'Every Picture Tells a Story': What to see at Woodstock arts museum
When looking for places to explore for the summer months, we don’t often look in our own backyard, and yet, there are normally hidden gems that provide such a fruitful experience. We wonder, "How did it take this long to find it?”
Since its founding in 1919, the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM) has been committed to exhibiting, collecting and supporting artists. With a full schedule of group, solo and historic exhibitions of regional artists throughout its spacious galleries, WAAM currently has "Far and Wide National: Risk & Experimentation" in its main gallery, "Natalie Wargin: Every Picture Tells a Story" in its solo gallery and "What Unites Us: Americana Art from the Permanent Collection" in the Phoebe and Belmont Towbin Wing.
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"Far and Wide National: Risk & Experimentation," juried by Seph Rodney, explores risk taking and experimentation in art.
This broad theme links 25 artists across all mediums and results in a striking reflection on both the possible freedoms and potential hazards inherent to risk and experimentation. Allison Belolan’s "Distant Mountain Landscape," mixed media collage on mirror, is not your typical landscape. Created on a broken mirror, each crack adds complexity of life to the sun-rising, mountainous scene. The dichotomy of a serene landscape and the superstitious nature of a broken mirror is intriguing as other pieces from the exhibit are reflected back in the work.
"Natalie Wargin: Every Picture Tells a Story," reflects the poignancy of daily life and the environment around us. Wargin extends this idea by painting the world not only as she sees it but in its most idealized form. Next to each work, is a story written by the artist that gives a deeper insight into the inspiration. "Porcupines At Mohonk," acrylic on clayboard, depicts warm colors of spring with three incredible porcupines strolling through their natural habitat. The detail of the quills and the easy going nature of the animal almost allows them to be camouflage among the flowers and yet mesmerizing as the subject.
"What Unites Us: Americana Art from the Permanent Collection" curated by the WAAM executive director, Nicole L. Goldberg, includes a collection of images that celebrate America throughout the 20th century, from pastimes like baseball to historic moments like V-J Day to iconic events like the Woodstock Music and Art Fair of 1969.
The exhibition opens with three paintings by James Ransome. His work is inspired by the generations of extraordinary Black craftswomen of Gee's Bend, Alabama whose quilts represent a crucial chapter in the history of American Art.
Once inside, the show is organized by decades and allows the viewer to take a walk through time with every medium represented. Also included in this presentation is a mini-exhibition titled "What Divides Us," featuring a selection of four artworks that point broadly to divisive issues that threaten the unity of our country. The vibrant colors and history welcome you to explore nostalgic moments, as well as deeply question our past and engage in our future.
If you go
What: "Far and Wide National: Risk & Experimentation;" "Natalie Wargin: Every Picture Tells a Story;" and "What Unites Us: Americana Art from the Permanent Collection"
Where: Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, 28 Tinker St., Woodstock
Dates: May 20 through July 4
Hours: Thursday through Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Opening Reception: May 28 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Contact: 845-679-2940; woodstockart.org
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas is the director of development and marketing for Arts Mid-Hudson. Art From Here appears every other week Sunday. Contact her at 845-454-3222 or melissa@artsmidhudson.org.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Woodstock arts museum offers opportunity to explore regional work
