This June, Liz Galvin and Jaimie Walker partnered to open up Basin Gallery & Studios at 344 Van Brunt St. Both were kind enough to talk to me about their beginnings, Basin, and their friendship.
“We were casually looking for a place for an art studio but we didn’t have time pressure so there wasn’t a sense of urgency,” Galvin said. “During our search, I literally had a dream about us pleading our case to get this location, and even though the storefront has been vacant for a long time we followed up on it and began discussions. It all began with a dream.
“To pivot back, I know that Jaimie’s dream has always been to have her own art gallery and mine was to have a little shop or store. I thought, why don’t we try to do an art gallery with studios.”
Galvin and Walker each have unique skillsets and experiences which have prepared them to run their own art gallery.
“Both sides of my family have a military background so I was lucky enough to travel a lot,” Walker said. “I spent eight years in Germany, I was in Hawaii, New Mexico, and also in Pittsburgh. After moving around a lot, New York was always in my vision for my higher education. I graduated from Pratt and now I’ve been in Brooklyn for almost 25 years.
“I was born a fine artist but I knew that I wanted to learn typography and I wanted to learn the computer. After graduating, I moved to Dumbo with some pioneering artists and musicians, and that’s where I’ve spent my last 20 years making my art.”
Galvin also spent time living outside of New York before moving to Brooklyn.
“I’m originally from Long Island but I left when I was eight and I grew up in Florida,” Galvin said. “I moved to Brooklyn when I was 18 because that’s just what I was feeling. I was lucky enough to randomly land in Carroll Gardens and one day [in 1998] I was lucky enough to discover Red Hook on a bike ride. I loved coming down here to photograph the waterfront and the buildings. I first moved to Red Hook in 1999 but I ended up bouncing around Brooklyn but I’ve lived back here in Red Hook since 2015.”
Galvin also said she used to not see herself as an artist but credits Walker with helping her discover her artistic side. Galvin also has a business sense that she has developed from
working as a real estate broker for almost 10 years and from selling some ads for the Star-Revue too.
“For a while, I actually felt a little bit like I was Jaimie’s unofficial manager,” Galvin said. “For the 2022 annual Dumbo drop, which is a big event in Dumbo, Jaimie was asked to be the featured artist for the event so she designed the barricade covers, the posters, the t-shirts, and most importantly the parachutes that all the little elephants wear when they are thrown from buildings for the event [which raises money for a lot of schools in the area.]
“I think my skillset combined with Jaimie’s incredible artistic vision is something pretty powerful.”
Both Galvin and Walker have made a lot of connections in Dumbo and in Red Hook through their work. Walker worked as a bartender for a lot of years and worked as an MC for an open mic night in Dumbo. Galvin has gotten to know people throughout Red Hook from her work as a broker.
“In around 2001 or 2002 I worked at Between the Bridges, an old bar in Dumbo which is no longer around,” Galvin said. “Jaimie was MC-ing at Superfine [a restaurant and bar] and when we met, we couldn’t believe that we hadn’t met before but we quickly became friends. Shortly after that, she and her husband needed to find a new home, and I was able to find them a new home and we really became close friends during that. We actually went on a vacation together to Florida and once that went very well and we didn’t get on each other’s nerves, I knew we had something special going.”
“Liz also helped me tremendously with things I couldn’t do,” Walker said. “After working on all of the art, I couldn’t go sit and look for grants or look for contests.”
Walker is a very visual person and at times, Galvin was able to step in and be a voice for her. They have excellent chemistry together and they bring out the best in each other. They’re also both excited about their upcoming plans and told me about them.
“I want to let everyone know that Jaimie leads ‘drink and draw’ events every other Tuesday night, we hold a monthly mosaic art workshop with Grace Baley, and we’re planning to have a large art bazaar for the holidays in December, and more!” Galvin said. “We’re also scheduling the first six months of 2023 right now. Additionally, once the new RHAP [Red Hook Art Project] location is set up we’re planning on collaborating with Tiffiney [the executive director and co-founder of RHAP.]”
Feel free to follow Basin @Basin_Gallery_Brooklyn on Instagram to stay updated on the schedule for upcoming events.
“Basin is also on the map for this year’s Red Hook Open Studios [on October 8th and 9th from 1-6 PM,]” Galvin said. “The show that we’ll have is called ‘Out-of-Bounds; Uncommon Landscapes’ and features three amazing female artists [Diana Jensen, Valeri Larko, and Amy Regalia.]
“On behalf of both of us, we’re extremely proud that we’re women-owned and operated and that we’re showcasing eight women artists in our first six months. One of Jaimie’s friends noticed the need for a girls-focused school in her area and so she took it upon herself to open one. That was something that really inspired Jaimie and has inspired me too. We want to send the message to the girls out there that if art is what you want to do, then you should go for it.”
Both Galvin and Walker also spoke very highly of the Red Hook community and they are looking forward to the events they have planned already and for the future of Basin Gallery & Studios.
“Everyone has been so welcoming of us and the outpouring of support from other businesses has been incredible,” Walker said.
“We’re so grateful and that support means so much to us,” Galvin said. “It’s really special.”
