Upstate Art Weekend 2024 Recap | Visual Art | Hudson Valley

Last year was a blissed-out Upstate Art Weekend (UAW) adventure: this year I doubled down on the annual art-overdose opportunity in our region and managed to visit 25 of the 145 participant listings included in the UAW 2024 program. My three-day art-bender was fueled by an all-out obsession with the region’s cheerful art scene. How did it go?

FRIDAY

The recap begins with a Friday afternoon drive through the lush rolling farmlands of Columbia County to land at “A Dyke Cabin of One’s Own” by Dani Klebes at Mother’s in Law in Germantown. Nestled in a bucolic corner of rural landscape in a blanket of summer heat, this little cabin installation of wonderfully fun art was the quintessential beginning to the UAW experience. With bright-colored portraits of `70s-era queer babes on motorcycles and various 3-D cut-outs of miscellanea such as guitars, skulls, cats, liquor bottles, and a “TITAYS” license plate, Klebe’s wacky world was an utter delight.

From there I dashed over to Front Room Gallery on Warren Street in Hudson to encounter “Symbolic Convergence,” a group show including outrageous futuristic patterns and color combinations in paintings by Linda Ganjian, reconfigured musical instruments-as-sculpture by Ken Butler, and a series of lonely basketball court photographs by Sean Hemmerle. A pretty drive down Route 9 to East Chatham brought me up a steep hill to land upon one of the most gorgeous studios anywhere in the world and the exhibition “Upstate Gnarly”, featuring sensual, surrealist-inspired paintings and bright sculptures by Gracelee Lawrence, Brian Wood, Courtney Puckett, and Ashley Garrett.

Heading back toward Chatham, I visited “Sister Sister Sister” curated by Emily Nola at The Green Lodge and had the pleasure of meeting the graceful trio: Catherine, Meara, and Theresa McTague. This humble DIY space included smaller oil-on-canvas paintings, ridiculously loveable drawings on paper, and a video sculpture by these chipper ladies who chuckled in unison as we chatted about sister power, death, and Ruby the random rooster who accompanied the charming scene.

From there I drove to Kinderhook to see “Taylor Davis: Until the Sun Goes Dark” at September, including his large wood sculptures sprawling around the gallery and a series of politically provocative works on paper resembling ripped up American flags. The ever-focused Kristin Dodge drifted around the show, smoothly welcoming her revolving fan club (including this fan girl).

Just around the corner on Broad Street I had the pleasure of chatting with Bill Arning at Bill Arning Exhibitions and seeing “Other Places: Neither Here nor Now” through his expert eyes, a group show of mixed media including a series of luscious hazy photo-postcards by Tara Fracalossi, an enchanting helicopter painting by Eric Hibit, and trans-body landscape paintings by Cobi Moules.

As a perfect late summer afternoon took shape into early evening, I wandered over to the official celebration party for UAW at Jack Shainman The School. While the DJ dropped old-school hip-hop tunes amid a lively lawn scene that could rival any posh summer wedding, the mingling crowd took turns making their way to lionize Nina Chanel Abney and her blockbuster show “Lie Doggo” as she held court with her killer smile and high brown bowler hat, all while UAW organizer-goddess-momma Helen Toomer—wearing a fantastic Barbie-inspired puffy pink dress—conversed with her many devotees and welcomed selfie after selfie with the adoring crowd. As I snuck off before the sun set, it was evident The School represents the art-barometer for regional coolness and class.

SATURDAY

My first hit on the Saturday of UAW was to Gallery 495 in Catskill to see “João Salomão: Circo de Visoes (Circus of Visions)”, including sculptures and paintings made of raw, scrappy materials (thoughts of Rauschenberg) and a series of drawings in a small room in the back of the gallery (thoughts of Miró). There I had the pleasure of chatting with gallery owner Mike Mosby and curator Bella Burnett as the artist enthusiastically spoke of his work as “spiritual landscapes” to “dive into” as he toured a group of handsome fellows around the show.

Next up was a dash through Foreland in Catskill, the stately 85,000 square-foot brick building and campus that hosts year-round artist studios, exhibitions, and other exciting events. A year ago, Foreland was the buzzy hotspot and host of the NADA art fair, yet this season they took a more subdued tone with the “Serious Play Youth Arts Fundraiser” including an exhibition of art by children and an online auction to support local youth organizations.

From Foreland I walked down Main Street—truly the vision of upstate style at its finest—to the gallery space at Citiot (a commercial store with an enjoyable European ambience) to see “Under the Influence,” a group show of Hudson Valley artists curated by Ann B. Murphy, including artworks by Laurel Donovan and Mandolyn Wilson Rosen who kindly welcomed me into the small gallery space toward the back of this enchanted shop.

On the way out I stumbled into two terrific UAW hits within the same block, including Loose Parts, a storefront featuring furniture artworks by founder Jennifer June (all made from reclaimed timber and no glue) and a group show at Create Council on the Arts including an oversized four-part panel painting Pauline Decarmo (currently showing at LABspace in Hillsdale) plus open artist studios upstairs where I found compelling cardboard sculptures by curator-artist Monika Zarzeczna.

From Main Street I drove up to Beattie-Powers Place at the top of Catskill, another stellar representation of the uniqueness of the UAW experience. Overlooking the Hudson River, this treasured landmark and historic house was host to “Psychedelic Landscape,” including outdoor sculptures by Bob Turan and Tristan Fitch on the grounds and trippy fluorescent-tinted prints by Portia Munson and abstract-nature-infused works by Jared Handelman installed throughout this elegant home.

With the day turning gray and a downpour approaching, I speed off to the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson to see two of the most outstanding shows in the region this season: “Carrie Mae Weems: Remember to Dream,” featuring black-and-white photographs as portraits of Black power and human complexities and an entire room installation of recent work; and “Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger,” including a series of animated video works that reflect his multifaceted art practice and his artistic probing of reality, history, and fiction as rooted in Southeast Asian culture.

Heading further south, a winding road brought me to N/A Project Space in New Paltz to see the joyful group show “Second Nature,” curated by Karlyn Benson. The natural setting of this sweet one-room gallery—a renovated garage-like space in the middle of the woods overlooking a verdant pond—is the ultimate vision of what UAW is all about. There I had the pleasure of meeting owner Natalie Adgnot and other kind folks who lingered to enjoy this arcadian respite.

Next I tore down the road to the Dorsky Museum in New Paltz to catch “Mis/Communication: Language and Power in Contemporary Art” just before it closed for the day. My mad dash through the exhibition allowed me a brief encounter with the various mixed-media artworks in this amusing-cum-cerebral show, including a leather muffler sculpture by Dahn Gim and a giddy video piece by Han Yohan.

On the road south I visited another somewhat remote UAW listing, Unison Arts in New Paltz, featuring “Sariah Park: Immaterial” inside with a series of ephemeral-looking works on paper, and “Xuewu Zheng: Meditations” outside, featuring a pile of torn Chinese papers in the middle of an empty and lonely garage as an artistic-existential commentary on social data, identity, and over-consumption.

The cherry on top of my Saturday UAW schedule was a visit to the mighty Storm King Art Center in New Windsor to see Girl Group Performances: Arlene Shechet x Annie-B Parson, an outdoor dance piece in connection with Arlene Shechet’s “Girl Group” series of monumental bronze sculptures. With a silvery afternoon backdrop, spacey electronica music to accompany the performance, and the radical vision of six women dancers activating Shechet’s marvelous sculptures with their powerful modern dance gestures amid the sprawling landscape all while an upbeat crowd enjoyed the spectacle, this unparalleled moment of UAW art-bliss was truly marvelous.

An unexpected pleasure of the weekend was my Saturday evening stay at a stately old home (also a lovely AirBnB) in New Windsor owned by artist Garin Baker and his wife Clara. Garin teaches at the Art Students League in Manhattan, and he kindly allowed me to peek into his handsome studio as an early life-drawing session with students was just getting going.

SUNDAY

The warm Sunday sun blazing, I jetted to Art at Bull Farm in Rock Tavern to come upon a happy morning scene at Mark and Simone Eisold’s homestead featuring “Embracing Nature,” a hybrid art-design exhibition of 21 artists work installed throughout their incredible house including sculptures, drawings, paintings, video, handmade furniture, objects, and lighting. Everywhere the eye landed in their magnificent home was an aesthetic treat to behold.

My next stop was Atlas Studios in Newburgh to see the group show “How Could This Be Otherwise,” curated by Caitlin Tucker-Melvin, including colorful muscular sculptural artworks by four artists and a particularly intriguing blue velvet piece by Kingston-based Sophie Eisner.

From there I walked to nearby ADS Warehouse on Ann Street to see two concurrent shows (including artworks in a shipping container outside): “Earthlings,” a collaboration by Corrine Beardsley (whose geological clay sculptures reflect on human touch and mortality) and Sludge Thunder (whose uncanny paintings are full of intriguing metaphors and giddy self-representations), and “Means of Approach,” curated by Azikiwe Mohammed of the Black Painters Academy in Gloria’s (the studio space in the back of ADS), featuring a series of mixed-media artworks by five artists.

My hang in Newburgh culminated in a spiritual experience during my visit to Savaggi Gallery (housed in a massive former bank on the corner of Broadway) to see “Inner Landscapes” by Kate Raudenbush, who greeted me with her tremendous warmth and soulful vibes. Our sentimental conversation inspired ecstatic tears as we reminisced about Burning Man times gone-by while surrounded by her splendid sculptures that double as energetic portals to the beyond.

Heading north, I ventured to the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie to visit “Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence,” featuring a series of exquisitely beaded cloth artworks by South African women beautifully installed in their fine museum space—this dazzling and informative show is a must-see.

My next stop was to the Zero Art Fair in Elizaville, however, this detour was a bust since they were closed after placing nearly every available artwork early in the weekend: “It happened more quickly than we anticipated!” read the candid update on their website.

Undeterred, I drive down Old Route 82 in Hudson to encounter the cheery energy at Interlude Artist Residency, where host Elsy and her husband run a year-round artist residency for artist-couples and their children. With the idea that “parents can let loose” during stays with their kids (a mini child-size studio on the property invites youthful creativity), about 20 families a year are welcomed. A series of bright felt-laced artworks by current resident artist Saul Chernick, whose twin boys ran wild in the yard as we chatted, reflected the buoyant spirit of this residency.

After three packed days of the all-out aesthetic blowout of UAW, a visit to The Campus in Hudson was the apex art-dose-overdose to end the weekend. A former high school now home to several raw gallery spaces—including the gymnasium, hallways, and defunct bathrooms as locales for showing art—the inaugural show listed as “An exhibition organized by Timo Kappeller” features diverse installations in specially curated areas throughout the building, including an audio work by Miguel Calderon (in a former locker room) and an impactful room of mixed media works (in a former classroom) featuring two gorgeous glittering acrylic paintings by Jamaal Peterman curated by Marquita Flowers and Clare Patrick.

With exhaustion-elation as the mental fuel for my journey home up the Thruway to Troy in the Capital District (alas too far north to be considered for the UAW program), the outstanding UAW 2024 program once again proved itself to be the legitimate annual pilgrimage to see art in the Hudson Valley region. Thanks to all who greeted this art-overdose-enthusiast with open arms!