Former Pfizer garage becomes vibrant arts hub for Williamsburg community
The initiative has already sparked excitement among residents and artists alike, offering an affordable, community-centered venue for exhibitions, workshops, and creative collaboration.
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What was once an unassuming garage tucked inside a former Pfizer complex in Williamsburg now hums with color, creativity, and connection.
The repurposed complex, donated by the Pfizer Foundation three decades ago; now Beginning With Children Charter School, is an artist exhibition hub that’s bringing neighbors together and breathing new life into the community.
“Art speaks across the board,” says Alethea Sapp-Jimenez, Vice President of the Fulton Art Fair. “It brings people together, it’s community, it’s gathering, it’s about who we are.”
The transformation of the old garage is part of a growing effort led by the Beginning with Children Foundation’s Community Connections initiative, spearheaded by Jennella Young, the foundation’s Director of Community Connections. For Young, the space represents both a creative outlet and a bridge between generations.
“[We want] old-school folks and new-school folks at the table together,” Young explains. “It’s about art skill-building and art sharing - imagining a way forward that we hadn’t before.”
Last month, Young and her team hosted the garage’s first-ever exhibition, showcasing the work of local artists including Jayden Ashley, who immediately felt drawn to the space’s unique history.
“We instantly fell in love with the space,” Ashley says. “We wanted to incorporate the history of the building, the school, and the culture of the neighborhood.”
The initiative has already sparked excitement among residents and artists alike, offering an affordable, community-centered venue for exhibitions, workshops, and creative collaboration.
Young tells News 12 that next month, Community Connections will host a free, interactive hands-on artist workshop, inviting the public to explore art-making and storytelling together.
Jennella Young says this is just the beginning. She hopes to continue growing the garage into a creative studio for all. A place where art not only decorates the walls but strengthens the bonds of an evolving Brooklyn neighborhood.
