Bay Ridge Eagle Gallery 364 Art Fans Long for Upcoming ‘Nostalgia’ Show by Harold Egeln (edit@brooklyneagle.net), published online 08-12-2010

By Harold Egeln Brooklyn Eagle Gallery 364, the center of Bay Ridge’s growing art world, is about to offer an exhibition that captures longings of past events and memories in surprising ways through paintings, photos and sculptures. This exhibit and sale is fittingly called “Nostalgia.” A reception is set for the show’s opening on Thursday, August 26 from 7 to 10 p.m., hosted by Gallery 364 founder and owner Georgine Benvenuto, a famed photographer whose historic 1900s brownstone at 364 72nd St. has become a Brooklyn as well as an international destination. Since the opening of the first floor home gallery in May 2007 with the help of a community of artists, photographers and friends, Gallery 364 has featured art exhibitions based on specific themes. “We believe in giving just a keyword to our artists and seeing what they come forward with in terms of visual art,” said Benvenuto. Themes have included 9/11, Water, Spaces, Love/Desire, Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Moving Pictures and Paintings, and Recycled, Reused, Rescued. The varied themes have proven to be successful, according to fans of the gallery, producing artwork that challenges the artists in forms that surprise, delight and titillate the eyes and minds of viewers. Last autumn, the Bay Ridge art outpost was for the first time added to the annual SmArt Brooklyn Gallery Hop Bus Tour, delighting the growing Gallery 364 art community. The gallery also serves as studio space for art, painting and photography classes. Gallery 364, with its community involvement ethos, has collaborated on projects with the Narrows Botanical Garden, Women Against Violence, the Green Spa and Wellness Center and the Bay Ridge Greenmarket, among others. The “Nostalgia” opening reception includes an art competition, this time with guest judge Doug Opalski, a watercolorist. There will be a Best In Show $150 grand prize award and two honorable mention winners. Sponsors include Grimaldi and Yeun LLP, The Green Spa and Wellness Center, HOM and The Burger Bistro. For more information about Gallery 364-Bay Ridge’s First Fine Arts Gallery visit its web site at www.gallery364.com. Viewings are by invitation and reservation.