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New Paltz Counter-Stories Pop-Up Gallery

Story by Larry Lanza November 6th, 2016

The day started on Main St. In New Paltz, for the March Against Rape Culture: SlutWalk, and ended up at the Unframed Artists Gallery on Huguenot St. The march brought a great deal of attention to the artwork that coincided with the meaning of the SlutWalk. Arielle Ponder, the curator of this pop-up show said, “We want to open up the community to an oppressive culture.”

The artwork in the show was an organized clutter. There was no set medium for the show as there was sculptors, painters, graphic designers, and photographers all with different styles of work with alike meanings. The work was hung from wire on the walls, resting against the walls and placed on top of black curtains. The lighting was dim, and the room gave off an erie feel. This gave it the true feel of a pop-up show that depicted a broken culture.

There were two pieces that seemed to attract the most attention throughout the night. Lindsay Brett’s, “I’m Okay,” and Ben Young’s “You’ve made your bed.”

Brett’s maximalism piece highlighted the aspect of anxiety and depression and society’s response or lack thereof to the mental illness. She said, “Attention is not given to women and especially women with mental illnesses.” The passionate artists is a fourth-year graphic design BFA student at SUNY New Paltz.

Ben Young is a fourth-year sculptor at SUNY New Paltz and was a part of the march as well as the gallery. The bed in his pieces was designed and welded by himself and then covered with dirt and a half folded red blanket that appeared bloody. His piece brought up ideas of what consent actually is and what people think consent is. He said, “Clearing up the confusion of consent is for the betterment of the everyone.”

The cold fall night was kept cozy outside of the gallery with a bonfire and live music and poetry. Ponder opened up the night by reading two poems from the late feminist icon Maya Angelou. She read “Still I Rise,” and “Phenomenal Woman. Local musicians then played their acoustic guitars and ukuleles while singing both originals and some covers. Unframed Artist Gallery is the perfect place for an event of this stature. The place was accompanied by a chicken coup while a few dogs roamed the event. The backwoods-esk gallery attracted more people that expected and was able to accompany the guests both inside and out.

Madison Feldhaus, fourth-year graphic design BFA at SUNY New Paltz, said “Since I’m a heavier person, I don’t see my image in the media. This gallery was perfect for women to take back their bodies and shit.”

Paintings by Alissa Naer
Shells by Arielle Ponder
Untitled by Eunice Ward
Paintings by Becca Koeth
"You Made Your Bed" by Ben Young
"Playing in the Background" by Alyssa Romano
"Dress Your Curves" by Madison Feldhaus
"I'm Okay," "I'm Sorry," "I'm Scared" by Lindsay Brett
Untitled by Alissa Naer
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"Laurel Wreaths Placed Upon the Earth" by Arielle Ponder