Folks can take and leave art for free at this tiny public gallery in Greenpoint

Possibly inspired by the array of community fridges that have taken over our town in the past year, a new, slightly different but certainly adjacent exchange of products has popped up in Brooklyn recently. NBK Little Gallery is a free tiny public art gallery on Metropolitan Avenue between Roebling and Driggs in Greenpoint that is completely open to the public and actually works as an art exchange.

Although maintained by volunteers from North Brooklyn Mutual Aid, the gallery is basically curated by the public at large as folks of all ages are encouraged to leave their work, pick up whatever is on view that strikes their fancy and even rearrange the offerings inside the space... which was an abandoned former ATM box until now.

According to Greenpointers, local resident Heaven Ender found the space and currently serves as the Gallery Director. 

"The ATM had been removed many months ago and was often filled with garbage," Ender said to Greenpointers. "We had been scouting the location, checking it at different times of day to see the light and foot traffic. Finally, one day, a new nail salon moved in next door and instead of removing the ATM box, they painted it with a fresh coat of white paint. That evening, I grabbed a few random art pieces I had [...], went over to the box, added the stickers, put the art inside, snapped a few photos and walked away into the night."

All sorts of mediums have taken up temporary residence in the gallery, from ceramic pieces to drawings, zines, stickers, drawings and more, effectively mirroring the area's eclectic cultural scene while connecting neighbors in new, unusual and much appreciated ways. 

Whatever your plans are this weekend, we suggest taking a trip down to Greenpoint to peruse through some of the art yourself. 

Fill out our excellent (and extremely quick) Time Out Index survey right now, and have your voice heard.

Most popular on Time Out

- New York launches the nation’s first-ever vaccine passports
- There’s a secret speakeasy hidden inside the 28th Street subway station
- The best things to do in NYC according to experts
- The best places to see cherry blossoms in NYC
- This new Williamsburg pop-up-turned-restaurant is serving succulent modern takes on Jewish staples

Want to know what’s cool in the city? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from NYC and beyond.