Visit Art Amongst the Cows in Brewster

Collaborative Concepts’ new outdoor sculpture exhibition invites the public to wander hiking trails and discover public art set in sweeping pastoral vistas.

The free public art exhibition at the Tilly Foster Farm Educational Institute in Brewster features pieces by 25 artists whose media differ, including metal, stone, fabric and repurposed materials. The show is curated by Collaborative Concepts, an all-volunteer group whose goal is to give the work of local artists a platform.

The group’s president, Jo-Ann Brody, adds: “We have had some artists who have shown with us in prior years who have graduated to bigger galleries and shows. I like to think that we served a constructive purpose in their careers.”

Walking the exhibition takes from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how long visitors linger at individual works. Along the art route, visitors can drop in on farm animals or enjoy the property’s pond. On Sundays, the property’s farm-to-table restaurant serves brunch.

Some of the sculptors are inspired by social issues. Natalya Khorover creates pieces sourced from pollution and overconsumption, so her work, Arcadia Lost (the “2.0” version of her ArtsWestchester installation commissioned for the Social Fabric exhibition) incorporates plastic bottle caps that form a whimsical design. Inez Andrucyk uses art to tap into the joy of color. Her Magic Tomato piece combines a red sphere with panels of white and gold fabric that double as sails for the imagination.

Brody has work in the show as well. She likes to use expanding construction foam in her artistic experiments. This one celebrates the female figure.

“I use the farm show to try out new pieces,” says Brody. “They are so experimental that they are coming home after the show. I’m going to work those pieces out again into something that is more stable.”

Most of the sculpture at the farm is for sale, with prices ranging from $600 to $20,000. Brody said that many of the artists also welcome the opportunity to discuss their work.

“If someone contacted the artist, they could have a real dialog. That doesn’t mean they will sell their work for less, but they can have a dialog!” said Brody, adding that sales are not the point of the exhibition. “Artists make work to be seen and appreciated, and sometimes it would be nice to bring in a little money to pay for your materials.”

Collaborative Concepts, founded in 1999, has presented more than 30 exhibitions throughout the lower Hudson Valley. In 2006, the group began presenting outdoor sculpture at Saunders Farm in Garrison, and the tradition continues for a fourth year at Tilly Foster Farm.

Collaborative Concepts’ exhibition runs through October 29 and it is open daily from 10am-4pm. Tilly Foster Farm is located at 100 NY-312 in Brewster.

Featured image: Natalya Khorover: Lost at Till Foster Farm

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.