Contributed by Sharon Butler / The 2025 brain drain predicted last November appears to be well underway. In the last few months, I’ve had artist friends pack up and leave the city for Taiwan, Scotland, Ireland, London, Portugal, Spain, and most recently Paris. I’ve just received announcements from three out-of-town, artist-run galleries that they are closing – Furnace Art on Paper Archive in Falls Village, Connecticut, The Icehouse Project Space in Sharon, CT, and Bill Arning Exhibitions in Kinderhook, NY. On the other hand, Two Coats of Paint will mark its nineteenth year in 2026. Frankly I’m gobsmacked – in a good way – that I’ve continued to publish it for so long. I was explaining to someone at a recent opening that Two Coats has come to replace smoking cigarettes in the studio. I paint a bit, take a break, blog for a while, and then get back to the canvas with fresh eyes. The next thing I know, more than 18 years have passed. Thanks to everyone for all the support over the years.
After the initial September explosion of activity, these past few weeks have been all about painting, particularly stretching finished canvases, which I’ve been… Read more on Substack
