The Williamsburg Biannual gratefully acknowledges Miles McEnery Gallery for their support of our grand opening and inaugural exhibition, Brian Alfred: You Could Feel The Sky.
Mission of the Williamsburg Biannual:
The Williamsburg Biannual celebrates the diversity and creativity of the artists and designers practicing in New York City through programs and exhibitions designed to make art accessible to people of all backgrounds, genders, races and socioeconomic status. Founded by creative professionals working in the arts and architecture and inspired by the city’s rich history of alternative art spaces, the Williamsburg Biannual promotes arts education and accessibility through interdisciplinary dialogue and experimentation.
Our Values:
Diversity and inclusion are integral to the programs and operations of the Williamsburg Biannual. The founders include women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and children of immigrants. We strive to create a more equitable and accessible world. We appreciate the beauty of different cultures, faiths, and ways of being. We understand the importance of representation and intend to use the organization as a platform to amplify the voices of artists and designers who live and work in New York City, whose work is deserving of wider recognition. We intend to apply these values at every level from our governance to future staffing, selection of exhibiting artists and speakers, and audience development.
The founding board understands that access is created by removing barriers, thus allowing physical and social mobility. Regarding the facility, the building is wheelchair accessible with ramps, rails, and an elevator. In addition to program and exhibition opportunities for creatives, the Williamsburg Biannual offers high school and college internship programs, so students may gain professional experience in art administration and exposure to the wide range of career paths within the creative economy.
Founding Board of Directors:
Goil Amornvivat
Divya Mahindra
Thomas Morbitzer, Secretary & Treasurer
Irene Mei Zhi Shum, Vice President
Jorge A. Zapata, President
Publication © Williamsburg Biannual and Miles McEnery Gallery
Art © Brian Alfred
Installation Photography © Andy Romer Photography
Architectural Photography © L-Ines
Text by Irene Mei Zhi Shum
Book Design by Zoe Orr
The How and Why of the Williamsburg Biannual: Toward the Grand Opening and Inaugural Exhibition, Brian Alfred: You Could Feel The Sky
The Williamsburg Biannual is a new artist space in Brooklyn. Our name is a playful reinterpretation of the international art biennials, such as those hosted in Venice, São Paulo, Istanbul, Dakar, Sydney and Gwangju, all of which feature new art and help launch the careers of artists. Rather than wait every two years for a landmark exhibition, WB presents two exhibitions per year that allow exhibiting artists to show a comprehensive body of work for an extended period of time. The long exhibition period also encourages slow looking, so visitors may experience, return, and reconsider artworks.
The organization was founded on August 14, 2023, when four friends came together to share their views on the arts. Reuniting as a group for the first time in twenty-five years since graduate school, Jorge A. Zapata, Tom Morbitzer, Goil Amornvivat and I discussed exhibitions and aesthetic experiences that impacted our lives, as well our values and aspirations. Our conversation was light and easy, but direct. Consensus came quickly, and work started immediately.
As Tom would summarize, WB was a confluence of interest and opportunity: The prior year, Tom, Goil, and I explored forming an artist residency. After tabling the idea due to scheduling conflicts, Goil continued to encourage me to open an art space of my own. Separately, Jorge had designed and completed construction of a new purpose-built art center that lay dormant due to pandemic. Tom and Goil reconnected Jorge and me. We were delighted when Divya Mahindra joined our effort.
Furthermore, as longtime residents of New York, the founders sensed a great urgency to support the arts. Although we had lived through the trauma of the pandemic, it was nonetheless difficult to fully comprehend its ramifications on New York City’s arts. The pandemic disproportionately impacted both arts organizations and individual artists in New York City and New York State, when 69% of artists were suddenly unemployed or without income. As the national epicenter of COVID-19, New York’s shutdown was like a coma after a car crash, and recovery would be protracted and arduous.
We were eager to contribute, to help resuscitate the cultural life of our city and community. Prior to the pandemic, according to the last comprehensive report published by the New York City Comptroller in 2017, the creative sector of New York City employed over 290,000 individuals and generated $110 billion in economic activity and $31 billion in wages, or one in every eight dollars that went into New York City’s coffers at the time of publication. The report touted the arts as one the city’s largest industries, yet remarked upon its precarious nature due to “volatile employment situations,” “high rate of self-employment,” and “economic insecurity” for creatives.
While the arts in other cities and states recovered by January 2021, at the time of WB’s founding in August 2023, the New York State Comptroller indicated that arts employment remained 12% below pre-pandemic level. As of June 2024, arts employment finally recovered to 96.5%, still below the level set in 2019. NYSCA’s 2023 Impact of COVID Survey reported that 45% of arts organizations had not returned to pre-pandemic staffing levels, and 43% of responding organizations had not returned to in-person programming.
Opening the Williamsburg Biannual during the slow recovery was an affirmation of our belief in the vital role of artists in society and the ability of the arts to uplift and enlighten individuals and to build community; as well as an expression of our love to the City of New York, whose vibrant cultural life enhanced our lives and countless others. The Williamsburg Biannual will provide the creative community of New York City a new place to socialize, gather, present their work, and exchange ideas; yet welcome and appeal to a wider general audience.
Because start-ups are notoriously chaotic, we relied on an ever expanding circle of friends and colleagues, whose bonds of trust are strong, yet elastic and forgiving. This approach allowed us to quickly partner with artists, designers, creative professionals, and gallerists; colleges and schools; companies, corporations, and other nonprofit organizations. Within a year, we were able to draft a phased business plan, secure counsel, file our foundation documents, articulate our mission and values, plan and schedule our initial two-years of programming, and structure and implement our first internship and educational programs. As we move forward and grow, we intend to continue our outreach to new stakeholders, in order to strengthen and build community.
The Board is now thrilled to open our doors to the public and unveil our inaugural exhibition, You Could Feel The Sky, a mid-career survey of Brian Alfred’s work from 2003 through the present that debuts several never before exhibited pieces. Paintings, collages, and digital animations depict a range of scenes from domestic interiors, cityscapes, portraits, and landscapes. Alfred’s imagery balances serene explorations of place, that sometimes hint at the sublime and an undercurrent of unease.
Alfred’s process distills his source imagery to its most essential forms. Drawing technical and aesthetic inspiration from the Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking tradition, Alfred builds spatial images by layering surfaces and shapes to create the illusion of depth, light, shade, shadow, and architectural forms. His imagery combines his lived experiences and imagined locations, influenced by documentary photography, stock images, and anime.
In addition to our appreciation of his artwork, we share Brian Alfred’s dedication to the arts, education, and community. His creative practice exemplifies our mission to promote the arts, interdisciplinary dialogue, and experimentation. Moreover, his graphic style and modern aesthetic beautifully accentuate the architectural design of our art center.These factors made Brian the ideal candidate for our inaugural exhibition and our grand opening on Saturday, September 7, 2024. As we open our doors, we welcome the New York creative community and the world. All are welcome!
Irene Mei Zhi Shum
ARTIST STATEMENT
You Could Feel The Sky is my exhibition that spans 25 years of my artistic practice. It features painting, collage, and animation—all mediums I have continually explored to try to capture the world around us. The show’s title, borrowed from a Boards of Canada song, reflects my deep connection to their music, which evokes a sense of imagined landscape and nostalgia.
This exhibition is a curated collection of works, many of which have never been shown in New York City before. Each piece represents my exploration of our environment—forests, sunsets, waterfalls, airplanes, desert roads—and highlights the ethereal relationship we share with our surroundings. The landscapes are not just sceneries but vessels of different times, places, and sensations I’ve encountered throughout my career. Each painted shape, cut of paper, and framed animated movement seeks to manifest the essence of these experiences.
Alongside landscapes, this exhibition features a series of portraits of musicians who have profoundly influenced my art. Music is an ongoing source of inspiration for me, and capturing the essence of these musicians has always felt like a natural extension of my practice.
I’m also thrilled to present a dedicated room showcasing drawings and paintings of my wife. For a while I’ve maintained a steady practice of daily drawings of her, and this selection offers a glimpse into profound, albeit simple, moments with her through simple pencil drawings which I have never exhibited before.
In the screening room, you’ll find animations created over the past two decades. These works often involved collaborations with incredible musicians like Poolside, NZCA Lines, Logan Takahashi, and Flying Lotus. Each animation merges visual and auditory realms, providing a multi-sensory experience unique to this exhibition.
You Could Feel The Sky blends the deeply personal with the universal, revealing how our shared landscapes shape and are shaped by our collective experiences. I am excited to share this work and would like to thank the Williamsburg Biannual for lending me the opportunity to share this work in their amazing new exhibition space. I would also like to thank the team at Miles McEnery Gallery for their ongoing support and assistance in realizing this exhibition. I would also like to thank my wife Yoshika and my son Naoki for all their support.
Brian Alfred
BRIAN ALFRED
The Great Falls, Acrylic on
72 x 180 inches
182.9 x 457.2
ALFRED Falls, 2021
60
152.4 x 127 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Bijin Screen, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
x 50 inches
60
152.4 x 127 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
PC Stay, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
x 50 inches
60 x 50 inches
152.4 x 127 cm
BRIAN ALFRED Desert Road, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
60 x 50 inches
152.4 x 127 cm
BRIAN ALFRED Maspeth, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
BRIAN ALFRED
The Field Code, 2021
70 x 80 inches
177.8 x 203.2 cm
Acrylic on canvas
The Organizational Upheaval, 2017
on canvas
70 x 90 inches
177.8 x 228.6 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic
30.5
BRIAN ALFRED Flag, 2015
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 9 inches
x 22.9 cm
Green Bend, 2015
12 x 9 inches
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic on canvas
Tribeca, 2017
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 9 inches
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED JAL, 2016
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 9 inches
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Kyoto (Red Triangle), 2016
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 9 inches
12 x 9 inches
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Bozu Mekuri (坊主めくり), 2016
Acrylic on canvas
China Airlines, 2015
12 x 9 inches
30.5 x 22.9 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic on canvas
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Big Sun Forest View, 2020
Collage on paper
9 x 12 inches
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Saturated Sunset Forest, 2020
Collage on paper
Deep Forest, 2020
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Collage on paper
BRIAN ALFRED
Dandilion, Roller Coaster, 2020
Collage on paper
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
The Moon, The Trees, 2020
Collage on paper
9 x 12 inches
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Blue Sky, Forest, 2020
Collage on paper
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Sunset, Tall Weeds, 2020
Collage on paper
9 x 12 inches
Sky Forest View, 2020
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Geo
Collage on paper
9 x 12 inches
22.9 x 30.5 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Full Moon Forest, 2020
Collage on paper
24 x 18 1/8 inches
61 x 46 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Blue Facade, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
Land(e)scape, 2021
20 x 24 inches
50.8 x 61 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic on canvas
The Park, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 18 inches
61 x 45.7 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
40 x 30 inches
101.6 x 76.2 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Snowy View, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
50.8 x 61 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Wheat & Sun, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
City Lights Sunset Sky, 2021
20 x 24 inches
50.8 x 61 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic on canvas
April, 2024
Acrylic on canvas over panel
48 x 44 inches
121.9 x 111.8 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
48 x 44 inches
121.9 x 111.8 cm
BRIAN ALFRED Bea, 2024
Acrylic on canvas over panel
Denzel
Curry, 2024
on canvas over panel
48 x 44 inches
121.9 x 111.8 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic
J Balvin, 2024
Acrylic on canvas over panel
48 x 44 inches
121.9 x 111.8 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Acrylic on canvas over panel
48 x 44 inches
121.9 x 111.8 cm
BRIAN ALFRED
Rosalía, 2024
BRIAN ALFRED
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1973, Brian Alfred lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at Pennsylvania State University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997; Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture; and Yale University where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1999. He has exhibited internationally in numerous group and solo exhibitions in museums and galleries, such as Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany; Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark; Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, Italy; Austin Museum of Digital Art, Texas; Denver Art Museum, Colorado; Montclair Art Museum, New Jersey; Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania; Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Aomori Museum of Art, Japan; among many others. His first solo museum exhibition The Future is Now! was in 2004 at Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona. Recently, his work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Miles McEnery Gallery, New York; Maho Kubota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan; Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel; Salon 94 Video Wall, New York; and the Frist Center for Visual Art, Nashville, Tennessee.
Alfred’s work may be found in the notable museum collections, including Buffalo AKG Museum, New York; Denver Art Museum, Colorado; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Additionally, Alfred is a musician and the host of SOUND & VISION, the long-running podcast of conversations with artists and musicians about the creative process. Guests have included Diana Al-Hadid, Jules de Balincourt, Inka Essenhigh, Dominique Fung, Kahlil Robert Irving, Byron Kim, Hein Koh, Tony Matelli, Hilary Pecis, James Siena, Alexandria Smith, and Chloe Wise. Transcripts from thirty interviews were published as a book, Why I Make Art: Contemporary Artists’ Stories About Life & Work , by Atelier Editions in 2022. In 2020, he hosted BRAVE NEW WORLD, conversations with creatives about their challenges and responses to the pandemic, shutdown, and the new normal.
Alfred is the recipient of several prestigious grants and awards, from organizations such as the New York Foundation of the Arts, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Joan Mitchell Foundation, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and Jerome Foundation. He is an Associate Professor of Art at Penn State College of Arts and Architecture and the co-founder of Triboro United, a nonprofit youth soccer club in New York City that travels and competes from U8 through U19 in USYS, NYCSL and CJSL.
CURRICULUM VITAE
BRIAN ALFRED
Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1974
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
EDUCATION
1999
MFA, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME
1997
BFA, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
“You Could Feel The Sky,” Williamsburg Biannual, Brooklyn, NY
“Beauty is A Rare Thing,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2022
“Escape Plan,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2021
“New World,” Maho Kubota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2019
“High Rises and Double Vision: Images of New York,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2018
“Future Shock,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2017
“Techno Garden,” Maho Kubota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2016
“In Praise of Shadows,” Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY
2015
“It Takes A Million Years To Become Diamonds So Let’s Just Burn Like Coal Until The Sky Is Black,” Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY
2014
“New Animations,” Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
“Beauty in Danger,” Salon 94 Video Wall, New York, NY
2013
“Storms and Stress,” Hezi Cohen Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2012
“It’s Already the End of the World,” Frist Center for Visual Art, Nashville, TN
2011
“Co-op,” Giraud Pissarro Ségalot, New York, NY
“Rise Above,” Haunch of Venison, London, United Kingdom
2010
“It’s Already the End of the World,” Haunch of Venison, New York, NY
2009
“Majic Window,” Studio La Città, Verona, Italy
2008
“Millions Now Living Will Never Die!!!,” Haunch of Venison, Berlin, Germany
2007
“Global Warning,” SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Japan
2006
“Surveillance,” Haunch of Venison, Zürich, Switzerland
“Space is the Place!,” Mary Boone Gallery, New York, NY
2005
“Paper and Pixels,” Mary Boone Gallery, New York, NY
“Conspiracy?,” Haunch of Venison, London, United Kingdom
2004
“The Future is Now!,” Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ
“Overload,” Max Protetch Gallery, New York, NY
“Fallout,” Samek Art Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
2003
“New Work,” Sandroni Rey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2002
Max Protetch Gallery, New York, NY
2000
Max Protetch Gallery, New York, NY
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
“MADE in PA,” Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2022
“CITY - COUNTRY - CONNECTIVITY,” KUNST für ANGELN e.V. | Wittkielhof, Angeln, Germany
“Island Time,” Volery Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
“Why I Make Art” (curated by Brian Alfred), Miles
McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
“HOME/STUDIO,” Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2021
“Transformed: Objects Reimagined by American Artists,” Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
2020
“Do You Think it Needs a Cloud?” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2019
“Fixed Contained,” Kotaro Nukaga Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Alex Katz, Brian Alfred, Guy Yanai, Laurel Nakadate, Taro Komiya, Ryunosuke Yasui: Door Into Summer / M’s collection +,” Maho Kubota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Rag & Bone Mural, Houston Street, New York, NY
“Art on Link,” Art on LINK/NYC Kiosks, New York, NY
2018
“Belief in Giants,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2017
“The Frame,” Samsung Art TV, Samsung, USA
“Like Oxygen,” Mountain Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2016
“Room with a View,” EDDYSROOM, Brooklyn, NY
“Art Film,” Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL
“Tokyo / London / New York,” Maho Kubota Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“Audacious: Contemporary Artists Speak Out,” Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
“Genbi Shinkansen,” Echigo Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
“In an Illusion Village: Our Form Connected by Media Art,” Aomori Museum of Art, Aomori, Japan
“Extended Practice,” Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State Univeristy, University Park, PA
2015
“BLACK / WHITE,” Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe, New York, NY
“The Search For The Real,” DeBuck Gallery, New York, NY
“Villissima,” Hôtel Des Arts, Toulon, France
“The Everywhere Exotic,” Culturadora, Art Miami NY, New York, NY
Animation Screening, Marfa Contemporary, Marfa, TX; Animation at the Dallas Art Fair, Dallas, TX
2014
“BLACK/WHITE,” LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
“Art Film,” Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
“100 Works for 100 Years: A Centennial Celebration,” Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
“Mercury Retrograde: Animated Realities,” Williams Center Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
“Film Cologne,” Art Cologne, Cologne, Germany
2013
“Uncanny Congruencies,” Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
“Art Film,” Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL
“Mercury Retrograde: Animated Realities,” Stephen Stoyanov Gallery, New York, NY
“Epic Fail,” Storefront Ten Eyck, Brooklyn, NY
2012
“exURBAN SCREENS,” Frankston Arts Centre/Cube 37, Melbourne, Australia
15th Japan Media Arts Festival, Tokyo, Japan
“Sourced,” Steven Vail Fine Arts, Des Moines, IA
2011
“Beyond,” SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Japan
“Videosphere: A New Generation,” Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
“The Big Screen Project,” Big Screen Plaza, New York,
NY
“Printer’s Proof,” Bertrand Delacroix Gallery, New York, NY
2010
“12th International Cairo Biennale,” Cairo, Egypt
“The Big Screen Project,” Big Screen Plaza, New York, NY
“Me, Undoubtedly. 1309 Faces,” Kunstmuseum
Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
“Aichi Triennale,” Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya, Japan
“Surface Tension,” South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN
“onedotzero,” Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
“New Art For A New Century,” Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
2009
“Mercury Retrograde: Animated Realities,” Big Medium Gallery, Austin, TX
“The Figure and Dr. Freud,” Haunch of Venison, New York, NY
2008
“Uncoordinated: Mapping Cartography in Contemporary Art,” Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
“Ru Ru Ru Landscape: How I see the World Around Me,” Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka, Japan
“Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks,” Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
2007
“The Shapes of Space,” Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
“System Error: War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning,”
Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, Italy
“Art Fair Tokyo,” Tokyo, Japan
“Art Film,” Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2006
“The 59th Minute, Times Square Panasonic Astrovision Screen,” Creative Time, New York, NY
“Invitational Exhibition,” American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
“Radar: Selections from the Kent and Vicki Logan Collection,” Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
“New Code,” Studio La Città, Verona, Italy
“Signal Channel: Contemporary Video Art,” Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
2005
“Produced at Eyebeam,” Eyebeam, New York, NY
“Surface,” Lucas Schoormans Gallery, New York, NY
“ART!@*><WORK,” Ignivomous, New York, NY
2004
“Metropolis,” National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
“Art and Architecture 1900 – 2000,” Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, Italy
“Inaugural Show,” Sandroni Rey Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Trouble in Paradise,” Van Brunt Gallery, New York, NY
“Happy Ending,” Kingfisher Projects, Queens, NY
2003
“Toxic,” Max Protetch Gallery, New York, NY
“Digital Showcase,” Austin Museum of Digital Art, Austin, TX
1999
“Group Show,” Max Protetch Gallery, New York, NY
“MFA Thesis Exhibition,” Yale School of Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
SOUND & VISION PODCAST
Brian Alfred is the host of SOUND & VISION, a podcast of conversations with artists and musicians about the creative process. Guests have included Diana Al-Hadid, Jules de Balincourt, Inka Essenhigh, Dominique Fung, Daniel Heidkamp, Ridley Howard, Kahlil Robert Irving, Byron Kim, Hein Koh, Chris Martin, Tony Matelli, Leeza Meksin, Hilary Pecis, Tom Sachs, James Siena, Sarah Slappey, Alexandria Smith, Fred Tomaselli, and Chloe Wise.
AWARDS
2018
College of Arts and Architecture Faculty Research Grant, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2016
College of Arts and Architecture Faculty Research Grant, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2015
Institute for the Arts and Humanities Individual Faculty Grant, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Jerome Foundation Grant, St. Paul, MN
2013
Carriage House Arts Residency, Islip, NY
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, New York, NY
2011
Excellence Award, Japan Media Arts Festival, Tokyo, Japan
2008
Pennsylvania State University Alumni Achievement Award, University Park, PA
2006
Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, New York, NY
American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Award, New York, NY
Pennsylvania State University Alumni Achievement Award, University Park, PA
2005
New York Foundation of the Arts Inspiration Award, New York, NY
2003
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, New York, NY
1999
Phelps Berdan Memorial Award, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Skowhegan Match Scholarship, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME
1997
Edwin W. Zoller Scholarship, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
SELECT COLLECTIONS
Cleveland Clinic Art Program, Lyndhurst, OH
Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, NY
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, TX
Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State University, University Park, PA
Phoenix Museum of Art, Phoenix, AZ
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
University Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA
Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Corporate Art Collection, Des Moines, IA
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Board of Directors of the Williamsburg Biannual would like to acknowledge the support of our partners and sponsors, who have been critical in the organization’s formation and early operations during this past year.
First and foremost, the Williamsburg Biannual would not exist without the vision and generosity of the Kent Avenue Realty Trust and their unparalleled civic-minded commitment to the arts and historic preservation. Rather than razing the 1920s warehouse at 333 Kent Avenue and capitalizing on allowable development opportunities, such as the construction of a mid-to-highrise luxury condominium, the trust engaged in the building’s adaptive reuse, creating a purpose-built arts center. Its thoughtful design by JAZ Architect, careful construction and high level of finish impress all who enter. We are grateful for our gorgeous home, and we are excited to open it to the public.
Next, WB extends its gratitude to the Lawyers Alliance for New York, in particular Executive Director Elizabeth M. Guggenheimer, Staff Attorney Elizabeth Wytock, and Client Relations Associate Lauren Hayden; who have guided and connected the organization to international white-shoe firms that have provided pro-bono legal services, establishing a firm foundation for future growth.
Specifically, we would like to thank the incredible team at Linklaters, led by Partner Pierre-Emmanuel Perais, that included Michael Lomtevas, Erika Jensen, Fraser Goodlad, Amanda Gabai, and Chino Anukwuem, for facilitating our incorporation and application for IRS nonprofit status. They simplified a complex process. We thank Tara Flanagan, Brian S. Smetana, and Danielle Liberman of Greenberg Traurig for drafting template agreements for exhibition loans, artist projects, and programs.We also thank Stephania C. Sanon at McDermott Will & Emery for drafting our volunteer policy. These legal services have been critical to Phase 1 of our business, ensuring best practices and compliance. We look forward to continuing to work with Lawyers Alliance throughout our growth plan.
Relatedly, we are grateful to Lucy Sexton and her team at New Yorkers for Culture & Arts, as well as the New York Council of Nonprofits and Council Services Plus, including Susan Tornicelli and Gwynn V. Jones, for their insight on policy and nonprofit administration.
Because the founders met long ago in architecture school, the nexus of art and education is central to the mission of Williamsburg Biannual. We firmly believe that art enlightens, and education provides opportunities for personal and professional advancement. WB thanks our educational partners: Barnard College of Columbia University; Kenyon College; and the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, the magnet school for design education within the New York City Public School system and 2020 recipient of US Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Award.
We would like to acknowledge the following educators and administrators: At Barnard: Joan Snitzer, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Co-Chair & Director of Visual Arts and Paul A. Scolieri, Chair and Professor of Dance, who both serve as the Co-Directors of GRoWing the Arts, an Annenberg Foundation program at Barnard to introduce student to arts professions; Executive Director Christine Valenza Shin and Senior Associate Director Stephanie Malak of Beyond Barnard; Joshua Lisko, Director of Employer Relations, Career Development Office, Kenyon College; and the dedicated staff at WHSAD: Principal Gill Cornell; Assistant Principals Maria Basilio Kimberley Bruno, Giovanni D’Amato; Internship Coordinator Emiiy Wilson; Instructors Alain Codio, Abraham Rodriguez, Jasmyn Cumberbatch,
Michael Crockford, and Pia Moos. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our first 10-week college summer intern, Micheline (Michi) Parsa, whose indispensable research on artists, grants, and local history is already being applied toward social media content and future program planning.
Last but not least, we deeply appreciate the friendship and support of the artists and designers of New York City, their galleries and creative firms, and professional service providers. First, we would like to thank filmmaker Derrick Belcham, whose retrospective video installation 15/50/150: Song & Dance , was on view from January 18-28, 2024. His opening reception was a large artist party that introduced WB to New York City’s creative community. The evening included the New York premiere of Green to Gold, a film by Belcham and Emily Terndrup with choreography and performance by Bobbi-Jene Smith & Or Schraiber and music by The Antlers.
Now, we thank multi-talented artist, musician, educator Brian Alfred and Miles McEnery Gallery, who have powered us through our grand opening and spectacularly launched our inaugural exhibition, You Could Feel The Sky . A very special thanks is extended to MMG’s top-notch team who assisted us in the installation, exhibition catalog production, and marketing: Principal Miles McEnery, Senior Director Lucasta Partridge-Hicks, Sales Associate Melissa Yeh, Associate Director Julia Schlank, Gallery Assistant Zoe Orr, Operations Manager & Registrar Nathan Grupposo, Client Liaison & Registrar Lillian Harris, and Gallery & Research Associate Jane Taylor. Their recognition of our potential and belief in our organization has been invaluable. We owe a debt of gratitude for the operational and technical support that MMG has provided.
For Alfred’s opening reception, we would like to also thank multimedia artist-musician Hisham Akira Bharoocha for his special performance, as well as Joe and Lauren Grimm of Grimm Artisanal Ales, New York State Brewery of the Year for 2021, 2022, and 2024 for their delicious, locally-brewed libations. Bharoocha and the Grimms ensured the success of our opening, which coincided with New York’s Armory Show and warmly received donors, collectors, and the general public.
We are grateful to Ines Leong of L-Ines for her architectural photography and Andy Romer of Andy Romer Photography for his installation photography of You Could Feel The Sky . Their images document for posterity our creative intention to carry forward New York’s rich history of alternative art spaces. Programs and exhibitions open and close, but images capture the moment, imprint upon the psyche, and endure.
The Williamsburg Biannual hopes to serve New York, its creative community, and the public-at-large long into the future, to meaningfully advance the arts, public discourse and the cultural life of our city.We look forward to welcoming visitors, making new friends, forming future program partnerships, and strengthening our community! Thank you for your interest. We appreciate your support!
About The Williamsburg Biannual:
The Williamsburg Biannual is a new artist space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that mounts two exhibitions per year, allowing exhibiting artists to show a comprehensive body of work for an extended period of time. Exhibitions are complemented by related programs – music and dance performances, screenings, readings and talks.
Located at 333 Kent Avenue, steps from the iconic Williamsburg Bridge and Domino Park, the Williamsburg Biannual’s home is an adaptive reuse and expansion of a 1920’s 10,000sf warehouse, designed by JAZ Architect. The Biannual’s premises include over 7,500sf of public gathering space, a black box event space, an informal auditorium and casual seating area, double height galleries and a private outdoor space. Of this, 4,000sf is dedicated exhibition space, spread over three levels. Natural light throughout the building creates a serene environment, an urban oasis for art viewing, contemplation, discussion, and enjoyment. For more information about The Williamsburg Biannual, visit www. williamsburgbiannaul.org.
About Miles McEnery Gallery:
Miles McEnery Gallery is a leading contemporary art gallery with four locations occupying 25,000 square feet in the Chelsea district of New York City. Since its inception in 1999, the gallery has grown physically and conceptually, currently representing over 40 multigenerational contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds, media, and practices. Miles McEnery Gallery is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, scholarship, and connoisseurship.
The gallery publishes significant catalogs to accompany its exhibitions and has been instrumental in the support of artist monographs. Additionally, it regularly assists in the organization of institutional exhibitions and facilitates museum acquisitions. For more information about Miles McEnery Gallery, visit www.milesmcenery.com.
Williamsburg Biannual williamsburgbiannual@gmail.com williamsburgbiannual.org
Miles McEnery Gallery info@milesmcenery.com milesmcenery.com
7 September – 13 December 2024
Williamsburg Biannual 333 Kent Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11249
www.williamsburgbiannual.org www.milesmcenery.com
Cover: City Lights Sunset Sky (detail), 2023
Back Cover: Wheat & Sun (detail), 2021
