Archive for April 17th, 2007

“I think trash is beautiful,” says Krista Madsen, owner of Stain. Her penchant for salvaging rejected sofas, garbage-can lids, bricks, and other knickknacks makes the cozy Williamsburg bar the idyllic ambience for its crafting sessions. Every Monday, beginning at 5 PM and going until closing, artists, crafters, and barflies come together for PAINTstain, where they fashion art out of the bar’s ragtag collection of art supplies and found items.

Blonde hair cut into a sinewy bob, Krista settles into one of the deep couches as she goes on to explain that she thinks of Stain as “more of an arts lounge than a bar.” She opened the bar two and years ago in the artsy Brooklyn neighborhood, and uses the space to promote local artists’ work. One of the pieces currently hanging embodies the recycled-art aesthetic, repurposing ordinary items into art.

Art so often being a solitary experience, PAINTstain encourages those in the community to socialize and create side-by-side. Much of crafting is a repetitive process that doesn’t require a lot of concentration. Instead of sitting by yourself in front of a television to knit or doodle, you can surround yourself with friends and friends-to-be, trading ideas and supplies.

PAINTstain gives everyone a chance to be an artist. Even if you can’t draw a straight line, you can have fun at the Monday craft night. The bar offers a large supply of magazines and children’s books, crayons and markers, bottle caps and wine corks to rummage through. While collaging may have gotten Sonic Youth’s front man into a gallery, it’s not terribly difficult to cut and paste pictures, dried flowers, and pieces of netting into a masterpiece of your own creation. Encouraging shy artists and those who think they’re not good enough to come out, Krista says, “It’s dark in here, so you can’t even see.”

Like most book clubs, the craft night is really just an excuse for culture-savvy intellectuals to hang out … and, more than likely, drink. The menus—made out of circuit boards—peddle New York-made beers and wines exclusively. Beyond the typical, ashy Brooklyn Lager, Stain offers Diablo’s Blood, a concoction of red wine and black-cherry soda, and staingria, among its impressive selection.

It was just about 6 PM when I got to Stain yesterday, and the bar was empty. The gray clouds still lurking after splashing us with 7.57 inches of rain the day before seemed to be keeping everyone at bay. Krista said craft nights don’t usually pick up till around eight anyway. While she went to return phone calls from people interested in using Stain for various events, I got to work on my own collage. Quiet indie tunes like rain clouds dripped notes through the bar. By the time I left, an hour and a half later, only two other girls had come by to chitchat about boys.

PAINTstain is a great concept and Uncool Kids would love for some of the craft night’s regulars to tell us their experiences and stories. What’s the crowd usually like? What type of crafts do most people make? Any good memories of hanging out at Stain?

At a glance:
PAINTstain is free and occurs every Monday night, from opening to closing. Stain bar is located at 766 Grand Street in Brooklyn.