PAWLING, NY – 2016 marks the sixth year that artist/curator, Bibiana Huang Matheis has organized the “Meeting Past” exhibit at The Akin Library and Museums in Pawling. This year the curator has reached out to 95 artists for inclusion in the exhibit making this event one of the largest art exhibits in Dutchess County and indeed, in the Hudson Valley of New York. Locating “Meeting Past” within histo
rical and natural history collections may seem at odds with a plan to exhibit contemporary art. The building, an elegant late Victorian stone structure sited on Pawling’s Quaker Hill holds the Olive Gunnison Natural History Museum, Historical Society Museum, and the Akin Library. A number of the artists will create a site specific artwork that appears to have been part of the collection, adding to the visitor’s experience of looking through all three floors of artifacts for the artworks. Artists include regional artists that exhibit internationally, as well as emerging artists, ranging from 5 years of age into to the 80s. The curator has thoughtfully guided the placement of the artworks, making each piece fit into the theme of the space by working closely with the artists. Bibiana Huang Matheis is an artist, fine arts photographer and curator who lives and works in Pawling, New York. Photos of the 2014 Meeting Past may be seen at this site: http://www.bibiphoto.com/project/meeting-past/ and see portfolio of her work at http://www.bibiphoto.com/
