Fused-glass artist Barbara Galazzo knows one thing for sure.
“It”™s so hard to break into the art field,” she said.
That”™s why the owner of Gallery 66 NY in Cold Spring is helping spotlight some of the Hudson Valley”™s youngest talent.
“To show in your high school is one thing, and you take classes”¦ that”™s nice,” she said.
But to be a teenage artist who has already had his or her work as part of a juried exhibition at a commercial gallery? Galazzo said that”™s a credit bound to not only boost confidence but will likely also help when students apply for art schools or colleges.
This month, Galazzo is featuring multimedia works from 20 young artists in “Roots and Pathways” at Gallery 66 NY.
The works reflect the show”™s themes, as they relate to the artists”™ personal lives, histories and visions for the future.
Back in the autumn, Galazzo put out a call to several high schools in Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess and Orange counties, seeking emerging artists to submit work for the show she hopes to make an annual event. Students selected represent five high schools.
Galazzo said the exhibition was also designed, in part, to benefit her gallery. It both furthers the element of her mission that”™s dedicated to introducing talented newcomers ”“ of all ages ”“ from the Hudson Valley, but will also introduce the gallery to a new audience.
“I don”™t want to say it was totally a business decision, but it was a part of it.”
The Jan. 3 opening reception proved her point with the space filled with dozens of people who formed a network of potential new customers.
“It was (the artists”™) parents, their grandparents, their aunts, their friends,” she said.
The opening weekend, she said, continued to witness an increase in foot traffic, including a number of young art lovers who were there to support their friends and take in the talent of their peers.
“Saturday and Sunday we had quite a few young kids,” Galazzo said.
The featured work, Galazzo said, is more than just on exhibit.
“They all have a price on them. They”™re all being sold.”
Works start at $70, a price point Galazzo says encourages new art lovers and collectors to pick up “totally affordable” work. Several, she added, have already sold.
And, Galazzo added, some sales might even prove a wise investment, as she noted there are a few young artists definitely worth “keeping an eye on.”
“Roots and Pathways” continues through Feb. 2 at Gallery 66 NY, at 66 Main St. in Cold Spring. For more, call (845) 809-5838 or visit gallery66ny.com.
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