Contact: Christina Varga
845.679.4005
press@vargagallery.com

“Muddy Cup Solo Series: Round 3” closing events for July in Kingston

The third round of Solo Exhibits at the Kingston Muddy Cup Studios comes to a close on Saturday, July 26th with a closing reception from 6 – 8pm at 516 Broadway in Kingston, New York. Artists featured in this exhibition cover a huge range of work from installation and assemblage to photography and painting. The closing event will feature a musical performance by “Frankie and His Fingers” as well as spoken word by Gerard Paturel and other performance artists.

The “Muddy Cup Solo Series” is a monthly event curated by Christina Varga of the VARGA Gallery in Woodstock, New York. Each month new artists are invited to install and exhibit works of their choosing in separate solo spaces, allowing a wide variety of voices to be displayed together in one contiguous exhibition space. “Round 3” of the Solo Series presents the works of pastel artist Laura M. Bianco, mixed media works by Bill Heine, photography by Fionn Reilly, mixed media works by Kevin Postupack, paintings by Nathan Stapleton McKenzie, photography by Dan Wolf, an installation by Adrian Frost, erotica by Meadow, various works by Gerard Paturel, a salon style installation of works by –Richard J. Treitner, paintings by Margaret Ferraro, and a lenticular installation capturing the 26 chapters of the Dhammapada by Ellen Miret. In addition to the solo space exhibitions the hallways are festooned with works by Scott Ackerman, Cristine Cambrea, Nadja Petrov, Nicole Roskos, Michael Hunt, Bruce Anderson, Laura Pepitone, John Van Orsouw, James McColgan, Stefan Eins and curator Christina Varga who has made the Muddy Cup her second exhibition space.

Notable amongst the artists is artist Bill Heine, a piano playing, jazz loving, boogie-woogie man who played drums with Charlie Parker, was a contemporary of Jack Kerouac and written about in song by Bob Dylan. His mixed media works on paper are in Studio 3 at the Muddy Cup Studios. In his own words “I got carried away with trying to make the perfect line.” Mostly landscapes or rather portraits of mountains, Bill Heine’s works radiate color and sensitivity. His sketchbooks read like stories, full to the edges with color, line and detail in artistic renderings that capture the essence of the Catskill Mountains in unexpected hues of fluorescent markers, pencil and pen. To see works by Bill Heine visit
http://www.vargagallery.com/BillHeine.htm.

Those with a penchant for performance will be privy to pop-pioneers “Frankie and His Fingers” featuring Frank McGinnis on guitar and vocals and Sammi Niss on drums. To quote Peter Aaron, music editor of Chronogram Magazine, “Sammi Niss, the petite but potent drummer, powers Woodstock-based garage pop duo “Frankie and His Fingers”. Watching Niss attack her kit is perhaps what gives the better part of a Frankie show’s take-home impressions: Besides mastering the essential art of laying down a riveting, locked-in beat—something many of her elders never get the hang of—she throws in complex tribal patterns on her rack toms and wild, all-over-the-place rolls like she’s merely out for a stroll. It’s no surprise that Keith Moon is her hero.” (ROLL Magazine, 2007) As they like to say, "Frankie: fingers, Sammi: toes." She bangs. To hear their tunes visit http://www.myspace.com/frankieandhisfingers.

The Muddy Cup Studio Solo Series continues in August with “Round 4” opening on Saturday, August 2nd in conjunction with the Kingston First Saturday events. Artists interested in exhibiting at the Muddy Cup Studios may email gallery@vargagallery.com for more information.

The VARGA Gallery represents self-taught, outsider and visionary artists in Woodstock, New York. The gallery is located on the outskirts of Woodstock next to the Tinker Street Cinema at 130 Tinker Street and online at http://www.VARGAgallery.com. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday 12 - 5 or by appointment. Studio hours are frequent and drop-in visitations are
welcome. Call 845.679.4005 for more information or email
gallery@vargagallery.com.

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VARGA Gallery - PRESS!
130 Tinker Street
Woodstock, NY 12498

845.679.4005

press@vargagallery.com

http://www.VARGAgallery.com
http://www.myspace.com/vargagallery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Please contact Christina Varga
845.679.4005
press@vargagallery.com

NEW EXHIBIT: Mike Heinrich & Friends: ”An Outsider’s World"

Opens Saturday, July 12 from 4 – 8pm
On display through August 3, 2008

FOR Hi-RES PRESS WORTHY Pictures please visit: http://www.vargagallery.com/PRESSRELEASE.htm

MIKE HEINRICH "Emerging"

Mike Heirich "Origins of Western Civilization"

Mike Heinrich "Yiddle Me"

Elin Menzies "Bird People"

Don DeNarie "Cactus"

James McColgan "Mixed Media Table"

Tim Slowinski "Doughman Eating Pastry"

On Saturday July 12th the VARGA Gallery hands the curator cap to artist
Mike Heinrich who unveils “Mike Heinrich & Friends – An Outsider’s World”
on display through August 3, 2008. A reception will be held on Saturday,
July 12 from 4 – 8 pm with Heinrich presenting his talented troupe of
artist friends: Don Denarie, Kathy Evers, Joe Finkler, James Foland,
Larissa Heinrich, Lenny Kislin, Sandra Legler, James McColgan, Elin
Menzies, Euphema Robinson, Sarkis Simonian and Tim Slowinski.

Mike Heinrich attended Bard College in the early 60’s and moved to NYC
shortly after graduating. He moved to Africa to earn his graduate degree
and teach. After falling ill he came back to the states and made his home
in the Hudson Valley. He worked in the antiques business before turning
to painting after years of emotional upheaval. Of his work, critic Paul
Smart has said it is “idiosyncratic enough to make it imminently
collectible”. Smart noted Heinrich’s “craving for being a chosen one and
his contentment at simply creating is purely Woodstock”.

Several notable Woodstock artists are slated for this exhibit. Among them
is the elusive Don DeNarie who once traded his works for favors and food
and made his way into the 1997 and 1998 Outsider Art Shows in Manhattan.
Roberta Smith of the New York Times deemed Don’s “sexually charged
figurative paintings” as worth seeing. Lenny Kislin who discovered Don
DeNarie’s works and showcased them at the Outsider Art Fair in New York
will also be exhibiting.

Slowinski’s social commentary works have garnered accolades from Shauna
Dambrot of Hot Lava Magazine who claims “His work is the autobiography of
an entire nation.” D. Dominick Lombardi of the New York Times reviewed
Slowinski’s work as “nightmarish”. Euphema Robinson, pastel artist and Tim
Slowinski’s wife and partner, will be exhibiting her work as well.
Daughter Larissa Heinrich and Sandra Legler, his partner, are both part of
the outsider show. Longtime friend Kathy Evers will be exhibiting her
small work, Joe Finkler aka Deaf Joe will be showing his colorful
creations. Sarkis Simonian, painter and poet, has an avid interest in
theater and is affiliated with “Passing the Torch Through the Arts” – a
multi-ethnic, community based company dedicated to education and social
change serving at-risk youth. James McColgan, self-taught artist, will be
exhibiting his brilliant mixed media constructions.

The VARGA Gallery represents self-taught, outsider and visionary artists
in Woodstock, New York. The gallery is located on the outskirts of
Woodstock next to the Tinker Street Cinema at 130 Tinker Street and online
at http://www.VARGAgallery.com. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday
12 - 5 or by appointment. Studio hours are frequent and drop-ins
encouraged. To schedule an appointment call 845.679.4005 or email
gallery@vargagallery.com.

Mike Heinrich - Emerging
Don DeNarie - Cactus
Mike Heinrich - Chosen One
Elin Menzies - untitled
James McColgan - Crescent

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VARGA Gallery - PRESS!
130 Tinker Street
Woodstock, NY 12498

845.679.4005

press@vargagallery.com

http://www.VARGAgallery.com
http://www.myspace.com/vargagallery