In this episode, the Trolley Barn Gallery called artists from all over the globe to celebrate anime, manga, and comic books through a vibrant exhibition of art inspired by Japanese animation, manga and comic books. The youth curators accepted a diverse array of art including: figurines, character designs, sketches, photography, collage, digital art and cosplay props to explore how anime is a language that articulates our unique identities.
In the last 30 years there has developed a unique exchange between youth in Black American communities and youth in urban Japanese cultures. The most obvious evidence of this exchange is in the influx of popularity in anime and manga in the US and in hip hop music and fashion in Japan. This summer the youth curators from the Trolley Barn Youth Curatorial Team investigated that exchange on a field trip to the Brooklyn Museum to view Oscar yi Hou’s exhibition “East of sun, West of moon”. Yi Hou, a British-born Cantonese artist now living in Brooklyn, usesd common Japanese and Chinese, Japanese and East Asian motifs to adorn portraits of his ethnically diverse American friends as an exploration of “Asia America.” The youth curators were inspired by this style and wanted to create an exhibition that also playsed with the influence of using Japanese pop culture onto explore the deeper questions of representation.
EXHIBITION REVIEW Collecting inspiration for this exhibition, the Trolley Barn Curatorial Team traveled to the Brooklyn Museum to see Oscar yi Hou‘s exhibition, East of sun, west of moon. Read Chanel Reed’s exhibition review here!
EXHIBITION EVENTS
Opening Reception: Friday, February 23, 6–8PM
Costume Contest: Friday, March 1 from 5–8PM • Judged by local artists and anime lovers • Includes over $200 in prizes • Goodie bag worth $138 in comics books, trading cards, and graphic novels from Megabrain Comics! • $50 certificate from Darkside Records! • Enjoy free snacks and refreshments • Connect with local anime and cosplay enthusiasts
Creating Comics Workshop: From Concept to Completion: March 9 from 12–4PM • Brainstorm story concepts • Learn about storyboarding and storytelling from Local Comic Bookstore owner Jean David Michel • Learn drawing and composition from exhibiting artist, Cy Hinojosa • Leave with the tools to create your own comic book from start to finish
Virtual Gallery
Norman Aragones • Growing Up • Acrylic • 16” x 20” • San Jose, CA • $300
Norman Aragones • Junkfoodimus Tron II • Metallic • 15” x 20” • San Jose, CA • $450
Norman Aragones • Food Wars • Acrylic • 16” x 24” • San Jose, CA • $500
Maka Arnold • RWBY - Crescent Rose Prop • Cardboard, duct tape, string foam, nerf gun • 73” x 15” x 6” • Bronx, NY • NFS
Camillia Bailey • One Summer’s Day (Spirited Away Screencap Redraw) • Digital • 8” x 10” • Ruston, LA • $50
Camillia Bailey • Screencap Redraw (Kiki’s Delivery Service) • Digital • 8” x 8” • Ruston, LA • $50
Sienna Baron • Marvel's Last Supper • Acrylic paint • 20” x 24” • Syracuse, NY • Best offer
James Biordi • Iggy and The Fool • Polymer clay, epoxy, metal wires, acrylic paint • 7” x 5.5” x 7” • Massapequa, NY• NFS
Lindsey Blais • My Samurai Academia (Inspired by The Samurai School) • Digital • 8” x 11” • Woonsocket, RI • $200
Lindsey Blais • Aizawa fights Nomu • Digital • 8” x 11” • Woonsocket, RI • $200
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #1 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #2 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #3 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #4 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #5 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #6 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #7 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Amber Cole • The Fungi Friends #8 • Pen and pencil in card protectors • 3.5” x 2.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Doug Dabbs • Kusanagi Motoko, Ghost in the Shell • Digital • 10” x 8” • Murfreesboro, TN • $175
Doug Dabbs • Lucy, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners • Digital • 10” x 10” • Murfreesboro, TN • $175
William Ettinger • Issa's Toads • Tempera on texture laid paper • 18” x 24” • Covington, LA • $2,000
William Ettinger • Dreams in Pastel • India Ink and tempera on texture laid paper • 18” x 24” • Covington, LA • $1,500
William Ettinger • 大谿山豪徳寺の写真 (Daikeizan Gōtoku-ji no shiyash) • Digital photograph • 12” x 16” • Covington, LA • $100
Cy Hinojosa • Should We Go Out Tonight? • Acrylic paint and neon pastels on canvas • 42” x 36” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $1,500
Cy Hinojosa • Well I Tried • Acrylic paint on wood panel • 16” x 20” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $950
Cy Hinojosa • Just Skimming The First Ten Pages • Acrylic paint on canvas • 24” x 18” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $700
Cy Hinojosa • One More Chapter Before Bed • Acrylic paint on canvas • 24” x 18” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $700
Cy Hinojosa • Oh, You Shouldn't Have! • Acrylic paint on canvas • 42” x 36” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $1,500
Jennifer Jackowitz • Star Lite n' Sweet • Collage and mixed media drawing on paper • 14” x 11” • Saugerties, NY • $450
Jennifer Jackowitz • Home Birth • Collage and mixed media drawing • 14” x 11” • Saugerties, NY • $450
Joseph Kosdrosky • Stellar Startdust for All • Acrylic on canvas • 14” x 12” • Novato, CA • $575
Georgia Lloyd • Sailor Moon Locket • Photograph • 20” x 20” • Los Angeles, CA • $500
Georgia Lloyd • PS 1 Controller • Photograph • 12” x 12” • Los Angeles, CA • $500
Georgia Lloyd • Anime Figures • 35mm Photograph • 8.5” x 11” • Los Angeles, CA • $150
Rebecca Mutrux • Triggered • Mixed media (collage and gouache) • 37.5” x 12” • Glenwood, IA • NFS
Rebecca Mutrux • Sugimoto Saichi • Fabric and plastic • 13” x 8.5” x 5” • Glenwood, IA • NFS
Rebecca Mutrux • The Floating World • Collage and pastel • 20” x 15” • Glenwood, IA • NFS
Taylor Nevins • Untitled • Digital • 8.5” x 13.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Taylor Nevins • Ghosts of the Past • Digital • 8.5” x 17” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Taylor Nevins • Dissociated • Digital • 12” x 9” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Chanel Reed • Graduation: Triple Threat • Digital illustration • 30” x 20” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $200
Chanel Reed • Sketchbook #2 • Graphite, mixed media • 8” x 5.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Crystal Serino • Sent To See God • Cardboard, wooden panels, India ink • 16” x 20.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • NFS
Zakiyah Stewart • The Fleet • Oil on canvas • 48” x 60” • Philadelphia, PA • $1,200
Zakiyah Stewart • Peaking through light • Oil on canvas • 20” x 15” • Philadelphia, PA • $250
Zakiyah Stewart • PS 111x • Oil on canvas • 20” x 12” • Philadelphia, PA • $260
For our Members Show, the Trolley Barn Gallery brings together a notable roster of local creative voices, presenting thought-provoking artwork that reinvents the Trolley Barn Gallery’s industrial space – the hub of Poughkeepsie’s thriving arts scene. After merging with Barrett Art Center in 2022, The Art Effect membership includes a combination of formerly Barrett Art Members and Art Effect Alumni. We are excited to see how The Art Effect Members continuously contribute to the ever-evolving legacy of Hudson Valley art.
The Members Show is one of the Trolley Barn Gallery’s annual exhibitions and is curated by the Trolley Barn Curatorial Team. This membership exhibition will be open to the public December 15 through January 26, 2024 at The Art Effect’s Trolley Barn Gallery, 489 Main St, Poughkeepsie, New York, with an Opening Reception Friday, December, 5-7 pm. Every gallery exhibition expands the curatorial knowledge of the gallery’s youth curators – teaching them necessary skills for professional development and community building in the heart of Poughkeepsie.
GALLERY CLOSED: December 25 – January 2, 2024 Opening Reception: December 15, 5-7pm Membership Forum: January 18, 5-7pm Closing Reception: January 26, 2023, 5-7pm Art Return/Pickup of accepted artwork: January 26 – February 10; Tuesday through Friday 12-5pm, Saturday by appointment
EXHIBITION EVENTS
Opening Reception – December 15, 5-7PM: At the opening of the exhibition, on December 15 from 5-7pm, the Trolley Barn Gallery will host an opening reception for the Members Show to highlight the work of our artist members. This event is free and open to the public, where light refreshments will be served and Members will have the opportunity to view the work of their peers and neighbors and share information about their past and upcoming exhibitions.
Membership Forum – January 18, 5-7PM: The Membership Forum is an opportunity for current and future members to share their expectations and ideals for Art Effect Membership on January 18 from 5-7pm. In this town-hall style event, members can give the Trolley Barn Gallery staff advice on how to build on successful events and replace outdated programs that may not suit the next generation of members. Audience members will have the chance to suggest initiatives that grow and support artists and ask questions about the current membership benefits.
Closing Reception – January 26, 5-7PM: At the conclusion of the exhibition, on January 26, 2024, the Trolley Barn Gallery will host a Closing Reception from 5-7pm. The Closing Reception will be open to current Art Effect Members and prospective Art Effect Members. The event will include light refreshments, art trivia and a chance to mingle with current members to understand their perspective on being a part of Poughkeepsie’s growing artistic community.
BECOME A MEMBER
To become a member before the Dec 1, 2023 deadline click the link: BECOME A MEMBER or email trolleybarn@thearteffect.org for assistance. TheArt Effect’s Individual Artist and Senior Artist Memberships included artists who are residents of New York at every stage of their artistic careers, representing an array of mediums, methodologies and identities. An Individual Artist Membership at The Art Effect includes the following benefits:
50% Discount on submission fees for International Juried Exhibitions
Automatic acceptance into the Trolley Barn Gallery’s Annual Members Show
Early and exclusive Invites to Trolley Barn Gallery exhibition events and workshops
The opportunity to support the education of the next generation of curators and community organizers, local teens age 16-22
The 3rd Annual PKX Festival presents the International PKX Art Exhibition, opening its doors on April 18th. The International PKX Art Exhibition serves as a platform for young artists to display their creativity from around the globe. This exhibition is a tribute to the extraordinary artistic talents of teenagers aged 14-19. The PKX Art Exhibition showcases imaginative and original artworks created by young people who have a passion for their medium and a desire to share it with young artists around the world.
This year’s PKX Festival, “Droppin’ Jewels” celebrates the richness of Poughkeepsie’s community, highlighting its assets, heroes, and the intergenerational creative energy that defines the city. Throughout the free, 3-day festival, families, friends, and the community will participate in family-friendly art and media activities, teen art exhibition opening reception, short-film screenings, food trucks, vendors, and more. All components of the festival are free and open to the public. Click here to learn more about this 3-day community festival!
The Art Effect is proud to present this juried exhibition as part of the annual PKX Festival, a building block to the development of the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone — a youth-led arts district in Poughkeepsie, NY. This show features 23 young painters, sculptors, photographers, and digital artists aged 14–19 as a vibrant testament to the transformative energy of youth creativity and community impact. The PKX Festival is a symbol of community and unity while celebrating the creativity and talent in and around Poughkeepsie. During this three-day festival, carefully curated films take the spotlight in a compelling showcase, thoughtfully selected 2-D and 3-D artworks grace the walls of The Trolley Barn Gallery, and artistic activations from local businesses and artists empower guests to incorporate placekeeping into daily adventures. The PKX Festival is created by youth for everyone.
EXHIBITION EVENTS
Opening Reception & Pop Up Fashion Show: Friday, April 18, 6–9PM 6:00 PM Festival Kick-Off & Refreshments 6:30 PM PKX Art Scavenger Hunt 7:00 PM Opening Remarks 7:15 PM Pop-Up Fashion Show 7:40 PM Youth Art Exhibition Awards ***Vote for your favorite artwork in the Audience Choice Awards!
Juliana Woods • A Spill • collage and acrylic on board • 47” x 47” x 1” • Warwick, NY • $600
Juliana Woods • Can We Stay the Same? • Acrylic on canvas • 25” x 35” x 1” • Warwick, NY • $600
Juliana Woods • Teddy • Acrylic on canvas • 19” x 20” x 1” • Warwick, NY • $400
Juliana Woods • Buy 1 Get 1 Free • Acrylic on canvas • 39” x 23” x 1” • Warwick, NY • $1,000
Selah Wolfe • The Echo of Muffled Sobs • Photography • 19” x 13” • Lawrence, KS • $200
Angelica Doble • Sinking World • Charcoal • 9” x 12” • Ossining, NY • $200
Nicholas Vazquez-Ponce • Destruction for Desire • acrylic on canvas • 20” x 16” x 1” • Wingdale, NY • NFS
“quiet as it’s kept” at theTrolley Barn Gallery Exhibition of Black Contemporary Art in Downtown Poughkeepsie
QUIET AS IT’S KEPT is an exhibition of contemporary Black art that explores the depths of Black expression, translating its complex aesthetic dialect and demonstrating that Black art is as unique as Black people. We are healing by recognizing ourselves as art, as worthy of art, and as part of an indelible system of artistic excellence. This is an opportunity to illuminate voices that established art systems have previously ignored. Black people have always had a place in the art world, but the magic of our practice has been as quiet as they’ve kept it. For this exhibition, we are QUIET NO MORE.
Exhibition Dates: October 6–November 10 Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 6–8pm For a full list of related events, click here.
As part of The Art Effect’s youth workforce development programs in creative fields, the Trolley Barn Gallery uses an innovative mentorship model to train youth to curate the gallery’s exhibitions and develop new initiatives for community engagement and placekeeping. “An exhibition like this is so important to Poughkeepsie because fostering that community relationship, and the familiarity of it, allows for peace and comfort within a group of people beyond familial lines”, says Mary Boatey, youth curator and exhibiting artist.
Support for this exhibition is provided by Humanities NY and Dutchess Tourism through a grant administered by Arts Mid-Hudson. Additional support comes from the New York State Council on the Arts.
About Guest Curator Janice Bond: Janice Bond is a cultural architect, art advisor, and gallerist based in Houston. She has led art collectives and provided invaluable insight in developing multidisciplinary programming and communications strategies for independent artists, municipalities, and brands. In 2020, Bond assumed the role of deputy director at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. In 2023, she opened ART IS BOND, a contemporary art gallery and project space with a mission to amplify the voices of diverse artists and provide a platform for their work.
quiet as it’s kept Artwork as Installed
quiet as it’s kept Virtual Gallery
Destiny Arianna NO TRESPASSING: SACRED LAND Installation (digital photography, sand, grass, and wood 20” x 69” x 1.5” Wappingers Falls, NY NFS As a Black and Chappaquiddick Wampanoag woman, my cultural experience has been shaped by a unique intersection of identities. Often, people’s perceptions only see me through the lens of my dark complexion, reducing me solely to being Black. This erasure of my Indigenous heritage has been a recurring challenge in my life, compelling me to continually prove my native identity to others. However, I have channeled the pain of this struggle into my art, using it as a powerful tool for self-expression and empowerment. Through my creative endeavors, I passionately focus on celebrating and amplifying my Black and Native identity, seeking to increase visibility and representation for Black Native people. My art is a vehicle for reclaiming my narratives, breaking stereotypes, and proudly embracing the richness of my heritage.
Mary Boatey Loose Digital 27” x 21” Hopewell Junction, NY $200
Mary Boatey The Bluest Eye Digital 27” x 21” Hopewell Junction, NY $250
Harrison Brisbon-McKinnon Crystal Twinning Photography 16” x 40” Poughkeepsie, NY $700 The race “Black” was created “ugly” and “unnatural” have been invisibly attached to it. Black skin mirrored in the mineral plagioclase feldspar. Both display trophies of tremendous growth. A reminder that black is organic. This diptych announces what has always been true: Black is beautiful.
Vernon Byron To Kill a Mockingbird 2 (Walter Scott) Folded Inkjet print and corrugated plastic on wood box 18” x 35.5” x 3” Modena, NY $1,200 My geographic experience living in Rockland county and later the Mid-Hudson Valley has forced me to look at culture and identity through a different lens. In living in the Newburgh area, and working as an artist, I came to be aware of how systems inform our culture and how culture reshapes itself in response to different conditions. Seeing how local government had failed the Newburgh community, and the influx of predatory real estate developers, I was inspired to create a community driven framework to produce public artworks, while also creating value for local youth in Newburgh. Between 2020 and 2022, I founded and directed 2 large scale community focused art installation projects where I redirected grant funding to pay local youth to make art and participate in the process of creating public art. Through this work, I demonstrated how public art should act as a vehicle to empower those who experience the art and live with it on a daily basis.
Melissa Small Cooper Freesia Oils on canvas 20” x 16” Beacon, NY $875 I was born in the Bronx but grew up in Ossining. I was raised to be a people-pleaser, and to always go above and beyond. My father had countless experiences of racism and my mother made it very clear that we had to navigate through the world a certain way. This thinking brought about my “layers of vanity” series, which comments on ways people accentuate or conceal who they are. As a mother of 3 biracial kids, I encourage them to unapologetically be who they are. Their experiences will be very different from mine, but I hope they nurture who they are above anything else. Recently, I’ve become quite the gardener, and truly enjoy caring for plants. It’s tricky to figure out what each type of plant or flower needs to flourish. This feels so symbolic of many things in my life. Whether it is figuring out the balance between motherhood and work, nurturing a biracial family with complex roots, or addressing generational traumas, I am embracing the journey of connecting, nourishing and healing.
Melissa Small Cooper Thistle Oils on canvas 20” x 16” Beacon, NY $875 I was born in the Bronx but grew up in Ossining. I was raised to be a people-pleaser, and to always go above and beyond. My father had countless experiences of racism and my mother made it very clear that we had to navigate through the world a certain way. This thinking brought about my “layers of vanity” series, which comments on ways people accentuate or conceal who they are. As a mother of 3 biracial kids, I encourage them to unapologetically be who they are. Their experiences will be very different from mine, but I hope they nurture who they are above anything else. Recently, I’ve become quite the gardener, and truly enjoy caring for plants. It’s tricky to figure out what each type of plant or flower needs to flourish. This feels so symbolic of many things in my life. Whether it is figuring out the balance between motherhood and work, nurturing a biracial family with complex roots, or addressing generational traumas, I am embracing the journey of connecting, nourishing and healing.
Steven M. Cozart Pass/Fail Vol. X:Latenja Acrylic, Charcoal, Pastel, and Collage 12” x 12” Greensboro, NC $1,700
Dellis Frank Cosmopolitan Cone Mixed Media, fiber, styrofoam 9” x 7” x 7” Lomita, CA $300 A mix between cotton candy, a Cosmopolitan and ice cream, this piece attacks the senses of your memory through the fluffy top to the textured bottom.
Tyrone Geter What Goes Around… Oil on board in old mirror frame 35” x 45” x 1” Elgin, SC $20,000
Dondre Green Dreams Sold Separately Photography 30” x 20” (each) Bronx, NY $600 (for each)
Stella Hendricks An Answer of Embrace Kozo paper, mulberry paper, hemp, string, and wire 22” x 19” x 13” Cockeysville, MD $800 My Black experience is one of multitudes and layers, learning and expansion. My geographic experience has frequently made me hyper aware of myself, but also offered such a deep sense of joy communally. Life is such a miraculous, varied experience and I witness this every time I take a look around in nature. When I think of diversity, I think of ecosystems and how important it is to have variation in order for true harmony to occur. When I think of my experience of blackness, I feel how much depth and love there is for us to persist with creativity and magic, despite the odds.
Stella Hendricks Rage Seed Assorted Fabric, tulle, foam, mesh gutter guard 48” x 42” x 25” Cockeysville, MD NFS My Black experience is one of multitudes and layers, learning and expansion. My geographic experience has frequently made me hyper aware of myself, but also offered such a deep sense of joy communally. Life is such a miraculous, varied experience and I witness this every time I take a look around in nature. When I think of diversity, I think of ecosystems and how important it is to have variation in order for true harmony to occur. When I think of my experience of blackness, I feel how much depth and love there is for us to persist with creativity and magic, despite the odds.
Clarence Heyward BYPRODUCT 48” x 30” x 2.5” Clayton, NC NFS
Tylear Jefferson Allostatic Overload Acrylic on canvas 24” x 24” x 1.5” Garden City, MI $600 Growing up as a Black military child in predominantly white spaces, my exposure to Black beauty was limited. But because my mother was a photographer, I didn’t feel an absence.Through my mother’s eyes, I was able to see myself as beautiful. But I knew a lot of the world didn’t see me the way she did. Growing up and traveling, I noticed the attributes attached to Black women and simply certain expectations that weren’t easy to escape from. I learned that the reason people view Black women through this monolithic lens is because of their lack of exposure to Black women. With my work, I aim to break down that lens of expectation and show the beauty and diversity of Black women and their emotions. In Allostatic Overload I touch on the emotion of anger, which has always been highly attributed to Black women. But this anger is far more subtle and calm. This piece defies stereotypes and is about being completely checked out of a situation.
Imani Jones The Sphinx and the Water Bearer || Luke 22:10 Oil on canvas • 32” x 4’ Poughkeepsie, NY $5,000
As a Black woman with Jamaican heritage and U.S ancestral roots that connect to America’s triumphant and yet sorrowful history of slavery, in my teen years I became aware of the individual and unique experience of blackness in the 21st century of America.
I battled with my own psyche on the conventions and ideologies that were taught to me as a child by institutions that aimed to feed me a false perception of myself, of my own people and culture. As I deprogrammed what was fed to me, and I re-learned and read my history, I became aware of the horrors and the beauty of my culture and of my own inner self. My aim was to always showcase paintings that tell the story of our inner worlds, of my own inner world and experiences of horrors and beauty. Through the act of painting, I want to broaden the idea of Black experience, figurative painting, and psychology.
London Ladd Perish Mixed Media on Illustration board 10” x 7” North Syracuse, NY NFS Black representation will always be a subject for me to contemplate because of my desire to understand what it means to be a Black person. As someone who didn’t grow up in a predominantly Black community, it is a topic that fascinates me. I’ve always felt like an outsider desiring to be included in something I believe to be special. I feel a sense of comfort in being connected to the joys and pains of the black experience. It fills me with pride knowing that I come from strong, intelligent people who have endured so much and persevered through struggles that continue today.
Samantha Modder Wearer of All Socks 12’ x 20’ Tampa, FL $8,000 Growing up as a little Black girl in South Asia, I was a spectacle. The finger-pointing, jokes, and stares were a constant reminder that my Blackness was not only different but supposedly inferior. In my work, I reclaim being this spectacle, drawing self-portraiture that takes up space unapologetically. My self-portraits tell new narratives that go beyond the here and now. For me, this is the power of the imaginary within the Black diaspora. For a people whose “here and now” has often featured the worst forms of physical, mental, cultural, and spiritual oppression, the Black imaginary enables moments of relief, pleasure, and breakthrough, even while speaking to those difficult realities. In this safe creative space, I join those that work toward a reality that might one day imitate narrative.
Ari Montford Black Indians in Space Mixed media collage on paper with oil crayon 41.5” x 29” (unframed) Beverly, MA NFS
Ari Montford Black Indians in Space: The Great Creator Giving Seed Mixed media collage on paper with oil crayon 13” x 13” Beverly, MA NFS
Ari Montford Black Indians in Space: The Annunciation Mixed media collage on paper with oil crayon 13” x 13” Beverly, MA NFS
Emmanuel Ofori Mamme ni Abofraa III Mixed media 40” x 30” Wappingers Falls, NY $1,600
Emmanuel Ofori Nsu Bura Mixed media 32” x 22” Wappingers Falls, NY $1,000
Ashley Page Nigreos Seminbus (Black Seed) Mixed media: paper, steel, and Spanish moss 48” x 72” x 36” Portland, ME NFS
Ransome The Block #3 Acrylic and collage on wood 92” x 23” x 23” (with stand) Rhinebeck, NY $15,000
Mark A. Reed Wild Geese Flying Over Mountain Peak Sculpture 17.5” x 16” x 13” Park Forest, IL NFS This ‘Silent Bonsai’ is a full-cascade style bonsai conforming to ‘Art of Bonsai’ guidelines and fashioned with soil of the American Southwest Colorado Plateau region. Its artistic expression represents an unpretentious human heroic tenacity over hardships in the face of extreme adversity.
Mark A. Reed Let Our Rejoicing Rise Sculpture 27” x 12” x 22” Park Forest, IL NFS This ‘Silent Bonsai’ is a windswept Literati style bonsai conforming to ‘Art of Bonsai’ guidelines and fashioned with soil of the American Southwest Colorado Plateau region. Its artistic expression represents an unpretentious human heroic tenacity over hardships in the face of extreme adversity.
Theda Sandiford All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go Vintage hat, shoes and bag, 3 ply cotton rope, pearls, rhinestones, wrapped rope, yarn, trim, beading on steel structure 72” x 56” x 24” Jersey City, NJ NFS
Raven Smith Trick-shot Oil paint on stretched canvas 36” x 48” Evergreen Park, IL $7,500
Jean-Marc Superville Sovak 3 Letters to Toussaint Video installation on fabric Runtime: 02:00 each, 3 videos Wallkill, NY NFS
Stephen J. Tyson Offbeat Acrylic on canvas 30” x 24” Saratoga Springs, NY NFS
Lisa Diane Wedgeworth 20 Aura (20 Women) Mixed media 26” x 73” Los Angeles, CA Price upon request
Opening Reception: August 25, 6 – 8 PM Trolley Barn Gallery 489 Main St, Poughkeepsie NY 12601
Experience art through the eyes of talented teens who created an impressive collection of artworks, including drawing, painting, photography, digital animation, film, mixed media, and more!
Teen Visions is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of selected young artists from The Art Effect’s 2023 summer programs including Summer Art Institute, Junior Art Institute, MADLab, Spark Studios, and D-LIT. It is an incredible accomplishment to be chosen for the Teen Visions Exhibition. Teaching artists and staff choose more than 65 artworks of exceptional technique to be included in the exhibition taking place at the beautiful Trolley Barn Gallery.
Visual works in the show – which always proves both richly varied and exciting, as well as a demonstration as to why nearly all of The Art Effect’s Art Institute students get into the nation’s top visual arts programs – include paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography and sculpture by students from many Mid-Hudson school districts, counties, towns, villages and cities.
Family, friends, and the community are invited to join us for an opening reception on Friday, August 25 from 5-7 PM. The exhibition will be on display through September 9, 2023. Gallery hours are listed below.
We invite students back on September 9 from 6-8 PM for a closing reception and teen dance party featuring blacklight art, music, dancing, and a “Back-to-School party”. Teen Visions’ artists will be able to take their artwork home with them at the end of the evening!
Teen Visions 2023: Virtual Gallery
Nadia Torres • Blue still life • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 3
Jessica Byars • Self portrait • Digital • SAI Session 3
Kizuki Tachibana • Self Portrait Pastels • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 2
Kizuki Tachibana • Digital Collage • Digital • SAI Session 3
Lucus Goodwin • Two self portraits • Digital • SAI Session 3
Lucus Goodwin • Experimental portrait • Mixed Media • SAI Session 3
Lucus Goodwin • Pop art experimental portrait • Mixed Media • SAI Session 3
Knox Rodriguez • Experimental portrait • Mixed Media • SAI Session 3
Knox Rodriguez • Double self portrait • Digital • SAI Session 3
Tahleeya Raphael • Mixed Media • MADLab
Jackson Powers • Transfer Painting • Acrylic, photo transfer on canvas • SAI Session 3
Jackson Powers • Digital collage • Digital • SAI Session 3
Danesha Ollivierre • Mixed Media • MADLab
Reya Pincus • Abstract self portrait • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 3
Tahleeya Raphael • Mixed Media • MADLab
Gianna Peters • Screaming prompt • Comic • Digital print • SAI Session 1
Jurunei Favars • Mixed Media • MADLab
Arviel Germeus • Mixed Media • MADLab
Sirena Fitzgerald • Mixed Media • MADLab
Alina Joseph • Self Portrait • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 1
Decianna Mirada • Mixed Media • MADLab
Mars K Bess • Character Design • Digital print • SAI Session 2
Paisley Wilklow • Ink Drawing • Ink on paper • SAI Session 1
Aiden Colby • Mixed Media • MADLab
Kizuki Tachibana • Ink Portrait • Ink on paper • SAI Session 2
Sirena Fitzgerald • Mixed Media • MADLab
Mars K Bess • Character Design • Digital print • SAI Session 1
Danesha Ollivierre • Mixed Media • MADLab
Jackson Powers • Transfer Painting • Acrylic, photo transfer on canvas • SAI Session 3
Shea Villalobos • Gauguin Inspired Painting • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 2
Danesha Ollivierre • Mixed Media • MADLab
Max Pyles • Digital Self Portrait • Digital print • SAI Session 1
Eve Holman • Abstract Self Portrait • Acrylic on paper • SAI Session 1
Kizuki Tachibana • Self Portrait Pastels • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 2
Jurunei Favars • Mixed Media • MADLab
Abigail Gray • Self Portrait Pastels • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 1
Spencer Dungan • Self Portrait Pastels • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 2
Danesha Ollivierre • Mixed Media • MADLab
Allegra Tapia • Abstract Self Portrait • Acrylic on paper • SAI Session 2
Gianna Peters • Mixed Media Self Portrait • Pastel, acrylic, and spray paint on paper • SAI Session 1
Kizuki Tachibana • Complimentary Portrait • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 2
Mars K Bess • Mixed Media Self Portrait • Pastel, acrylic, and spray paint on paper • SAI Session 1
Moriah Downes • Circus • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 1
Anna Caesar • Circus • Acrylic on canvas • SAI Session 1
Shaqeem Vassell • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Sophia Martinez • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Benson • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Olivia Arnfield • Focus • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Xavier Noah Robinson • Where careers begin in photography • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Olivia Arnfield • Say Cheese • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Xavier Noah Robinson • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Sage Webb • CyberSage • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Adel Rogers • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Johan • Final Print • Digital Photography • Spark Studio
Hannah Strano • Adapted Composition House • Digital print • SAI Session 2
Gianna Peters • Comic • Digital print • SAI Session 1
Allegra Tapia • Mixed media collage • Mixed media • SAI Session 2
Margot Slade • Charcoal Still Life • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 3
Alina Joseph • Figure Drawing • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 1
Kizuki Tachibana • Charcoal Still Life • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 3
Tabi Koren • Still Life • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 2
Gabriela Andujar-McNeil • Still Life • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 1
May Maddalena • Ink Street Scene • Ink on paper • SAI Session 2
Anna Caesar • Still Life • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 1
Nadia Torres • Ink Drawing • Ink on paper • SAI Session 3
Greta Sutherland • Figure Drawing • Charcoal on paper • SAI Session 1
As we age, we change, both externally and internally. We transform and metamorphosize. We inevitably ask ourselves: “Is this who I am now? Who was I before? Is this me?” We find beauty in the confusion and the transformation. We invited artists to meditate on the disturbing reality of their potential and works that unveil the roadblocks impeding self-actualization. We questioned whether the oasis of maturity is actually a mirage – a hazily reconfigured reality, distorted by the sweltering heat of generational expectations. This exhibition was about self and health, wellness and worry — as we examined our skin, our fears, and our personal growth.
Is It Me? featured artwork in an array of media, including sculpture, painting, textiles, mixed media, photography, and digital media. For our juried exhibitions, the Trolley Barn Gallery brings together an international roster of vital voices in art and culture, presenting thought-provoking artwork and ideas in a renovated industrial space that is the hub for the area’s thriving arts scene. This exhibition presented a collection of thought-provoking works, artfully curated by the Youth Curatorial Team alongside our talented guest curator.
This international juried exhibition was held March 10 through April 14, 2023 at The Art Effect’s Trolley Barn Gallery, 489 Main St., Poughkeepsie, New York, with an Opening Reception on Friday, March 10 from 6-8pm.
Opening Reception Events 6:00: Opening Reception with light refreshments 7:00: Welcome and Awards 7:30: Open Mic
Open Mic Details In order to allow the community of Poughkeepsie to fully engage with the difficult themes presented, the opening reception will also include a half hour Open Mic session. Gallery visitors will be encouraged to sign up for a short slot where they are free to read poetry, speak honestly, perform music or dance and continue the conversation about wellness and aging in real time. The opening reception is 6 -8pm. At 7pm Trolley Barn Awards will be presented to the winners of the “Guest Juror’s Prize”, the “Youth Juror’s Prize” and the “Honorable Mention Prize”. After the awards the open mic session will start at 7:30pm. This opening reception is free and open to the public, like all Trolley Barn Gallery openings.
About the Curator Emilie Houssart is a Dutch American artist and curator based in Poughkeepsie, New York. Her performance and installation works explore ideologies and ecologies of landscape, rupturing toxic norms in public spaces, and generating dialogue about alternative ways of being. As The DIRT Project, she leads experiential, collaborative workshops for all ages that nurture our relationships with invisible life forms inside the body and underfoot.
Houssart’s work recently featured in Metabolism of Cities for the Urban Soils Institute, curated by Margaret Boozer, LMCC Arts Center, NYC. Her 15-month evolving installation Co-co-codac! was part of Owning Earth at Unison Arts Center, NY, an outdoor exhibit curated by Tal Beery. As 2021 Artist in Residence at the Samuel Dorsky Museum, NY, she curated the exhibition DIRT: Inside Landscapes and led a series of interactive public projects, including DIRTdoors at Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary for Rooted: Art + Land with the Dorsky Museum and Walkill Valley Land Trust. Previous residencies include Women’s Studio Workshop, NY, Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium, and Print to the People, UK. She co-curated an/aesthetics: Rosekill, Rosekill Art Farm, NY; pop-up show EARTHBOUND, NYC; and international exchange show EXPORT 19 at Poughkeepsie Trolley Barn, NY.
Originally from Norwich, UK, Houssart gained a BA Hons. in Modern Languages from the University of Durham, UK, and studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy. She is Adjunct Professor of Art, Sustainability Faculty Fellow and member of experimental collective Eddy at SUNY New Paltz, where she completed an MFA in Sculpture with Printmaking in 2022. Houssart has taught at Vassar College, Women’s Studio Workshop, West Point Military Academy, the Woodstock School of Art, Fall Kill Print Works, the Charles H. Cecil Studios and the British Institute of Florence.
Gallery Hours Exhibition: March 10 – April 14 Wednesday-Friday: 2-5PM • Saturday: 12-4 PM (during exhibitions only)
Is It Me? Virtual Gallery
Esperanza Alzona
Opposing Views
Cast Iron
7.5” x 7.25” x 4.75”
Frederick, MD
$1,000
Alzona depicts a physical form of two heads merged and an athletic torso form with vertical lines carved into it, embodying self-identity and manifestations of spirituality. Alzona is a professional dancer, choreographer, and competitive athlete who makes sculptures made out of metal. The weight and material of the metal indicate the heaviness of being human, as well as the bond of body-mind experiences.
Esperanza Alzona
Caged Heart
Cast Aluminum
21.5” x 18” x 3.5”
Frederick, MD
$2,200
Alzona depicts a physical form of two heads merged and an athletic torso form with vertical lines carved into it, embodying self-identity and manifestations of spirituality. Alzona is a professional dancer, choreographer, and competitive athlete who makes sculptures made out of metal. The weight and material of the metal indicate the heaviness of being human, as well as the bond of body-mind experiences.
Timothy Atseff
What am I?
Acrylic on Canvas
40” x 30” 2”
Syracuse, NY
NFS
Being one with experience is to have no need for a facade in an increasingly digital world. The work captures the solidarity of the digital world with tonal values and an isolated composition. The work marks Atseff’s gradual experience, and begs the question whether being an artist is enough.
Timothy Atseff
Reflection #1
Acrylic on Canvas
40” x 30” 2”
Syracuse, NY
NFS
Being one with experience is to have no need for a facade in an increasingly digital world. The work captures the solidarity of the digital world with tonal values and an isolated composition. The work marks Atseff’s gradual experience, and begs the question whether being an artist is enough.
Heather Baumbach
Cover up
Hand-Dyed Jersey Knit, Cotton, Wax, and Steel Pins
36” x 36” 1.5”
Madison, AL
NFS
Heather Baumbach manipulates fabric, wax and needles to replicate worn and weathered creases in skin. Her piece is both delicate and distressed so as to confront the multiplicity of the human form. And there is a violence to the work - stuck with pins and needles - which speaks to the discomfort we can feel within ourselves, whether from pressure from external forces or internal insecurity.
Karen Benally
Blue Hawaii
Mixed acrylic & ink on linen-finish paper
9” x 14.5”
Red Valley, AZ
$300
Karen Benally loves to immerse herself in southwestern landscapes. After her divorce at 40, Karen reimagined her life as an artist and cultural anthropologist. Now 80 years old, she illustrates her love of nature and native cultures with abstracted landscapes, which illuminates her ideal environment - “blue lakes, soft sands, cloud-filled skies, green grasses, whispering trees, and gardens, wild & well-tended.” Her work with acrylic has reenergized her love of art and transformed it into an exploration of play.
Karen Benally
Sunset
Mixed acrylic & ink on linen-finish paper
13.5” x 19.25”
Red Valley, AZ
$500
Karen Benally loves to immerse herself in southwestern landscapes. After her divorce at 40, Karen reimagined her life as an artist and cultural anthropologist. Now 80 years old, she illustrates her love of nature and native cultures with abstracted landscapes, which illuminates her ideal environment - “blue lakes, soft sands, cloud-filled skies, green grasses, whispering trees, and gardens, wild & well-tended.” Her work with acrylic has reenergized her love of art and transformed it into an exploration of play.
Oli Boyer
Mammorium
Cherry, Maple, Milk Paint, Plaster
50” x 20” x 7”
Philadelphia, PA
NFS
Oli Boyer uses different mediums that allow them to express themselves while refraining to use words. The artist creates a tapestry and a cabinet as a memorial for their top surgery. It’s a memorial but not a death. It is acceptance of the past, yet gratitude of the future, which leads to rebirth.
Oli Boyer
Transmutation of (O)phe(li)a Quilt
Screenprinting, Silk, Velvet, Body Pillow Sleeve, Cotton
60” x 40”
Philadelphia, PA
$1,500
Oli Boyer uses different mediums that allow them to express themselves while refraining to use words. The artist creates a tapestry and a cabinet as a memorial for their top surgery. It’s a memorial but not a death. It is acceptance of the past, yet gratitude of the future, which leads to rebirth.
Isabella Covert
Appendage
Acrylic on canvas
30” x 20”
Madison, WI
NFS
Isabella Covert tackles the question of self through images of physical sensation in order to communicate the human experience. Through untold narratives of confusion, eroticism, and suffering, their work puts a lens on all the qualities that define us as human beings. Covert inspires conversations of the rights of bodily autonomy, the forms of human contact and the tangibility of the sensation of touch.
Benjamin Cunningham
The Denunciation of the Shepherd
Acrylic Paint on Birch Board
78” x 108” x 2”
Norristown, PA
$4,500
Benjamin Cunningham reimagines biblical scripture with queer iconography. His practice manifests in this altar piece which is a symbolic rewriting of the toxic messages the artist experienced during his past participation in the Catholic Church.
Ali Dachis
Smooshed 2
watercolor on transparent paper.
36” x 48”
Brooklyn, NY
$900
Made of separate but connected panels of paper, this piece distorts the human face and turns it into something malleable and unfamiliar. The subject’s features are warped by touch, raising the question of whether the pressure is applied by their own hands or by those of an outsider.
Elizabeth de Bethune
Mi Corazon; Lightening Strikes
Oil with acrylic gouache and collage on panel
18” x 18”
Yonkers, NY
Elizabeth De Bethune connected the dots between health and illness in her painting, Mi Corazon, Lightning Strikes. She depicts Death holding her heart in the palm of their hands with lightning bolts that can also represent veins of different ailments leeching and sucking the life out of her. This piece reflects the struggle of aging and living with life altering health issues.
Elaine Erne
Bear Hug
graphite pencil on paper
40” x 34”
Philadelphia, PA
Blackness holds weight. Drawing your eye the intense empty stare of the bear. The expression dominates your mind, provoking the question: How many times have you been someone else's toy?
Aaron Fabio
Trapped
Alcohol-based marker & water color
12” x 9”
Crozet, VA
$200
In his first year of sobriety, Fabio created a series reflecting on how alcohol affected their lives. The piece represents their isolation and detachment from their own body while they struggled with this addiction. He was there, trapped feeling like he could not escape this reality.
Vincent Ferrari
Auto-Exposure 2
Archival Photograph
16” x 20”
Bowie, MD
$250
Ferrari’s Auto- Exposure 2, Sandman, and Desert Road captures the natural horizons of diverse landscapes through a camera lens, unveiling the world's beauty. The body and the earth interconnect, creating harmony and interaction with all those entities. The accessibility of loving the skin on our bodies helps us be grounded and realize everyone is the same.
Vincent Ferrari
Sandman
Archival Photograph
16” x 20”
Bowie, MD
$250
Ferrari’s Auto- Exposure 2, Sandman, and Desert Road captures the natural horizons of diverse landscapes through a camera lens, unveiling the world's beauty. The body and the earth interconnect, creating harmony and interaction with all those entities. The accessibility of loving the skin on our bodies helps us be grounded and realize everyone is the same.
Vincent Ferrari
Desert Road
Archival Photograph
20” x 16”
Bowie, MD
$250
Ferrari’s Auto- Exposure 2, Sandman, and Desert Road captures the natural horizons of diverse landscapes through a camera lens, unveiling the world's beauty. The body and the earth interconnect, creating harmony and interaction with all those entities. The accessibility of loving the skin on our bodies helps us be grounded and realize everyone is the same.
Allison Hilgert
Drained
Oil on Canvas
60” x 30”
Salt Point, NY
$2,925
Alison Hilgert grew up in the small town of Crystal River, Florida, where she beloved the nature surrounding her. In her painting, she created a dream-like world unraveling the traditional values of her upbringing in rural Florida. Questioning the place she called home all her life brought up the evaluation of the struggle, power, and vulnerability of life.
Percy Kleinops
All Parts Matter
Mixed Media (Oil and Acrylic)
36” x 48”
Tarpon Springs, FL
$5,400
The over life size cup represents our capacity to help others. We start off with our cups full and our bodies intact. Kelinops offers a Prophetic warning: When you have nothing left to give you begin to tear apart yourself. Leaving our bodies in shatters.
Emily Koch
Thinking of Adulthood
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 36”
Newton, MA
NFS
Emily Koch’s oil paintings dwell on themes of uncertainty and discovery. The hazy colors and indistinct forms give the pieces a mystical quality that brings to mind mythology and the imagery of creation. From lonely landscapes to colorful nautical scenes, Koch’s work takes viewers on a journey similar to those being undertaken by the subjects of the paintings.
Emily Koch
Season of Solitude
Acrylic on canvas paper
24” x 18”
Newton, MA
$850
Emily Koch’s oil paintings dwell on themes of uncertainty and discovery. The hazy colors and indistinct forms give the pieces a mystical quality that brings to mind mythology and the imagery of creation. From lonely landscapes to colorful nautical scenes, Koch’s work takes viewers on a journey similar to those being undertaken by the subjects of the paintings.
Emily Koch
Marinade
Oil on canvas
69” x 42”
Newton, MA
$15,500
Emily Koch’s oil paintings dwell on themes of uncertainty and discovery. The hazy colors and indistinct forms give the pieces a mystical quality that brings to mind mythology and the imagery of creation. From lonely landscapes to colorful nautical scenes, Koch’s work takes viewers on a journey similar to those being undertaken by the subjects of the paintings.
Emily Koch
By the River
Oil on canvas
36” x 72”
Newton, MA
$15,500
Emily Koch’s oil paintings dwell on themes of uncertainty and discovery. The hazy colors and indistinct forms give the pieces a mystical quality that brings to mind mythology and the imagery of creation. From lonely landscapes to colorful nautical scenes, Koch’s work takes viewers on a journey similar to those being undertaken by the subjects of the paintings.
Emily Koch
Rainbow Faces in the Sand
Oil on canvas
28” x 42”
Newton, MA
$9,500
Emily Koch’s oil paintings dwell on themes of uncertainty and discovery. The hazy colors and indistinct forms give the pieces a mystical quality that brings to mind mythology and the imagery of creation. From lonely landscapes to colorful nautical scenes, Koch’s work takes viewers on a journey similar to those being undertaken by the subjects of the paintings.
Maxine Leu
Tongue Twisters
Plaster and mix-medias
6.6” x 34.4” x 5”
New Paltz, NY
$1,000
Second-hand materials and old elements that are around, Maxine Leu explores materiality to navigate through the confusion of knowing themselves and their place within a given society. Disassembling and reassembling are the pillars to Leu’s self exploration; utilizing the acts of assembling and collecting to artistically express their thoughts through juxtaposition.
Jacqueline Lorieo
Positivo/Negativo Del Corpo
Marble
16” x 10” x 6”
Yonkers, NY
$4,000
The female body is cleaved in two elevating the bodies and exposing our inners. Who are we if not are bodies? Lorieo polishes the outside of the body like a jewel to create a conversation for bodies being tied to worth. The interior of the body is excavated in fine detail to remind us there is richness within us.
John McGiff
Serenade of Icarus
gouache on canvas
30” x 40”
Salt Point, NY
NFS
John McGiff painted Serenade of Icarus and The Flying Lesson, inspired by the Greek tale of Icarus series he took on three years ago with a Jungian analyst. In this version of the story, from falling out of the sky, the artist is given a second chance with the help of a female apprentice to rewrite his story. Painting for McGiff is a way to strengthen their self-awareness and awaken their understanding of the world around them.
John McGiff
The Flying Lesson
gouache on canvas
40” x 40”
Salt Point, NY
NFS
John McGiff painted Serenade of Icarus and The Flying Lesson, inspired by the Greek tale of Icarus series he took on three years ago with a Jungian analyst. In this version of the story, from falling out of the sky, the artist is given a second chance with the help of a female apprentice to rewrite his story. Painting for McGiff is a way to strengthen their self-awareness and awaken their understanding of the world around them.
Sarah Moldovan
Eternity Plus One Day
acrylic gouache
36” x 36”
Lincoln, NE
$1,650
Sarah Moldovan uses playful imagery to create “unlikely realities”. The banana is personified with human fear and vices to explore the absurdity of the human experience.
Sarah Moldovan
Intimate Moment 01
acrylic gouache
30” x 24”
Lincoln, NE
$1,950
Sarah Moldovan uses playful imagery to create “unlikely realities”. The banana is personified with human fear and vices to explore the absurdity of the human experience.
Susan Morelock
Prenatal (A Life's Work)
Pigment Print
7” x 10”
Allentown, PA
$400
The process of motherhood Morlock bore follows the transformation of changing her life. Even though motherhood can be so tiresome, challenging, complex, and sometimes heartbreaking, being a mother can change people personally for the better. Morlock accepts the significant change in how she perceives herself and how others perceive her.
Christy O'Connor
Carried Trauma I detail
dress making patterns, glue, thread
21” x 9” x 8”
Middletown, NJ
$850
Christy O’ Connor explores self identity by magnifying the experiences of generational trauma carried by blood. Looking deeper than the physical to define our image, we are reminded that we have the ability to pass on this pain to those who come after us. Highlighting the scars passed through DNA, O’Connor shows how this damage has the ability to influence how we come to see ourselves.
Ben Pinder
Golden Forty Hands With Child
Ink, acrylic on paper
36” x 32”
Rhinebeck, NY
$2,000
This piece is full of indistinct boundaries: hands turn into bottles, background and foreground blend together, and humans become prey animals. The unclothed, crouching figure and the infant are both in positions of vulnerability, literally and symbolically. At the center of it all is the baby, surrounded by empty drink containers, immobile and helpless to turn anywhere but inwards.
Jack Powers
Monsieur Valentine
Digital Print
11” x 8.5”
New Paltz, NY
$125
Jack Powers holds up a digital mirror to remind us that we find ourselves on the frontier of the age of information. Having worldwide media puts us just a click, swipe and scroll away from being influenced by those online, never realizing whose opinions we are allowing to shape who we are.
Nina Samuels
Raku Coral Masks
Ceramics, Glaze
2.5’ 2.5’
Savannah, GA
$1,000
Nina Samuels identical masks remind us that we are all the same on the inside. The coral growth is like the natural development of our personalities. Each growth takes a different form and texture represents our individuality.
Hannah Staples
Am I Myself
Plastic Bottles, Polyurethane Foam on Canvas
12” x 9” x 2”
Seattle, WA
$250
This mixed media piece features the type of plastic bottles used to hold pharmaceuticals. In conjunction with the eponymous writing, the work brings to mind the anxieties that affect many people who take medication. When a pill regulates your well-being, where is the line between use and abuse?
Makayla Swann
My Safe Place
Oil
3.5’ x 3.5’
Lawrenceville, GA
$2,000
The harmful culture and social norms that exist in the black community that harm one another in a constant cycle. The bedroom is on fire, right? People’s bedrooms define them as a person; she wants to burn down the world that has harmed her. This references her taking back her freedom to find herself. She’s asking herself,"What is “me”?
Yoshie Tsuzuki
Sense
Ink Pigment on Paper
18” x 14”
Iruma, Japan
$220
Yoshie Tsuzuki explains how fear and anxiety can help us learn something about ourselves, even if it is not good. The light shines brighter the further it goes into the dark bliss, as Tsuzuki’s goal is to express both agony and exhilaration uniformly. The more rationalistic we consciously are, the more alive we become in the spectral world of the unconscious.
Polina Varlamova
"The body fragment"
Textile sculpture
18” x 15” x 4”
Cary, NC
$540
Polina Varlamova explores immigration, emmigration and the cultural exchange between peoples that results from human migration. The artist weaves together imagery of bodies and skin to create a lingua franca (a language adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different) of artistic expression. Each piece reflects the internal struggles of non-native peoples and makes that confusion and fear physical and shows the effect on the human body.
Polina Varlamova
The intertwining
Textile sculpture
20” x 20” x 1”
Cary, NC
$700
Polina Varlamova explores immigration, emmigration and the cultural exchange between peoples that results from human migration. The artist weaves together imagery of bodies and skin to create a lingua franca (a language adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different) of artistic expression. Each piece reflects the internal struggles of non-native peoples and makes that confusion and fear physical and shows the effect on the human body.
Rute Ventura
Scrying of a Woman and Her Body
Oil on canvas
36” x 36”
Ridgewood, NY
$7,000
Rute Ventura explores the self by personifying the inner conflict that plagues the human experience. Using geometry, exaggerated proportions and humanoid figures, Ventura places a spotlight on inner emotional discord. The interactions found in Ventura’s work portray active resistance, and self reflection.
Rute Ventura
Counter Intention - a Self-Made Monster
Oil over wood panel
16” x 20”
Ridgewood, NY
$2,000
Rute Ventura explores the self by personifying the inner conflict that plagues the human experience. Using geometry, exaggerated proportions and humanoid figures, Ventura places a spotlight on inner emotional discord. The interactions found in Ventura’s work portray active resistance, and self reflection.
Paul Wirhun
Self-Portrait in 5 eggs CHORT
dyed/batiked/scratched eggshell assemblage on wood
20” x 11”
New York, NY
$7,000
Paul Wirhun demonstrates how egg shells can be more than a byproduct of breakfast. They can communicate thoughts of identity, cultural background and qualities of the past being brought to the present. Using egg shells not as an object but as medium to find connection through their cracked nature.
Mia Zheng
Self-portrait 2021
35mm film
26” x 26” 4”
Honolulu, HI
$2,200
Mia Zheng congregates the “what ifs” subject by describing how taking risks isn’t as bad as they seem in the long run. Her self-portrait reflects the relationship between art and artist, together with the viewer and introspector. Self-love and self-appreciation assist in advancing one’s skill and growth as a person.
The Art Effect’s annual Reel Exposure International Teen Film and Photography Festival in Poughkeepsie, NY is celebrating its 10th year! This year’s festival features photography and youth-produced short films – narrative, animation, experimental and documentary – created by talented young artists from across the world. New for 2023, Reel Exposure will be brought to you by The Art Effect’s PKX Festival, an exciting building block to the development of the Youth Arts Empowerment Zone, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant, establishing a youth-led arts district in and around the Gallery. In addition to youth-produced short films, and a photography exhibition, Reel Exposure: A PKX Festival will also feature youth-led public art installations and more. For more information and schedule, click here!
As the Photography Exhibition aspect of Reel Exposure, professional and youth jurors selected photographs from submissions from teens ages 13-19 across the world. In the past, submissions have come from Singapore, Italy, Islamic Republic of Iran, and the United States. Opening with a public reception on May 5, this exciting youth exhibition remains on display at the Trolley Barn Gallery from May 5 – June 16, 2023.
Reel Exposure: A PKX Festival brings together a diverse representation of youth-produced films and photography, from both newcomers to the craft, as well as established young artists. The selected films are screened in a showcase and the selected photography is hung as an exhibition at the Trolley Barn Gallery in Poughkeepsie, NY — The ONLY youth-led gallery in the nation!
Reel Exposure: A PKX Festival encompasses all of The Art Effect’s goals: to encourage youth creativity, to invigorate our local community through the arts, and to showcase the incredible work done by this next generation of media-makers.
The past two years of the festival went virtual and were a smashing success with more than 2,200 viewers from across the globe tuning in, along with a live Q&A panel with festival finalists. This year’s festival will take place in person on May 4-5, 2023, but will still allow international attendees to join us for the festival online with a virtual gallery and an online screening of the film showcase.
Reel Exposure: A PKX Festival will take place May 4-6, 2022. The Reel Exposure Teen Photo Exhibition can be found in the Trolley Barn Gallery at 489 Main St., Poughkeepsie, New York, from May 5 – June 16, 2023, with an opening reception on May 5 from 6-8PM.
For our juried exhibitions, the Trolley Barn Gallery brings together an international roster of vital voices in art and culture, presenting thought-provoking artwork and ideas in a renovated industrial space that is the hub for the area’s thriving arts scene. This exhibition presents a collection of thought-provoking works, artfully curated by the Youth Curatorial Team alongside our talented guest curator.
Opening Reception Events 6 PM: International Film Festival Screening 7:30 PM: Film Award Presentation and Q&A 8 PM: Featured Artist Showing
About the Curator Dondre Green is a New York-based, Bronx-born Photographer and multidisciplinary artist––specializing in portraiture, documentary and storytelling work. He’s the founder and creative director of Bronx Narratives, a publication that highlights local stories within his community.
Gallery Hours Exhibition: May 5 – June 16 Wednesday-Friday: 2-5PM • Saturday: 12-4 PM (during exhibitions only)
Reel Exposure Virtual Gallery
Michael A • Black Power • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade, NFS
Asante A • All In • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade • NFS
Tanner Bewley • My Business Still Shady • 18.75” x 13.75” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $200
Tanner Bewley • Just Wait • 16.75” x 12.5” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $300
Mary-Elizabeth Boatey • Birth • 18” x 24” • Hopewell Junction, NY • 17 years old • $150
*Sold*
Mary-Elizabeth Boatey • Linger • 18” x 24” • Hopewell Junction, NY • 17 years old • $150
Genevieve Bolger • Anna • 8” x 10” • Hopewell, NY • 16 years old • $75
El Fallou G • The Eye of the Beauty • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade • NFS
Madison Gonzalez • Sunrise • 20” x 16” • North Salem, NY • 15 years old • $35
*Sold*
Amora H • Self Happiness • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade • NFS
Sean Hammel Canellos • Earth’s Work • 16” x 20” • North Salem, NY • 14 years old • $50
*Sold*
Olive Harrington • Osmosis • 10” x 12.5” • Lawrence, KS • 17 years old • $100
*Sold*
Luke Havener • Ethereality • 19.75” x 10.5” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $200
Luke Havener • Notice • 16” x 20” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $250
Luke Havener • Unforgiving • 11” x 13.75” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $200
Luke Havener • The Brainchild • 20” x 16” • Lawrence, KS • 18 years old • $250
YOUTH JUROR'S PRIZE WINNER!
Hunter Jenkins • Waking Thoughts • 19.75” x 13.25” • Poughkeepsie, NY • 17 years old • $150
Hunter Jenkins • Rise and Shine • 16” x 24” • Poughkeepsie, NY • 17 years old • $120
Hunter Jenkins • My Lens • 16” x 10.5” • Poughkeepsie, NY • 17 years old • $80
AUDIENCE CHOICE WINNER!
Elizabeth Kimber • Elegance • 11” x 14” • Hopewell Junction, NY • 18 years old • $75
A’Mia M • Captain • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade • NFS
GRAND PRIZE WINNER!
Georgia Rubini • Solo Path • 20” x 16” • North Salem, NY • 16 years old • $20
*Sold*
Georgia Rubini • Sunset Paradise • 20” x 16” • North Salem, NY • 16 years old • $20
Epiphany Spear • Solitude • 20” x 16” • North Salem, NY • 16 years old • $45
*Sold*
Epiphany Spear • When Empires Fall • 20” x 16” • North Salem, NY • 16 years old • $75
Senior Project is the capstone of The Art Effect’s portfolio development programming and is the most rigorous course currently offered at the Art Institute. Modeled after a senior thesis college course, students work on a personal theme for 12 weeks with an artist/mentor in their chosen art medium. Focusing on developing a cohesive body of work, how to prepare for an exhibition, and how the gallery viewer will interact with the work, students complete the program with a strong portfolio of work around their chosen theme. The Senior Project exhibition is a celebration of the accomplishments of these young artists.
Exhibition Dates: December 16, 2022 – January 13, 2022 Opening reception: December 16, 2022 5-7pm Gallery Hours:Wednesday-Friday 2-5pm, Saturday 12-4pm (during exhibition only – the gallery will be closed 12/23- 1/2)
Featured artists:
Juliana Woods
Fiona Shanahan
Celia Drury
About the Instructor: Rick Price is the chair of the fine art department at the Harvey School. He has extensive teaching experience at Buck’s Rock in CT, mural painting in San Francisco and Beacon, illustration commissions, and has exhibited his fine art work nationwide. He holds an MFA from Savannah College of Art & Design.
Senior Project Virtual Gallery
Celia Drury • Dance
Acrylic • 45.5” x 23.5” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $350
Celia Drury • Family Tree
Acrylic • 24” x 48” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $350
Celia Drury • My Daughter Celia
Acrylic • 24” x 36” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $300
Celia Drury • November, 2021
Acrylic • 36” x 48” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $400
Celia Drury • Olivia and Celia’s Hair
Acrylic • 36” x 48” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $500
Celia Drury • Triptych
Colored Pencil • 15” x 20” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $125
Celia Drury • Women
Pages from an Etiquette Book, Acrylic, Ballpoint Pen • 47.5” x 25” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $400
Fiona Shanahan • Bending Over Backwards
Acrylic • 19” x 30” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $400
Fiona Shanahan • Everything and Nothing Done
Acrylic • 26” x 32” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $300
Fiona Shanahan • Innocence Ticking Away
Acrylic, Fabric • 31” x 22” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $250
Fiona Shanahan • Judgment
Acrylic • 23” x 35” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $200
Fiona Shanahan • Paranoia
Acrylic, Fabric • 26” x 46” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $600
Fiona Shanahan • The Art of Betrayal
Acrylic, Fabric, Paper • 24” x 72” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $650
Fiona Shanahan • The Butcher Shop
Acrylic, Fabric • 26” x 26” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $400
Fiona Shanahan • The Weight of Me
Acrylic • 19” x 30” • Cold Spring, NY • Haldane High School • $400
Juliana Woods • 9 Floors to Go
Acrylic on Canvas • 21.25” x 39.25” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • A Spill
Acrylic on Board, Collage • 45” x 44” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • A Spill (closeup)
Acrylic on Board, Collage • 45” x 44” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Juliana Woods • Hello From the Window
Acrylic on Board • 7.25” x 28” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • Life’s Broadcast
Acrylic on Board • 35” x 24” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • Lost and Found
Acrylic on Canvas, Cardboard, Textile • 45” x 58” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • Performance Act
Acrylic on Board, Linocut Print • 17.5” x 31.5” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Juliana Woods • Who’s This?
Acrylic on Canvas, Mirror, Yarn • 32” x 37” • Warwick, NY • Warwick Valley High School • NFS
Opening Reception: November 18, 5-7pm November 18 – December 9, 2022 Gallery Hours:Wednesday-Friday 2-5pm, Saturday 12-4pm
The Members’ Show features artwork from all members of The Art Effect, featuring the renowned Barrett Art Center Members, alongside a selection of The Art Effect’s most technically advanced and imaginative student artists as part of the longstanding Teen Visions’ Exhibition.
The Art Effect and Barrett Art Center came together in 2021 through a transformational merger growing The Art Effect’s mission to empower youth as leaders who catalyze and engage the community through the arts and re-energize downtown Poughkeepsie. The merger opened doors of new opportunities in exhibition and education, creating a space that matches the breadth of our combined entity.
During its nearly century-long lifetime, the Barrett Art Center’s mission was to foster and perpetuate an appreciation of the visual arts in the Hudson Valley region through exhibitions, education and preservation. Barrett’s programming engaged and supported our diverse community. Through the merger and support of Barrett Art Center’s membership, The Art Effect’s youth curatorial training program has successfully hosted, curated and exhibited more than a dozen exhibitions as well as hosted the first PKX Arts Festival establishing the beginning of a Youth Arts Empowerment Zone in Poughkeepsie, NY.
The Members’ show, including Teen Visions will take place at the Trolley Barn Gallery from November 18 – December 9, 2022 with an opening reception on Friday, November 18, 2022 from 5-7pm.
Members are invited to participate in The Art Effect’s Members’ Show 2022, celebrating the talent of The Art Effect. This all media exhibition is open to painting, drawing, photography, textiles, ceramics, sculpture, and more. Not a member yet? Join The Art Effect at https://connect.thearteffect.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5
The Member Show: Virtual Gallery
Elvis x 3 • Jim Allen
B&W Gelatin Silver • 14.5” x 14.5” • Millbrook, NY • $500 • The Art Effect Member
Barrett Too • Lauren Clark
Digital Image • 14” x 11” x 1” • Wappingers Falls, NY • $110 • The Art Effect Member
Barrett • Lauren Clark
Digital Image • 14” x 11” x 1” • Wappingers Falls, NY • $110 •The Art Effect Member
Blue Horizon • Gary Falkenstern
Oil on Canvas • 30” x 23” • Wappingers Falls, NY • $750 • The Art Effect Member
Redemption • Gary Falkenstern
Oil on Canvas • 30” x 18” • Wappingers Falls, NY• $750 • The Art Effect Member
Dawn’s Gate • Gary Falkenstern
Oil on Canvas • 34” x 23” • Wappingers Falls, NY • $750 • The Art Effect Member
Dawn of a New Day • Donna Faranda
Digital Painting • 26” x 25” x 1” • Lagrangeville, NY • $1,250 • The Art Effect Member
Mother and Child by the Sea • Donna Faranda
Digital Painting • 24” x 19” x 1” • Lagrangeville, NY • $1,200 • The Art Effect Member
Queen Marie • Donna Faranda
Digital Painting • 29” x 19” x 1” • Lagrangeville, NY • $1,200 • The Art Effect Member
Palomino Portrait- “Nuzzle my Muzzle” • Tarryl Gabel
Oil • 12” x 12” x 2” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $950 • The Art Effect Member
Moored in the Sunset • Tarryl Gabel
Oil • 12” x 15” x 2” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $800 • The Art Effect Member
Beach Kids • Tarryl Gabel
Oil • 15” x 19” x 2” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $1,350 • The Art Effect Member
Financial Ruin • Ann Lebron
Mixed Media • 20” x 16” x .50” • Fishkill, NY • $1,250 • The Art Effect Member
Mr Collins’ Place (he worked on the Erie Canal) • Carol Loizides
Oil on Canvas • 32” x 32” x 1” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $1,000 • The Art Effect Member
Red Game • Edward Mills
Encaustic and Cold Wax on Board • 24” x 24” x 1.5” • Brooklyn, NY • $10,000 • The Art Effect Member
Many Times Over #5 • Edward Mills
Oil and Wax on Board • 14” x 32” x 2” • Brooklyn, NY • $7,500 • The Art Effect Member
Two Crooked Clocks • Edward Mills
Oil on Board • 16” x 12” x 1.5” • Brooklyn, NY • $3,000 • The Art Effect Member
Mo(u)rning Ritual 2020-2021 • Susan Nagel
Mixed Media • 14” x 11” x 2” • Rhinebeck, NY • NFS • The Art Effect Member
man • william tatum
Relief Woodcut • 9.25” x 7.75” x .50” • Hampton, VA • $150 • The Art Effect Member
Wish You Were Here • Jerry Wein
Framed Archival Print • 16” x 20” x 1” • Milton, NY • $200 • The Art Effect Member
Signori • Jerry Wein
Framed Archival Print • 16” x 20” x 1” • Milton, NY • $200 • The Art Effect Member
Cowgirl • Jerry Wein
Framed Archival Print • 16” x 16” x 1” • Milton, NY • $175 • The Art Effect Member
Ms Rumphius • Saoirse Blue Woods
India Ink • 11” x 10” • Beacon, NY • NFS • The Art Effect Member
Jumble • Saoirse Blue Woods
Watercolor • 12” x 9” • Beacon, NY • NFS • The Art Effect Member
Drinking Purple • Saoirse Blue Woods
Photography • 14” x 11” • Beacon, NY • $100 • The Art Effect Member
Lady Day • Helen Hosking
Cast Paper • 32” x 20” x 12” • Hyde Park, NY • $4,500 • The Art Effect Member
The Tango • Helen Hosking
Bronze and Marble • 20” x 16” x 17” • Hyde Park, NY • $12,500 • The Art Effect Member
Ulster County #3 • Helen Hosking
Ulster County #3 • Helen Hosking
Self Portrait with Fresh Eyes • Cathy Gins
Mixed Media • 40” x 29” x 29” • Hyde Park, NY • $5,500 • The Art Effect Member
Surveying the Tip of the Iceberg • Cathy Gins
Mixed Media • 30” x 14” x 14” • Hyde Park, NY • $3,000 • The Art Effect Member
Serious Jazz • Cathy Gins
Mixed Media • 11” x 6” x 6” • Hyde Park, NY • $1,800 • The Art Effect Member
untitled • Jayden Thomas
Oil on canvas • 11” x 14” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $75 • The Art Effect Member
untitled • Jayden Thomas
Oil on canvas • 11” x 14” • Poughkeepsie, NY • $75 • The Art Effect Member
untitled • Dakota Barden
Acrylic • 12” x 18” • Teen Visions
Portrait of Nalani • Ruby Brown
Acrylic and Collage • 18” x 16” • Teen Visions
Rose Colored Glass • Ruby Brown
Watercolor • 24” x 18” • Teen Visions
The Many Faces of Erynn • Jessica Byars
Digital Illustration • 13” x 31” • Teen Visions
untitled • Ariana Canada
Digital Illustration • 12.5” x 9.5” • Teen Visions
Watercolor • Elizabeth Costello
Watercolor • 9” x 12” • Teen Visions
untitled • Jordon Dixon
Digital Illustration • 11” x 8.5” • Teen Visions
Skeleton Baby • Celia Drury
Acrylic • 32” x 30” • Teen Visions
untitled • Spencer Dungan
Acrylic and Newspaper • 18” x 12” • Teen Visions
Self-Portrait • Daniela Duque Cruz
Charcoal • 24” x 18” • Teen Visions
The Puppet • Abby Eriksmoen
Digital Illustration • 16” x 16” • Teen Visions
Self-Portrait • Sienna Fredericks
Acrylic • 24” x 18” • Teen Visions
Portrait • Owen Goodwin
Acrylic • 15” x 11” • Teen Visions
Figure Painting • Dalya Hanel Sheshany
Acrylic • 32” x 24” • Teen Visions
untitled • Auden Kinahan
Acrylic • 4’ x 3’ • Teen Visions
Figure Painting • Auden Kinahan
Acrylic • 30” x 23.5” • Teen Visions
Still Life • Gabriel Kladakis
Mixed Media • 18” x 12” • Teen Visions
Impulse • Tabitha Koren
Acrylic • 18” x 18” • Teen Visions
Self-Portrait • Layla Leahy
Digital Composition • 15.5” x 15.5” • Teen Visions
Floating (Flame) • Vanessa Murphy
Acrylic • 38” x 31” • Teen Visions
Glitch • Elizabeth Ng
Digital Illustration • 20.5” x 18.5” • Teen Visions
Wonderland welcomes an array of media, including digital media, painting, collage, textiles, and installations. Wonderland reimagines the Trolley Barn 3,000 square foot gallery as a transcendental empire of cosmic expansion and ephemeral fascination. We find excitement in the curious. We invite work that disrupts standard notions of reality by exploring the Wonderland we create for ourselves. We ask – we recklessly ponder – how can your art help us reimagine our reality and create positive change in our community?
The Trolley Barn Gallery brings together an international roster of vital voices; presenting thought-provoking artwork and ideas in a renovated industrial space that is the hub for the area’s thriving arts scene. The Wonderland International Juried Exhibition was the point of entry to the PKX Wonderland Festival, September 15-17, 2022. The PKX Wonderland Festival will attracted hundreds of visitors and featured the unveiling of original public art commissions, performances, and creative activities in and around the Trolley Barn Gallery.
Curator, Allison M. Glenn in collaboration with youth from The Art Effect’s Curatorial Program Allison Glenn works collaboratively with The Art Effect’s Youth Curatorial Team to curate the Wonderland exhibition, selecting artworks from submissions from around the globe. Glenn received substantial critical and community praise for her curatorial work in the groundbreaking exhibition at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky titled, Promise, Witness, Remembrance, an exhibition that reflected on the life of Breonna Taylor, centered on her portrait painted by Amy Sherald. The New York Times selected the exhibition as one of the Best Art Exhibitions of 2021.
Gallery Hours Exhibition: September 15 – October 20 Wednesday-Friday: 2-5PM • Saturday: 12-4 PM (during exhibitions only) (Open Saturday, October 1, 6-8pm)
Virtual Artist Talk
Wonderland Virtual Gallery
This Is Just a Chandelier, Harrison Brisbon-McKinnon • Photography, $300
My art is a manifestation of my perceptions of the world. I strive to make space for my own opinion and give weight to my ideas. There is power in displaying one’s thoughts. I create to step into power.
Celebration • Monica Banks • $6,500
All moments, whether they’re spent in pain or pleasure, deserve a tribute, so out of respect for this exquisite spectrum, I make cakes out of clay to honor them. The prettiness of the cakes and their corresponding plates are an invitation to explore the emotions evoked by unexpected elements I add to them. They are a series of domestic monuments to life’s enchantments and perils.
Confusion hath made his masterpiece • Brandin Barón • $2,000
My recent art-making has been mired in otherworldly visions, and heavily-inspired by the dreamlike paintings of the past surrealists Max Ernst and Leonora Carrington. My artworks are “staged” through the process of layering my photographic and hand-rendered imagery with stock photography and digital textures. I utilize experimental printmaking techniques, especially in the play between different surface qualities of ink/paint/pigment, in a final output of 2-3 prints per image. Final prints are then embellished with hand-applied media, including: ink, gouache, pastel, acrylic, collage/assemblage and/or enamel.
Nammu, Goddess of the Primeval Seas • Roberta Bell • $4,200
“I am drawn to the stylized design of art and crafts from the prehistoric Egyptians to the early Mesoamerican cultures. The surviving small objects inspire my own small Wild Lulu figures. Just as the ancient objects embodied animistic characters, each of my figures become a character as I shape it with embellishments. My larger pieces are inspired by landscapes I treasure, which are currently at risk from climate change and other human pressures. Therefore, I give a second life to many materials in my pieces from the reclaimed wood to fabric and fiber pieces too small to use for anything else.
Fabric and fiber are foundational in my work as I have used both since childhood, learning at the feet of my mother, while the love of wood comes from my father, who taught me and generations of teens the finer details of woodworking. Thematically, my work is often a nod to childhood, inviting the viewer into a storybook scene. In essence, my works are stylized with a slight flavor of animism.”
The Resting Goddess • Alia Bensiman • $2,000
I’m a wife and mother of two kids. I have been interested and attracted to art and drawing since my early childhood. I grew up in Tunisia, North Africa and graduated from a fine art school in Product Design. Tunisia is at a crossroad of eastern and ancient art and cultures on one hand and western more contemporary art on the other. My art reflects a fusion of east and west with a penchant for North African and Berber art.
My artwork is contemporary art drawings that reflect my view of life and my sentiments about the current state of our society, socio political issues, taboos, religion, relationships, health, and human rights. It is also a depiction of my past experiences and how they have influenced me. My artwork is also a sort of diary of my everyday life. I like to use a combination of intricate lines, shapes and repetitive patterns that I usually enhance with colors, ink, gold and silver paint and watercolors to create the desired textures and intensity mostly on Arch paper.
Butterflies Save the Day • Jennifer Black • $350
Collage is a way to create new relationships from disparate elements and offer a new reality to the viewer that is at once familiar and fantastical. Each collage tells its own wonderful story, and as a material, it promotes preservation and conservation, creating something new from something lovely and used that would otherwise be thrown away. It is an exercise in mindfulness and craftsmanship that creates order, fantasy, and beauty. I am a maximalist with collage because more is better for creating believable new worlds.
In “”Butterflies Save the Day””, I embrace the dreamworld and weave it into the real world. The deep hue of the sky and the lightning storm, as well as the startling eyes of the foxes, keen to make mischief, create a mood that is tense, yet playful. The sign on the male fox, “Realm of knowledge and silence,” could apply to the dreamworld, the real world, or the bridge between the two. The overwhelming number of the butterflies alleviate the tension and provide safety, creating a feeling of relief.
In “”Gem’s Dream,”” it is entirely a dream of stimulation overload from a day at the carnival, from the sights to the cotton candy. It captures a moment of wonder and beauty, with a slight edge of shadow and mystery. What is the girl in the mask looking at, and how does her story interact with the girl who has a gem for a face? What is in the box with the feather? The viewer is invited to make up their own narrative and reminisce on days of fun gone by.
For “”Book of Spirits””, the collage is the story that the figure in black and white is reading about. The best books build new worlds and engage the reader’s imagination, much like “”Alice in Wonderland.”” New characters with unknown roles create wonder in the viewer and transform the reader to a world of color and light.
Candy Shoe • Elizabeth Caputo • $450
When I first thought of Wonderland, I immediately thought of Willy Wonka. That scene in the original movie when he sings about imagination and a big gummy bear drops on a little girl. Then I contemplated what kind of candy and right away came up with a candy shoe. I loved the concept of edible clothing with most of my favorite candy. I constructed the outer frame, then I attempted to make each little piece of candy, aiming to resemble real candy.
For my painting, I would love to live in a place with purple skies and dreamy landscaping. Add in a few media showers and that feels pretty dreamlike.
Immaculate Conception • Katie Cerato • Inquire About Price
My work explores the underlying spirit force which unites the universe. With our limited lifespans, human beings live mini and simultaneous narratives; our finite vision precludes us from seeing the interconnectedness of all things.
Consequently, my work seeks to synthesize an elusive alchemical principle: the presence of the whole within the part. Within our limited individual experiences of reality we are each constituted of the same particles of infinity, to which we will someday return. The foundation of my work is polarity; the unification of opposites (holding together a paradox within one’s own mind) is a powerful, magical thing.
I focus on minerals because their formation embodies the universe’s profound organization on the most fundamental atomic level. The growth of a crystal involves the exact arrangement of more than ten billion molecules a minute– a self-regulating assemblage of the universe’s most basic building blocks. The intersection of minerals’ ever repeating patterns are the places where science meets magic and nature inspires technology.
My process is one of intuition and induction. My practice oscillates between part and whole, concrete and abstract, accumulation and dissolution. Like crystallization, I work inductively: moving from the details of the micro to the broader structure of the macro, while the beholder may only enter from the outside inward.
At all stages of my process, I construct my work intuitively in layers— some visible, others obscured– each charged with intention. Like the layers of rock from whom we have developed our scale of geologic time, traces of this process always remain: the manifestations of weathering as temporal evidence of past conditions. These remnants invite the viewer up close to study the materiality as well as the meaning of the images’ arrangement. I hope to evoke an experience that mirrors my sensation of existing in a universe inundated with deluges of information— both psychic and physical.
Comatose • Karen Chen • NFS
Demented Wonderland
This is a series of paintings that were creating from a live scene based on “”demented wonderland””. The teen students picked the theme and assisted with setting up images and the live models. All were painted from life by a teen in classrooms of advanced art students. All of these students work hard and have goals of studying art at the academic level. They are building portfolios and learning how to go beyond classic skills to communicate how they see and feel about the world they live in. They all study at the Hull Art Academy outside of Dallas, Texas. Teaching style is very much student focused.
Seagull Hangs At The Base Of A Volcano • Charles Compo • $20,000
I find myself deliberately arranging items with or without so-called symbolic significance in a way that may or may not be affecting emotions and intellect. If I sit and stare at a painting that I am working on in my studio long enough or from enough different angles, forms begin to emerge.
I play with the brush and the paint on the canvas. With each stroke, thoughts emerge and find their place in the collective hallucination known as reality. I’m engaged in the ritual of exploring the boundaries of my imagination and passing the hours dedicated to an activity that has no practical use in the world other than the elevation of life.
Finding the Light in the Dark • Jeannine Dabb • $3,500
The mixed-media nature of the paintings includes found objects, acrylic paint, pen, ink, and gold leaf. These elements work together to inspire the viewer to see this wild world more positively. Cities and countrysides are amid a revitalization despite a pandemic, something that people want to be a part of. The hope is to evoke positive feelings with the utilization of brilliant colors, dynamic lines, and gold leaf and mica. There are stories told between the colors and found objects, personal and sometimes complex responses to how I feel when I see these places or interact with the people within them. I want to create a sense of brightness, revitalization, and excitement for the viewer despite the sometimes depressing and heavyweight we may feel. The importance of learning to enjoy the ride and pivot in response to difficult times and situations is vital, it is about balancing the load, or getting back on when you fall off the horse.
Town Hall • Lydia Dildilian • $950
My work explores the complicated relationships between land and American identity by recontextualizing, examining, and investigating the idea of the American Dream with the contemporary and historical visual representations of land or landscape imagery. This leads my work into a Venn diagram circling the history of American landscape imagery and contemporary social issues like fourth-wave feminism, pop-culture, identity, and issues surrounding climate change. These new viewpoints present critical insights to viewing Western land, its use, and the dissolution of the American Dream. Through my mixed media paintings, I plan to explore these themes and research with a newly imagined American landscape that is fractured, higher-real, and reworked. The content will pull visual references from Google maps, screenshots from the Fallout franchise video games, science fiction television series like Raised by Wolves and Star Wars, and peripheral pop culture content such as memes, commercials, or Tik-Tok videos.
Life Flows Calmly Like Celestial Beings • Amy DiMare • $700
Growing up I was surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and being able to share images of the desert, and places that are special to me has always been what I love about photography, but the idea that photography is capturing this beautiful world and reproducing on flat paper, there was something lack luster for me. The lack of creating with my hands and manipulating art with physical techniques is lost in the digital world. So I took to my photos with a knife. I started cutting out the most interesting parts of my landscape and travel photos then putting them together. That’s how imaginary landscapes are created. The act of using photos I’ve taken and creating something or somewhere that no one has been. Making radically different landscapes flow together was a creative avenue I wanted to explore more of. Imaginary Landscapes is a project I’ve been working on for many years now and it’s always evolving and changing, much like the world around us. It’s about creating a place that no one has been but feels like home at the same time. Each piece has something we can all relate to. It’s your backyard, the trip you’ve always wanted to take or the old house you grew up in and I’m simply creating visual interpretations of it. Photography is a tactile art for me and because of that everything I create is one of a kind and I hardly ever make the same cut twice.
In The Wink of An Eye • Donna Faranda • $1,200
“I have created works on paper for the past 30, but have not utilized a paint brush since I discovered that I could create art work on my computer. The computer, scanner, and computer software have become the tools of my medium. I use Corel Painter, a raster-image program, which allows me to place dots as brush strokes, and create my pointillist pieces. Through the use of these programs, I have found a means in which to fulfill my desire to construct and organize my world
Through the use of a computer painting program, I can render the nobility of womankind. While working, I employ elements of collage in my paintings to conjure up images created from a mixture of fantasy, mood and symbolism, blended together in a variety of ways to create my own world. I try to communicate through these images, paintings that reflect these women’s inner stories as well as their inner beauty.
Most of my art work celebrates mythic women and the valor they have displayed when faced with adversity. They also encompasses the many facets, of womanhood as my paintings personify all that makes up their challenges, their heroic experiences as well as their day to day lives. I try to render the innate nobility of these women as they grapple with their demons and face opposition, challenged by whatever obstacles life has to offer.
By Moonlight • Alexandra Farber • $800
I seek to tell the stories around and inside of the human heart, big and small, using evocative composition and colors. While every small detail in a piece may have a unique meaning to me, it is the interpretation of my audience that fascinates me the most. I hope to bring an interesting approach to daily life that makes people question their worldviews and approaches, hopefully in a way that can touch someone in a meaningful way.
Jupiter Terrace • Alexandra Farber • $800
I seek to tell the stories around and inside of the human heart, big and small, using evocative composition and colors. While every small detail in a piece may have a unique meaning to me, it is the interpretation of my audience that fascinates me the most. I hope to bring an interesting approach to daily life that makes people question their worldviews and approaches, hopefully in a way that can touch someone in a meaningful way.
Untitled #3 • Joseph Gattulli, NFS
“I’m Joseph Gattulli, an artist based on Long Island, New York.
My work centres around the key themes both healing and closure. The body of work is an expression and representation of my own internal healing process.
The individual marks, patterns and shapes both intentional and accidental are an artistic expression of an emotion I am either healing from or manifesting within the piece.
My use of color is intentional and representative of various emotions. Passion and energy are conveyed through the use of red hues. Darker hues such as black symbolise ignorance, sorrow and evil – both experienced and felt. The use of white hues is for innocence and the feeling of fear.
The physical shapes within my work are also symbolic; the key one being circles. I am drawn to geometric shapes without divisions or are uniform and complete. This unity, without a clear beginning or end is much like life and our experiences – we don’t always need to know where we are starting and where we are going to.”
Self-Portrait of Artist Dreaming • Cathy Gins • $5,500
“”When you change the way you look at things the things you looks at change”. This quote from Wayne Dyer explains that when we release our preconceived notions about ourselves and the world around us new possibilities emerge.
As part of creating a new context for my life by moving homes, I began editing the trove of collections stored in my attic. I found that the relevance of many objects had expired. I selected special pieces and separated them from their original categories to form a new one called “keepers. These diverse “keepers” were still beautiful to me in some way and I was determined to give them a new context as well.
We can be transformed by the relationships we engage in and the best ones bring forth our beauty and potential in new ways. So it happened that a rubber finger puppet in a vintage silk landscape started preaching the gospel; a linen napkin and a fruit bowl became the foundation of a jewel-filled reliquary and a ruby eyed rabbit, the nose on my self-portrait.
Waterland Clock • Cathy Gins • $2,800
““When you change the way you look at things the things you looks at change”. This quote from Wayne Dyer explains that when we release our preconceived notions about ourselves and the world around us new possibilities emerge.
As part of creating a new context for my life by moving homes, I began editing the trove of collections stored in my attic. I found that the relevance of many objects had expired. I selected special pieces and separated them from their original categories to form a new one called “keepers. These diverse “keepers” were still beautiful to me in some way and I was determined to give them a new context as well.
We can be transformed by the relationships we engage in and the best ones bring forth our beauty and potential in new ways. So it happened that a rubber finger puppet in a vintage silk landscape started preaching the gospel; a linen napkin and a fruit bowl became the foundation of a jewel-filled reliquary and a ruby eyed rabbit, the nose on my self-portrait.”
Abstracting Eternity – The Lunar Color • Zixiong Jin • $975
During the tough time of the pandemic. I decided to take a year off and moved from Seattle to western Texas to work on my one-year astrophotography project. I spent over a year camping near the border between the United States and Mexico because of its great weather condition. I used a telescope, a monochrome cooling camera, an equatorial mount, and a motorized optical filter wheel that included Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen-III, Sulfur-II, Red, Green, Blue, and Luminance filters to capture all kinds of color and luminance in the universe.
The series of these images include different types of nebulas and galaxies with different fields of view and has won many world-class awards this and the past year. While capturing images under the sky of stars, I realized that the only thing that had never changed during the pandemic is outer space, which is beyond our atmosphere. They remain the same for more than millions of years, but our world of the earth has changed greatly due to the pandemic.
Abstracting Eternity – North America Nebula • Zixiong Jin • $1,425
“During the tough time of the pandemic. I decided to take a year off and moved from Seattle to western Texas to work on my one-year astrophotography project. I spent over a year camping near the border between the United States and Mexico because of its great weather condition. I used a telescope, a monochrome cooling camera, an equatorial mount, and a motorized optical filter wheel that included Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen-III, Sulfur-II, Red, Green, Blue, and Luminance filters to capture all kinds of color and luminance in the universe.
The series of these images include different types of nebulas and galaxies with different fields of view and has won many world-class awards this and the past year. While capturing images under the sky of stars, I realized that the only thing that had never changed during the pandemic is outer space, which is beyond our atmosphere. They remain the same for more than millions of years, but our world of the earth has changed greatly due to the pandemic.”
Abstrcting Eternity – Veil Nebula • Jin Zixiong, $1,425
“During the tough time of the pandemic. I decided to take a year off and moved from Seattle to western Texas to work on my one-year astrophotography project. I spent over a year camping near the border between the United States and Mexico because of its great weather condition. I used a telescope, a monochrome cooling camera, an equatorial mount, and a motorized optical filter wheel that included Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen-III, Sulfur-II, Red, Green, Blue, and Luminance filters to capture all kinds of color and luminance in the universe.
The series of these images include different types of nebulas and galaxies with different fields of view and has won many world-class awards this and the past year. While capturing images under the sky of stars, I realized that the only thing that had never changed during the pandemic is outer space, which is beyond our atmosphere. They remain the same for more than millions of years, but our world of the earth has changed greatly due to the pandemic.”
Abstracting – Eternity Heart Nebula • Zixiong Jin • $1,425
“During the tough time of the pandemic. I decided to take a year off and moved from Seattle to western Texas to work on my one-year astrophotography project. I spent over a year camping near the border between the United States and Mexico because of its great weather condition. I used a telescope, a monochrome cooling camera, an equatorial mount, and a motorized optical filter wheel that included Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen-III, Sulfur-II, Red, Green, Blue, and Luminance filters to capture all kinds of color and luminance in the universe.
The series of these images include different types of nebulas and galaxies with different fields of view and has won many world-class awards this and the past year. While capturing images under the sky of stars, I realized that the only thing that had never changed during the pandemic is outer space, which is beyond our atmosphere. They remain the same for more than millions of years, but our world of the earth has changed greatly due to the pandemic.”
Abstracting Eternity – Elephant Trunk • Zixiong Jin • $1,425
“During the tough time of the pandemic. I decided to take a year off and moved from Seattle to western Texas to work on my one-year astrophotography project. I spent over a year camping near the border between the United States and Mexico because of its great weather condition. I used a telescope, a monochrome cooling camera, an equatorial mount, and a motorized optical filter wheel that included Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen-III, Sulfur-II, Red, Green, Blue, and Luminance filters to capture all kinds of color and luminance in the universe.
The series of these images include different types of nebulas and galaxies with different fields of view and has won many world-class awards this and the past year. While capturing images under the sky of stars, I realized that the only thing that had never changed during the pandemic is outer space, which is beyond our atmosphere. They remain the same for more than millions of years, but our world of the earth has changed greatly due to the pandemic.”
Even Flow • Romessa Khan • $890
“I am a visual artist and an inveterate dreamer. I create my artwork by tapping into my subconscious mind where realities exist with the absence of any restrictions or barriers.It allows me the perspective of many lives lived. This illusion then becomes firmly rooted within and emerges as art. By banishing from the mind anything that may impose limitations I allow myself to create augmented realities.
My artworks are a combination of photography, oil, plaster and acrylic on canvas to create enhanced textures and emphasis on story telling.
The subconscious mind can be used to visualize problems that need solving. Sometimes the noise in our heads drowns out the simplest of solutions. I find myself drawn to the surreal world in the depths of my mind where I hold the power to manipulate reality and find a clear path. A world that rejects the conventional enables creative problem solving.My aim is to strike the viewer with the absurd realities that exist within the imagination and to see the stories of many lives from the surreal world surface on to the realms of reality.”
Solitude • Romessa Khan • $325
“I am a visual artist and an inveterate dreamer. I create my artwork by tapping into my subconscious mind where realities exist with the absence of any restrictions or barriers.It allows me the perspective of many lives lived. This illusion then becomes firmly rooted within and emerges as art. By banishing from the mind anything that may impose limitations I allow myself to create augmented realities.
My artworks are a combination of photography, oil, plaster and acrylic on canvas to create enhanced textures and emphasis on story telling.
The subconscious mind can be used to visualize problems that need solving. Sometimes the noise in our heads drowns out the simplest of solutions. I find myself drawn to the surreal world in the depths of my mind where I hold the power to manipulate reality and find a clear path. A world that rejects the conventional enables creative problem solving.My aim is to strike the viewer with the absurd realities that exist within the imagination and to see the stories of many lives from the surreal world surface on to the realms of reality.”
Boho Mod Hip • Joseph Kosdrosky • $700
In my work, I create ‘animals’ that do the best they can to endure the modern world. My animal characters navigate the circumstances they find themselves in using determination, a certain flourish, and a sense of humor. These characters inhabit a color-saturated world of imagery culled from retro design, vintage children’s books, and catalogues of outdated products and technology. The silent though animated creatures invite the viewer to connect and invent a narrative for them as the protagonists of the story.
Super Connector • Joseph Kosdrosky • $700
In my work, I create ‘animals’ that do the best they can to endure the modern world. My animal characters navigate the circumstances they find themselves in using determination, a certain flourish, and a sense of humor. These characters inhabit a color-saturated world of imagery culled from retro design, vintage children’s books, and catalogues of outdated products and technology. The silent though animated creatures invite the viewer to connect and invent a narrative for them as the protagonists of the story.
The Collector • Elisabeth Ladwig • $1,550
“I was eleven when I decided adults were wrong: magic does exist. As I lay in the grass watching pre-tornado skies, I realized it was all around me, hidden behind the sciences of meteorology, botany, astronomy… the warmth of miracles overshadowed by equations and proofs. It became clear that the beauty of science, nature, and magic was one and the same, and it saddened me that the miraculous nature of it all had been dismissed so irresponsibly over time. Nature is full of stories of creativity, courage, and survival, inspiring me to be more aware of how I might craft my own life. Photo compositing allows me to create metaphorical reminders of the magic and miracles all around us in an attempt to bring humanity back home to its roots: kin of the Earth. So with a nod to Mother Nature and her fairytale existence, I work to seek out equal beauty in the storm as in the sunrise.”
Wonder • Jessica Libor, $300
“My work is about the feminine protagonist creating her own personal mythology and meaning. In life, our choices help us discover who we are and who we are going to be. It is through this process of self discovery that we begin to know ourselves. Through using the symbology and tropes found within fairytales, I explore the concept of the virgin’s promise: the process of self discovery that the heroine faces that forces her to turn inwards and to find her own identity; making choices all her own against prevailing odds. It is through strengthening her own sense of self and ownership of her destiny that the protagonist creates the ability to improve her own life and the lives of those within her kingdom. Other concepts that relate to my work are the reflection of nature mirroring the feminine biology and spirit, the use of costuming and fashion to create identity, and animal symbology.
My mediums include oils, mixed media, precious metals, dry mediums such as pastel and charcoal, and sometimes film and installation. I love the idea of making a precious object, such was created historically with the use of precious materials. When I use gold and silver leaf, I am conscious of this alchemical and sacred history as I create my own precious object imbued with ideas and meaning.”
Jessica Libor is an American artist who received her Master of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2014. She works in her studio in Philadelphia, and also serves as an art professor at Harcum College. She is also the host of the Inspired Painter Podcast, teaches at the Visionary Artist’s Salon, and curates at Era Contemporary Gallery.”
Odilon on repeat • Anna Myers • NFS
“Art exists to elevate the average human’s experience… a sacred realm
serving as a gateway through which any person can transcend the
mundane. By means of stygian outré images, this artist hopes to evoke that
transcendental experience.
In keeping with the traditions set by the Symbolists, charcoal depictions
present the audience with a glimpse into a totally foreign domain. Set in a
gloomy twilight dimension, unrecognizable figures desperately reach for
the faint glow of dimming celestial bodies.
With the passage of time, these environmental manifestations have been
transformed. Extracted from their picture plane sanctuary, they have been
adapted for corporeal interaction. These effigies bridge the gap between two diametrically opposed worlds.”
Kunda • Anna Myers • NFS
“Art exists to elevate the average human’s experience… a sacred realm
serving as a gateway through which any person can transcend the
mundane. By means of stygian outré images, this artist hopes to evoke that
transcendental experience.
In keeping with the traditions set by the Symbolists, charcoal depictions
present the audience with a glimpse into a totally foreign domain. Set in a
gloomy twilight dimension, unrecognizable figures desperately reach for
the faint glow of dimming celestial bodies.
With the passage of time, these environmental manifestations have been
transformed. Extracted from their picture plane sanctuary, they have been
adapted for corporeal interaction. These effigies bridge the gap between two diametrically opposed worlds.”
Rest stop at the dam • Mark Neumann • $1,650
My photographs incorporate prefabricated HO scale figures (often used by model railroad hobbyists) placed in natural and constructed site-specific landscapes. The images are akin to dioramas, but created in actual places. These photographs are not a result of superimposing existing images into a compositional collage. Instead, they result from traveling to places and setting up scenes using miniatures, sometimes constructing my own props, and relying on available light. Since the small-scale figures are less than one inch in size, photographs are the only way to see the “scenes” depicted in these temporary dioramas.
Sleepwalker • Mark Neumann • $1,700
My photographs incorporate prefabricated HO scale figures (often used by model railroad hobbyists) placed in natural and constructed site-specific landscapes. The images are akin to dioramas, but created in actual places. These photographs are not a result of superimposing existing images into a compositional collage. Instead, they result from traveling to places and setting up scenes using miniatures, sometimes constructing my own props, and relying on available light. Since the small-scale figures are less than one inch in size, photographs are the only way to see the “scenes” depicted in these temporary dioramas.
Sumo and Spirit find water in the desert • Mark Neumann • $1,500
My photographs incorporate prefabricated HO scale figures (often used by model railroad hobbyists) placed in natural and constructed site-specific landscapes. The images are akin to dioramas, but created in actual places. These photographs are not a result of superimposing existing images into a compositional collage. Instead, they result from traveling to places and setting up scenes using miniatures, sometimes constructing my own props, and relying on available light. Since the small-scale figures are less than one inch in size, photographs are the only way to see the “scenes” depicted in these temporary dioramas.
Eleanor in a Witchcraft Scene II: The Dance • Eleanor Olson, $1,200
“From my studio I gaze upon a collection of objects- a human skull, a moose scapula, a pinned butterfly- and I muse on what it means to be a person in a world divided into human and animal. Utilizing a surrealist approach, I combine scientific investigations with classical oil painting creating tableaus exploring my personhood in the anthropocene. I paint figurative compositions, make artist books and performative installations. My paintings utilize a contemporary color palette and a variety of visual languages ranging from romantic to scientific. My implementation of digital collage sketches emphasizes surreality through jarring scale shifts, misplacement, and hard edged collaged remnants while allowing me to cohesively blend some areas.
I masquerade stories of environmental destruction under the guise of traditional modes of visual information dissemination. By playing with themes from scientific illustrations, religious iconography, and traditional still lifes, I am evoking the contextualized importance of the environment as all encompassing. Within my practice there is a notable split between introspection and external examination. I represent my internal ecology through self portraits, and approach expansive human interactions through investigations of personhood within nature.
My paintings challenge their viewer, staring back, challenging, and performing. They ask you to reflect on your place–who you are, who your kin are, who your pests are, and who deserves to be saved. My practice is a desperate attempt to answer these questions. It is a quest to find my place in an environment undergoing immense change, and to understand my role as steward and pupil.”
“People often touch my hair without asking first, which makes me feel like merchandise on display. The weight of these interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, frustration, and ultimately feelings of powerlessness.
Using racial injustice as a starting point, I weave fiber sculptures, juxtaposing recycled fiber and found objects using free form weaving, coiling, knotting, wrapping and jewelry making techniques. Meticulously curated materials, transformed by their collective memory become “social fabric” weaving together contemporary issues and personal narratives in an effort to dispose of emotional baggage.
Extensions of rope, impeccably wrapped, woven, tied and embellished with recycled beads, zip ties, ribbon, lace, tape and bottle cap bobbles lure the viewer into a hue-imbued, installations deconstructing microaggressions. Bold whimsical sculptures, gingerly invite the viewer to participate in off the-wall conversations about stereotypes and implicit bias.”
Power Puff with Black Racing Stripe • Theda Sandiford • $10,000
“People often touch my hair without asking first, which makes me feel like merchandise on display. The weight of these interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, frustration, and ultimately feelings of powerlessness.
Using racial injustice as a starting point, I weave fiber sculptures, juxtaposing recycled fiber and found objects using free form weaving, coiling, knotting, wrapping and jewelry making techniques. Meticulously curated materials, transformed by their collective memory become “social fabric” weaving together contemporary issues and personal narratives in an effort to dispose of emotional baggage.
Extensions of rope, impeccably wrapped, woven, tied and embellished with recycled beads, zip ties, ribbon, lace, tape and bottle cap bobbles lure the viewer into a hue-imbued, installations deconstructing microaggressions. Bold whimsical sculptures, gingerly invite the viewer to participate in off the-wall conversations about stereotypes and implicit bias.”
“People often touch my hair without asking first, which makes me feel like merchandise on display. The weight of these interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, frustration, and ultimately feelings of powerlessness.
Using racial injustice as a starting point, I weave fiber sculptures, juxtaposing recycled fiber and found objects using free form weaving, coiling, knotting, wrapping and jewelry making techniques. Meticulously curated materials, transformed by their collective memory become “social fabric” weaving together contemporary issues and personal narratives in an effort to dispose of emotional baggage.
Extensions of rope, impeccably wrapped, woven, tied and embellished with recycled beads, zip ties, ribbon, lace, tape and bottle cap bobbles lure the viewer into a hue-imbued, installations deconstructing microaggressions. Bold whimsical sculptures, gingerly invite the viewer to participate in off the-wall conversations about stereotypes and implicit bias.”
Master • Egor Shokoladov • $540
I create graphic art by variety of visual art processes like pencil, pen and marker drawing, oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, and printmaking technique called etching. In fact, I often mix several of these methods and media in my artwork to better express my thoughts and impressions. I work in a variety of genres, which are dictated by the story in mind and the chosen angle. Some of my images can be compared to a riddle or mystery of some kind – one can “read” the story behind them similar to how one would read a story in a book. My creations show my mood and my mental state at a given moment, which can range in a spectrum from irony and humor to serious and reflexive. Personages and situations illustrated on my paper and canvas or engraved on zinc plates are easily relatable to and bring positive vibes into the world. I pay close attention to details attracting the viewer to explore all parts of the story behind each of my artistic pieces with me. My style has noticeable European shade as I am a recent immigrant from Eastern Europe.
Her Idea of Time • Cory Spraker • $3,500
“Cory Spraker is a multidisciplinary artist whose work draws attention to the delicacy of the human form, often expressed through layering and mark making. Caught in moments of solitude or introspection, figures in his work are isolated by light from outside their world; drawing attention to their repose and contemplation. other elements, pulled from nature, refer back to the human figures at the center of each work.
Cory received his BFA in Painting with a concentration in drawings from SUNY New Paltz in 2014. He currently lives and works in New York’s Hudson Valley.”
Reclining Sunset Nude • Morgan Suter • $5,000
Self portraiture is something I will never tire of. I will always be fascinated by my own overlapping forms, and by my ample flesh. What the work truly represents is the instinctual obligation to express my innermost feelings, delusions, aversions, and desires, using the body as a catalyst and as the primary subject. In my paintings, I build lush universes that are only somewhat reminiscent of reality to encompass my body. The distortions of linear and atmospheric perspective are entirely intentional. When my self portraits confront the viewer through gesture and eye contact, I am showing you the truest aspects of myself, with this entire universe that I’ve fabricated consuming me, determining my shape and form and amplifying the color that engulfs me. The work feels like an inbetween place, reflective of how I often feel as though I am operating in two separate realms, that of a maker, and that of someone who often feels infinitesimal and powerless. These paintings synthesize these worlds, imposing my figure onto vivid pseudo spaces, fantasies that range from hyper romantic to borderline deranged. Disregarding local color and how we’ve been conditioned to perceive color, it’s actually easy to see that color and light bounce everywhere and that nothing is entirely one single, local color. I often feel as though my work is able to occupy space and articulate itself in ways that I am unable to. The self portraits are self conscious in some ways, but the figures are always sure of themselves, intentionally situated, made up of heavy brushstrokes and opaque, loud colors. I am fabricating a truth for my body to exist in that deviates from an expected figure ground relationship. Somewhat naturalistic figures don’t necessarily belong in artificial spaces, but in my paintings they merge together to form a cohesive image. My work is ultimately my response to my own observations and influences, a way for me to outwardly express myself in a primitive, intuitive manner.
Self Portrait with Butterfly Friends • Morgan Suter • $575
Self portraiture is something I will never tire of. I will always be fascinated by my own overlapping forms, and by my ample flesh. What the work truly represents is the instinctual obligation to express my innermost feelings, delusions, aversions, and desires, using the body as a catalyst and as the primary subject. In my paintings, I build lush universes that are only somewhat reminiscent of reality to encompass my body. The distortions of linear and atmospheric perspective are entirely intentional. When my self portraits confront the viewer through gesture and eye contact, I am showing you the truest aspects of myself, with this entire universe that I’ve fabricated consuming me, determining my shape and form and amplifying the color that engulfs me. The work feels like an inbetween place, reflective of how I often feel as though I am operating in two separate realms, that of a maker, and that of someone who often feels infinitesimal and powerless. These paintings synthesize these worlds, imposing my figure onto vivid pseudo spaces, fantasies that range from hyper romantic to borderline deranged. Disregarding local color and how we’ve been conditioned to perceive color, it’s actually easy to see that color and light bounce everywhere and that nothing is entirely one single, local color. I often feel as though my work is able to occupy space and articulate itself in ways that I am unable to. The self portraits are self conscious in some ways, but the figures are always sure of themselves, intentionally situated, made up of heavy brushstrokes and opaque, loud colors. I am fabricating a truth for my body to exist in that deviates from an expected figure ground relationship. Somewhat naturalistic figures don’t necessarily belong in artificial spaces, but in my paintings they merge together to form a cohesive image. My work is ultimately my response to my own observations and influences, a way for me to outwardly express myself in a primitive, intuitive manner.
Eggs for Breakfast • Kate Zhang • NFS
“Simple notions in life hold such invaluable meanings for the society that many take for granted. The world that we live in comprises millions of networks, acting as the glue between different kinds of people, the environment, and every existing thing. While there is an evident hierarchy among beings and objects on Earth, mutual interaction is inevitable as there is no way to exist without one another. Surface-level as it may seem, humans need so-called “”insignificant”” things such as insects to function, and they too, need us. The world is connected in ways that we often just pass over and disregard, not fully understanding the worth and importance.
My work is an examination of this relationship seen in society through unusual connections that may not always be clear. “”Eggs for Breakfast”” is a painting in which I depict the overlooked tie between us humans and one of the most basic animals that we rely on: chickens. Despite how trivial the presence of these creatures may seem to us at first glance, they hold an irreplaceable role in our needs. Among those is that they supply us with one of humankind’s most precious sources of nutrition. We raise and protect the chickens, and in return, they provide us with the profit we need, creating a repetitive chain of life that can be seen in my piece.
Interconnectedness remains one of the most disregarded yet valuable things in our world. We must be aware of this relationship and think about what can be done for one another to make this community as reciprocally beneficial as possible. Our ecosystem is simple yet complex, connecting one to another with invisible strings not always clear in the initial image.”
Norman Aragones • Growing Up • Acrylic • 16” x 20” • San Jose, CA • $300
Oli Boyer • Drains • yarn, plastic tubes, latex gloves • 13” x 130” • Philadelphia, PA
Juliana Woods • A Spill • collage and acrylic on board • 47” x 47” x 1” • Warwick, NY • $600
Nadia Torres • Blue still life • Pastel on paper • SAI Session 3
Esperanza Alzona Opposing Views Cast Iron 7.5” x 7.25” x 4.75” Frederick, MD $1,000 Alzona depicts a physical form of two heads merged and an athletic torso form with vertical lines carved into it, embodying self-identity and manifestations of spirituality. Alzona is a professional dancer, choreographer, and competitive athlete who makes sculptures made out of metal. The weight and material of the metal indicate the heaviness of being human, as well as the bond of body-mind experiences.
Michael A • Black Power • 9.5” x 11.5” • Baltimore, MD • 8th grade, NFS
