Art in process: Wassaic Project open studios

The Wassaic Project will host open studios on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. The participating artists are: LaTonia Allen, Jayden Ashley, Arden Carlson, Ricardo Galvan, Erin Goodine, Diana Guerra, Hyunjin Park and Kanthy Peng. For art lovers, it’s an opportunity to view work in progress and ask questions of the creators and for the artists, it’s a chance to make connections and possibly even gain new insights into their work.

Allen, a New York based multidisciplinary artist, is a 2025 recipient of the Wassaic Projects Family Residency. Of the open studios experience she said, “Welcoming people in can be a bit nerve wracking at times, but afterwards, I always find myself feeling better. Oftentimes, I have a different perspective to think about or another way to approach the subject matter to consider.”

Working in various media, Allen’s work investigates the definition of Black self-liberation. “Through portraiture and figuration, my work engages through the washes of oil paint and charcoal to explore emotions, employing symbolism related to the passage of time and trauma, personified through skin tone and Black hair,” said Allen. “I don’t know that the open studios help me view my work differently. I think as an artist, sometimes you have to be able to decipher through the multitude of opinions, good or bad, and maintain trust in yourself and your process.”

South Korean born Park is also part of Wassaic’s Artist in Residence program. Her work explores the intimate relationship between human and non-human entities, the intersections between animals, machines and technology. At the open studios, she plans to share sketches from an ongoing video project, highlighting how she merges animated drawings with video footage.

“I believe art is born through the dialogues and interactions between artists, artworks and viewers,” said Park. Of the open studios, she shared, “This experience offers an opportunity not only to share my finished pieces but also to open up about the thought processes and materials behind my practice, hopefully fostering a deeper understanding of my work.

Of the Artist in Residence program, Park said, “It’s been such a warm and heartfelt experience, and I think part of that comes from the fact that the directors and staff at the Wassaic Project are also artists themselves. This gives them a deep understanding of the community and an intuitive sense of what artists need during this winter residency.”

The upcoming open studios promise a unique chance to witness creativity in motion, fostering meaningful connections between artists and those who get to experience their work.

The Wassaic Project is located at 37 Furnace Bank Road in Wassaic. For more info, visit: www.wassaicproject.org

Latest News

All are welcome at The Mahaiwe

Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.

Geandy Pavon

Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”

The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Living with the things you love:
a conversation with Mary Randolph Carter
Mary Randolph Carter teaches us to surround ourselves with what matters to live happily ever after.
Carter Berg

There is magic in a home filled with the things we love, and Mary Randolph Carter, affectionately known as “Carter,” has spent a lifetime embracing that magic. Her latest book, “Live with the Things You Love … and You’ll Live Happily Ever After,” is about storytelling, joy, and honoring life’s poetry through the objects we keep.

“This is my tenth book,” Carter said. “At the root of each is my love of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and living surrounded by things that conjure up family, friends, and memories.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Beloved classic film ‘The Red Shoes’ comes to the big screen for Triplex benefit
Provided

On Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m., The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and Jacob’s Pillow, the dance festival in Becket, Massachusetts, are presenting a special benefit screening of the cinematic masterpiece, “The Red Shoes,” followed by a discussion and Q&A. Featuring guest speakers Norton Owen, director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, and dance historian Lynn Garafola, the event is a fundraiser for The Triplex.

“We’re pitching in, as it were, because we like to help our neighbors,” said Norton. “They (The Triplex) approached us with the idea, wanting some input if they were going to do a dance film. I thought of Lynn as the perfect person also to include in this because of her knowledge of The Ballets Russes and the book that she wrote about Diaghilev. There is so much in this film, even though it’s fictional, that derives from the Ballets Russes.” Garafola, the leading expert on the Ballets Russes under Serge Diaghilev, 1909–1929, the most influential company in twentieth-century theatrical dance, said, “We see glimpses of that Russian émigré tradition, performances we don’t see much of today. The film captures the artifice of ballet, from the behind-the-scenes world of dressers and conductors to the sheer passion of the audience.”

Keep ReadingShow less