Katonah Art Center Launches New Gallery

The Katonah Art Center is launching its new art gallery with an exhibit of works by local artist Wendy Petta-Goldman.

The Center Gallery will feature local artists or artists who have a local connection, said curator Leslie Weissman.  

The gallery will be a permanent part of the art center, said Weissman. Some classes may be held in that space occasionally, but it will primarily be a display space. Future exhibits will feature works by artists who are local residents, were raised in the area, or who have family here, she said. The plan is that each exhibit will be on display for a few weeks, she added.

Two types of works by Petta-Goldman, a resident of Mount Kisco, are on display in the gallery for the next six weeks. Several of the works are abstract mixed media paintings that are very textural and use a natural color palette, said Weissman. These were inspired by a trip to Toronto, where Petta-Goldman experienced the nightlife of that city.

Other works were inspired by Petta-Goldman's children. These are sculptural canvasses done with candy wrappers. One work features wrappers from Dum Dum lollipops. Petta-Goldman has been a professional quilt designer and uses the wrappers rather like the squares of fabric in a quilt.

Weissman will curate the exhibits at the Center Gallery. She and her husband have been long-time collectors of art. "We collect mid-career artists," she said. Some of the works they own are on loan with museums.

Curating an exhibit involves more than just hanging Petta-Goldman's works on the gallery walls. 'It is a just a feeling for the actual pieces and the overall layout of the gallery, and then picking pieces from her body of work," said Weissman. "It is an overall balance and much more to do with the overall picture."

Weissman is also founder of "Presents for Purpose," a socially conscious company whose proceeds go to charitable organizations, and is a board member of the Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla. She holds a master's degree in art and technology from the Tisch School at New York University.

The gallery was partially Weissman's idea. Her drawing and painting teacher, Joe Tomasini, suggested it to her, and they brought the idea to the center's founder, Loren Anderson. The creation of the gallery is the work of both Weissman and Anderson.

Having a gallery at the art center is a logical extension of what the center does, according to Weissman. The Katonah Art Center has been a long-time site for all types of art instruction for children, teenagers, and adults. "It is an amazing, amazing center," Weissman said.

The Katonah Art Center was founded by Loren Anderson. It offers classes in drawing, sculpture, cartooning, jewelry making, and sewing.

For more information, visit the center's Web site here.