Fall-themed art to be featured at silent auction

MONTGOMERY — A silent benefit auction, "Fall in the Hudson Valley," will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at The Wallkill River School and Gallery, 232 Ward St., Montgomery,
"Fall can be such magical season here in the Hudson valley, and as artists, we love sharing that beauty with the world through our talents," says Shawn Dell Joyce of the Wallkill River School.
The auction is free and open to the public.
Artists interested in participating may drop off any fall-themed works for the auction before Oct. 5, with the artist agreement form taped to the back. The sale price will be split 50/50 between the artist and the venue. A $10 hanging fee is required but will be refunded from the gallery’s portion of the sale price if the piece sells at auction.
The school is also presenting solo shows by fine artists Brenda Harburger and Kari Ganoung Ruiz, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6.
All works will be on display throughout October.
Solo artists        Brenda Scott Harburger works in oil, watercolor, and sculpture in capturing a wide variety of subjects: landscapes, still lifes, human or animal portraiture. Her distinctive style, Impressionistic Realism, has an emotional quality that is highly personal. Equipped with all-new landscape oil paintings, mostly of the Mid-Hudson Valley, she will again exhibit at Wallkill River School as a Represented Artist during October.
She has bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and further studied at the Los Angeles School of Design in California and the Art Students League in New York City. For 25 years she was an art director in her own advertising agency in the Hudson Valley.
Kari Ganoung Ruiz was raised at the edge of The Finger Lakes National Forest in Central New York State, which set the stage for her deep connection to the natural landscape. After earning her bachelor of science in fine art from Ashland University in Ohio, she worked as a decorative painter, faux finisher, and occasional muralist. She and her husband, Diego Ruiz, opened a picture-framing studio featuring fine art and gifts in 2007.
An encouraging local response to her work prompted more space at the boutique to be used to display paintings, and eventually the move to a larger location. Due to the increased visibility of the new gallery, the draw on their time became much greater and began to cut into studio hours. At this time, Kari began to focus on plein air work, feeling the need to learn about light and shadow directly from the natural world. Kari and Diego have recently moved back out to the Finger Lakes countryside where open fields, forests, lakes, streams, and farms can continue to inspire their work. In addition to her exhibit with the Wallkill River School, Kari will also be teaching a class on her approach to painting nocturnes.
About the Wallkill River SchoolThe Wallkill River School and Gallery is a nonprofit artists' cooperative with the mission of preserving small family farms and open space while creating economic opportunity for local artists. The nonprofit runs a gallery and a full art school in Montgomery, dedicated to local artists and integrating art into the people’s daily lives. The organization represented over 40 regional artists who teach and exhibit each year, as well as mentoring 10 emerging artists featured in monthly solo exhibits. Admission is always free.
For more information visit wallkillriverschool.com or call 457-2727.