by Yuko Nii, Founder
I came from Japan, crossing a physical space and a gap of race & culture. I built a bridge of desire in my heart to understand and experience new ways of thinking and being, a desire to discover. Long Before me the Europeans had built a bridge of ships to America based upon their desire to discover. All human beings whether divided by oceans, mountains deserts or culture possess in their hearts an intangible net of bridges through the unconscious awareness, perhaps genetic, certainly spiritual, that binds us as a species and as creatures of the earth.
Look at the tendencies of things in this diverse culture of America where all peoples and types mix. We are moving forward always building bridges of understanding among peoples. Mankind is a bridge builder, and even today he is attempting to build a bridge to the stars! Who knows where man might go then, physically and spiritually.
And here is the Art Center at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn. Built by those who built the Bridge from Europe to America. Here again from just below the surface of my conscious mind came the idea of reaching out and crossing over, of discovery and meetings of minds and spirits. Here I realized it was possible to take the multitude of individual artistic energies here in Williamsburg and to coalesce them into a bright constellation of creative energy to be a star in the firmament of the City and perhaps even the world. Here then is the Bridge: This is the place where the art lover can meet the artist…on the bridge of space provided at the Center!
What an ideal location is the Center, easy access to Manhattan and thus to the International Art Community. Here we can build a bridge to the local, national and international communities, bringing artists and art lovers together! Here, those who cross this bridge to meet at the Center are emerging as well as established artists, artists who can inspire and enrich each other. Here, fine art can meet functional art (craft) and performing art can meet the other arts. Even technology can give means to artistic expression. All things meet at the point of the bridge called “The Center!” We are the hub of the net, we are the bright nexus of ideas that inspire new visions. All expressions, mental, physical, visual, aural will enrich our experiences, young and old, poor or rich. And we will bridge the gap of time showing how we came to be, how our art came to be from those who have gone before and taught us the way.
The Center will have art education programs. Children, teachers, parents, patrons, peers…together we will learn to give and take (share) from each other at the “Center” of the bridge. We come to understand from each other what brings respect and love…by well connected bridges of art.
We are:
Art Center and Community
Art Center and (Chamber of) Commerce
Art Center and …let your imagination run!
All social fabrics fashion the cable of this bridge. We have a coat of many colors. A rainbow bridge leading to a pot of gold at its end. The colors of the artist’s palette. And the bridges are the thoughts which soar into new dimensions.
We are not politically bound. All ideas are welcome here when they are expressed sincerely and in peace. We have no agenda at the Center except for the free expression of good art. All people, if they have been blessed by the gift of life deserve to be welcomed and heard. Our expanding population and our technology has made the world small indeed. To live in close proximity with each other, we must not see the limits of our space, but the limitlessness of our ideas and our hearts. This can be found in the realms of discovery through art!
We invite everybody to come and visit us and to judge for yourself our merit!