This month’s First Friday exhibit will feature a photography exhibition from Red Hook local Richie Tomppert. His NYC photo essay “Within the 5 Boroughs” was six years in the making and focuses on nature and humanity in a context that is often unseen to the unwitting eye.

The work is presented through several mediums, such as direct print onto metal, while others are traditionally framed. However, utilizing his carpentry skills, many of these works have been framed with lumber found and reclaimed locally in Red Hook.

A lifelong surfer and avid waterman, 20-year NYC resident Tomppert first developed his eye by reading seascapes. His coastal wanderings, oceanic adventures, and urban explorations took on new direction and new meaning when his daughter Millie and dog Ringo began to walk along with Richie, revealing unseen perspectives and new horizons. His work celebrates the grace that surrounds us, the tidal majesty of the ocean and waves, the urban poetry that hides in plain sight, and the beauty of surprisingly untrammeled locales scattered about our teeming metropolis.

Along with Tomppert’s photography on display, we’ll have DJ Jesse Ferguson from BierWax spinning tunes this Friday for the opening. Come take in the art and enjoy the music on the waterfront!