Art in the Loft

Celebrating Local Artists

Millbrook Winery has a strong committment to supporting the Hudson Valley community. Together with the Dutchess County Arts Council, Millbrook Winery is pleased to feature Art in the Loft. These seasonal art exhibits bring our upstairs loft to life and create a unique opportunity to view the works of talented, regional artists. The gallery is open to the public every day in conjunction with the tasting room hours from May into November.  The artists are selected each Spring by a juried panel.

The Dutchess County Arts Council, founded in 1964, is a non-profit arts service organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting artists and arts organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley region. The mission of the Dutchess County Arts Council is to provide the leadership, funding, encouragement, and services necessary for the highest quality of art to thrive in our county and region, and for citizens to value the arts as an important part of daily life, economy, and social fabric of our communities.
Programs and activities include: grants awarded to established organizations, community based projects and Arts in Education programs; folk arts research and presentation; technical assistance, professional development, and cultural community networking opportunities; awareness and advocacy; and community-wide fundraising efforts including the Dutchess County Art Fund. Programs are funded by the County of Dutchess, the New York State Council on the Arts, and private donors. DCAC Website

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2011 Fall Show: About The Artists

China Jorrin

China Jorrin was born and raised in New York City. She studied filmmaking at Bard College. After graduating, she worked in the film industry for several years, then left the States to live in Europe. There her focus shifted from film back to photography. She assisted fashion photographers in Paris, then worked as a photographer in Prague for The Prague Post. When China returned to New York City, she freelanced for The Associated Press.

Clients have included Nickelodeon, The Ms. Foundation, The United Nations, Columbia University, Bard College Prison Initiative, and The Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and Bomb Magazine.

China is currently working on a photographic book of her panoramic images from The Hudson River Psychiatric Center.

Michael Gellatly

This group of work, for obvious reasons, I’m calling CatDogs Interrupted by Abstractions. I believe, often to our detriment, we as participants and as viewers don’t often enough integrate our vast capacity for experiences.Yet our days are made up of just that mix, sometimes well outside of reason and language. The mundane occurs under a majestic sky, while the poem sits in the glove compartment. We divide ourselves among things so that we can give definition where needed, yet we pool together to feel alive.

I’ve kept separate two practices of my art making for a very long time - one being a freelance illustrator, and one a life as a studio artist. On the walls or in the books, the looks couldn’t be more different. I’ve recently changed positions (attitudes) on this separation, and this show is an example of that. In symmetrical arrangement, the two projects sit side by side, and though they may have been made simultaneously by the same hand, we ask ‘why’ of their proximity. Why not?

The Drawings

I’ve been having the pleasure of illustrating Rita Mae Brown’s Sneaky Pie Brown Series over the past 9 years. All titles, including latest Hiss of Death, are Random House publications. Of the 10 drawings included in each book, this selection here illustrates some of the events that the reader encounters.

The Paintings

Todd Jones

Todd Jones is a contemporary metal sculptor from the Hudson Valley region of New York State. A sculptor, fabricator, and architectural designer of one-of-a-kind artwork for over thirty years, he continues to create lively pieces that can be seen in public parks, garden spaces, restaurants, museums, spas, theatrical sets, universities and private collections internationally.

Todd’s work ranges from large-scale 30 ft metal sculptures to smaller interior works and design pieces. All pieces are sized to fit the desired location and needs. His sculptures incorporate a variety of metals, from copper and bronze to steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.

The texture and the colors that make up the finishes are unique to every individual sculpture. From conception to completion, each piece is constructed with the highest level of artistry and special patina formulas, handcrafted and passed down from masters of the trade. 

For a number of years, Todd worked at a major art foundry, coordinating projects and fabricating sculptures for various well-known artists. He assisted in the fabrication and construction of the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC and was involved in the restoration of the Radio City Music Hall’s art deco medallions by Hildreth Meiere in New York City. In time, Todd became inspired to start his own company, Fire and Ice Sculpture/Design, where he could allow his creative expression to have free rein.

Inspirations for many of Todd’s works originate from the smooth graceful lines and curves of nature that evolve into a harmony of geometric constructions, conic intersections, and spatial relationships. A mix of Old World knowledge and new state of the art technology are used interchangeably throughout Todd’s sculpture, bringing a unique mix to his pieces. He incorporates the force of movement, balance and tension of nature and its effects, and incorporates the interplay of various materials and finishes. Reflective of the beauty of the world around us, Todd’s works appear to have a natural, mystical, alluring, reflective quality.

Brian Jones

Brian Jones, a Hudson Valley native, is a recent graduate of Spackenkill High School. Always with a sketchbook or camera nearby ready to capture a given moment, Brian can be found composing a song on the piano, playing saxophone in a jazz band, or expressing himself in the kitchen through his culinary adventures. You might find him on the beach as a sand-sculpting celebrity, or on stage and behind the scenes in various theater productions. Wherever you may find him, there is bound to be something creative in the making.

Throughout high school, Brian worked in a wide range of mediums, including charcoal, ceramics, paints and pastels. He is now experimenting with three-dimensional abstract sculptural pieces using metals such as copper, bronze, aluminum, and steel. Brian completed a series of 12 sculptures throughout the first three months of his senior year as student of Mill Street Loft, where he studied the arts for over four years.

In his most recent work, Brian utilizes copper, and loves that it has seemingly endless boundaries to its sculptural ability – it can be warped and manipulated in many forms, and the colors that appear when heat is applied are very organic and beautiful. Brian has also worked with materials such as yarn, and interpreted animal forms through the technique of wrapping and rolling. His love of sculpture has inspired yarn sculpture creations that are on exhibit in the Spackenkill High School Library.

Inspired by his father, Todd Jones, a metal sculptor and designer, Brian is also influenced by artists Dale Chihuly and Andy Goldsworthy. 

Brian’s artwork has been shown in the New York Times, Poughkeepsie Journal and his school’s newspaper. One of his aluminum sculptures, entitled “Dream Catcher,” was highlighted in the February New York Times to promote the “Teen Visions 2011” exhibition at Vassar College Palmer Gallery. He was recently honored this July for second place in the Poughkeepsie Big Read Teen Art Contest for his oil painting, “Five Victims” which is displayed through October at the Rotunda Gallery at Adriance Memorial Library in Poughkeepsie. Brian’s artwork was also chosen by the Vassar Farmer’s Market to be its new logo.

Brian is currently pursuing a degree in Industrial Design and Sculpture at Pratt Institute.

Hudson Valley Artist Series Wine Label Competition

The Dutchess County Arts Council (DCAC) and Millbrook Vineyards & Winery have enjoyed a successful collaboration for over 12 years, mounting a series of art exhibits called Art in the Loft  that run from May to November. Talented DCAC member artists exhibit their work in the unique loft space overlooking the winemaking facilities at the Winery. Starting In 2009, an additional opportunity was given to the regional artists who were selected by the jury to show their work. In the "spirit" of friendly competition, all participating artists submitted work to the Art in the Loft Wine Label Contest, hoping to see their work grace a bottle of Millbrook Winery’s Cabernet Franc Proprietor’s Special Reserve. Benjamin Krevolin, president of DCAC, is pleased with the success of the Art in the Loft exhibition series and the Wine Label Contest. Says Krevolin, “In 2000, the Millbrook Vineyard & Winery was recognized for its commitment to the arts with a Dutchess County Executive Award and this latest project is another example of their ongoing efforts to find new ways to incorporate the arts into their business for everyone’s benefit.” The contest has generated tremendous enthusiasm. The wine label art is displayed at the Winery and visitors cast their vote for their favorites. Online balloting is also available at the DCAC website during the competition. Voting continues online and in person until the final Art in the Loft exhibit comes down in November.

     

Label Contest Winners

2009 Winner Barbarb Masterson "Orchard"

2010 Winner    Scott Taylor "Autumn Ridgeline"

Showing Your Art at Millbrook

The Art in the Loft gallery exhibit is visited by over 15,000 people each season. It is an excellent opportunity for local artists to show and gain exposure for their work. It is also an opportunity for artists to sell the pieces chosen for the show. Art in the Loft artists are selected by a juried panel at the beginning of each year. To have your work considered for selection for both the gallery exhibit as well as the Wine Label Competition, you must be a member of the Dutchess Arts Council. Millbrook Winery does not accept art submissions but encourages those interested to contact the Dutchess Arts Council to learn more about this program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Hudson Valley Winery