Art Gallery
March 3-30
Debra Rogers: The Vibrancy of Colors
Art Reception: Sunday, March 8, 1:00-3:00pm
Debra Rogers has been passionate about art for as long as she can remember- drawing from the moment she could hold a pencil. She earned her first degree in Graphic Art and subsequently studied Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she embarked on a successful career as a children's wear designer in New York City, where she worked in the fashion industry for many years.
But beyond fashion, art has always been her compass—an ever-expanding horizon of possibility. She continues to learn from internationally recognized artists, joins voices in global online auctions, and carries with her the impressions of every place she has traveled. Each journey offers a new perspective, a new spark for creation. Debra Rogers discovered a world where lines could sing and colors could breathe.
Debra's paintings are alive in color—vivid, layered, and unrestrained. Working in mixed media, she weaves textiles, textures, and fabric into her compositions, transforming them into poetry on canvas. Her subjects—portraits, landscapes, florals, and animals—emerge not as simple forms but as reflections of joy, energy, and wonder. Debra believes art is a lifelong learning experience-no two artists are the same, and every new encounter brings inspiration.
For her, art is not merely a pursuit but a way of being: breath, rhythm, and reflection. It is the place where curiosity meets creation, where boundaries dissolve, and where imagination is forever free.
Artist's Statement
My art is a creative journey of exploration and creativity. It is an invitation to wander, play, and discover new perspectives. I believe creativity should be alive with joy, never confined by rules. Each brushstroke is laughter, every texture offers a warm embrace, and every color radiates vibrant energy.
I create to explore, letting my emotions guide me. When I paint, I let instinct lead. I do not seek perfection - only connection. If you feel something when you see my work, then I have shared a piece of who I am.
Together, we can celebrate the beautiful gift of art!
April 1-29
Bill Batson
Art Reception: Saturday, April 4, 1:00-3:00pm
For the last 15 years, Bill Batson has received numerous commissions to create portraits of homes in Rockland County. While the public has seen many of his Nyack Sketch Log illustrations of familiar landmarks, storefronts, and historic homes in our community, only those that commissioned these works have seen these drawings that celebrate the structures that shape who we are, the homes that shelter us. A collection of house portraits, on loan from their owners, will be on display at the Valley Cottage Library from April 1 - 29th. The exhibit coincides with the completion of a commissioned drawing of the library.
May 1-31
Janice Baragwanath: This is New York
Art Reception: Saturday, May 2, 2:00-4:00pm
Janice Baragwanath has been teaching art for 40 years. Originally from Larchmont, NY, she wanted to be a French teacher, although she always liked to draw. She met a college student who said she had drawing for homework. That sounded really cool! She applied to Rhode Island School of Design and was accepted with a full tuition scholarship. It was much harder than she expected and she quit after two years. Back in the day painting majors worked in oil. Only illustration majors used watercolor. She continued her studies at Cooper Union and the San Francisco Art Institute where she earned her BFA.
Not knowing how to earn a living as an artist, she worked as a travel agent for ten years. Then she answered a newspaper ad in Connecticut and got a job as "art instructor". Students wanted to paint in watercolor. She soon learned all she could about the medium and taught in her home studio, senior centers, adult ed and after school programs. In 2011 she moved to Nyack and paints everyday. Over the years she's won numerous awards including one recently from the North East Watercolor Society for her painting Franklin Street. Janice now teaches occasionally at the Valley Cottage Library and Congers Community Learning Center.
June 2-30
Eric Bender: Reflections
Art Reception: Saturday, June 6, 1:00-3:00pm
Apart from a decades long career in public education, Eric Bender has had an interest in film and photography since he began using a Brownie Instamatic camera to take snapshots of "Godzilla" on his family TV Today he enjoys creating photos that invite viewers to think about his images of the quotidian in different ways. Seeing imaginative possibilities in everyday things, Eric's photos remind us it's fun to wonder.
Contact us about displaying your art
Send an email to Caroline Siecke-Pape with at least 4 images representing your art. View the Sample Exhibit Agreement below as well as the Gallery Dimensions.