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The Sketchbook Project: Art from around the world

The Sketchbook Project lives within the Brooklyn Art Library, filling their entire left wall from floor to ceiling. Yes, leave it to a place as cool as Brooklyn to have an art library.

Anyway, my friend and I stumbled onto this fascinating place last fall. In short, the way this incredible thing works is this: people from around the entire globe pick a topic then send in a small paperback Moleskin notebook that they fill with their view of this particular topic. After procuring your own Library Card, you are free to choose a topic and an art librarian chooses 6 or so sketchbooks and you are free to sit down and see very personal, often moving, and always interesting one-of-a-kind artwork from around the planet. Since every library card and sketchbook have a barcode, you can check in to see who all has read your sketchbook. Pretty amazing concept, isn't it? Such an incredible way to connect with other people in this world via something so tangible--something not on the computer, and not hanging on a museum wall. We spent hours in here.

Here's the address so you can see for yourself!
103A N. 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11211

(Catch! Unlikely Art entry!)

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Location Details

Brooklyn Art Library

103 North 3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY, United States

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Phone:
+1 718-388-7941
Website:
http://arthousecoop.com/
Hours:
Sun - Sat 12pm - 8pm

DiscussWant to know more? Ask about or comment on this Highlight!

Dijedal

Congratulations! You're right right about this being an amazing idea. I'll have to go check this place out the next time I'm in NYC.

Malinda Boody Nichols

Thanks so much! I'm completely blown away and so honored! This place really is amazing, and there is really good biergarten about a block away! :)

Matthew Keesecker

Local Expert: Chicago, Illinois

I think this is my favorite afar post to date. And the funny thing is that I missed it in my usual browsing. Congrats on winning this week. This is a fantastic place that I would like to seek out myself. Thanks for sharing!

Dezerai Seitzer

Wow! Incredible! This truly embodies what makes art so special - a connection people from all walks of life can share. Thank you for this post! I'm so happy this was the winning entry!

Gail Koza

An Art Library, what a wonderful concept! Congratulations on your win, Dezerai!

Gail Koza

Sorry...I meant to congratulate you on this, Malinda! :)

Teresa Prigmore Boody

Wow, this is so interesting...great post!

Malinda Boody Nichols

Thanks so much for your kind words everyone! Every time an email came through that someone commented on my post it totally made my day! I don't know about y'all, but I've become mildly obsessed with looking at Highlights, it's like the Pinterest of awesome travel.

PS: I said this above to Dijedal, but there is an AMAZING bier garten half a block up from here called Radegast. The first place in the first country I ever went to overseas was the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, and I'm pretty sure this place was more awesome :) Art + bier + brats = the most perfect day.