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.”
“Tlazotl, Weaver’s Wings” Exhibition opening, July 29 from 4-6pm showcasing actual indigenous garb, on display at the Trolley Barn (489 Main Street, Poughkeepsie) This collection of textiles and traditional costumes represent the daily lives of the many indigenous groups of Oaxaca. The huipil, created by the Oaxaca women is a hand-woven cotton tunic using natural dyes and adorned with embroidery. The traditional garments offer a visual language in which the natural wealth of the territory, the history of its people, and the indigenous cosmogony are reflected. The exhibit has been shown in Florence, Italy, Panama, Ecuador, and now Poughkeepsie.
FEATURING TEXTILES FROM THE REGIONS OF:
Papaloapan
Mazatec Sierra
Chicahuxtla
Tlahuitoltepec
Ojitlan
Mixteca
San Pedro Amuzgos
Tamazulapam del Espíritu Santo
San Juan Cotzocón
Ejutla Central Valley
“Art in a Suitcase: Women Creators of the World” Exhibition opening, July 29 from 3-4pm at the MASS Design Group (289 Main Street, Poughkeepsie) Featuring six Oaxacan female artists in a variety of media: photography, ceramics, oil and watercolor painting. Although born in different parts of the world and working with varying artistic media, this group of women artists reflect the rich cultural ambiance that Oaxaca offers them through a collection of work that is easily portable throughout the world. Art in a Suitcase: Women Creators of the World has been shown at the Municipal Palace of Santa Cruz Colchagua, Chile as well as throughout Mexico, Europe, and Latin America.
SELECTED ARTISTS:
Cecilia Salcedo
Maria Rosa Astorga
Ines Lara
Nora Muro
Siegrid Wiese
Yari Montes
Tlazotl, Weaver’s Wings Virtual Gallery
Aurelia Cubas Cruz
Eric Mindling
Traditional textiles from the Regions of Oaxaca photographed by Eric Mindling
Textiles tradicionales de las Regiones de Oaxaca.
Erlinda Mateos Romero
Huatepec
Juana Bautista Garcia
Luisa Molina Jeronimo
Maria Antonia
Norberta Merino Hilario
Pascuala Rosa Manuela
Petra Jimenez Bautista
San Felipe Usila
San Lorenzo
San Pedro Amuzgo
Santa Maria Zacatepec
Tejas Tlahuitoltepec
Petra Gomez Pacheco has made pulque, fermented from the sap of these agaves for her entire life.
The High Contrast International Juried Exhibition is composed of 29 artworks that make stark contrasts visible and/or draw our attention to radical differences in the world around us. High Contrast welcomes a diverse array of media, including digital media, film, graphic art, painting, illustration, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, video and installation art.
“It was a pleasure to work with the youth curatorial team on this exhibition. They chose high contrast as the driving force behind the show, and their insightful approaches to this generative theme propelled us to explore the idea of duality from many perspectives. As we shifted through the submissions we talked about formal contrast between light and dark, material contrasts between hard and soft, and conceptual contrasts between the intimate and the public. Valuing each of these approaches to the theme equally, together, we developed an exhibition that is itself a study in contrasts.”
-Alexis Lowry
Fine art print on cotton paper
26 x 39 inches
$1,800
2021
New York, NY
anaistost.com
I’m fascinated by the idea of “elsewhere”: Elsewhere both is and can be anywhere else and everywhere else. Working with layers of various mediums creates that vision and feeling of Elsewhere. Placing together elements so for a moment, I find myself there, a moment of stability in an ever-changing life. Through art I create a place to be at peace, to belong to, a home unbound to one permanent geographical or physical location.
16 x 20 x 1 inches
$600
Mixed Media Textile
Pflugerville, TX
www.daniellembenda.com
My artworks address social and cultural needs and intend to empower women in communities around the globe while promoting identity and inclusion as a global heritage. Behind each creation lies an inspiration from my lifetime of experiences and my lifelong passion as an artist. I embarked on a journey to raise awareness of gender-based violence from an artistic perspective. I’ve been there. I used to express myself through the patterns and colors in what I designed and wore. That became a true inspiration driving my passion for women’s empowerment while building on my legacy to positively impact future generations of women by stopping them from slipping into the trauma of violence, gender inequality, and women subjugation. My commitment expands into Diversity and Inclusion. I want to show there are inherent values in the African heritage. My artworks highlight the beauty of diversity. It’s part of the cultural exchange, making the world a more beautiful, connected place for everyone.
Mixed media
7 x 5 x 2 inches
$5,000
2021
New York, NY
https://yunqiyang.squarespace.com
I want my work to raise awareness of environmental issues such as environmental pollution by using video collages, which consist of paintings and photo collages. Moreover, my installation means creating an immersive experience for the viewer. I want to invite the viewers to experience or have fun in my work and remind them of the importance of nature in our daily lives and nature's beauty.
Paper, textiles
60 x 48 inches
$3,000
2021
Kent, CT
https://www.instagram.com/stacybogdonoff/
I make two and three-dimensional art exploring the theme of “Home and Shelter” and how those change as we age and move through life. My tools and media are diverse. They include portable coat racks employed as looms and a 100 lb. metal rolling mill used for both hardening brass and embossing linen. I use foot long steel needles, single ply silk thread, florist wire, tea-stained vintage aprons, oil slicked plastic picked up in the street, and used baker’s parchment paper. I mix and match, and compare and contrast my mixed media always keeping it in line by referring back to the theme of “Home and Shelter”. My work may look abstract but it’s not. It’s deeply representational. “18 Houses” and “50 in the City” are part of a series “All the Places I’ve Ever Lived” and “One Less” explores the loss of a sibling, a change in a family. It is a gift to be an artist and I have never doubted its place in my life. Living with the process is my favorite place to be.
Photograph
12 x 9 inches
$600
Port Wentworth, GA
Some of my biggest inspirations in my art are the mundane and banal. Simple shapes, objects, and lines encountered countless times in everyday life tend to capture my attention. In this project, I photographed objects found in and around power lines in stark black-and-white. When presented in this way, these wires and metal pieces are transformed into graphic, almost landscape-like images.
Moss, steel, TV
9 x 12 x 14 inches
NFS
2021
Lagrangeville, NY
natureimpacts.art
Serena Domingues is a sculptor and creative in the Hudson Valley. Serena has an Associate's Degree in Visual Arts from Dutchess Community College and currently owns a gardening business in Dutchess County. She has been a ceramicist for over 5 years and has been a welding apprentice for 2 years. Serena's goal is to evoke an awareness to the natural world and external forces beyond ourselves. She strives to communicate an understanding for human nature and how to perceive this reality.
Acrylic on wrapped canvas
24 x 24 inches
$530
2010
Windsor, CO
rebeccabch.fineartstudioonline.com
I remember.
We could breathe without filters. Lakes and oceans were good places to swim, before they were poison. All we have left are photographs and videos.
This is what we will say if climate change is left to run rampant. The Earth we know is already disappearing.
Our window is closing.
Light sculpture
16 x 18 inches
$1,440
2015
Brooklyn, NY
www.paulacastillot.com
In the attempt to expose the essential role of light and darkness in how we perceive our environment, my art investigates the capacity of light illusions as a way to heighten our perception of light phenomena to physically and experientially engage people in space.
Digital photograph on cotton rag, dibond mount, satin lamina
32 x 45 inches
$4,400
2021
Santa Fe, NM
www.nataliechristensenphoto.com
My interest is in investigating the more banal peripheral landscapes that often go unnoticed by the casual observer. I choose to shoot in locations that may be viewed as uninteresting or even visually off-putting. Closed and open doors, empty parking lots and forgotten swimming pools draw me into a scene; yet it is my reactions to these objects and spaces that elicit interpretation and projection. This is exciting and challenging for me, to “see” something hiding in plain sight. The symbols and spaces in my images are an invitation to explore a rich world concealed from consciousness and an enticement to contemplate narratives that have no remarkable life yet tap into something deeply familiar to our experience; often disturbing, sometimes amusing...unquestionably present.
Unfired clay in shadow box
16 x 20 x 4 inches
$2,500
2021
East Hampton, NY
monicabanks.com
My work amplifies the energy fields experienced while immersing the viewer in color and space. Full-scale abstract murals, stage lighting, raw unrolled canvases, and small fragmented studies are a few examples of how I play with the viewer’s relationship with spectral color, painting, and abstraction.
Unifired clay in gold leaf frame
10.75 x 10.75 x 2 inches
$2,500
2020
East Hampton, NY
monicabanks.com
My work amplifies the energy fields experienced while immersing the viewer in color and space. Full-scale abstract murals, stage lighting, raw unrolled canvases, and small fragmented studies are a few examples of how I play with the viewer’s relationship with spectral color, painting, and abstraction.
Photography of found object assemblage
16 x 20 inches
$850
2017
Seattle, WA
www.instagram.com/spicytwig/
I create because I am immensely curious to see what will happen next. Often it’s not what I expect.” As temperatures and weather intensify due to climate change, I've been moved to create new work that explores and brings attention to the ever present threat of forest fires in the summer and fall across my little corner of the world, the US Northwest. The apocalyptic smoke-filled scenes and burned out forests filled my mind and camera this year. This series focuses on capturing and visually transforming the stark aftermath of forest fires in Washington State. The works tie into the high contrast theme on many levels — color, form and subject matter. Contrasting close-up found objects scavenged from the burned forest floor with “big picture” landscape scenes, and the cold, snowy days of winter against the charred remains of burning hot summers. Ever present in my mind is also the overarching theme of contrasting the past with the present.
Photography
20 x 13 inches
$650
2021
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
www.meganmickaelphotography.com
As a mother and artist, my shooting never stopped over the years, but my editing and reviewing and cataloguing did. My boys now older, has given me time to re-focus on becoming a living artist, bringing light to all the visions I have captured over the years
Paper, cotton, thread, wood
12 x 12 inches
NFS
2021
Cailfon, NJ
https://kaylacorradiceramics.squarespace.com
As a young artist I find it crucial to discuss important moments in my life through my art. My pieces act as my language to discuss my gender, sexuality, identity and more. Overall I want to share my love of all art and express my gifts through various mediums.
Photography
16 x 20 inches
$175
2015
Milton, NY
Photography has become fully intertwined with my life over the years. Visualizing photographs is part of my overall perception – how I experience the world. This is both a blessing and a curse. It is welcome when I am actively shooting or mentally open to creating and it fuels a curiosity about the structure (how things fit together) and character (what they are like) of the world I see, including both natural and built objects and subjects. At times it is unwelcome and difficult to shut off.
Acrylic and metallic pigments on shaped canvas structure
45 x 52 inches
$2,800
2021
Lahaina, HI
http://jackreilly.com
This piece from my new "Disk" series represents my latest explorations into contemporary abstraction. Each painting from this group is executed on a round shaped canvas (tondo). The background consists of an airbrushed "color field" sharply contrasted by a polychromed linear or circular element in the foreground, which is packed with dense, gesturally applied color, indicative of my signature brushwork. It may appear that the polychromed "element" is floating in the foreground, but this is an optical illusion. My work as a pioneer of "Abstract Illusionism" has been well documented since the late 1970's, when I also began working exclusively on shaped-canvas structures. A goal is to reappraise and comment on evolving issues that originated in twentieth-century abstract painting and continue into today's contemporary genres
Acrylic painted paper layers collaged onto aluminum
16 x 23 inches
$1,800
2021
Marshall, NC
parseandweave.com
Conundrums of Expanding Compression: The two sides of one coin - reconciling, remembering and reminding - those moments when ugliness and negativity gave rise to profound beauty, when despair and anxiety gave way to serenity
Silence
Photo print
20 x 16 inches
$250
2021
Poughkeepsie, NY
I am a young artist based in the City of Poughkeepsie that uses art to tell stories of my community.
Oil on canvas
30 x 36 inches
$875
2017
Philadelphia, PA
haleallen.com
A continuing series of paintings that examine the interstices of light and dark and the shifting perspective of the connections within. Inspired by the seemingly endless constitutive quality of lines and capturing subconscious characterizations.
Serigraph on paper
10 x 12 inches
$1,200
2020
Fort Worth, TX
greg-bahr.com
My work explores routine, repetition, and pattern. Using images based on daily repetitive movement, I create work that looks at patterns and routine in human behavior such as those that occur in ones daily tasks, whether its at work, driving, or home.
Woven, collaged, painted paper
64 x 55 inches
$2,200
2021
Germantown, NY
www.ejestudioart.com
My work has been described as “some otherworldly mash-up of quilts and paintings and sculpture and something else altogether,” and that “something else” is what interests me. This body of work goes beyond the painted rectangle to explore form, color and the illusion of space, a study in contrasts: fiber vs. paper; two-dimensions vs three; the systematic grid disrupted. The result is an unpredicted painting. Or a virtual sculpture?
Photography
18 x 14 inches
$275
2020
Columbia, SC
edward-shmunes.pixels.com
My challenge as an artist is to present a fresh and engaging approach to any material. I try to give an honest, although somewhat surreal, commentary on the real or imagined world that surrounds me.
Photo digital pigment
6 x 9 inches
$200
2021
Portland, OR
eliotallenphotography.com
To paraphrase Garry Winogrand, I photograph to find out what something looks like photographed. I enjoy geometry, juxtaposition, ambiguity. And the work of painters like Carmen Herrera, Sol LeWitt, Richard Diebenkorn, and Robert Bechtle. A great image is one that contains several possible narratives or finds an unexpected abstraction. At the end, it’s about catching moments of visual serendipity.
Oil on canvas
30 x 30 inches
NFS
2020
Wappingers Falls, NY
destinyariannastudio.com
New York-based artist, Destiny Arianna graduated from Bowdoin College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies, Art History, and Visual Arts. After entering her first technical art classes during her sophomore year of college, she encountered a pedagogy that excluded Black portraiture. The gap in her artistic training led her to pursue the study of race in arts education. Taking the skills, she acquired through self-teaching Arianna continues to focus on depictions of Blackness in art. Over the past year, Arianna has used painting, photography, and collage to explore her Black and Indigenous identity, with a focus on land, lineage, and language. Her works address the hypervisibility, visibility, and invisibility of her racial and cultural identities. Arianna addresses the deeply rooted connection between the rich culture she was immersed in growing up and its relation to the violent history of her ancestry to reconstruct a narrative of beauty, resilience, and survival in her work.
Mixed media
36 x 24 inches
$15,000
2012
New York, NY
desmondbeach.com
As James Baldwin put it: “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” This has always resonated with me as a Black man. My lifelong pursuit is to genuinely and honestly express my lived experience through art-making.
Cast concrete, reclaimed metal and pigment
4.5 x 19 x 19 inches
$750
2021
Columbus, OH
www.carolboramhays.com
Industrialization has changed our planet at great cost to the environment. As the cycle of consumption and obsolescence has become increasingly rapid, this disposable lifestyle is leaving our natural and human resources abused. Attempting to adapt to the onslaught of changes being done to the environment by humans, nature is increasingly creating hybrid forms that fuse the man-made with the natural. These hybrids are like many of products we consume – are simultaneously compelling and toxic. Using these new life forms as inspiration, I use reclaimed metal from and cast it within concrete, and then color their surfaces. The uncanny forms are intended to suggest an animated fusion of the organic and industrial and the colors evoke the natural changes that are happening to these materials. All of these hybrids characterize the new reality that of our Anthropocene age. The forms that I create are intended to suggest that nature will triumph long after humans are extinct.
Found sign, steel, wood, paint
18 x 6 x 5 inches
$1,500
2021
Bozeman, MT
https://www.canonparker.com/
I am interested in the metamorphosis between concept and material which allows us to shape the world. The phenomena of existence is systematically dissected by language and logic– the unity is shattered and re-organized into an infinitely complex machine of symbols which informs our sensorial interpretation of reality, and allows us to share our understandings. For any communication to exist, however, it must be given a body in the form of some combination of physical phenomena. This perpetual feedback loop defines our individual beliefs and sense of reality. As an artist, I like to toy with this loop, investigating how objects can break down and recombine into new abstracted forms. The reconfiguration of material–symbol interactions can yield surprising results from humble materials. My work floats in the liminal space between object and phenomena, the open waters of understanding.
Acrylic on canvas, metal, lights
18 x 4.5 feet
$5,555
2021
Rowland Heights, CA
My work amplifies the energy fields experienced while immersing the viewer in color and space. Full-scale abstract murals, stage lighting, raw unrolled canvases, and small fragmented studies are a few examples of how I play with the viewer’s relationship with spectral color, painting, and abstraction.
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
Fine art print on cotton paper 26 x 39 inches $1,800 2021 New York, NY anaistost.com I’m fascinated by the idea of “elsewhere”: Elsewhere both is and can be anywhere else and everywhere else. Working with layers of various mediums creates that vision and feeling of Elsewhere. Placing together elements so for a moment, I find myself there, a moment of stability in an ever-changing life. Through art I create a place to be at peace, to belong to, a home unbound to one permanent geographical or physical location.
