At Proteus Gowanus gallery, it’s art for more than art’s sake
With its iron-gated alley-way entrance around the corner from the Gowanus Canal, and its exotic name, Proteus Gowanus might have been a speakeasy during Prohibition. Sasha Chavchavadze, an artist who with husband PK Ramani founded the “interdisciplinary gallery and reading room” in 2005, reinforced this impression by insisting “once people find us, they get hooked.”
Given that the gallery will close for the summer on July 15, Brooklynites should hurry down to 543 Union St. and feed their addiction for the paradoxical place the Gowanus holds in their hearts.
Start with the Hall of Gowanus, an archive organized by activist and urban planner Eymund Diegel. Among the marvels, inspect an EPA sample of canal water, get the lowdown on the neighborhood from taped walking tours with residents, and read about the legendary Merman of Gowanus Bay chronicled in 1857 by the Brooklyn Eagle.