Brooklyn Brainery

Recurring shows are placed on their next date. Every listing was read off the venue's own page by a person; prices are the printed ones.

• Oct18A Month of WatercolorOct 18 – Nov 15A four-week beginners' watercolour course covering materials, brush handling and paint application, with supplies sent home so you can practise between classes. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3). $135 for four Sundays — 18 and 25 October, 8 and 15 November, 2–3:30pm (no class 1 November); the noon section is sold out. It is the only multi-week painting course we list in Brooklyn this autumn.$135
• Oct21Sinister Scents and Perfumed PotionsOct 21 – Oct 21A talk on perfume's old ties to magic, medicine and ritual, with five niche fragrances passed round to smell. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3). $12, Wednesday 21 October, 6:30–8pm. Along with the witch-hunts talk on 29 October, it is the cheapest Brainery evening this month.$12
• Oct22Teeny Tiny Screen Print ProjectOct 22 – Oct 22Screen printing shrunk to kitchen-table size, using an embroidery hoop and a recycled silk screen in place of a full print studio. Bring a simple one-color design about 2 to 3.25 inches square and a few things to print on; the hoop, screen and printing supplies are provided. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $68, Thursday 22 October, 6:30–9:30pm. It is by far the cheapest screen-printing class on our calendar; the next one up costs $200.$68
• Oct24Medieval Embroidered Bug PatchesSaturday, 12:00 PMBeginner embroidery stitched into small patches of insects and beasts drawn from medieval illuminated manuscripts. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave, Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2, 3). $35, Saturday 24 October, noon–2pm. It runs back to back with Embroidered Tattoo Flash the same afternoon — the only embroidery classes on our calendar besides the 9 October sampler night.$35
• Oct24Embroidered Tattoo FlashSaturday, 2:30 PMThree hours translating tattoo-flash designs into thread: transferring a design, stitch variations and ways of filling solid areas. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3). $42, Saturday 24 October, 2:30–5:30pm. Book it with the bug-patch class that morning and you have five hours of embroidery for $77.$42
• Oct26Watercolor Landscapes: Mountains and Evergreen ForestsOct 26 – Oct 26Watercolor Landscapes: Mountains and Evergreen Forests is a beginner-friendly evening class at Brooklyn Brainery in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, part of an ongoing series on the natural world. You practise painting mountain ranges and northern conifer forests with a limited palette, then combine them into finished paintings. The page describes it as a meditative workshop. Diana Kuan teaches. It meets on Monday 26 October from 6pm to 8pm. All materials are provided. Attendees must be 18 or older unless the listing says otherwise. The page does not state a capacity, and it links to a cancellation policy without spelling out the terms. The price is $38 per session, as printed on the page. Brooklyn Brainery is at 190 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238, near Grand Army Plaza (2, 3) and Clinton-Washington Aves (C). For comparison on this calendar, the Brainery's Watercolor Food Illustration is also $38 and runs on 27 October and 19 November, while A Month of Watercolor is $135. Elsewhere, Bronx River Art Center lists Watercolor Painting on Saturday afternoons at $30 per class, and KraftStories NYC's Midtown studio lists a Watercolor Painting Class at $49 per person.$38
• Oct27Watercolor Food IllustrationOct 27 – Oct 27Painting seasonal produce in watercolour for beginners, working on shape, colour and texture with simple techniques. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3). $38, Tuesday 27 October, 6–8pm, with a repeat on 19 November. It is the last of four Brainery watercolour sessions we list this October.$38
• Oct28Tapestry Weaving for BeginnersOct 28 – Oct 28Learn to dress a small loom, weave a few patterns and finish a piece that works as a coaster or a little wall hanging. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave, Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2, 3). $45, Wednesday 28 October, 6–9pm. That is $30 less than the introductory SAORI weaving session we list at Loop of the Loom.$45
• Oct29Haunted History: The Age of the Witch HuntsOct 29 – Oct 29A history talk on the European and colonial American witch trials between 1450 and 1750, when around 100,000 people, mostly women, were accused. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3). $12, Thursday 29 October, 6:30–8pm. Along with Sinister Scents on 21 October, it is the cheapest Brainery evening this month.$12
• Oct31Shibori: Block and Bind Dye Techniques with IndigoSaturday, 11:00 AMA hands-on indigo session: set up a dye vat, then fold, clamp and bind fabric with several shibori resist methods before dipping. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave, Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2, 3). $75, Saturday 31 October, 11am–2pm. This is the class's first run since August, when it sold out to a waitlist.$75
• Nov2Cold Process Soap Making for BeginnersMonday, 6:30 PMAn introduction to making soap the cold-process way: how lye reacts with oils, the safety steps that involves, and how to pick scents and other add-ins. You take home roughly 5 ounces of soap that needs a few more weeks to cure; strictly 18+. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $40, Monday 2 November at 6:30pm. It is the only soap-making class on our calendar right now.$40
• Nov4Intro to Fabric PaintingWednesday, 6:00 PMA beginner class in painting on cloth: mixing your own fabric paints, applying and drying them so they hold up, and washing the finished piece. A cotton tote is supplied, and you can bring extra cotton items such as a T-shirt or denim to paint as well. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $38, Wednesday 4 November at 6pm. With the Brainery's Gouache Florals on 18 November, it is one of only two painting classes we list in November.$38
• Nov5Painting Flowers with WatercolorNov 5 – Nov 5A beginner watercolor class on garden flowers and wildflowers: color mixing, wet-on-wet technique and eight kinds of blooms with their leaves, with all materials supplied. It's at the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3). $38, Thursday, November 5, 6–8pm. It's one of three flower-painting classes on our upcoming calendar, with the Brainery's Gouache Florals on November 18 and a floral-arrangement painting class at the New York Botanical Garden.$38
• Nov7Medieval Embroidered Bug PatchesSaturday, 12:00 PMLearn a handful of beginner embroidery stitches by making small creature patches modelled on the beasts in medieval illuminated manuscripts; it helps to already know how to thread a needle and sew a running stitch. It's at the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3). $35, Saturday, November 7, noon–2pm. This second date is the last embroidery class we list until Textile Arts Center's embroidery course in January.$35
• Nov7Tapestry Weaving for BeginnersSaturday, 2:30 PMAn introduction to tapestry: you warp a small loom and work through the basic weaving techniques. It's at the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3). $45, Saturday, November 7, 2:30–5:30pm, the weekend alternative to the October 28 evening session. It's one of two beginner loom-weaving classes we list in November, alongside Textile Arts Center's Weaving 101 weekend intensive.$45
• Nov9Introduction to Gouache PaintingNov 9 – Nov 9A two-hour beginner class in gouache that works through color mixing, sketching, washes, opacity, overlaying and crisp edges, with time to practise and all materials provided; taught by Diana Kuan. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3) and Clinton–Washington Aves (C); $38, Monday 9 November, 6–8pm. It is one of four painting classes we list in November, all at the Brainery and all $38.$38
• Nov10The Olympics That Weren't: NYC's Bid for the 2012 Games (Part 1)Nov 10 – Nov 10A history talk on New York's attempt to host the 2012 Olympics, beginning with the city's earlier sporting ambitions (the Millrose Games, the Goodwill Games and an unsuccessful 1984 bid) and following NYC2012 through its early years under Mayor Giuliani. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $10, Tuesday 10 November, 6:30–8pm. Part 2 follows on 17 November, and the two parts are among only three lectures on our November calendar, all $10.$10
• Nov12Block Printing on TextilesNov 12 – Nov 12An evening of block printing on fabric: a short history of the craft, then carving your own 2.5-inch block and printing it onto textile samples and paper. The carving block, tools and fabric are provided, and the block goes home with you. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $65, Thursday 12 November, 6–9pm. It is the only block-printing class on our calendar this autumn.$65
• Nov14Floral Bundle DyeingSaturday, 11:00 AMA natural-dye workshop in which plant material is bundled into cloth and set over heat and steam, with mordants and modifiers used to push the colors in different directions. A silk bandana, a silk hankie and a cotton bandana are supplied, and you may bring one small natural-fiber piece of your own. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $70, Saturday 14 November, 11am–2pm. It is the only natural-dye class we list in November; the Brainery's indigo shibori session on 31 October is the other dye class on the calendar.$70
• Nov16Wet Felted SoapsNov 16 – Nov 16Wrap bars of soap in carded wool and roving, then wet and rub the fibres until they shrink into a snug felted casing; three bars are provided and you can bring more. It's at the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3). $35, Monday, November 16, 6–7:30pm. It's one of three felting classes on our autumn calendar, with nuno felting at Textile Arts Center and MoMA's needle-felting session for teens.$35
• Nov17The Olympics That Weren't: NYC's Bid for the 2012 Games (Part 2)Nov 17 – Nov 17The second half of the Brainery's history of New York's lost 2012 Olympic bid, looking at how the failed bid still reshaped the city through the housing, transit and recreation projects it set moving, and at whether New York could host in future. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $10, Tuesday 17 November, 6:30–8pm. Part 1 runs on 10 November, and the two parts are among only three lectures on our November calendar, all $10.$10
• Nov18Gouache FloralsWednesday, 6:00 PMA gouache class on painting garden flowers and wildflowers: mixing colors, sketching, laying washes, adding detail and painting over colored grounds, with cards, invitations or small wall pieces in mind. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights (Grand Army Plaza, 2/3); $38, Wednesday 18 November at 6pm. With Intro to Fabric Painting on 4 November, it is one of only two painting classes we list in November, both $38.$38
• Nov19Watercolor Food IllustrationNov 19 – Nov 19A two-hour watercolor class devoted to illustrating food, and the second date the Brainery has scheduled this autumn after Tuesday 27 October. At the Brainery, 190 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3) and Clinton–Washington Aves (C); $38, Thursday 19 November, 6–8pm. It is one of four painting classes we list in November, all at the Brainery and all $38.$38
• Nov21The Art of BonsaiSaturday, 11:00 AMA hands-on bonsai class led by Julian Velasco, a bonsai professional who formerly curated the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum collection at Brooklyn Botanic Garden: you learn how a tree is designed, pruned and kept healthy, then leave with your own tree, container and soil (tools are lent for the session). It meets at the Brainery's Prospect Heights classroom, 190 Underhill Ave, a short walk from Grand Army Plaza (2/3) or Clinton–Washington Aves (C). Tickets are $125 for Saturday, November 21, 11 am to 1:15 pm; the same class repeats on December 12. It is the only bonsai class on our calendar right now.$125
• Dec12The Art of BonsaiSaturday, 11:00 AMJulian Velasco, a bonsai professional and former curator of Brooklyn Botanic Garden's C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum collection, teaches the design, pruning and upkeep of a bonsai, and each student goes home with a tree, a container and soil; tools are on loan in class. The session is at Brooklyn Brainery's Prospect Heights space, 190 Underhill Ave, near Grand Army Plaza (2/3) and Clinton–Washington Aves (C). It runs Saturday, December 12, 11 am to 1:15 pm, for $125. This is the December repeat of the November 21 class, and the only bonsai instruction we list in the city.$125

The last 20 of 32 past events we listed here — useful for a sense of what this venue actually programmes.

1. Classic Charcoal Drawing: AnatomyOct 19, 2026
2. Tarot 201: Interpreting Card Spreads and Reading OthersOct 17, 2026
3. Tarot 101 for BeginnersOct 17, 2026
4. Pressed Flower CoastersOct 14, 2026
5. Walking Tour: A History of Brooklyn's Water SupplyOct 11, 2026
6. Watercolor Fundamentals: The Very BasicsOct 11, 2026
7. The Basics of Hand LetteringOct 10, 2026
8. Needle Felted PumpkinsOct 10, 2026
9. Intro to Embroidery: Making a SamplerOct 9, 2026
10. Haunted History: Cemetery Symbols and Graves of GothamOct 8, 2026
11. Painting Flowers with WatercolorOct 7, 2026
12. Introduction to Gouache PaintingOct 5, 2026
13. Smart Phone Food PhotographyOct 3, 2026
14. How to Research in the Age of AIOct 1, 2026
15. A Month of WatercolorSep 29, 2026
16. Nonfiction Book Proposals and the Publishing ProcessSep 28, 2026
17. Classic Charcoal Drawing: FacesSep 24, 2026
18. Gouache FloralsSep 16, 2026
19. Fragrance Appreciation for Curious BeginnersSep 14, 2026
20. Introduction to Gouache PaintingSep 11, 2026