Artists on art: in their own words

By JONATHAN CHARLES FOX

It’s been a minute (as the young folks say) since I’ve attended the opening reception of an art exhibit, so when I was alerted to a new group show taking place in The Galleries at the Union in Narrowsburg, NY,  I cranked up the air in the Gidget-Mobile and headed out to meet the artists in person. 

My reasons were twofold. To keep myself and the dog cool, and learn a thing or two about how an artist (photographer or otherwise) works, thinks and creates.

In addition to the five-person exhibit debuting in the galleries, another installation featuring a “powerful multimedia installation of activism-inspired artwork” titled “Power to the People” (PTTP) is concurrently housed at the Union. 

As the reception got underway,  Brendan Weiden, co-founder/owner of the Narrowsburg Union, had a few words to say about that particular exhibit which he spearheaded. 

“This is an exceptional night,” he said. “It’s our biggest art show ever presented in the five galleries. We actually ran out of wall space. To top it all off, we have ‘Power to the People’ on exhibit in Delaware Hall [which addresses] respecting the constitution and the way of life that we all enjoy. We’re fortunate to have Vito DiBiasi here to speak tonight, a man who has written some very intelligent and distinguished pieces for the River Reporter in the past. The theme of ‘Power to the People’ is peaceful resistance, and I think we can all agree that we need to have our voices be heard.” 

Taking advantage of the men and women represented being in-residence, (as it were) I approached a few for some artistic enlightenment.

“I find that this is a good representation of work that I have been doing up here in Sullivan County.” Wm Landau happily shared. “And what I like best of all is that this is a healthy arrangement and lineup of some older work done in the mid-2000s [combined with] work that I’ve done in the past few months. I felt that this was an opportunity to pair them up and see how they actually relate to each other. They are informing me,” Landau declared, as only an artist can, “and I am delighted with that.” 

Photographer Maureen Neville has a number of pieces under the umbrella title “Island Winter,” lining the walls of the Hawk Gallery, and she took a moment during the reception to discuss them with my dog, er—I mean me.

“This exhibit is very special to me and really close to my heart,” Neville shared, “because I spent the winter on Block Island this past year. The island is 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, and it’s very quiet in the winter—there’s hardly anyone there and I actually love solitude. I’m hoping that when people see these photos that they experience the peaceful feeling that they are intended to invoke.” 

Another photographer, Glenn Lieberman, was on hand to discuss his installment, titled “My Front Yard,” and housed in the Owl Gallery just down the corridor. When asked about the preponderance of black and white images in this exhibit, Lieberman had this to say: “Yes, I do a lot of black and white—I just like it.” As for the title of his collection, he elaborated as we strolled through his portion of the exhibit.

 “Well, it’s not my front yard, but it’s the front yards of people who live in Sullivan and Wayne counties. I would take a drive and if I saw something interesting I would stop and photograph it. I don’t remember where most of these things are, and I don’t know who the people are who put them there. I think it’s interesting to see what people choose to [display] for others to observe.” 

Like Neville’s collection, all of the photographs that Lieberman chose to exhibit were taken in the past year. He explained that he comes up with a concept first and then goes out into the world to capture what he seeks.

“That’s usually how I work,” he said. “I’m not trying to figure out what these people are thinking, but rather to just [present it] here to see what you think about it.”

I added my two cents to the conversation: “Well this is a perfect example of how art is subjective, is it not? In my humble opinion, of course.”

“Absolutely,” Lieberman said in response. “I think you’re right. That’s an interesting part of [making] art. People have different thoughts about what is, and isn’t art. That says something in itself.” 

Another hallway revealed the works of an artist with whom I was unfamiliar, and Jeffrey Weiner, who runs the Catskills Visual Arts School at the Union, took a moment to chat with yours truly.

“I teach visual skills like ‘illustration on the iPad,’ but this installation is a collection of my illustrations from the mid-80s and ‘90s, which I created in the pre-digital era. These were created for publications for Disney, the National Science Foundation and the New York Times. I had a really cool career as an illustrator [during those years] before [the art of] illustration kind of just ended,” Weiner said. “So I’m kind of like an artifact from the old days.” Gesturing to a Jurassic-era-style painting, Weiner continued. “Here’s something I created for the packaging illustration of ‘Dinosaurs with Walter Cronkite’ in the ‘80s.” Acknowledging the cool factor, I addressed the brontosaurus in the room. “Speaking of dinosaurs,” I said by way of interjection, “Are you one of those artists whose career was killed by the digital age?”

“No,” Weiner replied with a laugh. “I’m one of the lucky ones who survived, because I developed a lot of digital skills, too.” Pointing out a piece created in 2025 for a corporate client, Weiner explained. “This is typical of the work I do on the iPad, drawing and painting in the style of MC Escher, utilizing the same style, but done in digital format now. So this show,” he said, “is a really interesting contrast between the work I used to do in old media, and then how it transitioned to digital.”

“Also cool,” I added. “Not everyone can, or has, made that transition, so you’re one of the lucky ones, no?”

Another laugh. “I was adamant about it. I remember my father saying, ‘Maybe you should learn how to use a computer, in case this art thing doesn’t work out.’”

It would appear that the “art thing” has worked out quite well, not only for Jeffrey Weiner, but also his fellow artists included in this diverse show, which also featured the work of Catiebelle Bulmer, whose exhibit called “A Place to Belong” hangs in the Hummingbird Gallery. I didn’t meet her, or have an opportunity to discuss her work, which was described as “inviting viewers into vibrant spaces that feel both nostalgically familiar and wondrously enchanted,” so Gidge and I might have to return for Part Two.

All of this art awaits aficionados, including the immersive protest exhibit, which features the contributions of an additional group. It’s curated by Brandi Merolla, and the works are in-house throughout the summer. For more information including the myriad of services offered at the Narrowsburg Union, go to www.narrowsburgunion.com.

Just as a reminder, Jonathan Charles Fox has a one-man show at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre at 8 p.m. on July 12. See ad below.