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Art Omi: An art oasis hidden among the pines
A hidden gem, sitting amongst the pine’s wilderness, located in the heart of the Hudson Valley in Columbia County,
A hidden gem, sitting amongst the pine’s wilderness, located in the heart of the Hudson Valley in Columbia County, Art Omi is a not-for profit arts center with a 120-acre sculpture
and architecture park and gallery in Ghent, NY. They offer visitors the opportunity to experience a range of large-scale works in a singular outdoor environment, which is advantageous for people becoming accustomed to the new normal. Currently, they are exhibiting more than 60 works of art and architecture on location, with pieces added or exchanged each year, which makes this park a must-go for all types of art enthusiasts.
Some of the most recent pieces installed in October, 2020 highlights Olaf Breuning, a Swiss born artist who now resides in Upstate NY. His art sculpture poignantly called Clouds was created in 2014 and has been exhibited in New York City’s Central Park. This awesome sculpture consists of six gigantic aluminum powder-coated cloud-like structures, cut to match hand drawings by the artists. The cartoonish looking clouds are suspended by large steel supports towering over the landscape, over 30 feet tall. The whimsical installation is said to create a “visual pun about flatness that happens when humans attempt to depict the natural world.” Yet like most of Olaf’s work, one must experience them in person to be inspired to experience their own thoughts and feelings about his pieces.
Another new installation at the park is from Berlin-based contemporary artist Alicja Kwade, who has long been engaged with “philosophical questions about the essence of reality, attempting to examine, if not resolve, issues of inherently subjective concepts such as space and time.” Her piece entitled Tunnel Teller was originally on view at Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Made of stainless steel, concrete and natural stone, this piece now embodies the spirit of Art Omi by interpreting the natural and cultural surroundings with a nontraditional form of expression, as large stone quartzite spheres are strewn around the maze-like work. Like all works of art, the new cannot come without the old.
One of my favorite installations, which I always try to catch a glimpse of every time I visit, is from Forrest Myers called Valledor installed in 2007. Forrest Myers is very well known because he is one of five artists invited to inscribe drawings on ceramic tiles attached to the Apollo 12 spacecraft that was left behind in the lunar module on the moon. His minimalistic geometric structure consists of large aluminum beams, which morph into a litany of geometric shapes as the viewer moves within the landscape. While Art Omi Sculpture & amp; Architecture Park houses amazing works of art from renowned artists, one of its most incredible mission is its residency program, which provides international artists, writers, translators, musicians, architects, and dancers support to nurture their art--to explore, collaborate, and experiment with their medium of expression. During the pandemic, like many others, it paused its first of its kind residency program supporting Architects, Artist, Dance Artists, Musicians and Writers but quickly worked to reopened the program. The open call for application vary depending on the program and each program has specific application requirements. See application details about the Art Omi’s residency program here. If you would like to know more about how you can get support this amazing organization please click on their support page to know more about volunteering, memberships and sponsorships.
Our SPOTLIGHT series was created in the hopes of inspiring and supporting various art communities, each article will dive into exciting Art Organizations, highlighting the amazing work they do and how to become a patron, get involved and or support the art community.
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Written by, Jasmine McClinton Arts Administrator for Art Business Consulting, an arts professional with years of experience in music and fine arts & Pablo Escamilla Director of Operations for Art Business Consulting, who provides specialty guidance in Art Business operations management and is known for delivering high-value advise for strategic growth.