tag-brooklyn","14":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","15":"tag-brooklyn-news","16":"tag-brooklyn-waterfront-artists-coalition","17":"tag-bwac","18":"tag-december-14","19":"tag-fire","20":"tag-fundraiser","21":"tag-local-artists","22":"tag-new-york","23":"tag-new-york-city","24":"tag-news","25":"tag-newsletter","26":"tag-nyc","27":"tag-oconnell","28":"tag-red-hook","29":"tag-red-hook-fire","30":"tag-visual-art","31":"tag-warehouse-fire"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"red](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC_0003.jpg\")
The five-alarm fire destroyed much of 481 Van Brunt St. File photo by Lloyd Mitchell ![\"BWAC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bwac-firedamage.jpeg\")
BWAC was severely damaged by the fire and by firefighting efforts. File photo courtesy of Alicia Degener<\/p>\n![\"BWAC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/22BWAC_gallery_view.webp\")
BWAC\u2019s galleries before the fire. File photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition<\/p>\n![\"painting](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CJWard_PeacefulSea-72-e1765576809788.jpg\")
Jan Ward\u2019s \u201cPeaceful Sea,\u201d one of the pieces for auction on Sunday. Image courtesy of BWAC ![\"bwac](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BKaminsky-FiredVessel-72-e1765576861922.jpg\")
A hand-built ceramic vessel by artist Barbara Kaminsky, which will be for sale on Sunday. Photo courtesy of BWAC<\/p>\n