\n\t\t<\/aside>\nDear January \u2014 you again, with your wintery beauty and frosty days! Happy New Year and post-holiday hangover month for all. In tandem with the season of reflection and repose, the ever-inviting Goddess of Art beckons us to the creative hearth as diverse exhibitions crackle around Upstate New York. At Katonah Museum of Art, find Jonathan Becker\u2019s glamorous photos of fabulous and famous humans living their outrageous lives. A site-specific installation by Anne Schaefer <\/em>at Foreland in Catskill reconfigures her bold and bright graphic artworks as part of the Greater Valley Artists show. Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency <\/em>at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (the Loeb) at Vassar College considers complex issues surrounding reproductive wellness and personal agency. Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson hosts the group show Unexpected Light <\/em>with artworks that extol luminosity. Winter Salon 2024 <\/em>at Perry Lawson Fine Art in Nyack includes the work of 25 artists that call the area home, while the HOLIDAY <\/em>group show at LABspace features smaller artworks by 375 artists from all over the map. Dearest January, we accept your nippy days and seek the warmth of art throughout this polar month!\u00a0<\/p>\nJonathan Becker: Lost Time<\/h2>\n Katonah Museum of Art<\/strong>, 134 Jay Street, Katonah, New YorkJonathan Becker, \u201cThe Duchess of Alba at home, Seville\u201d (2010), archival pigment on rag, 58 x 58 inches (~147.3 x 147.3 cm) (courtesy the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nJonathan Becker: Lost Time <\/em>at Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah left me utterly breathless. With one sumptuous photo after the next, Becker takes us into private moments with renowned figures \u2014 one can only be starstruck by the glamour of his oeuvre. Curated by author and editor Mark Holborn, the exhibition is a celebration of Becker\u2019s distinguished path as a photographer, from his youthful years in Paris to his golden era of working for Vanity Fair <\/em>and Vogue <\/em>during a stellar 50-year career. Lush and fashionable works such as \u201cDiana Vreeland at home, 550 Park Avenue, New York\u201d (1979) and \u201cAndy Warhol and His Corsets at the Fourth Factory, New York\u201d (1986) invite us to experience the unabashed joie de vivre <\/em>(Vreeland) and anxiety (Warhol) of fame that Becker captures so gracefully. And the sultry \u201cWard Just\u2019s Desk, Martha\u2019s Vineyard\u201d (1996) is a rich image with a still-life ambiance: We look down upon a weathered typewriter and an ashtray heavy with battered butts, a rarified peek into another\u2019s personal life.<\/p>\nUnexpected Light<\/h2>\n Carrie Haddad Gallery<\/strong>, 622 Warren Street, Hudson, New YorkLeigh Palmer, \u201cWindow\u201d (2024), encaustic on board, 18 1\/2 x 13 1\/4 inches (47 x 33 7\/10 cm) (image courtesy Carrie Haddad Gallery)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nArt history displays an obsession with the dynamics of light. Featuring five artists, Unexpected Light <\/em>at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson is a jubilee of light: Luminous, rich, shiny, glossy, glowing, and polished paintings reflect the beaming heart of this exhibition. The encaustic \u201cGray Clouds\u201d (2024) by Leigh Palmer, a dreamy landscape that breathes with warm fresh air, appears to be in direct communication with the atmospheric ambiance of \u201c6194 Salem\u201d (2024), a richly hued oil-on-linen landscape by the seasoned plein-air painter Harry Orlyk. David Dew Bruner\u2019s \u201cSheets II\u201d (2024), a lush archival pigment print of white bed sheets in a Renaissance revival frame, captures the implied intimacy of an otherwise prosaic moment. \u201cMoonrise in the Mountains\u201d (2024) by Jane Bloodgood-Abrams follows in the tradition of the Hudson River School \u2014 it features a radiant full moon high above a landscape that bathes everything below in a warm transcendent light.<\/p>\nAsh Eliza Williams: History of Moonlight<\/h4>\n Headstone Gallery<\/strong>, 28 Hurley Avenue, Kingston, New YorkAsh Eliza Williams, \u201cNight Bather\u201d (2024), oil on paper mounted on panel, 36 x 72 inches (~91.4 x 182.9 cm) (image courtesy the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHistory of Moonlight <\/em>at Headstone Gallery in Kingston presents Ash Eliza Williams\u2019s latest works in a show set in a space-time beyond our wildest dreams. Works such as \u201cAt the Threshold of Sleep\u201d (2021) make us question the appearance of things: A bison-like hair-cloud hovers ominously above a gorgeous, smoky river as it bends beyond the horizon. In \u201cNight Bather\u201d (2024), a half-anteater, half-polar bear beast lumbers through a blue-hued realm while the bottom half of the painting hosts a brilliant full moon above a sheath of ice with a perfect hole, allowing a peek into icy water below. The poetic \u201cTrace Elements\u201d (2016) depicts a somber gray sky with scattered water droplets, giving the impression of looking through a pane of glass onto a storm.<\/p>\nSmall Works<\/h2>\n Buster Levi Gallery<\/strong>, 121 Main Street, Cold Spring, New YorkGrace Kennedy, \u201cDiscordant Trio II\u201d (2016), altered music box, mixed media, 10 x 8 x 8 inches (~25.4 x 20.3 x 20.3 cm) (photo by Bill Kooistra, courtesy Buster Levi Gallery)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWith its deceptively modest title, Small Works <\/em>at Buster Levi Gallery in Cold Spring showcases the diverse work of 14 artists working in a range of media including sculpture, ceramics, drawing, painting, and photography. Ada Pilar Cruz\u2019s \u201cThree Figures for Saramego\u201d (2024) includes a trio of glazed ceramic female figures drenched in rich tones seemingly blinded by swaths of color over their eyes, suggesting an ulterior meaning to this otherwise friendly scene. \u201cRock and Roll\u201d (2024) by Jenne Currie is a mixed-media symphony of darker-hued organic shapes, while \u201cRed Stones\u201d by Gretchen Kane is a spree of pink and red color fields that overlap as they melt into each other. \u201cNotes from Lou\u201d (2022) by Martee Levi is reminiscent of 1950s Modernism, while \u201cSunday Morning\u201d by Bill Kooistra is a grid-like post-modernist response. And the balance between 2D and 3D sensibilities is cleverly captured in \u201cDiscordant Trio II\u201d (2016) by Grace Kennedy, featuring a music box with a classic farm scene superimposed, complete with a gang of docile cows, a red barn against a bucolic landscape, and a forceful rocket ship blasting off into the atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\nWinter Salon 2024<\/h2>\n Perry Lawson Fine Art<\/strong>, 20 North Broadway, Nyack, New YorkTracy Burtz, \u201cAll Of Them\u201d (2024), oil on linen 58 x 28 x 1 inches (~147.3 x 71.1 x 2.5 cm) (courtesy the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFeaturing the work of 25 artists that call the area home, Winter Salon 2024 <\/em>at Perry Lawson Fine Art in Nyack reflects the diversity of art happening in the region by artists at all stages of their careers. Spencer Tunick\u2019s \u201cDead Sea 11, 2011\u201d (2012) is a powerful image of mud-covered bodies that face an arid mountain range in the distance. \u201cVictory\u201d (2024) by Eric David Laxman is a haunting plywood and steel sculpture of a figure atop a wheel, the body severed at the limbs yet passionately rushing forward in a windswept pose. Emmanuel Ofori\u2019s \u201cAll Eyes on Me\u201d (2023) features a stylish character crouched down in a reflective mood, encased in a wood frame. And \u201cAll Of Them\u201d (2024) by Tracy Burtz is an Impressionist-inspired scene of a figure snuggling with a dog atop a floral couch while two white kitties peer directly at us, their focused gaze reminiscent of Manet\u2019s black cat at the foot of Olympia\u2019s bed.\u00a0<\/p>\nBest in Show | The Artist Favorite<\/strong><\/h2>\nGallery40<\/strong>, 40 Cannon Street, Poughkeepsie, New YorkKathleen Suess, \u201cDon\u2019t Think Twice\u201d (2024), acrylic on paper, 24 x 24 inches (~61 x 61 cm) (photo by and courtesy the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCurated by Christine Irvin Ranhosky and featuring artworks by 32 artists, Best in Show | The Artist Favorite <\/em>at Gallery40 in Poughkeepsie is a merry and motley. The show takes us on an atypical journey from traditional landscape painting to documentation to abstraction, starting with the moody vibe of \u201cEvening\u201d (2024) by Ellen Metzger O\u2019Shea and moving to Maureen Gates\u2019s sultry photographic print \u201cMoonlight\u201d (2023) and the gestural energy of Kathleen Suess\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Think Twice\u201d (2024). Other works capture moments of raw power and beauty, including Janis Borgueta\u2019s \u201cEarly Morning in the Camargue\u201d (2023), a photo of two stoic white horses at the edge of water, and Johanna Foster\u2019s \u201cPortrait of an Italian Woman\u201d (2024), featuring a lovely lady at a table peering off into the distance. My favorite is \u201cAll These Miles 240824\u201d (2024) by Lee Willett, a photographic print on canvas that appears to be a map, with coordinates over a ghostly leaf to the left and a turtle shell with graphic blue markings to the right with a baby cactus popping out of the center, a curious and compelling image.<\/p>\nReproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency<\/h3>\n The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (the Loeb) at Vassar College<\/strong>, 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New YorkJess T. Dugan, \u201cSelf-portrait with Vanessa and Elinor (2 days old)\u201d (2018), archival pigment print, 24 x 36 inches (~61 x 91.4 cm) (\u00a9 Jess T. Dugan; image courtesy the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Loeb at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie consistently presents excellent exhibitions for audiences of all ages, and Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency <\/em>is among the strongest shows in the region this season. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) at Columbia College, Chicago, the show considers critical issues surrounding reproductive justice. The diverse artworks express the lived experiences of the artists and their intense physical and psychological realities. Among the most impactful is \u201cBetsey\u2019s Flag\u201d (2019) by KING COBRA, a hanging quilt-like flag made of brown body parts with unsettling, flesh-like silicone on one side and a sludgy red mess of organic goo on the other, invoking blood, meat, and murder. Jess T. Dugan\u2019s \u201cSelf-portrait with Vanessa and Elinor (2 days old)\u201d (2018) is a poignant, tattoo-covered look at contemporary partnership and motherhood. Joanne Leonard\u2019s collage work \u201cPear\/NoPair\/Oh P\u00e8re, October 9, 1973\u201d from Journal of a Miscarriage <\/em>(1973) is a simple image of yellowish pear shape with two legs akimbo with the word \u201cpregnant: at the bottom of the fruit. And Carmen Winant\u2019s \u201cA History of My Pleasure\u201d (2019\u201320) features a collection of historical and private images stretching across three 6 x 5-foot panels, including photos of human intimacy and scenes from nature.<\/p>\nAnne Schaefer<\/h3>\n Foreland<\/strong>, 111 Water Street, Catskill, New YorkAnne Shaefer, \u201ctrifurcated\u201d (2023), latex paint, acrylic, silkscreen, and digital print on PVC, 45 x 46 3\/4 inches (~114.3 x 118 3\/4 inches) (photo by Alon Koppel Photography, courtesy Foreland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe current Greater Valley Artists show, a regular showcase of artists working in Greene and Columbia County at Foreland in Catskill, features the robust color combinations of Valatie-based artist and educator Anne Schaefer. Featuring four artworks on a white brick wall as a site-specific installation in the lobby area of the iconic Foreland building, Schaefer\u2019s graphically charged artworks spark love at first sight. \u201ctrifurcated\u201d (2023) is a bright abstract square shape with a bold turquoise area at the top that gives way to warm swaths of yellow and fluorescent orange while four relentless lines of red cut through the middle. Her multi-panel composition \u201ctwenty-four hour palette (dawning, everlasting, present)\u201d (2018\u201324) is a wild yet precisely organized vision of pale block colors that pattern at random, cross over each other, combine and intersect at different intervals. Made by \u201csourcing, remixing and riffing\u201d from her archive, as the artist put it in her statement, these works sweep us into layered spaces simultaneously composed and liberated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
HOLIDAY<\/strong><\/h2>\nLABspace<\/strong>, 2642 Route 23, Hillsdale, New YorkPhilip J Palmieri, \u201cAdam\u2019s First Kiss\u201d (2024), oil on panel, 8 x 10 inches (~20.3 x 25.4 cm) (courtesy the artist and LABspace)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe annual HOLIDAY <\/em>group exhibition at LABspace in Hillsdale is a seasonal felicity, and the seventh incarnation of the show is as gleeful as ever. The opening last month was a chance to see colleagues and friends in a joyful setting that momentarily dispelled the woes of this world. And the packed exhibition is a cheerful blow-out of everything from drawing to photography by 375 artists, all of whom submitted a tiny work to accommodate this robust and expertly installed show. Among the highlights include Zohar Lazar\u2019s \u201cRRRUNCH!\u201d (2024), featuring a cartoon creature feasting on a slime-green sandwich, and Philip J. Palmieri\u2019s \u201cAdam\u2019s First Kiss\u201d (2024), an intimate caress between two male faces. \u201cSure-Footed\u201d (2024), a silly sculpture of two little chicken feet by Hanna Washburn, solicits an instant smile, as does the loveable polka-dotted hotdog-style dog in \u201cSuperior Breed\u201d (2024) by Philip Knoll. \u201cEmpathetic Roots\u201d (2023) by Julie Evans is a lush floral medley made of ceramic, while Susan Meyer\u2019s delightful \u201cPretzel\u201d (2024) is colored with a candy cane swirl design, a lovely holiday twinkle in this terrific HOLIDAY <\/em>show.<\/p>\nA Space Between Worlds<\/h2>\n Wassaic Project<\/strong>, 37 Furnace Bank Road, Wassaic, New YorkJamal Ademola, \u201cYou are now Egungun\u201d (2017), various textiles, 60 x 36 x 36 inches (~152.4 x 91.4 x 91.4 cm) (image courtesy Wassaic Project)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nInstalled throughout the seven floors of the Maxon Mills building, AKA Wassaic Project in Wassaic, nine artists build their own worlds. Curated by Eve Biddle, Bowie Zunino, Jeff Barnett-Winsby, and Will Hutnick, the various installations of mixed media artworks reveal a range of creative focus and fantastical thinking. Paolo Arao\u2019s sewn cotton \u201cIn Verse\u201d (2024) and \u201cIntervals (Prisms)\u201d (2024) are strikingly geometric, while Amira Pualwan\u2019s handwoven cotton \u201cFlame v Flood\u201d (2023) appears to vibrate with a graphic pulse. \u201cKitchen Window\u201d (2024) by Mary Tooley Parker is an impressive work of hooked tapestry that details a common kitchen scene with such sensitivity that I found myself moved to tears, and\u201cHoney\u201d (2024) by Dana Robinson is a lovely Dada-inspired collage of random objects that float along in a timeless realm. \u201cYou are now Egungun: (2017) by Jamal Ademola is the futuristic representative from A Space Between World<\/em> \u2014\u00a0it depicts a figure that looks as if it stepped right out of a Nick Cave work, cloaked in an outrageous glittery ensemble.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n