About the organizers
Meet the founders and board members behind the Bay Ridge Storefront Art Walk on 5th Avenue, Brooklyn.
The team
John Avelluto
John Avelluto was born in Gravesend, Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn College, acquiring a BA in English and subsequently an MFA in Visual Art. Since then he has gone on to exhibit his work both nationally and abroad while remaining active as a conduit for arts in the public sphere.
John is a founder (2009) of the Bay Ridge 5th Avenue Storefront Art Walk (SAW) and also co-founded The Bay Ridge Poets Society in 2013. He is co-owner of The Owls Head Wine Bar in Bay Ridge and has continued to exhibit his own work as an artist.
Kayla Santosusso
Kayla Santosusso serves as a Board Member of the Bay Ridge Storefront Art Walk, contributing to the ongoing stewardship of the annual event along 5th Avenue.
Support SAW
The 8th Annual SAW was supported by public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
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The Bay Ridge Storefront Art Walk is shaped by a small group of founders, board members, and volunteers who are deeply rooted in the neighborhood. Their work combines local pride with curatorial ambition, turning the commercial corridor of 5th Avenue into a temporary gallery each year. Because the organizers come from the community, programming tends to reflect the diversity of the merchants, residents, and artists who call Bay Ridge home, creating a walk that feels both welcoming and unexpectedly adventurous for first-time visitors and longtime regulars alike.
Operating a project of this scale takes more than enthusiasm. The organizers balance artist selection, installation logistics, sponsor outreach, press coordination, and the steady communication that participating storefronts need in the lead-up to the event. Much of this work happens quietly in the months before the walk opens, supported by an alphabetized artist list, a printable map, and updates distributed through email subscriptions. The result is a coordinated public event that manages to feel spontaneous, with installations spread across shops, restaurants, and other neighborhood destinations.
Funding and administrative structure sit behind the scenes, allowing the creative work to stay front and center. The project is administered as a nonprofit program, organized in line with federal guidelines for public charities, and reported on annually. Generous support from local merchants, neighborhood associations, arts councils, borough offices, and private foundations helps cover printed materials, artist honoraria, and the infrastructure that makes the walk possible, while keeping the event free and open to the public throughout the corridor.
For visitors curious about the people behind the curtain, the organizers page introduces the leadership team and offers a window into the project's history. Previous years of programming remain accessible through alumni pages and archived press, helping new audiences understand how the walk has grown from a single corridor of storefront windows into a recognizable Brooklyn tradition. Following updates and signing up for mail notifications are simple ways to stay connected as the next season takes shape along 5th Avenue.