Since opening in 2019, The Lockwood Gallery in Kingston has become one of the most sought-after galleries in the region. The space was initially opened by Michael Lockwood to serve as a firm for his architectural practice, but Lockwood soon realized that the space would be perfect for exhibiting art.
“The focus of the gallery is on something a little different,” shares Alan Goolman, director and curator for The Lockwood Gallery. “We like to focus on large, narrative-driven shows in which we come up with a storyline and then build a show around that storyline.”
Curating shows
Since opening, The Lockwood Gallery has exhibited a handful of recurring shows each year in addition to its regular lineup of exhibitions. Among these are “Built,” which examines architecture within art and the ways in which the two disciplines can be interwoven, and “In Pursuit of Color,” which emphasizes color theory.
The recurring shows certainly play to Lockwood and Goolman’s strengths. Lockwood, an artist as well as an architect, has the eye to choose pieces that represent both disciplines, while Goolman’s background is in cosmetics and fashion.
“My career in cosmetics was all about understanding how color works and what you need in a show in order to make it successful,” Goolman explains. “It’s not just about the painting, but about what happens when you put a painting in a certain position or next to another piece. I use all of the skills that I learned in the cosmetic industry right here in this gallery.”
For Upstate Art Weekend, The Lockwood Gallery exhibited “The Librarian: The Life and Work of a Special Collections Library Curator.”
“After a bit of research, I found out what a special collections curator does, so I actually built what would be the librarian’s office in the gallery, and we surrounded it with all kinds of special collections that would have been seen by the librarian,” Goolman shares. “We included all kinds of collections from architecture to children’s art; it was a very diverse show and a lot of fun to put together.”
Showcasing diversity is a vital part of what The Lockwood Gallery does. Goolman takes the time to ensure that each show has its own story, identity, and atmosphere. “You can’t step away from the fact that we are a gallery owned by a really great architect – and we don’t want to – but that affects how I do things,” he notes. “When it comes to shows, we focus on the things that are right for us.”
On display now is James Holl’s “Indeterminate Landscapes,” which features a selection of paintings and sculptures made from 2001-2009. The exhibition celebrates the launch of Holl’s newest art book, James Holl, The Landscape Painter, which exemplifies the story of Holl’s journey as a young artist to the present day.
“This is a great show. Holl went for a glider ride in the southwest and, as he lost the horizon line and was looking down, he realized that all of the rocks seemed to be the same size. From that high up, you lose perspective on things like that, and this whole body of work is built around that theme. It’s a really beautiful body of work, and we’re very excited to be exhibiting it here at the gallery,” Goolman says.
A hub for the community
While some might argue that The Lockwood Gallery is located in the middle of nowhere, the gallery is actually situated at the center of a handful of very vibrant, involved art communities. Take a short drive in any direction and you’ll find yourself in Kingston, Woodstock, New Paltz, or Saugerties – all of which celebrate the arts in many different ways.
With minimal advertising, The Lockwood Gallery’s audience has managed to find the destination quite organically. “We’re here alone, and people find us. We should be proud of that,” Goolman says. “People have found us really quickly and naturally, and a lot of that has to do with the shows that we do. People were very interested in the narrative-style shows and how that translates to art.”
The Lockwood Gallery has previously partnered with the Woodstock School of Art to exhibit its work. In 2021, it showed the Woodstock School of Art Instructors Exhibit, which featured the work in a wide range of media of over 30 Woodstock School of Art instructors.
“We believe that if we all work together, we’re better at what we do,” Goolman explains. “When everyone works together instead of against each other, you get a community of galleries. We all do very different things, we come at it from different directions, and we work with different artists, so why not be helpful?”
The Lockwood Gallery extended James Holl’s “Indeterminate Landscapes” to be on display until December 15, after which the gallery will display a black and white holiday show.
“For somebody who’s known for big colors, this show isn’t going to be that,” Goolman muses. “It’s not a traditional holiday show. We wanted to do something a little different; no less beautiful, just in a different way.”
As for what to expect in 2025, The Lockwood Gallery has plenty of exhibitions on deck, including another installment of “Built,” “In Pursuit of Color,” and an exhibit called “Booked,” which will focus on handmade art books and is a spinoff of the librarian show that the venue exhibited earlier this year.
“From there, who knows what else we’ll do,” Goolman laughs. “As we grow, we are able to work with different artists. It’s an extraordinarily fun job, and I look forward to what the year ahead has in store.”
Visit The Lockwood Gallery at 747 Route 28 in Kingston or online.
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