Imagine, if you will, your favorite artwork. Maybe it’s a VanGough print
in the bathroom, a gifted wooden bowl holding keys by the front door, or a house
and tree and sun finger painting on the fridge. Have you ever wondered where it
was made? Unless it was created by someone you know well, its origin and even
the artist may be a mystery.
The last month in September is Newburgh OPEN Studios. Founded and organized
by Newburgh Art Supply owners Gerardo Castro and Michael Gabor, this annual weekend-long
event connects the City’s creative minds with curious art lovers. It is free
and self-guided. Participants pick up a map at Newburgh Art Supply on Grand
Street and set out to meet over 50 artists in various studios.
First stop is the art supply store itself which houses the studio of
founder Gerardo whose works comprising Drawing
Spirits: anointed sorcerer burns appartitions on paper were featured. He explained
his process to visitors—using metal and heat to brand marks onto paper, some
being life-size outlines of himself adorned with detailed symbols.
This year’s mediums included painting, performance, collage, sculpture,
book binding, photography, sound, weaving, assemblage and vellum. One woman worked
with encaustic paint, a beeswax-based substance which is heated and applied. Many artists had pieces for sale and I took home one of Gerardo’s
smaller prints. He signed the picture and now it sits in my bedroom in a tall
floating-style frame.
“Newburgh OPEN Studios,
celebrating its 5th year, is a direct manifestation of our mission to foster
artistic expression, civic participation and the economic growth of Newburgh’s
diverse community by supporting, promoting, and advocating for arts and culture
by supporting the livelihoods of working artists in our region. Therefore, NOS
will continue the tradition of presenting the Fall tour the last weekend of
September.” -Gerardo Castro & Michael Gabor
Newburgh OPEN Studios: www.newburghopenstudios.org
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