During my
visit earlier this month to UpFront Exhibition Space in Port Jervis I was overwhelmed and
disappointed: Overwhelmed by the amount and variety of creativity in this
gallery, and disappointed that I had driven past this place so many times and
not stopped in.
The building,
formerly a Hardware store, has creaky wood floors and every wall is covered in
colorful paintings and photography, while works of silk and sculpture sit in
the corners and a front window. My first visit to UpFront fell during the spring
art show. Almost 50 artists were represented including Joe Petrosi and Adrienne
Butvinik. In 2012 Petrosi’s detailed colored pencil drawings made him the #1
ink and pencil art in the Hudson Valley according to the Times-Herald Record.
He was at the gallery during my visit, adding to a new work at a table near the
center of the room. One of Butvinik’s dresses was displayed front and center
near the door. I’ve seen her fabrics and silks, decorated with batik, tie dye
and fabric paint, at Hudson Valley craft fairs for years. The spring show’s
reception was April 9th and it runs through May 22.
Landscapes, baby
elephants, driftwood sculpture, slag glass, lusciously-locked Donald Trump, and
a fullsize Boba Fett costume…there’s something for everyone.
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