This Month’s Featured Article

Sometimes we need a pop of color, an updated piece to awaken a tired space, or something inspiring to appreciate as we move about our homes. While some of us are drawn to serene landscapes emboldened with hues of green, blue, and orange, others gravitate toward abstract or surreal works. 

Regardless of personal preference, artwork has the power to speak to us, connect with us emotionally, elevate an interior’s aesthetics, and express our personal identity and vision. A work of art may spark conversation or evoke a fond memory of the city, town, shop, or gallery it was purchased in and who we were with when we decided we needed to take it home. Beyond bringing joy and inspiration, artwork can instantly usher a bold brush of color into space – and make a house feel more like a home. 

Throughout the Hudson Valley are many great destinations for browsing art collections. From shops and galleries to pop-up venues and auctions, there’s certainly no shortage of artists or artworks. It’s up to us to get out there and take it all in. Get inspired!

It’s auction time

Stissing Center for Arts & Culture, a non-profit in Pine Plains, NY, and Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton, NY, are teaming up to host the Second Annual Art Auction Fundraiser. The silent auction and reception will be held on Saturday, June 13, from 5pm to 7pm at Stissing Center.

The event, which will spotlight a collection of approximately 50 works, supports Stissing Center’s mission to unite people through the shared experience of art and culture. By supporting creative expression and expanding access to the arts, Stissing Center is pitching in to help build a vibrant and sustainable community – one that celebrates imagination, strengthens the cultural heart of the region, and contributes to local revitalization.

Its partner for the event, Mad Rose Gallery is renowned for its collection of contemporary artworks that challenge the intellect and stir the spirit. Representing both established and emerging artists, Mad Rose Gallery serves as a cultural hub for the Hudson Valley region and beyond. It also offers creative workshops and classes for those interested in dabbling in the arts or polishing their skills.

Stissing Center’s board chair, Gwen Greene, is credited with conceiving the idea for the auction. She was inspired by Stissing Center’s holiday Doodle Auction, which is currently in its fifth year.

“These small, low-cost doodles are great for holiday gift-giving. Gwen saw an opportunity to do a fundraising event on a larger scale with local, regional, and national artists. Last year, we partnered with Carrie Chen of the Carrie Chen Gallery in Great Barrington, MA, and art curator Manon Slome. This year, the committee expanded, and we have the incredible benefit of a partnership with Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton,” said Patrick Trettenero, executive director, Stissing Center for Arts & Culture.

“Last year’s auction was our first attempt, and we truly flew by the seat of our pants, yet we still managed to sell nearly 40 pieces and raise over $40,000. This year, we’ve expanded to a larger committee with deep connections to the art world and tremendous expertise. The revenue goes directly to help us fulfill our mission while keeping our ticket prices affordable to make the arts accessible to everyone,” he added.

What to expect

Art enthusiasts, collectors, and community members are welcome to view the collection at the Stissing Center and attend the reception. Tickets are required. In addition to light bites by Champêtre, Rosenthal Wine Merchant will keep the wine flowing, and musician Alec Sisco set the tone playing Stissing Center’s 1910 Steinway Model A piano. Guests who are interested in decking their walls and halls will have an opportunity to bid on artwork.

The collection spans a variety of mediums from photography and painting to ceramics and sculpture. Works also cross several genres, from abstract to realism and beyond.

All works were generously donated by collectors and celebrated artists from studios in our corner of the world to far-flung galleries, studios, and museums around the globe. All proceeds will benefit Stissing Center’s vital arts and culture programming.

The auction

The auction collection includes Robert by American painter and visual artist Chuck Close, whose works have been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The collection also includes a large mixed-media drawing by celebrated folk artist Robert E. Smith. A gift from the collection of Academy Award-winning film producer Charles Wessler, it is a vibrant piece of chaotic detail, from a whimsical yet satirical, childlike perspective.

Other standouts in the collection include the epic Climberscape by local artist Gail Rothschild. Career highlights include Think Big! at Berlin’s Bode Museum; “Peru – ein Katzensprung” (Peru-A Stone’s Throw), a major exhibition of pre-Columbian textiles held at the German Textile Museum Krefeld; and “From the Desert to the City: The Journey of Late Ancient Textiles,” a 2018 exhibition at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, City University of New York. 

Also included is Shape of Water XII by Leora Armstrong – a multidisciplinary artist raised on the Isle of Islay, Scotland; she currently works in Connecticut [and is a regular contributor to Main Street Magazine. Shout-out to Leora!].

An online preview is live now through June 13, the collection can be viewed at thestissingcenter.org/art-auction-2026. A live preview will be on display at Mad Rose Gallery from May 29 through 31 and from June 4 through June 7; hours are from noon to 5pm.

“We’re excited for this year’s Art Auction Fundraiser, grateful for the incredible art being donated by artists and collectors, and thrilled to be collaborating with Mad Rose Gallery and a committee deeply connected to the art world, whose expertise and commitment promise an exciting and meaningful event,” said Trettenero.

“Why should a visual artist care about a performing arts center? Because dancers, puppeteers, musicians, and filmmakers have all inspired my practice. Because the Stissing Center has brought together a dynamic arts community that I am truly proud to be a part of. Because who knows what collaborative adventure the Stissing Center may have in store for me next? Bring it on,” said Gail Rothschild, a Brooklyn-based artist who has a large format acrylic painting in the show; it was inspired by rock climbing and the work of Eadweard Muybridge.

The curators

The collection was curated by the Art Auction committee, an accomplished group of professionals with extensive experience across the art sector. The committee is chaired by Neal Rosenthal of Mad Rose Gallery. He is also an author, entrepreneur, and wine merchant. 

The group includes Jack Banning, founder of Ubu Gallery in Manhattan; Didi Barrett, assemblywoman and trustee emeritus of the American Folk Art Museum; Gwen Greene, a philanthropist and retired financial advisor; Yael Meridan Schori, a painter and board member of the New York Studio School; L. Parker Stephenson, a private art dealer and former gallerist on Madison Avenue; Dorit Straus, a former fine art manager at Chubb; Natalie Tyler, a sculptor and director of Mad Rose Gallery; and Douglas Walla, an art dealer, curator, and historian who founded Kent Fine Art and was CEO of Marlborough Gallery, both in New York. 

Tickets are $100 and are available at thestissingcenter.org or call (518) 771-3339. •

To learn morea about Stissing Center for Arts & Culture, they are located at 2950 Church Street in Pine Plains, NY. Call (518) 771-3340 or visit thestissingcenter.org.

To learn more about Mad Rose Gallery, they are located at 5916 N Elm Ave. in Millerton, NY. Call (518) 592-1085 or visit madrosegallery.com.