The East Branch Delaware River Plein Air Painters Exhibit at Art Up

By Robert Brune

MARGARETVILLE — On Friday evening, the Art Up gallery in Margaretville opened its doors to a vibrant celebration of creativity and community: the annual exhibition of the East Branch Delaware River Plein Air Painters. The reception drew a lively crowd of artists, neighbors, and visitors, all gathered to view landscapes painted over the past season at farms, fields, and hidden corners of the Catskills.

This amazingly organized collective pulled together by Michelle Sidrane and Kathleen Green has been meeting weekly for nearly a decade, painting on location throughout Delaware and Ulster Counties. With easels set against rolling hills, barns, creeks, and woodlands, the group embraces the discipline of plein air painting, working outdoors in changing light, weather, and conditions. Each Tuesday, the artists gather for several hours, then circle up at noon to share their works in progress, offer supportive feedback, and exchange techniques.

“It’s invigorating and always fun to see everybody’s different visions,” said Sara Stone, who has painted with the group for five years. “We’ve all grown so much, and it’s just a delightful and lovely group of people to work with.”

That supportive spirit was echoed again and again during the opening. “We do very positive critiques every week,” said Anne Hoffman, who joined three years ago. “Everybody sees the same landscape but look how different all these pictures are. That’s the point—it’s from one extreme to another.”

The variety was on full display at Art Up. Paintings created at Moseman Farm, now part of the Farm Foundation Trust, and at the Florence Hammill Farm in Fleischmanns, revealed just how differently a dozen artists can interpret the same setting. Rolling pastures, barns, and cattle became lyrical studies in color, line, and atmosphere.

“Working outside forces you to capture the light and weather conditions quickly,” explained Deborah Ruggerio, a longtime member. “It gets us out of the studio and into the landscape, where you’re really trying to capture the atmosphere.” Ruggerio, who also serves on the AMR Artists president and on the board of the Longyear Gallery, sees the group as a bridge between solitary studio work and shared learning. “The camaraderie of painting with others, and sharing ideas and techniques, broadens your horizons.”

This exhibition includes Tabitha Gilmore Barnes, Christopher Criswell, Irina Grinevitskaya,

Oneida Hamilton, Ann E. Hoffman, Meg Levenson, Myra Lobel, Patrice Lorenz, Sheila

McManus, Deb Ruggerio, Sara Stone, Marcus Simpson, and Michelle Sidrane, among others. Sidrane noted that they have about fifty artists on the email list.

This exhibition at Art Up will be up until September 12 Friday – Sunday, noon – 5 pm

For more information see: https://www.artupmargaretville.com/