Tarrytown Grand Opening Welcomes Rockland Artists via “Bridging the Waters”

STORY & PHOTOS BY JANIE ROSMAN

Several Rockland artists were featured at last week’s opening of the Bridge Art Show in Tarrytown, with Heather Leigh Douglas of Sparkill bringing home Best of Show.

Because she did several encaustics of the Tappan Zee Bridge, Douglas felt it was a natural to enter the 2014 Bridge Art Show. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the new bridge finished so I can do some encaustics of it. I love the design,” she said.

Douglas was away last Friday when special project advisor Brian Conybeare announced her mixed media/encaustic painting “On the Road to Extinction” earned Best of Show at “Bridging the Waters,” which opened at the Tarrytown Outreach Center last Friday.

“As you can tell, the quality of the art work is truly incredible, and it was difficult to choose because there was so much talent on display both here and in our Nyack Community Outreach Center,” special project advisor Brian Conybeare said. Designed as a way for art to bridge the river and bring the two communities together, “it has worked better than we could have imagined.”

The challenge for West Nyack artist Jamey Jackson was how to create art that includes people, and present the subject without showing the bridge?

Realizing his daily commute to Elmsford offered a view of construction equipment only, Jackson questioned the human element. “What about the human element, the architects, designers, construction workers?”

The result was “Bridge Builders,” his acrylic painting of four construction workers — without the bridge, river, water, and sky — that earned First Runner-up. Acrylic is forgiving, he said, especially in a tight time frame, “and allows layers of textures and shapes on one another.”

Valley Cottage resident and paint company owner Adam Glickman learned about the contest from a friend. “I love photography and have some of my pictures are in a gallery in Nyack,” he said.

His black-and-white photograph “View from Piermont” earned Second Runner-up. “I wanted to be part of the show, and while I’ll miss the old bridge, I know it’s time for it to go,” he said.

Special thanks went to ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam, RoCA board member and Visual Quality Panel member Rob Fellows, and Naomi Vladeck of Rivertown Artists Workshop — who were all unable to attend — Ken Burns of the Nyack Art Collective, and Rockland Center for the Arts Executive Director Julie Ramos.

Conybeare credited Public Outreach Administrator Andy O’Rourke for being the shows’ driving force, Visual Quality Manger Heather Sporn, and Nyack Art Collective founding member and gallery owner Lawrence Hultberg.

“They worked tirelessly to mount this entire show,” O’Rourke said. “I can’t tell you how much work went into it, but each piece was placed with love and care and a lot of thought.”

“We received so many great works of art, from drawings and painting to glass and paper sculptures,” Sporn commented later. “We are very proud to be able to showcase these works from local artists in our Community Outreach Centers on both sides of the Hudson, where people can come and see the beautiful artwork and at the same time learn about the New NY Bridge project.”

Very special thanks went to Community Outreach Team members George Paschalis, Dan Marcy, Dan Garcia and Masis Parseghian.

“The Tappan Zee is the gateway to the Hudson Valley region, which is home to thousands of artists, and the exhibition builds greater public awareness of the vibrant creative life of communities north of New York City,” Langsam said at an earlier time. “We’re delighted for this exhibition, which gives the public the opportunity to see the bridge through the eyes of creative artists.”

The show continues through October 31 at the Outreach Centers, 142 Main St., Nyack, and 2 N. Broadway, Tarrytown. Both are open Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.