The Dreamland Artist Club 2005
Michael Amter, Tauba Auerbach, Beatriz Barral, CRASH, Ronnie Cutrone, Annabel Daou, Dogg + Bone, Fintan Friel, Justin Green, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Mimi Gross, Katie Holten, Vandana Jain, Steve Keene, Greg Lamarche, Cary Leibowitz (aka Candyass), Paul Lindahl, Clive Murphy, Os Gemeos, Nina Pandolfo, Gary Panter, Kamau Patton, Bruno Peinado, Garett Phelan, Steve Powers, Swoon, Leah Tinari
June 18–October 15, 2005
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Image: Creative Time
In 2004, Creative Time and artist Steve Powers initiated their shared vision to revitalize the rich visual culture of Coney Island via the contemporary reinvention of the tradition of colorful hand-painted signs and advertisements. The next generation of that artistic and cultural endeavor, The Dreamland Artist Club 2005, enthusiastically revived and expanded that mission. Creating colorful and imaginative signs, concession stands, storefronts, and murals throughout Coney Island, members of the Dreamland Artist Club 2005 further infused the defunct amusement park experience with contemporary art. New aspects of the project included artist-designed prizes at participating arcade game booths and the launch of The Dreamland Artist Clubhouse, a kind of information center where visitors could see artists at work in the studio, buy a handmade sign from the gallery, pick up a map of the park, or receive a personal tour of the Dreamland artworks.
With real estate development threatening to change the landscape and character of Coney Island as we know it, The Dreamland Artist Club project contributed to a renewed sense of pride and appreciation for the intervention of art and the unique aesthetic of this legendary neighborhood.