Award-winning blogazine, primarily about painting
Monday, August 8, 2022
Contributed by Sharon Butler / August is the laziest month in New York. Everyone takes a breath, some leave town, and others gear up for their September shows. That said, there is still plenty to see, usually in air-conditioned comfort. And, because gallerists are understandably loath to open new shows at the end of August, many existing ones get extended beyond announced closing dates.
Is summer my favorite season in the city? Emphatically, YES. A few galleries, having staked out space in the mountains or at the beach, are closed for the season. But plenty are open, and some are presenting exuberant group shows that defy the gloomy and anxious national mood. Highlights include “Painting As Is II” at Nathalie Karg, “ASKEW” at DC Moore, “Pattern and Recognition” at Sperone Westwater, “Early Summer” at Theodore, “Catechism” at Bridget Donahue, “Ink” at McKenzie Fine Art, and “Weeds and Spores” at Alexandre. I’m not sure precisely what to expect from “The Tale Their Terror Tells,” which opens at at Lyles & King on July 9, but it features a huge roster of artists and promises to be intriguing. On July 13, stop by the opening of “TANGO” at Jennifer Baahng Gallery at 790 Madison Avenue on the UES. I’ll have a couple paintings in the show. Then, the next day, on July 14, don’t miss the opening for “Psychedelic Landscape” at Eric Firestone. Should be lit.
Contributed by Sharon Butler / It’s the height of summer arts season in the Hudson Valley, and this is our most expansive Gallery Guide yet. On July 22-24, Upstate Art Weekend, featuring more than 100 exhibitions, extended gallery hours, and a slew of special events, adds a thick layer to the month’s already robust art programming. As a bonus, more than 50 artists will open their studios to the public. We are also pleased to see that SEPTEMBER Gallery will be reopening on July 23 at their new space in Kinderhook NY.
Contributed by Sharon Butler / For the past week I’ve been holed up in my apartment with Covid, so I may not make it to your opening tonight. No need to send condolences — at this point it’s just a case of the sniffles and I’ve enjoyed hanging around the house. I’ll be back out in a day or two, bike riding around town and (once an academic always an academic) spending long, lazy days in the studio. There are a lot of good exhibitions to see this month including …
At the galleries this month, look for Eric Brown’s solo at Jennifer Baahng on the UES, Elana Herzog at Cathouse Proper in Carroll Gardens, MOD (the show I curated) at Platform Project Space in Dumbo, Scooter LaForge’s sculpture at Theodore in Tribeca, and “Jump Shot,” a charming group show in South Slope ( or is it Gowanus?) at Tappeto Volante, with Ben K. Voss, Marianne Gagnier, Calvin Burton, Maria Walker, Al Svoboda, Julie Torres, Christopher Peterson, and David Scanavino. In Bushwick, check out “Shelter,” a two person show with sculptures and works on paper by Helen O’Leary and Liliana Zavaleta at M. David & Co. through May 14. At Two Coats of Paint HQ we are hosting Afarin Rahmanifar — our first artist-in-residence since Covid arrived in 2020. Please join us for her open studio (55 Washington Street, #454) on May 5, 6 – 8pm. It’s Dumbo First Thursday, so galleries will be open late, too. –Sharon Butler
Welcome to Two Coats of Paint’s inaugural guide to Hudson Valley galleries. With the explosion of impressive exhibitions in the region, Two Coats plans to make the guide a regular feature…
Contributed by Sharon Butler / Due to a massive hack attack at Two Coats of Paint, we had to rebuild our most recent files, including the April gallery guide. Call it a work in progress. We will continue to edit and update as necessary. INVITATION: Save the date for DUMBO Open Studios, April 22-24, when I will be showing some recent work created for a collaborative project with CounterPointe9, with choreographer Julia Gleich and Norte Maar in my studio at 55 Washington Street. I also organized a show at Platform Project Space called “MOD” featuring one of my paintings alongside singular works by Peter Dudek, Steve Hicks, Sheila Pepe, and Adam Simon. Located at 20 Jay Street #319, Platform is run by artist Elizabeth Hazan. The opening is scheduled for Friday April 22, 6-8 — the same night as the opening party for the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, which is in the same building. Please join us!
Contributed by Sharon Butler / This month many of the February shows will be on view for another week or two, so if you missed any, such as, for instance, Rochelle Feinstein (Candice Madey and Brigette Donahue, LES) or David Diao (Postmasters, Tribeca), you have a little more time. Recently opened shows include Zachary Keeting at Underdonk in Bushwick, Harriet Korman at Thomas Erben in Chelsea, and Kathy Butterly at James Cohan in Tribeca. We’ll update mid-month when the next wave of openings takes place.
Contributed by Sharon Butler / What’s up February? I’m looking forward to stopping by Ortega y Gasset in Gowanus to see “Surface Tension,” a group show featuring work by Dexter Ciprian, Rachel Granofsky, Christina Graham, Kirstin Lamb, Caitlin Macbride, and Sarah Pater, artists who seem to cast the picture plane as an unreliable narrator. In Tribeca, I’ll be checking out David Diao’s new Berlin Chair paintings on view at Postmasters. On the Lower East Side, Rochelle Feinstein, another painters’ favorite, has a show across two venues, Bridget Donahue and Candice Madey. 106 Green, long located on Green Street in Greenpoint, has reopened at 75 East Broadway. They have a charming two-person exhibition with sculptures by Keiko Narahashi and paintings by Erin O�Brien on view through February 19. In Chelsea, McEnery is showing Roy Dowell’s loose geometric pictures and Erin Lawlor’s dramatic brushy gesturals. More news: Hannah Traore has opened a space at 150 Orchard Street and Marinaro has moved to a new space on Broadway in Noho.
Contributed by Sharon Butler / If January feels dreary, cheer up. Take a look at this long, interesting list of exhibtions that are opening in NYC.
