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6:00 - 6:30: Member and Guest Meet & Greet

6:30: Lecture by Meryl Meisler

When Meryl Meisler went to Bushwick in 1981 to teach art, it wasn't trendy and hip. It was a no man's land of burnt out buildings and rubble-strewn lots, dangerous and desolate; the epitome of urban decay. Afraid to use a good camera, she began taking pictures with a cheap point-and-shoot.

This secret body of work accumulated, unseen until historian Adam Schwartz came calling in 2007. They collaborated on a show at the Brooklyn Historical Society, and Meisler went on to several solo exhibitions in Bushwick, which by then had recovered and become a hot arts district. In May 2014, an exhibition called A Tale of Two Cities: Disco Era Bushwick opened at the Black Box Gallery, accompanied by a monograph of the same name. In it, Meisler paired images of devastated Bushwick with images of the hot clubs of the time, notably Studio 54. The result is a unique, rich picture of the age that has gotten tremendous press, including articles by the New York Times and The New Yorker. She and fellow PWP member Catherine Kirkpatrick, who wrote the introduction, were just featured in an article that appeared on the homepage of the PDN website.

Meisler will talk about her personal journey, the journey of the work and of the city itself.  Books will be available for sale and signing.

The lecture is free for PWP members, $10 for non-members (pay at the door). It is open to the public, and guests are welcome. It will take place on Wednesday, October 1st at 6:30 pm, at the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Contact info@pwponline.org for more information.

Detailed directions to the Metropolitan Opera Guild with map and street views.