Featured Artists in our Taproom
Current Exhibition:
Jason Grimste is a freelance artist, musician, writer, and designer living in Brooklyn, New York.
His visual art explores slanguange and evolves portraiture. His “Saints” series, begun in 2010 with “Saint Kevorkian,” extols modern icons as symbols of transcendence. Included in this series are The Dalai Llama (Dobbler Llama / “Say Something”), William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols (The Kiss Off), Frida Kahlo, Billie Holiday, Biggie Smalls, Grace Jones, Gene Wilder, and more. In the background of many of his works are “freestyles” painted in calligraphic handstyles. His experience as a poet and Hip Hop MC inform his process of painting, and the inclusion of these improvised poems creates a vibrant backdrop for his portraits and studies.
He has toured the U.S. and Canada as the rap artist brokeMC with such talented and soulful artists as Deathrow Tull, The Metermaids, Undakova, Bisc1, Swordplay, MINDSpray, DJ Halo, DJ Spliff, DJ Milkmoney, and more.
He is the Founder and Showrunner of the Brooklyn Silent Film Festival: http://www.brooklynsilent.com
He is the Founder of Chaos Button Productions: http://www.chaosbutton.com
info@brokemc.com // IG @thebrokemc // Twitter @brokeMC // brokemc.com
Past Exhibitions:
Elinor Schnurr
Elinor Schnurr is a highly respected figure in the art world, known for their dynamic and evocative approach to painting. Schnurr’s work, characterized by bold colors, intricate details, reflective layering and a deep sense of emotional resonance, has captured the attention of collectors and art enthusiasts alike.
Jeanette Levy
“I'm a painter, graphic designer, and art director living in Queens, NY. I work full-time at a children's book publishers. Some of my non-work interests include knitting & textile arts, reading, museums & galleries, cooking, live music, animals, and getting outside. I would be especially excited to work on book covers for adult literary fiction, cookbook design, and album covers.”
Stephen Hugh Speier
August 2, 1943 – November 13, 2024
This collection offers a small glimpse of Stephen Hugh Speier’s creative work over the final two decades of his life, an approach that crystallized into what he called abstract impressionism.
This phase stands out for Speier’s exploration of color, form, and space. While his works can burst with vibrant hues, he also embraced the stark beauty of black and white, and the dynamic possibilities of negative space.
A prolific painter, he described his paintings as meditations on canvas, captured moments of stillness and presence. He worked in oil, acrylic, watercolor, on a range of surfaces: wood, canvas, board, paper, cardboard - any material he could get his hands on. This collection specifically highlights his use of canvas, boards, and poster board paper. And since there was never a surface he would not use, he even used the plastic packaging!
Speier had been visiting Fifth Hammer regularly since its opening in 2017, and he loved nothing more than a crisp pilsner. Enjoy a Pentatonic Pilsner in remembrance!
Contact information:
Erik A. Speier
(646) 483-0640