Beyond NYC: Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, NY
Fall 2018 exhibitions and talks for the local community
Contributed by Anna Adler, Outreach & Operations Coordinator, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Home of the Dutchess County Art Association from its founding in 1935, Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, NY is operated with a broad mission of fostering and perpetuating an appreciation of the visual arts in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Upcoming events:
THIS Saturday, Nov 3, join us for a Found Object Sculpture Workshop with Suprina (12-3pm) and New Directions Artist Talks (3-4pm).
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It’s a chilly and rainy Saturday afternoon in October and we’re hosting our first annual Barrett Art Center Open House, specifically geared towards local children and families.
There’s a live music trio led by BAC Artist Member Dave Henningsen filling the galleries with sound, Mask Making with trusted teaching artist Anita Kiewra in the 2nd floor studio, and snacks provided by young local chef Frankie Ortiz of Taqueria Los Ortiz. Our Barrett Artist in Residence, British portrait painter Benjamin Arnold, is up in the 3rd floor studio sharing his work and process with some eager visitors. It’s a slow start, but by mid-event space is filled with an eclectic array of visitors: artists, neighbors, several change-making community leaders, family, and friends; the kids are happily crafting upstairs.
Towards the end of the event, Barrett ED Joanna Frang and I (Anna Adler) lead an exhibition tour highlighting in several works in our current national show New Directions 2018 juried by Jennifer Inacio, Assistant Curator, Perez Art Museum, Miami.
There are several political works which challenge our ideas of old and new, progress vs regress, they confront issues of racial (in)justice, embrace intersectional identity and generally explore the human condition in today’s socio-political climate. We end the tour with Suprina’s “Justice for All”, which talks about mass incarceration and includes the National Anthem as it’s soundtrack — heavy work and a potent conversation starter.
The tour is assisted by Donna, one of the kids from our neighborhood, who eagerly answers questions I direct to the group and chimes in with unfiltered responses to the work. And that’s what it’s about — a small yet vibrant convergence of community members and conversations.
As a historic townhouse in a low-income residential neighborhood in downtown POK, focused on presenting contemporary art and community events, we are lucky to have and hold space for a collective dialogue about art and life. We strive to foster a safe and creative space to have conversations that allow us to learn about each other, and understand our world better, both local and global.
Later in the week, it’s a warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon of Halloween, I sit on the Barrett stoop jotting down notes for this post. Donna is walking home from school and I yell hello from across the street, she yells “hello Anna!” back — she remembers my name and I remember that sometimes community is built by just sitting on your stoop and saying hello.
Here are some photos from our Open House Event…. Come visit us!
Upcoming events:
THIS Saturday, Nov 3, join us for a Found Object Sculpture Workshop with Suprina (12-3pm) and New Directions Artist Talks (3-4pm).
Gallery Hours: Wed – Fri, 10am-3pm, Sat, 12-3pm and by appt.
Venue: Barrett Art Center | 55 Noxon Street | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601