Category Archives: art gallery

abstract, acrylic, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, encaustic, encaustic & collage, Karen Tashkovski, painting, photography, watercolor

Soulscape

Image Leave a comment

This happened today:  the art reception/art opening for Soulscapes at Art Haus Syracuse, 120 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY (in Armory Square).

It was such a lovely experience.  There was food and drink, great conversation and each artist spoke briefly about our respective artworks.

My ten butterfly paintings look amazing flanking the Marc Safran photograph.  I sold two of them during the party.  Art can be puchased on-line here.

Visit the gallery Tuesdays and Wednesdays noon – 7:00 PM, Thursdays and Fridays noon – 8:00 PM, and Saturdays noon – 6:00 PM.  Check the gallery’s Facebook page for any changes to these hours.

from the Art Haus web-site –

⭐️art haus SYR is proud to announce the opening of SOULSCAPES, a dynamic group exhibition featuring four local artists whose work explores the diverse textures of identity and the environment. The exhibition will run from 2/28 through 4/11, with a public opening reception Saturday 2/28, 2-4pm.

Soulscapes brings together an eclectic mix of mediums—from global photography to surrealist painting—to create a dialogue between the internal psyche and the external world.

The Featured Artists

* CJ Hodge lll: Presents a collection of surreal mixed-media portraits and bold abstract paintings that challenge traditional boundaries of form and color.

* Marc Safran: Showcases global portrait photography that highlights the profound beauty of human rituals, cultural traditions, and the dignity of everyday individual life.

* Karen Tashkovski: Offers a delicate and textured series of mixed-media butterfly paintings, symbolizing transformation and fragile beauty.

* Meghan Murphy: Explores the extremes of scale and subject matter, featuring a series of tiny landscape watercolors paired with a collection of outlandish looking portraits.

„This exhibition is a celebration of the unconventional,“ says Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer Curator at art haus SYR. „By pairing the grounded, global reality of Marc Safran’s photography with the surreal and outlandish visions of Hodge and Murphy, we invite the viewer to see the ‚soul‘ in all its forms—the beautiful, the traditional, and the delightfully strange.“

abstract, angels, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art in libraries, art venue, encaustic, encaustic & collage, heart paintings, hearts, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media

Professional Artist @ Work

Image Leave a comment
Karen Tashkovski, “ CAMARADERIE “, 2017, 11” x 14”, encaustic & collage

Penny came by today to collect my painting, CAMARADERIE.  She’s going to deliver it for me.  The new art exhibition at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, Women. Art. Voices., begins next week with a reception on March 6th, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.  The show runs through March 28th.

Karen Tashkovski, SCHMETTERLING, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PEPERUTKA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PILI PALA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″

On Friday, I dropped off my butterfly paintings for the exhibition at Art Haus Syracuse.  The show starts on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, which is also the date of the art reception – February 28, 2026 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.  That show ends on April 4th.

So, I have two art shows in March.  I will have a solo show at East Syracuse Free Library during May and June 2026.  I’ll be displaying my new encaustic trees series at that show.

Today I started working on another set of encaustic heart paintings.  I created a new heart stencil.  They are 5″ x 7″ and I am planning to mount them onto 8″ x 10″ chalkboard.

What you are seeing here – not done!  No – this is just first passes of color plus the colorful rice papers and origami papers.

What I’m loving right now is how they are both familiar and fresh/new.  I have enough colors to fill five pancake griddles.  When I first started with encaustics, I only had one griddle!  The devices I add to my paintings has also expanded so this series is different, challenging and so fun!  I love making them and I love love. <3

Karen Tashkovski, PAPILLON, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, FARFALLA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, BUTTERFLY, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
angels, art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, encaustic, encaustic & collage

Angel News Flash

Image Leave a comment
Karen Tashkovski, “ CAMARADERIE “, 2017, 11” x 14”, encaustic & collage

Camaraderie, one of the paintings in my “Futura” series from 2017 and newly framed, will be on display in the upcoming exhibition at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, 410 Canal Place, Little Falls, New York 13365.

The exhibition is titled Women. Art. Voices.

It is scheduled for March 6, 2026 – March 27, 2026 with an opening reception on March 6, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Hours (of operation)

Thursday – Saturday: 12 pm – 4 pm
Sunday – Wednesday: Closed
Holidays: Closed

art exhibition, art gallery, Karen Tashkovski

Belonging

Image Leave a comment

What was once the Point of Contact Gallery is now the Warehouse Gallery (350 West Fayette Street, Syracuse, New York).  Last night I attended the art reception for Ecosystem Of Belonging: 2026 faculty survey, an art show celebrating the work of current Syracuse University faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Artists included in this show:

Adrienne Dagg, Assistant Professor of Painting, Studio Arts, School of Art

Jiangliu Dong, Instructor, Studio Art, School of Art

Meris Drew, Assistant Professor, Painting, Studio Arts, School of Art

Tamika Galanis, Assistant Professor, Film, Department of Film and Media Studies

Li “Lily” Jiang, Assistant Professor, Fashion, the School of Design

Quran Karriem, Assistant Professor, Communications and Rhetorical Studies, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies

Yves Michel, Professor of Practice, Industrial and Interaction Design, School of Design

Meri Page, Associate Professor,Communication Design, School of Design

Austin Riddle, Instructor, Studio Arts, School of Art

Rochele Royster, Assistant Professor,Art Therapy, Department of Creative Arts Therapy

The Exhibition runs through March 5, 2026.

Gallery hours:

Tuesday-Wednesday noon – 6:00 PM

Thursday noon- 8:00 PM

Friday – Saturday noon – 4:00 PM

antiques, art, art exhibition, art gallery, Karen Tashkovski

Little Falls Showcase

Image Leave a comment

While the rest of the nation watches televised weather reports indicating a snow-mageddon approaching the east coast, Penny and I just returned from a trip to Little Falls, New York (from Syracuse) via the New York State thruway, which was dry as a bone, and coupled with the sunshine, it was a glorious, albeit cold, day for a road trip!

I think the actual storm is coming later in the day tomorrow.

We both had artwork in the Christmas exhibition at the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts (410 Canal Place, Little Falls, New York 13365) and went there to pick up our work, as the show had ended.

While in the vicinity of the gallery, we had lunch then decided to check out Showcase Antiques (375 Canal Place, Little Falls, New York 13365).

Over thirty vendors are represented in this wonderful shop!  There are several aisles of items in glass cases, as well as individual booths that are curated as mini shoppes – vintage clothing, army paraphernalia, antique furniture, record collections, etc.

It is one of those places you must revisit regularly, as new “old” merchandise is always added.

I will be back for one of these crisp 1963 $2.00 bills (above).  Apparently, everything in the shop is pre-1975, which means that fifty-year-old things are antiques.  It is really weird to think that stuff I played with as a child is now an antique, lol.

And Pyrex bowls (above) are highly collectable these days.  We had the mint green ones back in the day.

I love this desk (above).

And this oak one (above) .

So fun!  Thank you, Penny!

 

abstract, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art teacher, collage, painting, paper collage

In the Haus

Image Leave a comment

Penny Santy, Michelle Keib, John Paul Gardner, Robin Cortese and Karmin Schafer are the artists exhibiting in the new show at Art Haus (120 Walton Street, Syracuse, New York 13202).  Marianna Raineri-Schwarzer has put together a lovely show for us to ponder – the exhibit is called Ponderance.

Penny Santy has been represented by Art Haus for the past year.  If you want to buy something of hers, you must act fast.  She sold two paintings at the reception yesterday and possibly more – I left before it was over.  Penny is also a graphic artist.

Michelle Keib comes from a family of artists.  Although she is self taught, she is quite proficient in her renderings and her line quality is exceptional.

John Paul Gardner is a trained artist/scupltor and art teacher from Utica, New York.  His artwork here – paper collages that he plans to use as paper maquettes for future sculptures.

This is Robin Cortese’s first foray into sharing her paintings.  She brought a slew of collectors (from her charitable fund raising volunteering) to the reception (and cookies!).  I think she sold everything in her collection.

Texture is a big component in Karmin Shafer’s artwork.  I did not see her at the reception so no photo.  Hers were the curled birchwood pieces and some abstract text paintings.

The show and sale runs through February 21, 2026.

 

art for sale, art gallery, encaustic, encaustic & collage, Karen Tashkovski

Gallery Butterflies

Image 1 Comment
Karen Tashkovski, BUTTERFLY, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PEPERUTKA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″

Some of these butterfly paintings will be showcased at Art Haus, 120 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY 13202.  The opening reception will be February 28, 2026 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM.

Karen Tashkovski, MARIPOSA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, SCHMETTERLING, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″

I loved the challenge of making butterflies in encaustic and collage, using paint brushes as thoraxes. Encaustic is a combination of beeswax and oil paint.

Karen Tashkovski, PAPILLON, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PILI PALA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, FARFALLA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, GLOYN, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, PITALUDKA, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
Karen Tashkovski, CHO, 2024, encaustic & collage on gesso board, 8″ x 8″
acrylic, animals in art, art, art exhibition, art gallery, ceramics, jewelry, Karen Tashkovski, painting, watercolor

Animals Everywhere

Image Leave a comment

The holiday exhibit at Edgewood Gallery (216 Tecumseh Road, Syracuse, NY 12334) is refreshingly uplifting.  The opening reception was last night.  No talk of religion or politics, or negativity of any kind!  It was just animals.  Animal art in many different, albeit colorful, incarnations.

Ellen and Dia Haffar, the mother-daughter duo of Smokepail Studios brought their bunny rabbit and little piggy iconography A-game with images hand drawn and glazed onto mugs, cups and vases.  The whimsical elegance of this work reflects the artists’ fun and friendly personalities.

Although C.J. Hodge is highly allergic to cats, he still loves them and it shows in these large scale pieces.  His acrylic on wood panel cat paintings are filled with visual texture and pattern.  He sold three paintings before I arrived .  This show is a cash and carry situation, which works for those of you interested in gifting art this Christmas.

Dana Stenson is the real deal.  She crafts jewelry using sterling silver and precious gem stones.  She has been juggling several art events, having spent last weekend at that Plowshares thing plus selling her work at Cazenovia Artisans where she is a member of their collective.

She was influenced by birds, butterflies and dragonflies for this showcase.

Amy Cunningham creates her animal portraits and floral designs using a combination of watercolor, goache and inks.  She adheres the watercolor paper to a hardboard canvas via matte medium then paints the image with precision and finally seals the work with wax.  I find the layers in this work so incredibly satisfying because  the flatness of the imagery is just an illusion.

The exhibit continues through January 9, 2026.  The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday 9:30 am – 6:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art group, art venue, ceramics, clay, collage, color, design, drawing, encaustic, encaustic & collage, facces, fiberarts, jewelry, landscapes, mixed media, oil painting, painting, watercolor

Me & My Membership

Image Leave a comment

I am a member of the Rochester Contemporary Art Center (137 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14604.  My encaustic & collage painting, “Girl”, is there (above).  It is from my Fan-Girl series.

The Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s thirty-fourth Member Exhibition is in full swing through February 14, 2026.  There are over five hundred pieces of art in this show and it is AMAZING!

All artwork is for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to the gallery.  This exhibition is a must see!  I think what happens is you will be drawn to a few things at eye level then you’ll step back and see that there is so much more.  Sculpture, ceramics, paintings, photographs, abstracts, realism – it is the most eclectic mix of talent.

To the volunteers who erected this art show- I commend you!  It must have been a giant puzzle to solve to place everything in such a way that each piece gets the respect it deserves.  It is a glorious achievement.

The gallery hours –

Wed. – Sun. 12-5pm
Fri. 12-9pm

  • It is $2 per visit and free for members.

From their web-site:

RoCo was founded as the Pyramid Gallery

In 1977, a small group of artists led by Tony Petracca, John Kavanaugh and Albert Robbins joined together to exhibit their artwork, present an alternative to museums and commercial galleries, and expand the cultural offerings in the region.

Early on, the crew faced considerable obstacles. Only days after the grand opening there was a significant fire that left the small Monroe Ave. storefront and many artworks damaged. Fundraisers were held and walls were rebuilt. Thanks to the perseverance of the founders and their fellow artists, the Rochester art community has been the beneficiary ever since. After formalizing the organization began to receive New York State and foundation funding and soon began to play a significant role in the artist-run space movement of the era. Still there was uncertainty and challenges. The Culture Wars and shifting foundation priorities altered the funding landscape. Through the decades and several different locations, RoCo’s individual members have provided a stable base for the organization. This significant community support has enabled RoCo to survive and thrive when other small art centers have struggled and even closed their doors. In recent years RoCo’s membership and stature has grown significantly. Now as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we’ve achieved outright ownership of our facility and are approaching 1,000 members for the first time in the organization’s history.

abstract, art, art exhibition, art gallery, art museum, installation, Karen Tashkovski, sculpture

Eternity & Infinity

Image Leave a comment

According to artist Yayoi Kusama, the world is a circle – a polka dot blip in the universe.  You’ve gotta love a person who sticks to a bit (or blip).  She’s been cultivating ways (read installations) in which to incorporate her round motif for decades.  Apparently, her obsession stems from childhood trauma – hallucinations containing an influx of dots in her surroundings.

One with Eternity:  Yayoi Kusama is currently on view at The Buffalo AKG (formerly called the Albright-Knox Gallery),  1285 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14222.

There are three gallery spaces housing three different installations.  The first contains an enormous polka dotted pumpkin sculpture.  The second is a mirrored room filled with red and white amorphic shapes. These look to be of cotton fabric stuffed with poly fiberfill.

The third room is a sort of disco style light show thingy.  You enter the room through a curtained opening and find yourself in a house of mirrors.  She calls it a mirrored infinity room.

You must purchase tickets for the Yayoi Kusama exhibition in addition to a museum fee.   There is a timed-entry feature because two of the rooms are small and require a more intimate experience.  They only allow you forty-five seconds a turn.

We were able to have more time because there were less people in attendance.  Even still, three minutes wasn’t a lot, especially when you travel over two hours to get there, lol.

There is still time to immerse yourself in polka dots.  The show continues through March 2, 2026.

Thank you, Penny, for a fabulous adventure.  So fun!