Nuevo Estilo Unisex

Open Ground has been incubating--in studio critiques and hybrid music-art showcases--and now it's time to bring out the goods for the Bushwick Open Studios festival this weekend. 20 artists, including core members of Open Ground and a few new faces, have come together to create "Open Ground East" at the Nuevo Estilo Unisex, a former neighborhood hair salon and temporary venue for BOS '08 that we got generous access to.

We're really excited about reincarnating the Nuevo Estilo Unisex salon! We see an empty storefront as potential public space, and with our DIY approach, we simply add $50 of paint and 50 hours of tender loving care to make it real for everyone. Part of the reason Open Ground has so much leverage to develop space is that we appreciate each contribution to the project--whether it's a five in the tip jar or 5 cases of beer--and honor the inherent volunteerism fueling the art world. The vibrancy of Nuevo Estilo Unisex salon is in the active, creative dialog, where innovation occurs and where hope is realized.

We develop space that is open to experimentation, choice of mediums and the personally nuanced and sometimes challenging messages that can be expressed through art. We don't shrink from issues of power but rather than attacking "the establishment," we establish the community of support that we need. Nuevo Estilo Unisex is the peace accord following the culture wars of the 1990's: based on our respect and appreciation of each other's multicultural heritage we forge a shared identity as artists and citizens.

Nuevo Estilo Unisex is everything you want art to be. Join the movement!