Beyond the Curves: A celebration of courageous, outrageous, and trailblazing women.
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
Living in the Hudson Valley, we are not strangers to the trailblazing women who have come before us. Our area has ties to greats like Sojourner Truth, Jane Bolin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Today, we are still surrounded by innovative women making our area a beautiful place to live and work. In recognizing these individuals, Gallery 40 in Poughkeepsie presents its next exhibit opening on July 6 called, Beyond the Curves: A celebration of courageous, outrageous, and trailblazing women.
Gallery 40 is located in the heart of Poughkeepsie in a 1915 restored brick building sharing the landmark with a microbrewery, wine bar, cafe, and book club. Gallery 40 is devoted to providing a place to showcase the work of local and regional artists. The gallery also offers free programs, mainly dedicated to building community through local fairs, art exhibitions, and performances.
The latest exhibit, Beyond the Curves, celebrates women’s fortitude, persistence, and strength in the face of adversity. Subject matters address many issues that face women today including those who have been set aside by the patriarchy or men in their lives; women ahead of their time; women who worked without the proper recognition; women who have been judged or misunderstood; and women whose voices may yet be unacknowledged. As part of the group exhibition, Gallery 40 will feature Lisa Winika’s Misunderstood Women Project which seeks to cast light on some unexplored ideas about women that deeply influence the foundational thought process and emotional undercurrent of society.
“When my mother was born, she did not have the right to vote,” said artist Paola Bari. “A lot of things changed since then thanks to incredible women paving the path for equality, independence, and respect. I wanted to bring back the focus on this issue so their work will not be forgotten.”
As a centerpiece of the exhibition, there will be a live performance on Thursday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m. of intimate monologues and short scenes that illustrate the unfiltered stories of these women. The performance pieces, directed by Deborah Coconis and Chris Burney, are written by local authors and will be performed by actors from the Hudson Valley.
“Beyond the Curves is a moment to give these women the opportunity to remind us of the struggle to get where we are and how strong we should feel in continuing the process,” stated Bari. “I did not grow up as a feminist, but simply as a human being, and I always believed that a woman only needed her skills to excel. Recently I had to change my mind and I felt the need to remind us about the battle for female power.”
Participant Visual Artists: Eleonor Andersson, Daniel Baxter, Sean Bowen, Judith Campanaro, Tracy Finn, Harriet Forman Barrett, Mary Ann Glass, Claudia Gorman, Annie Henriques, Lifu Hu, Barbara Tepper Levy, Lori Lillimagi-Boehm, Dan McCormack, Ellen Metzger O'Shea, Rossella BLUE Mocerino, Ann Morris, Emily Nomer, Elspeth Putnam, Regina Quinn, Rhi Ruxton, James Stamboni, Cindy Sumerano, Kim Suttell, Lois Walsh-Gallina, Catherine Welshman, Rachel Williams. Juror of Selection: Nansi Lent.
Performance scripts by: Paola Bari, Ellery Cordes, Peter Gil-Sheridan, Supriya Hermenze, Liz Hill, Joanna Castle Miller, Ella Talerico, Margaret Milan Wright.
If you go:
Beyond the Curves: A celebration of courageous, outrageous, and trailblazing women.
Gallery 40, 40 Cannon Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
July 6 - July 28, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 6, 2024 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Live performance on Thursday, July 25, 7:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Weekends 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
www.gallery40pok.com/current-exhibition
(845) 320-2125
