Linda Berkowitz is a Brooklyn-based painter whose work explores fragility, memory, and the quiet mysteries of everyday life. Working in watercolor, acrylic and oil pastel she creates intimate and symbolic paintings including floating egg worlds and paintings of the garden that create a feeling of calm and well being. In her practice she is always trying to look deeper, into the mystery of the natural world, creating plein air watercolors and sketches in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prospect Park.
Her work has been exhibited in a solo show in 2022 at Coconana in Prospect Heights, as well as group shows throughout New York City, including the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Gowanus Open Studios, Established Gallery, Honey Badger Motel, Gowanus Dredgers, Established Gallery, 440 Gallery, Ground Floor Gallery, and La Bodega. In 2017, she completed a painting residency at The Mudhouse in Crete. Her paintings and commissioned portraits are held in private collections across the United States and Canada.
In addition to her studio practice, Linda has worked for over a decade as an art teacher and creative mentor for older adults at Hanac and the Brooklyn Museum. She received the Catalyzing Creativity grant from Lifetime Arts for her project Symbolic Self-Portraits at the HANAC Older Adult Center. Through Hanac she has secured an on-going partnership with the Queens Museum in which her students take classes and exhibit work at the museum, In 2023, through Hanac she established a partnership for he art classes with the Noguchi Museum as well.
Linda studied Illustration at Parsons School of Design and began her creative life as a children’s book author and illustrator (Crown/Knopf), She designed wallpaper, home furnishings, textiles and bath accessories for Gear Holdings, dinnerware and ceramics for Block China, was a designer for Macys Cellar, She lives in Brooklyn, with her cat, Newton.
About my Work
I run my hands over the bark of trees, greeting them and saying a silent prayer for their well being. As I wander through the garden, sunlight through the leaves paint patterns on the ground. Squirrels and birds come out secure in my presence.This is the world I live in, happily creating.
My work is an intimate dialogue with nature. I invite you into the forest, to notice colors and textures, to see things that you didn't notice at first. As colors and brushstrokes draw you in, it puts you in touch with something deep within yourself. We are part of nature.
I never thought of my work as feminist, but I had a conversation with a friend who said it is.
In a non-political way I am unabashedly myself, although I’m not interested in fitting into a category. My work is a journey a spiritual awakening, conscious of the fragility of life, the earth, humanity and nature.
I challenge the viewer to look deeper, feel the brush of the leaves, the wind, the scent of the wet earth beneath their feet.
Linda Berkowitz
Exhibitions:
2025 Flowers for Mom, The Other Art Fair, Arts Gowanus, NY, NY
The Tower Show, Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY
Robots and Lemonade, Honey Badger Motel, Brooklyn, NY
Animalia, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
2024 Salon Des Refuses, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
Realism Vs Abstract, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn NY
Fine Grit, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition
2023 Celebrate Art-Small Works at Honey Badger Motel, Brooklyn NY
Gowanus Open Studios at Strong Rope Brewery, Brooklyn NY
Time and Place, Gowanus Dredgers, Brooklyn NY
Recycle, BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
2022 Musings From the Garden, Solo Show Coconana, Brooklyn NY
The Tower Show, Brooklyn NY
Atlantic Avenue Artwalk, banner in The Flower Show, Brooklyn NY
Brooklyn Utopias, Along the Canal, Brooklyn NY
The Other Art Fair, Arts Gowanus booth, Brooklyn NY
2021 Gowanus Open Studios, 540 President Street, Brooklyn, NY
Plein Air Exhibit, Antoine Dutot Museum, Delaware Water Gap, PA
2021 Wholeness, Small Works, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2021 We’re Still Here, portrait show, Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY
2020 Recent Watercolors, Atlantic Ave Art walk, Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY
Atlantic Ave Art Walk, Select group show 472 Atlantic, Brooklyn NY
There’s No Place Like…, Ground Floor Gallery, virtual show on Artsy
ArtsGowanus virtual show on Artsy
Small Works, 4040 Gallery, Brooklyn,NY
2019 Rendering Likeness, LaBodega Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Priority Mail, Man Art Biennial, Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Small/Mighty, LaBodega Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Ghost in the Machine, print show, Shoestring Studio, Brooklyn NY
Gowanus Open Studios, Brooklyn Art Space, Brooklyn, NY
2017 Tastemakers 3, Food and Art Exhibit, Courttree Collective, Brooklyn, NY
Mudhouse Residency Exhibit, Agios Ioannis Cultural Center, Greece
2016 Riv-13 One World River, Antoine Dutot Museum, Delaware Water Gap, Pa
2015 Riv-12, One World River, Antoine Dutot Museum, Delaware Water Gap, Pa
Members Salon, Brooklyn Art Space, Brooklyn, NY
Curation:
2019 HANAC Senior Art Exhibit, George T. Douris Tower, Astoria, NY2018 Symbolic Self Portraits exhibition, Lifetime Arts, Catalyzing Creativity, HANAC Harmony JVL Innovative Senior Center, Astoria, NY2016, 2017 HANAC Art Exhibit, George T. Douris Tower, Astoria, NY2017 Co-Curated, Su Casa exhibit with Brice Garrett, HANAC, Astoria, NY2016 Co-curated Su Casa presentation, with Ian Wen, Astoria, NYMudhouse Residency 2017 Agios Ioannis, Greece
Bibliography
2020 Weekly Curation, ArtinRes, https://artinres.com/articles/the-weekly-curation
https://artinres.com/articles/the-weekly-curation-wfh
The Figure, Jan. 2010Publishers Weekly, Author Interview Jan 1996School Library Journal, Children’s Book ReviewKirkus, Children’s Book ReviewPublishers Weekly, Children’s Book Review 1996, 1998Children’s Books
Little Bird and the Moon Sandwich, Crown/Knopf Books for Young Readers 1998
Alfonse Where Are You?, Crown/Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1996
Alfonse Where Are You? (paper) Dragonfly Books, 1998
Professional Experience
HANAC Harmony JVL Older Adult Center, Queens, NY 2014-on goingArt TeacherDorot Inc, NY, NY 2020-2021Drawing and Watercolor Instructor , Legacy ProgramBrooklyn Museum, Brooklyn NY 2014-2020Gallery Studio Program, Special Needs Teaching AssistantCourt Tree Collective, Brooklyn, NY 2013-2014Watercolor, Drawing teacher for children and adultsEducation: BFA Parsons School of Design