The Living Gallery

Your time here is very much going to depend on the show you see. On a recent visit I had a very nice time with my boyfriend though.
The space is the size of a suburban living room, and it’s far from glamorous, but it’s a space — and affordable performance spaces aren’t exactly easy to come by for emerging artists to rent.
Seating is by folding chair. The refreshment situation is whatever the hosts offer. Again, it’s just a small raw space that the organizers will make their own. Come with low expectations and a good sense of humor and you’ll be just fine.
Tip: Birdy’s bar is a good pre/​post show drink spot. Also check out Skytown for some decent eats and Happyfun Hideaway (next to Birdy’s) for some more drinks (presuming you can tolerate weird bar smells).

Seen this place on groupon and it seemed fun. Me and a group of my friends went for my birthday on the drink and draw night it was very low key they had boxed wine there but we brung our own bottle. The nude model was a female was hoping for a guy lol. The place is nice and the people that run it are nicer… I definitely recommend the drink n draw night on Wednesdays

Wonderful gallery and space. I am a musician and have performed here. Mike and Nyssa (the owners) are wonderful people who run a great place. Check it out!

This multi-​funtional space holds a variety of classes and special events. I attended one of their «Drink and Draw» classes — Two hours of drawing instruction with a live nude model and three glasses of wine! A class of Picassos in the making depending on how quickly you take the glasses down :)
Unfortunately the model did not show, but we were given a clothed model instead which was fine by me as a beginner. All supplies were included, paper, coal, pencils, pastels etc and it was a really fun, welcoming environment.
The best part was that later that night, unbeknownst to us, there was an open mic planned with incredibly talented spoken word poets, rappers, etc. We stayed the whole night and were so inspired! Very cool!

This review is targeted more towards the clientele of this place than the actual venue.
As an art gallery, this place isn’t much to write home about. Small, a bit cramped and nondescript.
However, the people that frequent here will be the most interesting crowd you will meet. While seemingly hipster, everyone maintains an individuality unique to themselves.
The night I was here, I was treated to some slam poetry, rap battles, art display and friendly conversation.
People are extremely down to earth, and each and every person stands for a subculture of New York that you will find no where else.
Definitely worth the trip to just experience the «other sides» of the city.

I’m ruining it for everyone by reviewing this place because it’s already super crowded as it is, but I have to say this drink and draw is AWESOME. Their clothed models are great for character studies and they have excellent nudes as well. The only thing they need is some high-​contrast lighting to do the subjects justice.

It’s awful that that previous one is the only review here. The Drink and Draw is fine. The place is fine.
The Living Gallery is a type of place that you’ll find in just about every other city of over 100,000 people. There just aren’t many of them in New York City.
It’s essentially a gallery that’s also an improvised community center that hosts an inconsistent variety of things. NYC doesn’t have many places like that, because NYC doesn’t really need them so much.
But, to put the place in a context that the previous reviewer doesn’t quite seem to grasp, the Living Gallery isn’t a high-​end place, and that’s not really what it’s trying to be. It’s one of those all purpose gallery/​event space/​place-​where-​interesting-​things-​are-​hosted.
And as for complaining about the lack of nudity?. I know the girls who host the Drink-​and-​Draw are pretty hot, but come on. The place has windows, and lots of people walk by. Young families. Motorcycle gangs. Gangly hipsters. Dudes working on the J train. You think they’d put on a show for and/​or risk offending all of those passersby for five bucks? This is Bed-​Stuy. Not Thailand.

I live nearby, but only came here for the first time because I got a Groupon for the Drink and Draw night. Alas, I was sadly disappointed… it seems the people at the gallery barely had any idea what a Drink and Draw IS, let alone how to organize a good one.
I’m aware that I’m probably more discerning than the average patron, since I’m a professional artist and have been to many Drink and Draws all over the city. If you had never been to one before and had nothing to compare it to, maybe you could have an ok time… maybe? Except nobody really seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The gallery itself is not a bad space. They have some interesting stuff on the walls and in the front window. There’s a cool patio out back where you can go out for a smoke. That’s pretty much the main thing it has going for it.
First of all, the models they had there had absolutely NO idea how to pose for an artist. They were fully clothed (a drawback) — in the bulkiest, most obtrusive clothing imaginable. Think chunky cable knit sweaters and scarves. I will tolerate a clothed model, but you better be wearing something tight so I can, you know, see the body I’m supposed to be drawing. That IS the point, after all. Not only were they dressed ludicrously, they couldn’t strike a dynamic pose. Nothing interesting to draw at all. Like, sitting in a chair with her hands in her lap. Why would I go to an event to draw you, when I could just stay home and draw my roommate on his computer?
PS yes I know there are big windows in front and people walking by could look in and see if the models were unclothed… fortunately there is a wonderful invention for such a situation, they are called CURTAINS!
Furthermore, (and this is why I think the people at The Living Gallery do not, in fact, know what a drink and draw is) they seemed to think they were conducting a class. They tried to tell us what to draw and how to compose our drawings. They decided everybody was going to draw a portrait and told us how to frame it. It was really quite ludicrous, because that is not what a Drink and Draw is.
The really unforgivable thing, the icing on the cake as it were, was that the ‘drinks’ were included with the admission. Sounds good, right? We were allowed to take no more than 2 paper cups they had ready-​poured of extremely cheap wine, with about an inch of wine in each one. Considering that they charge around $ 15 for the event, this just reeks of desperation. Clearly this is how they’re paying their rent.
What a drink and draw is SUPPOSED to be: an informal gathering where artists go to have drinks and draw a model. The model should be professional and be able to hold an interesting pose, otherwise why would you go? You should be able to drink as much as you want, and draw whatever you want — NOT be rationed out cut-​rate wine, told what to draw, and shushed when you talk to people.
My advice to the Living Gallery people: instead of desperately trying to promote your pathetic events via online ‘deals’, go to a couple other drink and draws, and let them teach you how to do it right. Please. Do yourselves a favor and stop humiliating yourselves… Bushwick is full of artists, and I’m sure any artist worth their salt would avoid this place like the plague after attending one of your Drink and Draws. My companion and I were so bored about 25 minutes in that we left early and went to the Gotham City Lounge and sketched there. Which was a much better time.
I’ve been to the Living Gallery once since for a concert (not my idea), and had the staff be very rude to me. I’m done with this joint… I kind of hope it goes out of business soon so something cooler can take its place.