CHARTING THE NARROWS AND THE HARBOR
Artwork by Jennifer McGregor
May 16 – June 27, 2026
Opening Reception – Saturday, May 16, 3 – 6 PM
Special programming: June 13, 3:00 – 5:00 Go Fly a Kite / Air Trust with Jan Mun
CHARTING THE NARROWS AND THE HARBOR
Search with curiosity and questions,
assemble materials at hand,
evoke memories rooted in place and time.
The Narrows, the majestic entrance to the New York Harbor, defines Bay Ridge. A mile to the east a visitor enters Stand4 Gallery and encounters The Narrows, a kaleidoscope of color extending across the main wall evoking an experience of the light, sound, wind, and the shoreline’s weather. The artwork is composed of hundreds of spirals made from repurposed sweaters collected for this project.
On the surrounding walls, a series of cast paper and encaustic assemblages explore
perspectives and relationships between land and water. The artworks are inspired by maps in the collection of the New York Public Library that date from 1747, 1844, and 1905. Originally created for mariners to navigate the Lower and Upper Bays of the New York Harbor and for planners to establish sources of encroaching pollution, the maps document place names, navigational features, changing forms of transportation, and expanded neighborhoods.
In this new work, Jennifer Jo McGregor expands her approach to place by constructing artifacts based on research and familiarity. She became acquainted with Bay Ridge through curating three exhibitions at Stand4 Gallery. Her notebooks from these projects were used for the map series. She is grateful to the support of an expanding network that has helped make this work possible.
Sweaters provided by: Joan Bankemper, Nancy Cohen, Fiona Cutting, Wendy Feuer, Goodwill NY/NJ, Susan Rowe Harrison, Elizabeth Keithline, Laurel Marx, MyUnique Thrift Bronx, Danita Nichols, Renee Piechocki’s clothing swap, Mary Prevo, Marc Shanker, Liam, Theo & Maisie Vorio.
Production Angels: Jeannine Bardo, Carey Clark, Fiona Cutting, Leslie Guiliani, SR LeJeune,