Frass: Happy Horse by Reidunn Frass was a highlight of the show—so delightful, in fact, that it had already sold by the time I arrived at the opening
“Equine: A Group Exhibition of Art Celebrating the Horse,” opened at The Emerge Gallery and Art Space in Saugerties on September 2 and will show until October 2.
It is hard to imagine a more fitting theme for Saugerties. From the summer’s HITS Saugerties series to the whimsically painted horse statues that line the downtown streets, Saugerties loves its horses.
Emerge Gallery owner Robert Langdon succeeded in finding over 40 talented artists who share Saugerties’ love for all things equine. Working in a range of media — including painting, drawing, collage, ceramics, sculpture, and more —the collection highlights the grace, gentleness and ferocity of an animal that many have ridden but none can boast to have tamed.
Reflecting Emerge’s commitment to the local art community, the show highlights many local artists, including Janet Holmes, whose close bonds formed with animals while working at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties is reflected in her work. The show’s theme has also drawn the enthusiasm of farther-flung participants, like Dartmouth professor and painter Michael Chaney, whose pen-and-ink graphic memoir “The Horse’s Mouth,” illustrates his run-in with a voracious horse at boy-scout camp.
Offering a diverse display of art at accessible prices, Emerge has curated a tasteful and timely show. Emerge Gallery is at 228 Main Street, Saugerties. To view the Emerge exhibition, visit the gallery Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 to 6 and Sunday from 11 to 5.
Michael Chaney’s Horse’s Mouth invited the observer’s close attention with its narrative intricacy and lighthearted humor (left); Topitzer: When I Bestride Him by Johanna Finnegan Topitzer uses mixed media and innovative sculptural relief effects (right).