Arts Society of Kingston

Retrospective: Fran Sutherland
2026-05-28 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Retrospective

Fran Sutherland

Showing in the Front Gallery

Opening Reception May 2 @ 3pm

Exhibition May 2 – 31, 2026

ASK Gallery Hours: Fri – Sun, Noon – 5pm

From the oil paintings created in 1958 at SUNY New Paltz until the mixed media art works of 2025, this retrospective features the landscape and bridges of the Hudson Valley inspired by abstract representations of native American (Lenape) sacred stories.

Fran Sutherland, a native New Yorker, is a painter, teacher and restorer of historic homes. Strongly influenced by Eastern aesthetics, Fran’s creative paintings synthesize both Eastern and Western formats in multi-media works. The chosen media and techniques express personal ideas, which is especially evident in her textural compositions emphasizing oil and acrylic resist techniques.

About the artist

Fran Sutherland, a native New Yorker, is a painter, teacher, and restorer of historic homes. Strongly influenced by Eastern aesthetics, Fran’s creative paintings synthesize both Eastern and Western formats in multi-media works. The chosen media and techniques express personal ideas, which is especially evident in her textural compositions emphasizing oil and acrylic resist techniques. Fran’s most recent and unique works reflect the geophysical world, which we all experience in different ways. For this artist, walking, hiking, and motorless boating are meditative and energizing at the same time. To begin looking out or forward is the way Fran Sutherland psychologically and physically approaches the day and life. The Meditative Series depict the top piece that shows an Asian-styled, vertical composition, and the second bottom piece that recognizes what is at one’s feet and depicts the subject in a Western, rectangular format. The two paintings are then presented and suspended as one work of art. This new series of paintings explores and attempts to share the act of looking forward and where one is at the moment, or what is below as well as ahead.

Many of her works, including The Bridge Series, integrate geologic coloration and the play of light and water with local and international sites and architectural structures. Sutherland’s semi-autobiographical paintings continue to be inspired by New York’s Hudson Valley and Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains.

Visit the artist’s website

Petals & Pollinators: Illustrating Between the Bees
2026-05-28 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00
Petals & Pollinators: Illustrating Between the Bees

Showing in the Members Gallery

Opening Reception May 2nd @ 3pm

Exhibition May 2 – 31, 2026

ASK Gallery Hours: Thurs – Sun, Noon – 5pm

This exhibition features work that examines the beauty, fragility, and interdependence of ecological systems from the intimate exchange of pollen to the broader environmental narratives of climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity. Through all visual mediums, artists interpret “between the bees” expansively: as a literal space of ecological exchange, a metaphor for collaboration and community, or a meditation on the delicate balance that sustains life.

Featured member artists: Larry Arvidson, Bob Barnes, Lawrence Bush, Michael DiPleco, Stacie Flint, Melissa Forbes, Terry Haas, Tom Hackett, Emeline Hastings, Laura Helfant, Kim Henry, Barbara Holt, David Holt, Carrie Hotz-Barth, Locke Johnston, David Joseph, Tom Looney, Joel Mandelbaum, Debbie Martin, James McCann, Carol McCarthy, Julie Michels-Ruiz.

FREE ADMISSION

HAZMAT
2026-05-28 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-29 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-31 12:00 - 17:00
HAZMAT

Stephen Olivier

Showing in the Spotlight Gallery

Opening Reception May 2nd @ 3pm

Exhibition May 2 – 31, 2026

ASK Gallery Hours: Fri – Sun, Noon – 5pm

Stephen Olivier’s current body of work includes paintings and sculptural work, that emerge from the collision of biography and belief – a reckoning with the self, built from Catholic guilt, queer identity, and a lifelong quest to resolve the unfinished career of his father.

About the artist

Stephen Olivier is an award winning artist whose work has been exhibited widely in galleries, museums, and artist-run spaces across the United States and internationally. Olivier was awarded a 2025 residency at NES in Skagaströnd, Iceland. His work has appeared in numerous group exhibitions, including Let the Fur and Feathers Fly at Epperson Gallery in California, the Texas National Competition at the Cole Art Center in Texas, Big Bold Pride at the Art Society of Kingston, and Truth Unveiled at Art League Rhode Island. Additional exhibitions include the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, KIPNZ in Walton, NY, and venues throughout New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Berlin. Olivier’s solo exhibitions include Over the Garden Wall at Subdivision Art in Long Island City, and Beforemath at the Octopus Building in Miami.

Olivier’s sculptural work has also appeared in film, including creating thirty resin sculptures for Shelton Walsmith’s short film The Importance of Being Amber. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Preparator at White Box and The Annex in New York, where he installed exhibitions for artists including Carolee Schneemann, Brian Maguire, Javier Téllez, Marianne Vitale, Joel Sternfeld, William Anastasi, Conrad Atkinson, and Jeff Chiplis.

Renovation Celebration!
2026-05-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
An open house with free 10-minute performances by ASK’s anchor artists! Featuring work by: Hudson Valley Improv, Improvisation Quartet (dance & music) with Teresa Smith, Debra Wanner, Meg Fry (dance) and Madeleine Grace (music), 10-minute play, “Execution of a Froth King” by Lisa Kimball with actors Taylor Steward, Eugene Ruoff, Arriella Guidubaldi, and Hannah Munson, and facilitation by Martha Williams (BreakBread)! Food & beverages served!

Come see our new performance space, meet our anchor artists, learn about the opportunities for performing artists at ASK and celebrate with us!

RSVP HERE!

Hudson Valley Improv Show: National Touring Company
2026-05-30 19:00 - 21:00
Fast and furious award-winning improv where your suggestions don’t just shape the show, they are the show!

Hudson Valley Improv’s National Touring Company hits the stage with another fast and furious show completely inspired by audience suggestion. HVI’s signature style is fast, daring, and audience-fueled — your suggestions don’t just shape the show, they are the show.

GET TIX!

CALL FOR ART: The Essence of Abstraction
2026-06-01 08:00 - 2026-06-10 23:59 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
AUGUST SHOW: Members Call for Art.

Deadline: Wednesday June 10, 11:59 PM

CALL FOR ART: The Essence of Abstraction

The Arts Society of Kingston invites artists to submit work for The Essence of Abstraction, an exhibition exploring the power, emotion, and possibilities of abstract art.

Abstraction allows artists to move beyond representation, using color, form, texture, movement, and composition to communicate ideas, emotions, and experiences. Whether your work is bold and expressive, subtle and contemplative, geometric, organic, or entirely experimental, we welcome contemporary interpretations of abstraction in all media.

This exhibition seeks artwork that embraces the language of abstraction and invites viewers to engage with art through feeling, imagination, and personal interpretation. We encourage submissions that challenge convention, explore process, and reveal new ways of seeing.

Eligible Media

Painting

Drawing

Printmaking

Photography

Sculpture

Fiber Arts

Mixed Media

Submission Requirements

Up to 3 works may be submitted for consideration. Work hung will be decided by Hanging Crew and refunds are not permitted. Every member is guaranteed 1 work will be exhibited.

All artwork must be original and created within the last three years.

Work must be ready for exhibition – see hanging guidelines below.

Eligibility

Open to emerging and established Artist Members

Work should be created within the past few years

Artists are encouraged to submit work that has not been previously exhibited

Dates:

DEADLINE: 6/1 – 6/10

Opening Reception:

Saturday, August 1 at 3 PM

Artwork Intake (Drop Off):

Tuesday, July 28, 5–8 PM

Wednesday, July 29, 1–4 PM

Artwork Pick Up:

September 1, 5–8 PM

September 2, 1–4 PM

Submit here

Not Just Another Acting Class
2026-06-03 08:00 - 17:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Weekly Scene Study Lab (May-June 2026)

A three-week structured scene study practice focused on sustained, evolving work. Actors engage in on-your-feet scene study exploration that builds week to week, deepening text work, responsiveness, and embodied craft.

Led by Erica Cruz Hernández (AMDA faculty; American Shakespeare Center director and performer).

Three Wednesdays 5-7pm | The Arts Society of Kingston. 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY

5/20, 5/27, 6/3 | Limited to 8 participants

Hudson Valley Improv
2026-06-03 18:00 - 21:00
Hudson Valley Improv

At Arts Society of Kingston

Wednesdays, June 3, 10, 17, 24, 6-9PM

Hudson Valley Improv is right here at ASK! Come see one of their award-winning shows—always fast, funny, and completely made up on the spot. Or jump into one of their improv classes, designed for adults of all levels, where you’ll laugh, connect, and surprise yourself with what you can do. Looking for something more personal? They also offer private coaching for solo shows and team training that brings people together, builds confidence, and makes communication easier and more fun.

These classes sell out quickly! Sign up now!

SIGN UP HERE

Tickets & booking information at www.hudsonvalleyimprov.com

Hudson Valley Seed: Art Pack
2026-06-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Hudson Valley Seed Company Art Pack Print Suite

The Front Gallery features a vibrant selection of framed, signed archival prints from the Hudson Valley Seed Company’s acclaimed Art of Seed Collection.

For over a decade, the Hudson Valley Seed Company has collaborated with artists from across the United States to create original artwork inspired by seeds, plants, and the stories they carry. The resulting Art Packs merge horticulture, storytelling, and visual art, transforming seed packets into collectible works that celebrate biodiversity, sustainability, and creative expression.

Featured artists include Ana Bianchi, Beth Haber, Caro Arevalo, Catalina Villegas, Deanna Staffo, Elizabeth Castaldo, Gabe Brown, Jiny He, Lianne Pflug, Nancy Blum, Natalya Khorover, Nicole Gustafsson, Pearl Cowan, and Rachel Krohn. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience these richly detailed works outside their original format, presented as archival prints that honor both the artistry and the agricultural heritage behind each piece.

Founded on an organic farm in nearby Accord, New York, the Hudson Valley Seed Company is nationally recognized for its commitment to organic farming, seed preservation, and the celebration of art as a vital part of cultivating connections between people and the natural world.

About the Arts Society of Kingston

The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to supporting artists and fostering creative community through exhibitions, performances, educational programming, and cultural events. Located in the heart of Kingston’s historic Rondout district, ASK serves as a vibrant hub for artistic expression in the Hudson Valley.

Opening Reception: Friday, July 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The reception is free and open to the public.

Submit HERE to have your work on a Hudson Valley Seed packet!

Teresa Smith: Open Source Form
2026-06-05 11:00 - 13:00
Open Source Forms / Dancing the Inner Landscape

With Teresa Smith

March 13 & 17, 2026

April 10 & 24, 2026

May 8 & 22, 2026

June 5 & 19, 2026

11Am – 1PM

In OSF classes we enter a creative process; letting go of outer layers of holding to find primal energy and ease. Guided by embodied imagery as a powerful tool for transformation we’ll learn to move with agility, transparency and depth. Through alignment studies, movement exploration and group improvisation we’ll cultivate a deep connection to our inner and outer environments. In this series we’ll explore three unique states of dancing; I move, it moves me, It moves! A remarkably effective way of learning, the OSF approach can catalyze transformation in many kinds of practice, in unique movement virtuosity, and in daily life.

What to expect:This is an improvisational movement class for all levels of movers, and can be done with any amount of energy. Kinesthetic insight is approached in multi-directional, structural and poetic ways. Music and silence is interwoven with (spoken) poetic imagery, deep meditations and active, focused improvisation.

Teresa Smith brings to her teaching a warm appreciation of each person’s essence and delights in awakening the creative spirit. She is a certified teacher of Open Source Forms™ and practiced the root form Skinner Releasing™ for three decades. Through her dance company ‘Earthbody’ she presents performance, artwork and workshops emerging from an intimate conversation with the body, psyche and natural environment.

Learn more: www.earthbodyevents.com

REGISTER: Earthbodybreath@gmail.com

Unveiling Identity & Transformation: The Pride Show @ ASK
2026-06-05 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Artists: Jared Bliss, Gerardo Castro, Pat Horner, Francesca Mallows, Joseph Pine, Judy Stanger. Curated by Tracy Bouvette

*artwork by Pat Horner

The event, taking place on Friday, June 5 @ 7 PM as part of the coordinated Kingston Pride Calendar, will include light snacks, wine and refreshments. Following this event, we will do a pride “stroll” down broadway and across the Rondout Bridge. All are invited!

Unveiling Identity & Transformation is a celebration of the many ways identity evolves, emerges, and is expressed throughout our lives. Centering LGBTQ+IA voices and experiences, this curated exhibition explores the deeply personal and collective journeys of self-discovery, authenticity, resilience, and transformation. Through a range of artistic practices and perspectives, participating artists examine what it means to uncover, redefine, and embrace the self in a world that often asks us to fit within predetermined narratives.

The works in this exhibition engage with moments of revelation and becoming—those pivotal experiences that shape who we are and who we continue to become. Through visual storytelling, abstraction, memory, portraiture, and explorations of personal and cultural history, artists reflect on the emotional, spiritual, social, and political landscapes that influence identity. Some works speak to joy, liberation, and visibility, while others navigate struggle, transition, displacement, and the complexities of claiming space and belonging. Together, these pieces reveal identity not as a fixed destination, but as a continual process of growth and unfolding.

At its core, Unveiling Identity & Transformation recognizes the power of art as a space for reflection, dialogue, and connection. By amplifying LGBTQ+IA perspectives, the exhibition creates opportunities for audiences to engage with stories of courage, vulnerability, and self-expression. It invites viewers to consider the many layers of identity—how they are formed, challenged, concealed, celebrated, and transformed over time.

More than an exhibition, Unveiling Identity & Transformation is an invitation to witness and honor the complexities of living authentically. It celebrates the beauty of becoming and the profound act of stepping into one’s truth.

Curator Bio: Tracy Bouvette is an artist and independent curator with more than twenty years of experience. Their practice includes painting, furniture making, sculpture, and installation work that often engages cultural and environmental questions. Their projects explore topics ranging from sugar in our collective diets—such as in their piece “Candy & Gunpowder”—to invasive plant species in “Rhythms of the Park,” a project documented on YouTube. Tracy has exhibited work in Denver, Philadelphia, Kingston, and Woodstock, and has maintained studios in RHINO Denver, Aston Mills Arts in Aston, Pennsylvania, and Habitant Studios in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. They have lived near the Woodstock–Saugerties line since 2019.

Alongside their studio practice, Tracy organizes exhibitions at the Kingston LGBTQ Community Center. They also facilitate the Center’s Rainbow Lounge, a weekly discussion group for individuals over the age of 50. In recent years Tracy has curated several exhibitions at the Center, including “Parts and Pieces,” “Raise Every Voice,” and “Living in Color.” These shows have presented work by LGBTQ+ community members and allies across a wide range of ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and identities. Through both their artwork and curatorial work, Tracy seeks to encourage deeper engagement with the diverse and evolving experiences of LGBTQ+ communities—exploring how personal stories, social pressures, and cultural shifts shape identity and expression.

STILLNESS & STORY: A PHOTOGRAPHER'S JOURNEY
2026-06-05 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 12:00 - 17:00 | FRONT GALLERY @ ASK, 97 Broadway, Kingston, New York, 12401, United States
Photographer Jim McCann shares 50 images capturing the landscapes, wildlife, architecture, and people of the Hudson Valley and beyond—quiet meditations on light, memory, and place.

About the artist: Jim McCann is a fine art photographer who came to his craft as a second career, transforming an unexpected job loss into an opportunity to see the world through a new lens. Now in his mid – seventies, he creates images that celebrate the quiet drama of nature, the character of historic architecture, and the changing light of the Northeast – from the Hudson Valley to the 1000 Islands and beyond.

McCann’s work is driven by a simple belief: beauty and story live in the everyday, waiting to be noticed. His photographs are created to last – not only as museum – quality prints, but as emotional anchors in the spaces they inhabit, inviting viewers to slow down, look closer, and find their own stories in the scene.

Art as an Act of Rebellion
2026-06-05 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Members Gallery @ ASK, 97 Broadway, Kingston, New York, 12401, United States
ASK Member artists present work that challenges expectations and celebrates freedom of expression—revealing rebellion as protest, joy, vulnerability, and radical self-definition.

Artists: Larry Arvidson, Deborah Bein, Mary Lynne Bonforte, Tracy Bouvette, Dorothy Brodhead, Dave Channon, Len De Jesus, Barbara Esmark, Walter Fancourt, Melissa Forbes, Kevin Frank, Patti Gibbons, Kim Henry, Michelle Hughes, Barbara Johnston, Maxine Kamin, Virginia Kaufmann, Andrew Kirschner, Deirdre Laughton, Joel Mandelbaum, Terry Murray, Jane Palermo, Carol Pepper-Cooper, Karen Schaffel, Steve Sidrane, Susan Silverman, Thea Stiriss, Andrew Tully, John Verner, Aileen Walsh.

TRINKET FEST!
2026-06-05 19:00 - 21:00 | SPOTLIGHT GALLERY @ ASK, 97 Broadway, Kingston, New York, 12401
The very first Trinket Fest at ASK! Trinkets by LGBTQ+ artists under 30 for $30 and under! One night only – as part of our Pride opening, this event will feature pins, cards, jewelry, and other original work by local emerging artists.

Golden Embers Belly Dance Showcase
2026-06-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Dancers of all levels share the stage, the spotlight, and the joy of belly dance with YOU.

Featuring performances by teachers Barushka, Angelique, Ayleeza, Donna Barret, and Alarah — alongside the talented students who have been working so hard to bring this to life!

Whether you’re a longtime fan or brand new to the art form, this is the perfect afternoon out. Come for the movement, stay for the magic.

Sunday, June 7th at 4:00 PM

ASK, 97 Broadway, Kingston NY

$23 general admission / $15 for students. Tix at door. Seating is limited — don’t wait!

GET TIX!
