spotlight: BARNWOOD Spring 2021
“spotlight” is dandy’s article series featuring interviews with organizers planning upcoming queer art events.
BARNWOOD is a recurring queer art show and sale in the Hudson Valley, just outside New York City. The upcoming spring show is running April 30th to May 2nd, 2021. Additional details available on our events page, or at the end of this article.
[dandy:] Why don’t we start with you telling us a bit more about what BARNWOOD is?
[Stephan Hengst, organizer:] BARNWOOD is an exhibition of queer drawings, photographs, paintings, ceramics, and more, from dozens of artists based in New York’s Hudson Valley, New York City, and beyond. A celebration of the male form from nude to lewd, the show is dedicated to two things: Promoting the talents of our exhibiting artists and pricing their work affordably so that guests can support them. BARNWOOD is hosted in a rustic Ulster County hay barn whose hand-hewn beams date back to the 1850’s.
I was actually there for the first BARNWOOD last fall, when you were just getting started with renovating, have you made much headway since then with the space?
Back then the barn, which is the physical space we use for the show, was pretty... rustic. Since then we've been focusing on making some updates to the building that include a new entrance, new doors, and more than 500 square feet of new flooring in parts of the barn that were just dirt before. Not only has it made the barn safer for the show, but it also allows us to show more work.
Moving the entrance was a primary goal for us, as the previous entry was on the side of the building. During the last election, that side entrance was in direct line of sight with our neighbor's very prominent 'TRUMP' flag. We received lots of comments from attendees about that, but fortunately we all know how that went. Those neighbors actually came over to join us for the show, and they had a great time.
So how does your production company, Pink Stallion, fit into all of this?
Pink Stallion is an off-shoot of Big Gay Hudson Valley (BGHV). We started BGHV 13 years ago as way to engage our local LGBTQ+ community and allies, and in the early days we produced a lot of community picnics, pride events, and other activities to bring people together.
Many of the events we produce as BGHV enjoy generous sponsorship from community partners to make them possible. Once we identified an opportunity to also create events that were more erotic in nature, we created Pink Stallion as a different entity so that we could avoid ruffling the feathers of partners that helped to make many of our other events happen.
What drew you to becoming a queer arts organizer?
I've always enjoyed gay erotic work, socializing nude, and otherwise just being a very body-positive individual. While living in the Hudson Valley, I started meeting a lot of artists, and realized that there was a tremendous community of artists here. A number of years ago, I met Charles Leslie from the Leslie Lohman Museum in NYC at an event, and we became friends. Over the course of our friendship I had the opportunity to visit his apartment -"The Phallus Palace"- and learned more about how he and his partner Fritz came to find themselves as the curators of their art collection. His story inspired me to pursue my interest in queer art, and I like to think that what we are creating with BARNWOOD will help a lot of artists reach new audiences of art lovers and collectors - just as his efforts did.
Are you an artist as well?
I have been known to create my own works from time to time. They started with a series of decoupage works that combined old Betty Crocker Cookbooks with clippings from old porn magazines. We referred to them as dirty dishes. My favorite one was always Black Bottom Pie. You get the picture.
Over time, I also developed a fascination with all the shapes and sizes that penises come in. A number of years ago I began creating a series of penis portraits thanks to a few friendly individuals that I met who had stories to tell about their genitalia. I haven't done much with that project in some time, but perhaps someday I'll revisit it.
How do you select the artists for your shows?
Honestly, for the first show I had to beg artists to submit their works for the show. For the Spring edition it's been much easier. I spent a lot of time scrolling platforms like Instagram and reaching out directly to artists that create pieces that are compelling not only to me - but I also think they will be of interest to others.
When selecting the works for the show, I do my best ensure there's a good mix of mediums - I also spend a lot of time weighing just how "erotic" the overall show will feel. Also important to me is ensuring that not only the men in the works are diverse - but also the artists who are creating the them.
Submissions are currently open for the summer show - and slots are filling up quickly. Artists can submit for no fee, by completing the submission on the BARNWOOD site.
Does the work in the show have a general theme?
The only theme we use in the show right now is the male nude - from nude to lewd. That's not likely to change going forward, although based on the success of BARNWOOD, we might create other themed queer art shows in the future.
How many artists are in this show, and how many total pieces of work?
For the spring 2021 edition we are proud to feature the work of 32 artists. This includes a number of local artists from here in the Hudson Valley like Nathan Gwirtz who creates an amazing selection of ceramic 'Boy Plates' featuring images typical of the ones many guys share on the apps. We're also very excited to feature eight photographs captured, processed and developed by legendary queer NYC photographer Stanley Stellar. As a lead up to the show, we're hosting four screenings of the documentary short about his life - Stanley Stellar: Here For This Reason by Eric Leven on Sunday, April 25th at the Rosendale Theatre in Rosendale, NY.
Who comes out for BARNWOOD and who is buying work?
Our audience is a nice mix of New Yorkers that spend their weekends in the "Big Gay Hudson Valley" and local residents that have attended other events that we've produced for years. The price ranges from $25 to $2000- with most in the $300 to $500 area- so there is something for art lovers at all price points to take home.
Do a lot of people come up from the city for the show? How do they get there?
We get a lot of people coming from the city- by train, bus, and car. Those coming by train or bus will need to take an Uber or Lyft to the house, which I think runs about $25.
Have you already seen the documentary that is showing the weekend before the show opens? What’s it about, and how does it relate to the show?
The Sunday before the show, April 25th, we are screening Stanley Stellar: Here For This Reason at the Rosendale Theatre in Rosendale, NY. It's a short 15 min documentary about the life and works of NYC photographer, Stanley Stellar, who has captured 40 years of gay NYC history through his photographs. His photos are erotic, charged with energy, and in many instances capture gay life on the streets of NYC. I had a chance to see it last year after its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and I was captivated by it. We are also thrilled to have eight of his photographs available for purchase at BARNWOOD and I think they will be really well-received. If your readers are interested in joining us for the film, tickets are available at PinkStallionEvents.com
Do you have anything else you think is imporant to know about you, the show, or pink stallion?
If someone hopes to attend BARNWOOD, note that advance registration is required. We allow only 15 people in the barn at any time to ensure social distancing to comply with our local COVID restrictions, and to help moderate parking, as the event is at our house.
If you can’t join us for BARNWOOD in person, you can still support us by purchasing one of our limited-edition art card packs on Etsy. The pack contains 10 different cards featuring the work of TotesFerosh, Keith Batten, Andrew Sedgwick Guth, and others. ORDER YOURS HERE
Where can we register and find more info?
Learn more about BARNWOOD at PinkStallionEvents.com. Follow PinkStallionEvents on Facebook or Instagram, and while you are it, go ahead and like BigGayHudsonValley on Facebook and Instagram too- and keep an eye out for our next BARNWOOD show coming this summer.
All photos appear courtesy of Stephan Hengst and Sherman Yee.
