Art Opening Receptions: Friday, March 6, 2026 / 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Ivars Sprogis – Victorian Gallery @ 9 Vassar Street
Painting by Ivars Sprogis
Ivars Sprogis is a local artist and retired Ophthalmologist who was born in Latvia in 1931. Favoring the Realistic Impressionism style, his watercolor and oil work of seascapes, landscapes and florals are exquisitely captured through his use of pigment, shadows, and vibrancy. He is known for his minimalist technique, color palette and maximizing a view of the natural beauty in nature, both in the region and abroad. “For as long as I can remember, the natural world has been my truest companion-its quiet rhythms, its fleeting light, and its enduring beauty have shaped the way I see and live,” he explains. “I’ve spent a lifetime watching the seasons turn, the tide roll in and out, the petals open and fall; in many ways, painting has been my way of paying attention-of holding onto moments the world is too busy to notice.” Sprogis trained at Memphis Art Academy in Tennessee and was privately tutored by local watercolorist Arne Lindmark. He was also influenced by Spanish Artist, Joaquin Sorolla. His works can be found in many local businesses and private art collections, and have been exhibited at Marist College, The Bank of New York, Garrison Desmond-Fish Public Library, Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, Palmer Gallery at Vassar College, Cornell Creative Arts Center, Nyack library, and at Tilting at Windmills Gallery in Manchester, Vermont among other locations. He also had the privilege of having one of his paintings accepted in The American Watercolor Society’s traveling exhibit.
Kevin Sterne – Reception Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street
“Duck Walk” by Kevin Sterne
Kevin Sterne is a painter and writer originally from the Midwest who now lives in Kingston, NY. Working in acrylic, ink, watercolor, and mixed media on paper or canvas, he creates each of his pieces in a single, uninterrupted session with a goal to foster a connection between people, the land, and the mystical forces that move through daily life. Sterne draws his inspiration from Southwest landscapes, big Midwestern skies, and Hudson Valley forests and seeks to blend spiritual inquiry with the grounded realities of nature. “I believe art and nature are powerful healers and art is both therapy and play for me…the line between the two remains fluid and intertwined,” he relays. “My paintings begin in meditation and through automatic drawing/writing, intuitive mark-making, and breathwork, I follow images that arise in stillness, and feelings too big not to be let out allowing the creative process to unfold without expectation or control.” As well as being a prolific visual artist whose works have been shown at Beacon Open Studios, Arts Mid-Hudson, Holding Space, Chicory Naturalist, Shames JCC and RiverArts, Sterne is the award-winning author of the story collection All Must Go (2020) that garnered the Phoebe Journal prize for fiction.
Shirley Tuttle – Hancock Gallery @ 12 Vassar Street
Artwork by Shirley Tuttle
Shirley Tuttle has had a lifelong passion for art and began honing her skills at the age of four through watercolor exploration. Throughout her school years, she continued to nurture her artistic talents which led her to pursue an art degree in college. Residing in Florida with her husband, who was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Shirley was creatively influenced and guided by an exceptional art instructor who helped her develop a solid foundation in various artistic techniques that included color mixing, still life, and photography. She then transitioned to oils being drawn to their ability to “blend and flow”. “Art is not only my passion but also an integral part of my life,” explains Shirley. “When I relocated from Florida to New York, I shifted my focus to acrylic painting as well as abstract art……I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else.” Many of Shirley’s works are held in private collections and she has garnered significant attention with numerous commissioned projects. In addition to creating art and being a member of Art Mid-Hudson, she teaches children and adults in her community working with the Girl Scouts, local sports teams and community organizations.
