Taking into account the recent craze for all things countryside, curator/artist Peter Fulop has amassed an incredible showing of contemporary art in the group show, “Re-Imaging Rural,” currently on view on the Brooklyn waterfront at 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park (360 Furman Street) through July 31st. Exhibition hours are 1-6 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
Installation view, “Re-Imaging Rural” on view at 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park.
This dazzling group show presents works by a range of alumni who have participated in the ChaNorth artist-in-residence program located in Pine Plains, NY (Fulop resides near the residency.) The exhibition’s list of participating artists is impressive in its own right, with works from Daniela Puliti, Eileen O’Kane Kornreich, Julia Blume, Jennifer McCandless, John O’Donnell, Hayley Ferber, Roland de Fries, Khae Haskell, Bradley Wood, Heather Renée Russ, Buket Savci, Caitlin McCormack, Rina Lam Goldfield, Lori Larusso, Catherine Meringolo, Rob Trumbour, Kathie Halfin, Hudson Howard Cooke, Amalya Megerman, Jayne Struble, Rochelle Voyles, Steven Rudin, Lauren Packard, Jasper Johns, Katherine Earle, Locus Xiaotong Chen, Hannah Tardie, Rebecca Tennenbaum, Emily Kofsky, and Jin Yong Choi included in this feast for the senses.
Many works, including those by artists Kathie Halfin and Daniela Puliti, embrace everyday materials such as cotton or wool blends in creating sculptural compositions on view in the exhibition. Sculptural works and installation are present in the exhibition alongside paintings by artists like Rina Lam Goldfield and Eileen O’Kane Kornreich and works on paper by Hayley Ferber. Hayley Ferber’s prints in particular juxtapose landscape orientation with verticality, delicately inviting the viewer into the intimate scale of the composition.
Artworks by Hayley Ferber, “Re-Imaging Rural” at 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Sumptuous surface texture, enticing figurative paintings and mixed media works all combine to titillate guests to the exhibition. Located right on the East River and easily accessible by ferry to Brooklyn Bridge Park, “Re-Imaging Rural” holds space for everyone to encounter concepts around rural both real and imagined in a creative, carefully curated manner.
Curator Peter Fulop is a multidisciplinary artist born in Hungary, based in Pine Plains, NY. Peter studied ceramics in Hódmezovásárhely, Hungary and undertook further studies at studios in the UK, Japan, Korea and China. He moved his studio to the Northwest of Ireland in 2001. Peter was invited to work in the ceramic studio of Daeseungsa Monastery, Korea (2011) and to Japan to take up an apprenticeship with Professor Koie Ryoji (2012). His works are included in the public collections of the National Museum of Ireland, the Ulster Museum, Belfast, The Ganjin Celadon Museum and Mungyeong Ceramic Museum in Korea, Fule International Ceramic Art Museum, China, The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park and INAX Corporation in Japan. He has been an artist in residence at Sculpture Space New York, NY.
ChaNorth is the international artist residency program of Chashama, a non-profit organization that partners with property owners to transform unused real estate for artists. www.chashama.org
There’s nothing more exciting than hitting the open road to go & enjoy a fun art adventure! We are thrilled to have reviewed the offerings on view for the 2022 Upstate Art Weekend, and have selected a very narrow amount of the seemingly endless, not-to-be-missed art hotspots that put Hudson Valley on the art map!
Galleries/Project Spaces
Available Items | The exhibit on view, “Going to Country,” plays on rural tropes featuring over ten NY-based artists working across art and design categories. The site is conveniently located in Tivoli, NY. https://availableitems.com/
Headstone Gallery | The compelling show on view, a solo of works on paper by artist Ashley Eliza Williams, is worth a stop when passing through Kingston, NY. Entitled “Urgent Beings,” the inventive work is exciting and inviting in equal measure.www.headstonegalleryny.com
LABSpace | Ready to be immersed in work by living artists? Over 50+ contemporary artists spanning multiple mediums are presented in the show on view at this site for Upstate Art Weekend. labspaceart.blogspot.com
Elijah Wheat Showroom | Multi-disciplinary artist Ian McMahon is featured in the Upstate Art Weekend presentation by Elijah Wheat Showroom in Newburgh, NY. Savvy guests will visit on Sunday, when a performative action by the artist is sure to mesmerize guests. www.elijahwheatshowroom.com
Image courtesy Elijah Wheat Showroom.
Museums, Institutions & Site-Specific
The Dorsky Museum | The respected Dorsky Museum features a group show re-imagining our material culture in the contemporary moment. The 15th annual Hudson Valley Artists exhibition is entitled “Hudson Valley Artists 2022: The Material, The Thing,” and provides plenty to contemplate. www.newpaltz.edu
Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College | Three compelling exhibitions currently attract guests to the Hessel Museum, including Martine Syms: Grio College. Intermittent exhibition tours will also take place over the weekend. www.bard.edu
Magazzino Italian Art | If you haven’t yet had a chance to pass through Magazzino, this is the moment. Along with their stunning collection of Arte Povera masterpieces, a solo show by Italian artist Piero Gilardi beckons guests to Cold Spring. www.magazzino.art
Woodstock Artists Association & Museum | Woodstock is one of the longest-running creative meccas operating in the Hudson Valley Area, and an anchor of the arts in the Catskills. Join artist Marielena Ferrer for a series of workshops after admiring the four exhibitions currently on view at the space. woodstockart.org
Artwork by Carolyn Oberst, Saugerties, NY.
Artist Residencies, Artist-Run Spaces & Studios
The Birdhouse Gallery: “P&D and Mini Me” featuring Jeanne Tremel, J.G. Crimmins, Patricia Fabricant, Kerry Law, Joe Piscopia & Deborah Yasinsky | Sunny Chapman curates this show at 499 E Front Street in Hancock, NY. While not an official selection for UAW, the quality of artists and reference to miniature and Pattern & Decoration movement makes this a fun find for the eagle-eyed headed upstate for compelling contemporary art. https://www.facebook.com/TheBirdhouseGallery/
Art Studios for Jeff Way & Carolyn Oberst | Both artists are located at 608 Old Stage Rd in the Saugerties, and their divergent styles offer something eclectic for every art admirer. From bright neons and found imagery to repetition and found objects, there is plenty to admire in Oberst & Way’s respective studios.
Art Studio, Rachel Owens | With a practice based in involving the community, this multi-disciplinary artist and professor opens her studio to curious visitors interested in engaging with her work. The work she will present this weekend was originally commissioned by the NYC Parks Dept in 2011 and has a compelling history of exhibition. www.rachelowensart.org
Interlude Artist Residency | Meet the artist-parents currently in residence at Interlude Artist Residency. Visitors are welcome to engage with artists Leigh Davis, Liza Sylvestre and Christopher Robert Jones. Saturday afternoon also features a bonus family-friendly concert. interluderesidency.com
Women’s Studio Workshop | Based in Kingston, NY, this selection offers works on paper and a wide range of paper-based work in their first annual Upstate Art Book Fair. The sky is the limit when it comes to the book art you’ll encounter – plus, the venue will host special events! Not to be missed. https://www.wswupstateartbookfair.com/
Foreland space in Catskill, NY, host of the artist party for Upstate Art Weekend. Image courtesy Foreland.
Foreland | The coalition site spans a range of artistic presentations in Catskill, NY. The gallery coalition presents four concurrent exhibitions, and their coveted artist party is definitely going to be an exciting event anchoring the weekend’s social occasions. www.forelandcatskill.com
STONELEAF RETREAT| Not only is STONELEAF an integral part of Upstate Art Weekend’s existence, the location’s solo show for artist Las Hermanas Iglesias is on offer for curious visitors. Alumnae of the residency also exhibit at the site, which is open by RSVP. https://form.jotform.com/STONELEAFRETREAT/stoneleaf-reservation-upaw22
We recently met artist Noga Cohen, whose impact is clearly felt far beyond her participation in the group exhibit, “Sign of Frankenstein” at Amos Eno Gallery where we crossed paths. It became apparent through our dialogue that her role in the New York arts community is something to be explored further. Cohen’s ties to many incredible organizations and galleries throughout New York City intrigued us, and we sat down together to learn more about her accomplishments, interests, collaborators and future projects.
Lead image: Photo credit, Farah Mohammad.
Installation image from Noga Cohen’s Thesis Exhibition
ANTE Mag. You moved directly to New York City to attend Columbia upon acceptance to their MFA program in 2019. What has being resilient as an artist living in NYC during Covid looked like for you?
Noga Cohen. I moved to New York City in 2019, just a few months before Covid. To cope with the uncertainty and sense of urgency I felt at the time, I tried to use my skills and knowledge to help others and create meaningful interactions through art and art education. I was invited by a fellow artist and curator, Farah Mohammad, to teach and take part in designing the curriculum of an independent online art program called “The Drawing Exchange”. The program took place during the summer of 2020, and was supported by Alpha Art Alliance. It offered arts programming children living in East Brooklyn, who didn’t have access to formal art education during lockdown. I taught a series of online collage classes and formed relationships with other art educators and children who were dealing with different challenges.
At the time, while not having access to my studio, I had to restructure my art practice and find new ways to express myself. I work mainly in sculpture, installation, and photography, and had to shift the ways I make work. Through the relationships with my students, I discovered new ways to be creative and work within the limitations of our new post-Covid reality. In 2020, writing has been a cathartic ritual that helped me gain awareness of my dynamic art practice and a way to connect to other artists and writers in a time of isolation. I was invited to contribute work to an online show and art publication hosted by the Philadelphia-based organization Tiger Strikes Asteroid. The project, called “Lines Inside”, was a group exhibition of writings by New York-based artists. The editors were Lizzy De Vita and Roni Aviv. Most of the work was created and compiled into a publication during Covid, and this collection of work reflects the sudden changes that we were experiencing at the time – mirroring my own adjustments during the period.
ANTE.This past year you have stayed involved in organizing panels, exhibitions and volunteering in Arts Education. Can you share some of these accomplishments with us?
NC. Absolutely. Art education is a big part of my practice, and being involved in this field has been deeply rewarding and fulfilling for me. I was honored to be invited to Hofstra University as a visiting artist this year and spend a day leading a panel discussion, a lecture, and a Q&A about my practice, giving thorough end-of-the-year show reviews, and having studio visits with students. The discussion panel was led collaboratively with the head of the visual arts department, Jim Lee. We discussed how questions of identity and self-discovery come up in an art education setting and in the process of preparing for art school’s final exhibition. ays been interesting to me as an arts education professional.
Artist Noga Cohen in conversation as an invited artist, Hofstra Univeristy. Image courtesy Hofstra University.
Earlier this year, while participating in a show at Amos Eno Gallery in Brooklyn, I initiated and organized a closing reception that included a discussion panel. The panel was open to the public and led by fellow artist Adi Rejto and me, and involved other artists who participated in the show. It was interesting to discuss ideas of accumulations of time and moments in painting and sculpture presented in the show, and have an open Q&A with the gallery visitors.
Also, I am excited to join as a board member of UCAE (The University Council for Art Education) in the upcoming year. I’m thrilled to be a part of an amazing educational organization that brings together art educators, artists, and social practitioners through open-table discussions, lectures, and panels.
ANTE.Your artistic practice has also benefited from the NYFA Immigrant Artists mentorship program. Was this a competitive process for inclusion, and what are some benefits you received from this opportunity?
NC. I discovered an incredible and diverse community at the NYFA Immigrant Artist mentorship program. The program brings together ambitious artists, creatives, and filmmakers in different stages of their careers, who share the experience of immigration. The artists I’ve met through this program come from different places and backgrounds and were able to offer different perspectives on the question of what it means to be an international artist in New York. Through access to other international artists in New York who are dealing with unique challenges, we’ve built a strong and supportive community. During the 6-month long program, I got to participate in panels, group activities, lectures, and workshops, and connect with artists from all over the world. It was reassuring to realize that we have a lot in common and can use our knowledge and experience to contribute and help others.
At the culmination of our experience, we exhibited our work together at the New York Live Arts gallery and got to work with three amazing curators who made thoughtfully informed curatorial decisions to create the final exhibition. I am currently working with my NYFA international artists cohort on independent curatorial projects, in collaboration with alumni and mentors of the program.
Artwork by Noga Cohen. Credit to the artist.
ANTE.How do you maintain your dedication to the greater New York City artist community today?
NC. I stay connected to a community of artists I collaborate with regularly, who are located both in New York City and internationally. For example, in 2021 I was picked to exhibit my work in an international online show curated by Iksong Jin, a curator and artist based in South Korea. The show included artists from all over the world, and the group has been dedicated to exhibiting together in person. This summer, I’ll be exhibiting new work among my fellow international artists at RIVAA (Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association) Gallery. It has become a tradition that we get together and publish a catalog of our most recent works.
Last year, I was included in another exhibition featuring incredible international artists at Project Gallery V. The show was entitled “Time Won’t TellI” and it was curated by Farah Mohammad – again. The gallery is a Brooklyn-based online space run by two women artists/entrepreneurs. I feel grateful to collaborate with artist-run spaces, especially ones founded by young artists and curators. I find online spaces to be a great resource for reaching audiences all over the world and connecting with people.
ANTE.This past year along with teaching as an adjunct professor at Columbia University you have exhibited regularly. What are some of the shows your work has been presented in?
NC. Last year I participated in an independent curatorial project organized by a group of New York based artists that took place in a space granted to us generously by ChaShama. The show, curated by Junni Chen and Owen Duffy, completely transformed an empty space on the Lower East side into a lively art space for one month. I showed two sculptures I made using plastic and trash, in a unique process I used to activate gravity, and the passage of time, in addition to using high heat.
Also, I feel grateful for having been included in two wonderful group shows at Amos Eno Gallery, an artist-run space located in Brooklyn in the past year. The most recent one, “Sign Of Frankenstein” curated by Robert McCann, consisted of work by New York-based artists reflecting on ideas of layering, memory, and practices of deconstruction. I showed one sculpture and a large wall installation, made out of recycled and repurposed materials, that speak to ideas of fragmentation and disconnection in relation to space and the human body.
I look forward to participating in another show at The Border Project Space this upcoming year, where I will be showing new artwork.
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