Fern Apfel: ‘Letters Home’ at Troutbeck

Opening on Friday, Feb. 21, “Letters Home” is the latest exhibition in Troutbeck’s ongoing collaboration with the Wassaic Project, a partnership that brings contemporary artists to the historic site in Amenia. This season features Fern Apfel, a Hudson Valley artist known for transforming handwritten letters, diaries, and ephemera into meticulously painted still lifes.

Apfel’s work explores the intersection of text, memory and abstraction, preserving the beauty of handwritten correspondence while reflecting on the passage of time. Though they appear to be collages, her paintings are carefully rendered in acrylic and archival pen, capturing the worn textures of aged paper, faded ink, and personal histories.

A two-time recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Individual Artists Grant, Apfel has exhibited widely, with works in the permanent collections of The Hyde Collection, The Albany Institute of History & Art, and the Tang Teaching Museum. In 2022, she received the Yasuo Kuniyoshi Award from the Woodstock Art Association & Museum, recognizing outstanding artistic achievement.

“Minor Scales” by Fern Apfel.Photo by Jeff Barnett-Winsby

The opening reception will take place on Feb. 21 from 5 to 7 p.m., continuing Troutbeck’s commitment to showcasing artists whose work engages with history, language and place.

The Wassaic Project first began curating exhibitions at Troutbeck in 2022 with solo exhibitions by Wassaic alumni Polly Shindler and Taha Clayton. Most recently, Wassaic has curated a solo presentation of paintings by Dana Robinson, who also currently has work on view at the Wassaic Project in “A Space Between Worlds.” Additionally, they have presented a solo show of photographs from Wassaic Project co-director Jeff Barnett-Winsby. The two entities have also worked together numerous times over the past few years for programming events, including collaborating with the Wassaic Project’s education department to produce Troutbeck’s Symposium series. Most recently, Troutbeck hosted the Project’s winter benefit.

“Because of the small community that we share, it felt like a natural development to expand the Wassaic Project’s artists and art outside of Maxon Mills. We are excited to continue this partnership with Troutbeck,” said Will Hutnick, Wassaic Project’s director of artistic programming.