People In The Neighborhood: Meet Carroll Gardens Artist Kate Wilkes Of 'Brooklyn Bell Tower'

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 Artist Kate Wilkes grew up in small historic town outside Boston, so when she moved to Brooklyn a few years back, she felt right at home amidst the old brownstones in the Borough of Churches. Little did she know then that a few years later, she would actually live and create art in the spire of the former South Congregational Church.

For the past year, Kate has called the landmarked church at 360 Court Street, at  the corner of President and Court Streets home.  She has lovingly renovating the one-bedroom apartment she occupies and has transformed a space in the bell tower above her apartment into her art studio. 

Along the way, she posted before-and after photos and documents her progress on her site appropriately named Brooklyn Bell Tower. 

From the tall windows of the bell tower studio, Kate has spectacular views of Brooklyn. A graphic artist by profession, she began creating a series of pieces that feature some of our local landmarks.
Kate told me:
"The whole Brooklyn series/style came about when I started walking to work in 2010, and was inspired by the energy here. When we moved into 360 Court Street, the artwork and blog site started coming together and I'm really excited to see where it goes."

Currently, Kate is selling some of her wonderful pieces at By Brooklyn on Smith Street. She recently collaborated with MeowMeow Tweet, Raaka, and Fatty Sundays to produce Brooklyn-themed candles, chocolates and pretzels.
This coming Saturday, Kate will be bringing her wares to the Carroll Park Festival, so look out for her.

And check out this wonderful video entitled "dear Mom And Dad", which  Kate made to convey her feelings about living in Brooklyn.