The Tivoli Artists Gallery in the Hudson Valley village of Tivoli (Dutchess County), New York, is operated by and for its members. The Gallery began as a holiday crafts fair in Rhinebeck (Dutchess County) in 1989 and established a permanent presence in 1993 in Tivoli, just down the road from Bard College.
Its two gallery rooms provide a space for changing exhibits each month for its 40+ Hudson Valley-based artists. There are no paid staff positions, and members perform all phases of the gallery’s creative and administrative tasks. Membership includes painters, sculptors, photographers, illustrators, digital artists and animators, jewelers, potters and performance artists.
The gallery takes pride that each of its exhibits is unique and includes a variety of works and styles. This year it has mounted a variety of exhibits including a show in winter called Winter Works described as referencing “the magic dark/light of the Solstice, embracing the narrative of a cold season landscape, choosing renewal as a new calendar year begins, or diving inward for an intuitive rendering of a spiritual connection to nature.”
This past spring’s annual photography show called Captured Light included landscape, portrait and abstract photography. And last fall, a solo show of Marie Cole’s oil paintings, pastels and monoprints called Themes & Variations was on display.
How perfectly suited for the Hudson Valley’s harvest season of late August into September for the gallery’s latest exhibit, Earth + Sky, A Tribute To Agriculture, which includes work by 26 participating artists. The show, on view through September 18, 2022 pays tribute to farms in the Hudson Valley, with the intention “to celebrate the role that farms have played to sustain us every day, and especially during the pandemic.”
The artwork on display is wide-ranging in style and media and “includes all dimensions.” It was especially pleasing to see paintings by Marie Cole, included in this latest exhibit in Tivoli, since this gallery-goer missed her solo show last fall.
And it was spirit-raising to be able to find humor in some of the artwork on display when so much negative news abounds on the future of our planet Earth.
It should also be mentioned that the Tivoli Artists Gallery at the time of our visit was also promoting the 15th annual Arts Studio Views tour over Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend 2022, when 30 artists in northern Dutchess and southern Columbia counties open their art studios to visitors. This is an annual event, free and open to the public.
Four painters, Marie Cole, Janene Gentile, Linda Lavin and Silvana Tagliaferri, and two printmakers, Melissa Katzman Braggins and Ted Braggins, who have artwork in the Tivoli Artists Gallery show, Earth + Sky, also participated in the 15th annual Labor Day weekend Art Studio Views tour.
[EARTH + SKY, A Tribute to Agriculture, Tivoli Artists Gallery, Aug. 26-Sept 18, 2022, 60 Broadway, Tivoli, NY, 845.757.2667, Hours: Friday 5:00-8:30PM, Saturday 12:00-8:00, Sunday 1:00-5:00PM and by appointment]
(Frank W. Barrie, 9/7/22)
