Gallery Reminds Bed-Stuy To 'Keep Your Head Up' With Free Art

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A longtime gallery in Bed-Stuy has found a unique way to keep the hope alive during the coronavirus crisis — surprise pieces of free art.

Richard Beavers Gallery decided early in the pandemic to bring back what it calls "gift a print," or sporadically leaving a free piece of artwork outside its Marcus Garvey Boulevard storefront for a lucky passerby to find.

The gallery, which has been in the neighborhood for 13 years, first came up with the idea a few years ago but had stopped because Beavers was often traveling.

But when the coronavirus crisis struck, it seemed like a perfect time to bring it back, Beavers said.

"I wanted to do something to uplift people's spirits," Beavers told Patch. "[I was thinking], 'What can I do for the community? How can I give people something to look forward to?'"

Since restarting the idea last spring, Beavers says he's given out at least 50 pieces of art ranging in value from $30 to $800.

Each piece, usually a poster or a limited-edition print, is a way to talk to the community through art, even while his gallery was closed, Beavers said. The gallery is now open by appointment only.

"I use art to articulate whatever the message is," Beavers said, pointing to one piece of art with a woman braiding another woman's hair that was titled "Keep Your Head Up." "Specifically with the pandemic, it's a way to say, 'We're going through a difficult time, but we're going to get past this.'"

Aside from the boost to morale, Beavers said the goal is also about making art accessible to everyone, regardless of who can afford it.

Each time he puts a piece out —which he said he varies between morning and afternoons to give equal opportunity — he'll post it on the gallery's social media pages so neighbors can race to pick it up.

Whoever finds it will often send messages of appreciation, which Beavers says has made the initiative as worth it for him as it is for the recipients.

Artists and collectors who've heard he's doing it will even send in pieces specifically for him to give away, Beavers said.

"I've had people send me pictures and videos jumping up and down screaming, 'Yeah, I got it!'" Beavers said. "The greatest gift one can have is the act of giving."