An award-winning NYC blogazine, primarily about painting
Friday, May 1, 2026
Yes, we have art fairs in town this month, and I’m looking forward to swinging by ESTHER III, a kind of alternative embodiment of the concept at Estonian House on 243 E. 34th Street from May 13–16. Thomas Erben is bringing work by Mike Cloud and a few of my other favorite NYC galleries will be there, King’s Leap among them. Reserve free tickets now. Also on the must-see list this month is “The Moment and the Distance,” a big Helen Frankenthaler solo at Gagosian,…
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / The Hudson Valley art scene is ramping up for the summer season with some great exhibitions opening this month. Requited Configurations opens at RUTHANN on May 1 with work by Natalie Beall, Charlotte Beckett, Damien Davis, Mark Dion, Shanti Grumbine, Nicholas Hamilton, Peter Hoffmeister, Jessi Li, David Lukowski, Scott Penkava, Monika Zarzeczna, and Steph Zimmerman. On May 2, openings include…
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / Every month, it seems there is one day when there are so many openings and events in the Hudson Valley that it is physically impossible to attend them all. For upstate art lovers, this challenging experience is happening twice, on both Saturday, April 4 and Saturday, April 11. The first Saturday in April brings new exhibitions at SEPTEMBER, Philip Douglas Fine Art, Front Room Gallery, Jane Street Art Center, Headstone…
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / Hudson Valley residents have been eagerly awaiting March and it’s promise of milder weather. With longer days come exciting new exhibitions throughout the region. On March 7, SPIRIT IN THE FLESH: Courtney Puckett, Ben Pederson, and Saul Chernick opens at Utopia in Kingston, The Dark Abyss of Time opens at Holland Tunnel Revisited in Newburgh, and solo shows by Daniel Giordano, Davana Robedee, and Kathy Ruttenberg open at CAS in Livingston Manor….
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / February’s highlights include the opening of Geary’s new location in Salisbury, Connecticut with a solo show of paintings by Alan Prazniak. On February 6, Souvenir, a group exhibition curated by Jeff Bailey opens at RUTHANN in Catskill. Numerous exhibitions are opening on February 7, including Terrestrial Extra at the Dorsky Museum, guest-curated by Alta Buden and Craig Monteith of Roundabouts Now. The same evening there are openings at Headstone (Above Board Ceramics), 68 Prince Street (Sharon Butler, Jason Travers, Kieran Kinsella, Murray Hochman, and Eileen Power), Distortion Society (Spaces Between Color) the Garrison Art Center (Stephanie Garmey and Michael Prettyman) and Buster Levi’s final show Open Ending….
Contributed by Sharon Butler / It’s February and my head is already spinning. I saw a few shows yesterday and recommend a trip to 15 Orient on 72 Walker Street (enter on Cortlandt Alley) to see Mitchell Kehe’s show “Bonded by the Spirit of Doubt,” in which enigmatic composition seems to affirm and concretize the pit I feel in my stomach. If narrative is more your jam, stop by LUNCH, a pop-up space downstairs from NADA headquarters at 311 East Broadway. Bill Arning has curated a show called “Ambiguous Storytellers” featuring Hannah Barrett, Tyler Brandon, Ario Elami, Matthew Gilbert, T.J. Griffin, Paula Hayes, Brian Kenny, Phil Knoll, Steven Lack, Jean Paul Mallozzi, Daniel Morowitz, Donna Moylan, Rajab Ali Sayed, and Erik Daniel White. Don’t miss Hilary Harnischfeger’s “Song for Clouds,” the artist’s fifth exhibition at Uffner & Liu. She crafts handmade objects that uncannily reflect the geological processes of tectonic pressure, sediment layering, and mineral buildup. Two Coats fave Alex Kwartler returns to Magenta Plains with “Off-Peak,” a solo show in which he presents “an inventory of passing attentions” that perfectly capture this age of distraction.
Contributed by Sharon Butler / Because of you, Two Coats of Paint will continue to thrive in 2026. Your contributions will enable us to continue producing these painting-centric monthly gallery guides that help the painting community discover exhibitions in New York City, the Hudson Valley, and beyond. Cheers to another year of great art, great writing, and great community, despite the dark days ahead….
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / Happy New Year! January is a quieter month in the Hudson Valley, but there is still plenty of great art to see around the region. From north to south, Barbara Todd: Undoings opens at Opalka Gallery in Albany on January 20. Three solo shows open at Catskill Art Space in Livingston Manor on January 17: Richard Barlow, Lisa Craft and Ellen Driscoll. Yura Adams’ solo exhibition Marvel’s Cabinet opens at WAAM in Woodstock on January 23. At the Millbrook Library The Color of Growth with Irja Bodén, JoAnne Lobotsky, Patrick Neal, and Colin O’Con opens on January 9, and on January 10, a two person show with Susan English and Laura Moriarty opens at Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Kent, CT and CRAZY, a group show curated by Jaime Ransome opens at BAU in Beacon. Also on January 10, Boundaries: Beth Dary, Amy Kupferberg, Rita Maas, and Mary Negro opens at Yellow Studio in Cross River, NY.
Hello, December! I’m grateful to everyone who has already supported Two Coats of Paint 2025 Year-end Fundraising Campaign. With roughly four weeks left, we still need additional contributions to fund 2026. If you haven’t yet donated, I encourage you to consider making your tax-deductible gift now. For two decades, I’ve managed to sustain Two Coats of Paint on a lean…
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / December brings numerous group exhibitions, making it the perfect time to collect art by local artists and purchase holiday gifts. On December 12-14, the pop up show Glögg Glögg features affordable work by over 30 artists at artist Melissa Dadourian’s studio near Woodstock, NY. Also in Woodstock, the 26th Annual 5 by 7 Show opens December 5 at the Kleinert/James Center for the Arts and features hundreds of small works by local artists. Notable exhibitions this month include Beth Dary at Front Room Gallery, Kylie Heidenheimer at Private Public Gallery, and Jim Denney and Jennifer Wynne Reeves at Philip Douglas Fine Art, all in Hudson. In Kingston don’t miss Julie Evans, Murray Hochman, Catherine Howe at 68 Prince Street…
Welcome to the Two Coats of Paint November selected guide to painting-centric exhibitions in New York, Brooklyn, and Queens….
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / November is starting out with a busy weekend of openings all across the region. On November 1, Dogs & Cats opens at SEPTEMBER with over 80 artists participating. 10% of all sales are being donated to the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, a local organization committed to supporting and resourcing immigrants. Richard Boseman opens on Saturday, November 1 at Headstone, and in the Catskills…
Welcome to the Two Coats of Paint October selected guide to painting-centric exhibitions in New York, Brooklyn, and Queens. We’ll be updating the listings around mid-month, so if you want your show considered for inclusion, please send info about the show to staff@twocoatsofpaint.com. NOTE: The year-end fundraising campaign starts in a few weeks, but readers who want to get a headstart can make a tax-deductible contribution here. Thank you!
Contributed by Karlyn Benson / October is the most beautiful month to visit the Hudson Valley and surrounding regions. Don’t miss seeing the brilliant foliage and enjoying cooler days and clear blue skies. Special events this month include the O+ music and art festival in Kingston on October 10-12 and the WAAM Members Open Studio Tour October 11-12. In Hudson, Farrell Brickhouse is giving an artist’s talk at Philip Douglas on October 11….
Contributed by Sharon Butler / Make today a day you, like me, refrain from doomscrolling in despair or listening to pundits vainly in search of packaged optimism. Cued by this guide, you might instead opt for art feeds on Instagram and ultimately the shows themselves because nothing is more hopeful than art in the fall in New York. We kick off the first week with the art fairs and then turn our attention to gallery exhibitions, hopping from neighborhood to neighborhood, absorbing new work by artists we’ve known for years and others we’ve never met. For a good time, this is the place to scroll.
NYC Selected Gallery Guide, May 2026Hudson Valley (+ Vicinity) Selected Gallery Guide, May 2026
The Nihonga avant-garde’s cultural outreach
Emily Kraus: Balancing control and surrender
The Christophers: NFS
Kari Cholnoky: Stalking dullness
Eric Wolf: Into the fog
Folk Art’s faux-ish innocence
Two Coats Resident Artist Gyan Shrosbree, May 5 – 10
E.M. Saniga: Country life vigorously observed
Paul Klee, degenerate for the ages
Ken D. Resseger: Closer to creation
