The Brewster Project : Regine Basha

Matthew Buckingham
The Brewster Public Library
video of readers

The Brewster Project

Conceived with Christopher Ho + Omar Lopez-Chahoud
Village of Brewster, New York
Summers 2001, 2002

2001 Curators:
Regine Basha, Jennifer Dalton, Berit Fischer, Rachel Gugelberger, Christopher Ho, Karen Jones, Moukhtar Kocache, Mauricio Laffite-Soler, Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Ed Winkleman

2001 Artists:
Artsts: Ellen Altfest, Mick O'Shea, Alex Villar, Brooke Williams, Lisa Levy, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Beryl Odette, Pit van de Loo, Anibal Jorge Pella, Andrea Ray; DJs: S45, Noel Zevon, Reynard Loki, Nicola Lopez, Austin Thomas, Peter Walsh, Amanda Church, Ian Dapot, Melinda Hackett, Pablo Helguera, Larry Krone and documentary by Jorge Lopez-Chahoud, Ellen Harvey, Millree Hughes, Peter Rostovsky, Istvan Szilasi, Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock, Matt Bakkom, Jennie C. Jones, Susan Kelly and Alia Hasan-Khan, Douglas Ross, Lucien Samaha, David Baskin, Amy Eshoo, Charles Goldman, Juana Valdes, Paco Cao, Stephan Pascher, Jaime Permuth, Troy Richards, Carl Skelton, Guy Richard Smit, Laura Watt, Bill Byers, Hilda Daniel, Anna Pedersen and Carol Saft

2002 Curators:
Atteqa Ali, Koan Jeff Baysa, A.S. Bessa (Female/Trouble), Cinema Tropical, Paul Clay, Jessica Hough, Paul Laster (New York Stories), Alison Levy (Replacement), Sara Reisman, Karen Roff, Mari Spirito, William Stover, Naomi Urabe, Joseph R. Wolin

2002 Artists:
Aysha Adil, Munawar Ali, Remy Amezcua, Ian Arnold, Benton C. Bainbridge, Lawrence Beck, Matthew Buckingham, Camelot, Karin Campbell, David Carera, Rene Antonio Cea, Top Changtrakul, Fritz Chesnut, Seong Chun, Guillaume Clave, Drew Cliress, Kim Connerton, Maureen Connor, Michael Darby, Willyum Delirious, Linda Dennis, Emma Dewing, Vincent Dion, Mary Dwyer, Nicole Engelman and Diana Shpungin, Trish Feer, Oscar Camilo de las Flores, Tara Fracalossi, Missy Galore, Andro Genious, Shahana Ghulam, Wade Guyton, Joe Hamersky, Rachel Heinold, Jill Henerson, Perry Hu, Chris Jordan, Colin Keefe, Michael Keropian, Karen King, Tatiana Kronberg, Thomas Lail, Pan Xing Lei, Bibiana and Frank Matheis, Adia Millett, Adam Mitchell and Sharron Nakazato, Lisa Mordhorst, Huma Mulji, Warren Neidich, Trong Gia Nguyen, Olu Oguibe, David Phillips and Paul Rowley, Ben Pranger, Mauro Restiffe, Omar Rodrigus, Margaret Roleke, Sebastian Romo, Raphy Sarkissian, Pallas Scot, Gedi Sibony, Amie Siegel, Peter Spaans, Yukiko Takagi, Patricia Thornley, Saneta de Vuono-powell (with Leigh Garret and Katie Workum), William Wallace, James Walsh, Karen Yazinsky and Bryan Zanisnik. Also a mini film festival with Cinema Tropical.

Brewster, New York, a one-street village (in the Town of Southeast) is positioned at a historical and socio-political juncture, where the rural meets the urban and local issues carry truly global implications. Brewster is many things to many people: an idyllic residential area; the source from where New York City's water reserves originate; a home for Central American migrant workers; a hub where Manhattan commuters converge; and a slice of arcane American lore - here PT Barnum began his first traveling circus and Borden Condensed Milk established their first factory in America. Throughout the commercial enterprises, the churches, the vintage shops, and the historical sites, Brewster, like many small American town, faces the pangs of economic and cultural transition.

Sites included, amongst others: The Southeast Museum, the library, the Walter Brewster historical house, local thrift shops, Jack & Jill’s pool hall, a flower shop, a travel agent, an artisan frame shop, a Honduran deli, the Iron Horse (gay ) Bar, the local car service, and several storefronts, buildings and outdoor public spaces.

The Brewster Project was realized with the support and collaboration of the Mayor of Brewster, John Cesar; The Southeast Museum and Brewster residents Richard Ruchala and artist Laura Watt.