Seeing Art at ArtsFest

ArtsFest 2024 kicks off Thursday, October 17 and runs through Sunday, October 20 with plenty of opportunities to encounter the visual arts — from painting and drawing to sculpture and photography – in artists’ studios and galleries as well as some unexpected places. (For the complete ArtsFest calendar go to www.newrochellearts.org.)

Open  Artists’ Studios

Open Artists Studios are at the heart of ArtsFest, which was created to shine a light on the artists living in our community — creating exciting work right here at home. What makes visiting an artist’s studio different than seeing their work in a gallery is the chance to meet the artist in their work space and learn first hand about their process. A QR code in the ArtsFest brochure lets you access an up-to-the-minute list of local artists who will be opening their doors to the public during ArtsFest weekend: The site offers addresses and parking information for the studio locations.

A good place to start is with a visit to the NRCA Rotunda Gallery (NR City Hall, 515 North Ave., NR, www.newrochellearts.org) where you can enjoy a show of works by all the Open Studios Artists: See a representative sampling of their diverse and engaging homegrown art -– then plan to tour the individual artists’ studios over Artsfest weekend. The gallery will be open to the public on Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. You are also invited to a reception on Friday night from 5 to 7 pm with refreshments and live music.

Meet the Open Studio Artists

Charles Fazzino Art Studio at Museum Editions (32 Relyea Pl., NR; 914-654-9370; www.fazzino.com ) Once a year world famous pop artist Charles Fazzino –- known as “the master of 3-D art” — opens his personal studio and showroom to the public for ArtsFest. Charles is known for his obsession with bright colors and wonderful detail, infusing his work with frenetic energy.  Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive project to learn how to create Fazzino’s 3D Art. Fun for all ages and an ArtsFest favorite. Saturday 11 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm.

HighBrook Studios (220 Highbrook Ave N, Pelham; highbrookstudios@gmail.com ) Visit this dynamic artists collective with four floors of working artists’ studios; works will be for sale. Artists include: Fatima Navarro, Victoria Rollet, Scott Seaboldt, Stacy Miller, Hardin Hernandez, Avery Syrig, Erika Hibbert, Michael Cammer. Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.

Acupuncture Unlimited/Amelia E. Jones (38 Lakeside Dr., NR; 914-356-2327) Open Studio: Zen painting. Open Mic: Visiting authors, storytelling, music and spoken word from the African diaspora. Families welcome. Saturday 12 Noon to 6 pm, Sunday, 12 Noon to 5 pm. 

Fran Sisco Studio (30 Mill Rd., NR — adjacent to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 914-589-1013; www.TransFranSisco.com) “Literary + Visual + Performance Art”: Performances by Fran Sisco and friends of poetry, songs and excerpts from original plays, plus a presentation of related visual art. Saturday, 11 am to 3 pm.

Barry L. Mason at Lifestorage Building (The Life Storage Building, 320 Washington St., Mount Vernon; 914-649-2399; www.barrymasonart.com ) Art studio will be open to the public to stop by, tour the artist space and view artworks. Meet and talk with artist. All ages welcome. Parking available in front office parking lot, entrance on Hartford Avenue. Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm. 

Emlyn Taveras at Lifestorage Building (The Life Storage Building, 320 Washington Avenue, Mount Vernon; parking available by front office parking lot entrance on Hartford Ave.; 347-228-6509, www.emlyntaveras.com) Tour the artist studio space: Artworks will be exhibited and available for sale. Artist will be present for discussion of mixed-media collage and process. Appropriate for all ages. Parking Available in front Office Parking Lot Entrance on Hartford Ave. Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm.

Marie Hines Cowan (55 Webster Ave., Studio 306, NR; 914-720- 5933; www.mariehinescowan.com ) Open studio showing works by Marie Hines Cowan, a figurative oil painter marrying mythology with colloquial culture. Her bold, colorful work is narrative, life-sized, and representational. Saturday, 12 Noon to 4 pm. 

Naomi Grossman (55 Webster Ave., NR; 917-921-2823; www.naomigrossman.com ) Open studio showing works by Naomi Grossman, a mixed media artist who makes wire figurative sculptures often with words embedded in their “skin”, as well as works in various media, often using hidden words. Saturday, 12 Noon to 4 pm.

Creative Explorations Ann Marie DeLuca (1600 Harrison Ave., unit G104:5B, Mamaroneck NY; 914-560-6408; www.explorationsincreativity.com ) Open studio and reception with an exhibit of work by this expressive artist and photographer. Saturday, 12 Noon to 4 pm.

Erika Hibbert (30 Clinton Place, 6F, NR; 404-952-0462; www.erikahibbert.com ) In addition to curating the NRCA Rotunda Gallery show artist Erika Hibbert invites you to visit her studio and view her artwork — both completed and in progress – by appointment during ArtsFest. Please call or text to set up the time of your visit on either Saturday or Sunday, between 9 am and 4 pm.  

Galleries and Exhibits

James Stamboni: Brief Lives at the Vanda Gallery  (379 Huguenot St, New Rochelle, NY; (914) 740-4412; vandagallery.com) An evocative exhibition that delves into the ephemeral nature of existence. James Stamboni, renowned for his poignant and thought-provoking works, captures the fleeting moments of life with a unique blend of realism and abstraction. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to5 pm, with a special First Anniversary celebration on Saturday from 5 to 7 pm.

NRAA 108th Annual Juried Show at New Rochelle Public Library (1 Library Plaza, NR, 914-632-7878, www.nrpl.org ) Since its informal inception in 1912, the New Rochelle Art Association has included among its membership many talented and internationally known painters, illustrators and sculptors. The NRAA’s 108th juried open show consists of artwork in 9 categories: Acrylic/Oils, Graphics, Fine Crafts, Sculpture, Photography, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Digital Art and Pastels. Exhibit runs through November 6th. Thursday 9 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.

Annual PAC Student Exhibit at the Pelham Art Center (155 Fifth Ave., Pelham; 914-576-7747, x115; www.pelhamartcenter.org ) Artwork in a wide range of comprehensive media created by the Pelham Art Center’s students of all ages will be on exhibit. Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 7 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. Also on Saturday from 1 to 3 pm members of the PAC Artist Club (Kalin Monet, Allison Ciampi, Carol Herd-Rodriguez, Susan Nathenson) will be giving lectures about their artwork and creative processes. In conjunction with the lectures, PAC will also be offering a craft project for all ages.

“Off the Wall” at Palmer Art (1947 Larchmont Ave., Larchmont; (914) 834-3627; palmerartny.com) Off the Wall: A Collection of Multi-Dimensional Art exhibit featuring mixed media art in non-traditional format. Appropriate for adults and families. Thursday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm.

Empty Hand Zen Center (45 Lawton Street, NR — Behind Backstreet Gallery and Framing; 914-309-5403; emptyhandzen.org) The HeArt of Meditation – Empty Hand Zen Center Member Art Exhibition and afternoon of Japanese inspired art activities. Multimedia membership art exhibition and Japanese inspired art activities. Tour New Rochelle’s former Trolley Turnaround building transformed into a Soto Zen Meditation Center. Art activities appropriate for school-age children to adults. Saturday from 1 pm to 5 pm.

“No Limits” at Mamaroneck Artists Guild Gallery (Mamaroneck Artists Guild Gallery, 1987 Palmer Avenue, Larchmont ; 914-834-1117; www.mamaroneckartistsguild.org ) “No Limits” Members award show featuring 2D and 3D works in all media by member artists. Thursday and Friday, 12 Noon to 5 pm.

” Love Your Mother “at the Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery (665 North Ave., NR; 914-633-2208 ; www.iona.edu/new-rochelle-community/br-kenneth-chapman-gallery) In Love Your Mother the artist Jennie Thwing explores the ties between motherhood and mother nature. It is rooted in a love for the natural world and the artist’s identity as a mother. The source material comes from personal experience, nature, world events, and family mythologies. The visuals depict the natural world and often show the anthropomorphism of environments, objects, and materials. All of the work is driven by sound, with found sound (creative commons) edited into dense ambient soundscapes that match the mood, movement, and events in the animations. The sound is intended to conjure emotion and memory. Thursday 12 Noon to 8 pm; meet artist Jennie Thwing at a closing reception from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.  

“Fall In Plein Air: Landscape Abstractions” (Museum of Arts & Culture, New Rochelle High School, North Ave. at Braemar) New Rochelle’s is the only high school in the state with its own museum: On Friday night from 6 to 8 pm visit the MAC to view paintings by NRHS visual arts students in PAVE 1, 2 and 3. The assignment was to paint abstracted landscapes with camouflage patterns using mixed colors inspired from direct observation. Enjoy refreshments and a showcase of students performing jazz and spoken word pieces. Additional works will be displayed around the lake all weekend.  

“Undersea Whimsy: Imaginative Creatures from the Deep” (Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital , 101 Glover Johnson Pl., NR; Main hospital, lobby level; www.montefiore.org/artprogram) Experience the playful energy of aquatic worlds through the work of Erwin Ong, who mixes childhood nostalgia with bold, doodle-inspired creations. His underwater illustrations feature happy, humorous, and slightly menacing creatures that invite viewers to rediscover the simple joy of drawing, to encourage play and experimentation, and to have fun. The art gallery will be open throughout the weekend from 12 Noon to 4 pm, with an Artist Reception on Sunday from 1 pm to 3 pm.

 Art in Unexpected Spaces

For ArtsFest view installations of art in unexpected spaces:

Cafetero Coffee Company (111 Centre Ave., NR) Start the day by viewing artwork on exhibit (and on the walls outside!) and enjoying delicious coffee and freshly baked treats. During ArtsFest Cafetero will have a hot chocolate drink special: Mention ArtsFest or show this brochure to receive a 10% discount. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm.

Art in the Garden (30 Oakdale Ave., NR, rear yard; 914-439-2020; healthyyardsnr@gmail.com) Works by selected artists from the New Rochelle Art Association will be on display in a private garden and for sale. All work will be inspired by nature or designed to enhance a garden. A collaboration between the NRAA and Healthy Yards New Rochelle.

Self-Guided Childrens Story Trail at Ward Acres Conservancy (300 Broadfield Rd., NR; 914- 654-2087 ; https://www.wardacresconservancy.org ) The Ward Acres Conservancy is hosting a Children’s Story Trail featuring the book “A Good Place”: The trail includes 19 stops in both English and Spanish. The trail is designed to be a self-guided experience for children 2 and up. On Sunday, Oct. 20 WAC will host one narrated/guided walk at 11:30 am where the story will be brought to life by narrators. Attendees are to meet at the entrance to the park on Broadfield Road across the street from the Ward Elementary School Baseball field.

Self Guided Tour of the NRNY Murals The 20 large scale #NRNY Murals make a statement about New Rochelle as a diverse city where art plays a pivotal role. Completed in 2022 the high impact murals were created by a group of world class street artists curated by Street Art for Mankind and sponsored by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts and the City of New Rochelle’s IDA. Take the free Culture Trolley on Saturday or Sunday for a guided tour of the NRNY Murals (two tours, 12 Noon and 1:30 daily, leaving from Hotel NoMa), or download the map at www.newrochellearts.org and tour the murals at your own pace.