This fall, immerse yourself in an unforgettable exhibition that celebrates the power of painting. Autumn’s vivid colors come alive through the extraordinary talents of artists Shenna Vaughn, Linda Griggs, and Allen Hansen, who transform our space on Governors Island into a vibrant haven of creativity. Experience Shenna Vaughn’s captivating abstracts, Linda Griggs’s evocative object-inspired paintings, and Allen Hansen’s bold, atmospheric canvases, each inviting you to see the season in a new light.

This remarkable show is further elevated by stunning sculptures from Luke Schumacher and Dianne Smith, as well as two breathtaking outdoor public art installations by Michael Poast in the adjoining field. Don’t miss your chance to be inspired—join us on weekends from 12 pm to 4 pm, and experience art that will move you.

Painters

LINDA GRIGGS

Linda Griggs is known for darkly humorous paintings dealing with rural and Middle American everyday life and often includes text in the Narrative and Story Art tradition. Her current work focuses on comfort in fraught times. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Hunter College and a Bachelor in Studio Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Her work has been included in numerous museum, gallery and university exhibitions. She has had solo shows at ADO, Christopher Stout and Carolyn J Roy Galleries in NYC and Hampden Gallery, UMass Amherst.

Past group exhibitions include the Iwami Art Museum in Japan, the Leubsdorf Gallery at Hunter College, Gahlberg Gallery at the College of DuPage, the Wustum Museum, ABC No Rio, PS122, Satellite Art Fair, Albany International Airport Gallery, Bridgewater Fine Arts, Vox Populi/American Fine Arts, and the New York Public Library.

Fellowships include the MacDowell and Millay Colonies and the LES Rotating Studio Program. Her work is included in the collections of JP Morgan Chase, Peter Klein-Obac Corporation, Therese Lichtenstein, Rich Timperio, Jan Hanvik & Mark DeGarmo, Rena Kosersky & Tony Robbins, Brian Rutenberg, Ann Partlow, Bill Raden and Susan Fletcher, and Bob Crozier among others.

ALLEN HANSEN

Allen Hansen’s recent paintings are “rmly rooted in Neo-romantic landscape but rather than representing the sensory geographies of the world outside, his current work has moved beyond representation by conjuring and capturing inde”nable worlds. He has maintained certain formal aspects of his earlier landscape paintings most notably an atmospheric light source, a new point of reference, applied to these formal abstractions.

Allen Hansen came to NYC in 1979 for an internship at Mary Boone Gallery with the help of his professor and mentor Craig Kaufman of UC Irvine.

He has had solo shows at the Carolyn J. Roy Gallery, Lichtund”re Gallery and Carter Burden Gallery in New York. His show at Lichtund”re was favorably reviewed by Carol Diamond in Delicious Line and Jonathan Goodman in Tussle magazine. Feedback Loop,his two-person show with Linda Griggs was favorably reviewed by Riad Miah in Two Coats of Paint and by Andrew Cornell Robinson in Painters on Painting.

Notable exhibitions through the Edward Thorpe Gallery include Epiphanies with Ross Bleckner, Morris Graves, Joseph Stella and Walter Murch and Nocturnal Visions in Contemporary Art at the Whitney Equitable with Vija Celmins, Eric Fischel, Alex Katz, Ross Bleekner, and Joan Nelson. He was invited to exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Harmony & Discord: American Landscape Today. His work has been exhibited at the Proctor Art Gallery, Bard College in The Depicted Unknown with Jim Sullivan, Ellen Kozak, and Rick Klauber. He had a three-person show at Equity Gallery titled 111 with artists Miguel Otero Fuentes and Christpher Stout. Additionally, he has shown at Hampden Gallery UMASS Amherst, Exit Art, Sideshow Gallery, Front Room Gallery, ABC No Rio and others.

His works are Included in the collections of Reader’s Digest, Ronald Lauder, Barbara Schwartz, Peter Klein, Edward Thorp, Ann Partlow, David and Susan Small, Kimille Taylor, David Harris, Todd Knapp, Dr. Megan Eliot and Alex Pearl, Sean Waters, Bill Raden and Suzanne Fletcher.

SHENNA VAUGHN

Sheena Vaughn is a multifaceted artist, educator, curator, and community advocate, hailing from Queens, NY. With a background in fine arts, she honed her skills at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) before earning her degree from Hunter College. Recently, she furthered her education by obtaining an MBA in Business, blending her artistic talents with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship.

Vaughn’s artistic vision is deeply rooted in her surroundings and life experiences, drawing inspiration from textures, geometric forms, and silhouettes. Her body of work reflects a creative and intuitive exploration of these elements, resulting in visually captivating pieces that resonate with viewers.

Her dedication and talent have earned her recognition and support from various institutions and programs. Vaughn has been awarded grants from the Queens Council on the Arts and the City Artist Corps, highlighting her contributions to the cultural landscape of her community. She was also selected as one of four artists for the DFR artist commissioning program, tasked with creating murals in downtown Far Rockaway, further cementing her impact on public art.

Sculptors

MICHAEL POAST

Michael Poast, NYC sculptor, having both classical music and visual art backgrounds, and holding degrees from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and The City University of New York, was mentored by the famous sculptor, Mark Di Suvero, during a studio residency at Socrates Sculpture Park, in Long Island City, NYC. Poast demonstrated his use of steel formats in solo sculpture exhibitions entitled Space Time at Pratt Manhattan Gallery, and Hudson Guild Gallery, NYC, and is affiliated with the Denise Bibro Fine Art gallery, Chelsea, NY.

LUKE SCHUMACHER

Luke Schumacher was born in 1978 at Eagle Butte, South Dakota but raised in rural New Hampshire, where he set his roots playing in the northern forests and countryside. However, when his family moved to the Mojave Desert, California, Luke came to feel lost in the barren and alien landscape. When the opportunity to learn welding presented itself, working with metal became Luke’s means of conceptualizing the structures and textures of the unpredictable world around him. His aptitude as an artist revealed itself as he finished trade school, where, by focusing on the surface textures, curves, and patinas of the metal finishes of his work, he sculpted a world that made sense to him. Luke’s works are very graceful with flowing energy, sensitivity to lines and geometric shapes. He takes his influence from nature and many of his pieces have playful theme to them. Schumacher has work in private collections on the east and west coast of the US, Europe and part of the permanent collections of Cerro Coso College, California and The Space, New York City. 

DIANNE SMITH

Dianne Smith is a Bronx native of Belizean descent. She attended LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, the Otis Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She received her MFA from Transart Institute, Berlin, Germany in August 2012 MFA. She currently lives and works in Harlem.

Dianne’s intriguing and compelling minimalist abstracts are haunting and beautiful. Her sculptures and installations are an extension of that beauty. Dianne’s work represents her inner connection to self, which reflects the artistic and spiritual journey that has enabled her to find her voice as an artist. Her work incites our emotions with lush palettes, expressive brushstrokes, texture and form. She creates provocative and meaningful imagery that challenges the viewer to see and consider pure color, movement and organic shapes. While her work remains rooted in her African origins, its purpose is more universal. She puts it this way: “human civilizations and cultures all have Africa as their mother and are therefore more similar than we realize. I want my work to justly portray that connection, the essence of human existence, and thereby possibly affecting the whole of humankind for the better.” She has exhibited with noted artists including Norman Lewis, Samella Lewis, Chakai Booker, and Howardena Pindell. She also presented esteemed Poet and Author, Dr. Maya Angelou and Broadway Dance Choreographer George Faison each with one of her most celebrated pieces: Spirit of My Ancestors “I” and “II.” 

Her works are also in the private collections of Danny Simmons, UFA Gallery, Vivica A. Fox, Rev. and Mrs. Calvin O. Butts, III, Cicely Tyson, Arthur Mitchell and Terry McMillian.