It’s official! Upstate Dispatch has a shopfront at 818 Main Street in Margaretville, Upstate NY.

Who starts a new business at the onset of a Catskills winter? You might ask. I had been looking for a location for about a year and this one came up for rent unexpectedly. Properties like this don’t come along very often, so I decided to grab it and try it for a year or two. Historically, it has been difficult to get customers out of the house in the depths of winter, but there are so many business in the village now that I’m hoping to get some holiday foot-traffic.

It’s always been a dream of mine: to have a shopfront art studio. Back when I first visited New York City in the late 1990s, there were so many artists who took up residence in the “missing teeth” – empty shopfronts – of places like Williamsburg and Greenpoint, areas that were ghosts of their present selves at that time. There was even a makeshift art gallery run by artists in the cavernous depths of one of the gigantic abutments of Williamsburg bridge, where I bought my first painting on an installment plan. A group of artists had got together, painting the interior of the abutment’s basement a blinding white and put in sections for each artist.

Right now, glistening residential tower blocks rise like shards of glass out of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, making them look like Manhattan’s Soho, but 30 years ago they were ghost towns that had cars burning in the streets, with artists burrowed into abandoned commercial spaces.

New projects are planned for this new space on Main Street: a writer’s room, art classes, art talks, hosted salons by visiting art dealers and gallerists, and more.

Save the date: Friday December 5th 4-7pm, there will be a soft opening and artist’s reception with a group art show tentatively entitled “Spring in Winter”. On display will be some colorful spring scenes to brighten up these dim days. But mostly, it’s a party to celebrate being part of the local art community, to offer a warming beverage and some local catering.

In a year-long project that begins this month, entitled Art x Nature, I will be hosting seasonal shows: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. I am now looking for artists to represent in these shows and studio visits will begin next week. I’m looking for small, medium and large works, and of course, I’d like to include affordable art, like postcards, books and magazines.

This holiday show will feature David George (scenic European watercolors pictured above), Elena Peabody (botanical illustrations), Cena Pohl Crane (oil on canvas), and myself (new bird studies, and mandalas). The show will run through the holidays and include my own photographs of the Catskills, prints, books and more.

Set weekend opening hours will be begin in December closer to the holidays. However, this month (November), I will be posting my attendance on this blog and Instagram if you happen to be in the area. Please email me at info@upstatedispatch.com or message me on Instagram (below) to arrange a visit.

Upstate Dispatch Studio, 818 Main Street, Margaretville, NY. (Next to Annex).

Wish me luck!