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Gallery tour showcases contemporary art

By Melanie Lekocevic

CATSKILL — It’s no wonder the majestic Catskill Mountains have become home to an increasingly growing number of artists looking for beautiful scenery and inspiration. The Village of Catskill has become key to that growth, with numerous contemporary art galleries dotting Main Street.

This weekend, the first annual Village of Catskill Artist Studio and Gallery Tour opened those galleries to art aficionados and novices alike who have a love of art and a desire to learn more about it.

“This tour encourages people to explore the art galleries in the Village of Catskill,” said Norman Mackey with the Greene County Council on the Arts, or GCCA. “Catskill has a great deal to offer, and the number of galleries has expanded considerably. In fact, two new galleries have been opened recently.”

One of those new art venues — Gallery 42 — was actually opened to the public on the day of the tour. The studio, located in a Greek Revival church on Prospect Avenue, is one of the most significant buildings of that architectural era, with a majestic interior that is the setting for artist Mark Beard’s figurative canvases and portraits.

More than a dozen local galleries participated in the tour, which enabled visitors to visit the galleries themselves, as well as to get an inside peek at professional artists’ studios.

“I love tours like this. It’s the best way to see art - you get to see a whole body of work, meet the artist, and it really captures the essence of the art,” said Saugerties artist Susan Nickerson, who took the tour.

Visitors participating in the free tour signed up at the GCCA, or one of a half dozen other galleries, including Cedar Grove, Day & Holt, Gallery 384, M Gallery, Open Studio and Patrick Terenchin Fine Art.

“This is a great opportunity for everyone to come and realize how many professional artists are in Catskill, and see their processes and how they work,” said artist Dina Bursztyn, co-owner of The Open Studio. “Some of the artists are showing their studios, which are usually not open to the public, so this was a unique opportunity.”

For visitors, the tour was a chance to browse and learn, and explore an art world that may be new to them.

“This is a nice way of introducing people to art,” said artist Julie Chase, co-owner of The Open Studio. “I have always thought people in town might feel intimidated about coming into a gallery, and we don’t want that. We want them to be comfortable coming in and seeing the workshops where art is made.”

The tour, which organizers hope will be the first of many, was developed by the Catskill Gallery Association, and was sponsored by Muddy Cup, Union Mills, the Catskill Community Center, the GCCA and Cedar Grove.

“This gives artists a little more exposure. It shows that Catskill is a center for contemporary art, and that numerous distinguished, well-known artists have their studios here,” said David Griffin, owner of Gallery 384. “And even if they don’t consider themselves art experts, people in this community are very receptive to art.”

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