NAG has some really great items on its silent auction list (tonight!). But if art or open space is more your thing, check out OSA’s silent auction going on now at BraveBrooklyn. (Better yet, bid at both auctions – they both support good local causes.)

The auction features work donated by artists Fred Tomaselli, Richard Serra, James Case Leal, Nathan Koch (shown here), Adam Taye, Chris Burnside, James Woodward, Robbert Jan de Oude, Bradly Brown, Matt Jones, Monica Cook, Jesse Witkin, Khris Graves, Karen Bausman, Skewerville, Paul Campbell, Sean Hemmele and more. There are also signed books by Matthew Barney, Joel Shapiro and Mark Di Suvero.

You can online at BraveBrooklyn or show up on Friday December 11th from 6-11pm for the closing reception and final bidding at 30 Nassau Avenue, at Dobbin Street.

A quick reminder that this Thursday (10 December) from 7 to 10 pm there is a benefit for NAG (Neighbors Allied for Good Growth – the second G is silent) at the Woods on South 4th Street. No cover, but donations are welcome. There will be plenty of booze, and a silent auction featuring goodies from local institutions (a lot of new additions since my last post on this), such as:

• Word Bookstore
• The Brooklyn Kitchen/The Meat Hook
• Alter Clothing
• Southside CSA
• Third Ward
• Mast Brothers Chocolate
• Treehouse Brooklyn
• Teddy’s Bar & Grill
• The Lecture Series/Book Thug Nation
• Sodafine
• The North BK Compost Project
• Eyebeam Atelier
• Three Kings Tattoo Parlor
• Franny & Rooey
• Cafe Grumpy
• Enid’s
• The City Reliquary
• The Gym Park
• Miranda Restaurant
• Charm School Design
• Transient Pictures
• Kingsland Printing

and even some Polish and ESL lessons!

Next Thursday (10 December) from 7 to 10 pm there is a benefit for NAG (Neighbors Allied for Good Growth – the second G is silent) at the Woods on South 4th Street. No cover, but donations are welcome. There will be plenty of booze, and a silent auction featuring goodies from local institutions, such as:

• Third Ward
• Word Bookstore
• The Brooklyn Kitchen
• Alter Clothing
• The North BK Compost Project
• Three Kings Tattoo Parlor
• Charm School Design
• Transient Pictures

This just arrived in my inbox – a fundraiser for Juliet Dostalek, a bartender at Matchless who was recently injured in a motorcycle accident:

Dear Friends,

Please join us tonight for an exceptional event, produced for an exceptional friend, Juliet Dostalek.

We present a silent art auction, with proceeds going to help Juliet in her recovery from a devastating motorcycle accident.

The artwork available for auction are incredible, here are just a few names:

Michael Crouser
Scott Campbell
Swoon
Timothy White
BAST
Ray Abeyta
Faile
Billy Phelps

DJ set by Simone and Amadeo of Blonde Redhead and Lauren Flax of Fischerspooner. Asahi has us covered on beer, Saltie treats us to some snacks and Oslo keeps us awake with hot coffee.

If you can’t make it but want to bid, you can check out the work on the site.

When: Wednesday, 4 November, 8pm to 12pm
Where: Root Capture, 131 North 14th Street between Kent and Wythe

Wednesday night (28 October) is the big benefit for the Northside Town Hall capital campaign. In what the Onion’s AV Club is calling “the Gen X concert of the year”, Charles Bissell of the Wrens, They Might Be Giants and Nada Surf* will be playing a benefit at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Doors open at 8, and tickets are $25 (for $75 you can get VIP tickets with special seating, free wine and food and the chance to hang out with the likes of, well, me). You can buy tickets at Teddy’s or online at TicketMaster.

The benefit supports the capital campaign for the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center, a joint project of two longtime North Brooklyn neighborhood groups, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and The People’s Firehouse, Inc. (PFI). Located in the former Engine Company 212 firehouse in Williamsburg, the Town Hall will serve as a home for these organizations to continue to serve, organize, and advocate for the community. The building will also feature a flexible cultural exhibition and community meeting space on the ground floor.

In other words, a great show for a great cause.

* The postcard says acoustic – they’ve changed their minds and are now doing a full electric set.

Open House New York is this coming weekend. Here are a few of the more interesting places and spaces in Brooklyn:

All weekend:

The Castle Braid
114 Troutman St/ Evergreen Ave, Bushwick

A former factory space has been converted to 146 apartments with a playful and industrial designed lobby and courtyard creating a modern yet warm atmosphere.

The City Reliquary

370 Metropolitan Ave/ Havemeyer St, Williamsburg

The museum celebrates NYC’s rich history and Williamsburg’s local character through its unique collections, relics and ephemera. Enjoy backyard and sidewalk camaraderie while experiencing obsessive collecting at its best.

Greenpoint View

82 Oak St/ Franklin St, Greenpoint

Located in a former feather factory on Greenpoint’s historic waterfront, this combined gallery and studio space houses workshops and a showroom.

The Green-Wood Cemetery

500 25th St/ 5th Ave, Sunset Park

The final resting place of some of NYC’s most memorable people covers 478 picturesque acres of rolling hills, ponds, trees, lawn and sculpture. On Sat, the cemetery landscape comes alive with Angels and Accordions, a site-specific tour and dance/ live music performance.

Hendrick I. Lott House

1940 E 36th St/ Filmore Ave, Marine Park

Get a behind-the-scenes-preview of this partially restored Dutch Colonial farmhouse, not yet open to the public. A panel exhibition, unique Lott Family objects, and archaeological discoveries from the site will be on display. [Way off the beaten path for North Brooklyn, but included here because once upon a time I worked on the first phase of the restoration of this 18th-century farmhouse.]

McCarren Park Pool

800 Lorimer St/ Bayard St, Greenpoint

One of 10 public pools built by the WPA, this pool could hold 6,800 swimmers at once. After years of use as performance space, it is now being redeveloped as a pool, ice skating rink and event space.

MINE metal/art

177 Grand St/ Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

This retail store and design showroom features the work of local metalworkers and artists. Pick up a walking map to view Kristina Kozak’s outdoor commissioned pieces throughout the neighborhood. [And to see where Kozak makes the magic happen, see Barzel Iron Works, below.]

Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

329 Greenpoint Ave/ Humboldt St, Greenpoint

Dominating the local skyline with its stainless steel digester “eggs,” this wastewater treatment plant is the largest of the 14 NYC Department of Environmental Protection plants. The new facility is also home to a Nature Walk and Visitors Center.

Pier Glass Art Studio
499 Van Brunt St, #2A, Red Hook

This Civil War-era warehouse sits on the upper Bay of NY Harbor facing the Statue of Liberty and is constructed of cut granite rock, virgin timber from the Hudson Valley, and Brooklyn bricks. It now houses a glassblowing studio and exhibition space.

UrbanGlass

57 Rockwell Pl/ 647 Fulton St, Fort Greene

Explore the 17,000 sqare-foot glass-working studios including a Hot Shop, Flat Shop, Mold Shop, Flame-working, and Neon studio. Robert Lehman Gallery at UrbanGlass exhibits work by emerging artists working in glass.

The Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge

290 Conover St/ Pier 44, Red Hook

Lehigh Valley RR Barge #79 is the only floating, wooden, covered barge of its kind in America, and features exhibits about its restoration and transition into a waterborne museum.

Sunday only:

Barzel Iron Works

61 Jefferson St/ Bushwick Ave., Bushwick

Metal artist Kristina Kozak’s 15,000 sq ft studio is located in a working blacksmithing shop owned by Nat Barzily, and features heavy equipment and several hot forges

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Pier 1/ Furman & Old Fulton Sts, Fulton Ferry (DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights)

This 85-acre park, now under construction, will provide access to Brooklyn’s waterfront and spectacular views of the harbor and skyline. [Reservations required]

The first annual Brooklyn Fishing Derby is a derby unlike any other (well, it’s sorta like other fishing competitions but this one’s in Brooklyn!). Whether you’re an experienced angler or don’t know which end of a fishing rod to hold all are welcome to some friendly competition, great parties with other Brooklyn anglers, and a chance to win some sweet prizes.

Mark your calendars and get out the fishing gear – tomorrow kicks off the first annual Brooklyn Fishing Derby. The Derby rund through the end of the month and covers the north Brooklyn waterfront, from the Gowanus Canal (Red Hook) to Newtown Creek (Long Island City – apparently that counts as Brooklyn now). There are even cash prizes and opening and closing parties at the Brooklyn Rod and Gun Club (wherever that is). (As far as I can tell, there is no requirement that you eat what you catch.)

Many more details at Brooklyn Chowder Surfer.

I’ll put my money on Key Lime Steve to take home a prize.

Even I am suffering from election OD. But there is another election next week, and it is an important one. The good news is that the 11% of us who voted last week are off the hook – the other 89% of registered Democrats will, however, need to go to the polls on Tuesday to vote for Comptroller and Public Advocate.

In the Comptroller race, there is a run off between David Yassky of Brooklyn and John Liu of Queens. Yassky has the stronger record and a healthy list of endorsements – all three major dailies as well as politicos like Chuck Schumer, Ed Koch (who had been endorsing Melinda Katz in the primary), and Katz herself. Liu has his own collection of political endorsements, including former Comptroller candidate David Weprin, Congressman Charlie Rangel and former State Comptroller H. Carl McCall. What Liu lacks in newspaper support he makes up for in union endorsements (though Yassky has the Freelancer’s Union, which counts for something in my book!). And, importantly, Liu has the support of the Working Families Party, which has been throwing its weight around in City elections.

Yassky and Liu have been on the opposite side in a couple of recent City Council votes. Most famously, the vote on term limits, which Yassky ultimately supported and Liu was opposed to down the line. Liu opposed the recent City Council Bicycle Access Bill (which Yassky was the sponsor of), and used his position as chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee to stall the bill (a bill Liu had co-sponsored before he decided to run against Yassky for Comptroller).

On the Public Advocate front, City Councilman and Brooklynite Bill de Blasio is running against former Public Advocate Mark Green. Both men have political ambitions beyond Public Advocate, the difference between the two is that de Blasio has actually been elected to a position other than Public Advocate.

And I was kidding about the 11% – everyone has to vote on Tuesday.

This is being billed as a “combined pre-primary candidates forum” for Mayor and 34th District council member. So far, only Tony Avella in the mayoral race and Gerry Esposito in the council race are comitted, but Bill Thompson, Diana Reyna and Maritza Davila are all invited. At least, hopefully the council candidates will show.

The event is being put on by WG News + Arts and the Brooklyn Rail, and will be moderated by Brooklyn Rail editor Ted Hamm. It’s all happening this Tuesday at The Boiler – even if the other council candidates don’t show up, this is a rare opportunity to hear at least one of the contestants for the 34th seat speak.

When: Tuesday, September 8, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Boiler (Pierogi Gallery), 191 North 14th Street

Like I said, busy times. Next Monday, Churches United for Fair Housing is sponsoring a debate for the candidates in the 34th Council District (Reyna) race. It’s not clear if all of the candidates (Maritza Davila, Gerry Esposito and Diana Reyna) are going to show. Given that this is the only debate, forum or reception for the candidates in this race, it would be a shame if anyone was a no-show.

When: Monday, August 31 (7:00 to 9:00 p.m.)
Where: First Presbyterian Church of Williamsburg, 161 South 3rd Street (at Driggs)