A new yearlong exhibition titled 'In Plain Sight' has opened at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, featuring large-scale, site-specific installations by 12 Brooklyn-based artists. The exhibition, which debuted on June 4 with a public celebration, marks the 40th anniversary of the New York City Economic Development Corporation's stewardship of the historic waterfront campus. The artworks, created using industrial materials sourced from terminal tenants and makerspaces, explore the layered histories of Brooklyn's working waterfront while highlighting creativity, labor, and cultural diversity. Curated by Debra Simon, the show includes works such as 'Shared Rhythms' by Hyesu Lee, 'Ancient Spat' by Z Behl, and 'Echoes of the Current' by Yuya Saito, with many pieces fabricated on-site in collaboration with local businesses and the Brooklyn Wholesale Meat Market.
This exhibition matters because it transforms a former military base and active industrial hub into a living gallery, directly engaging the site's manufacturing community and revealing overlooked histories of labor and migration. By integrating art with the terminal's ongoing industrial operations, 'In Plain Sight' models a new approach to public art that honors the past while activating the present, potentially influencing how other cities repurpose historic infrastructure for cultural programming. The collaborative fabrication process also strengthens ties between artists and local businesses, demonstrating the economic and social value of art in non-traditional spaces.