NEWS + MEMBER EXHIBITS
by Sandra Bertrand
Three artists who have found their inspiration in the world of abstract art were featured at the historic Lace Mill Factory in Kingston, New York from September 6 to 28, 2025. “Abstract Trilogy” included Harriet Livathinos, a longstanding NAWA member, Reidunn Fraas and Charlotte Tusch.
Asked to define the mystery and magic of abstraction for NAWA NOW readers, each responded:
Harriet: “Abstraction is my way of showing both angst and empathy in the swirling uncertainty of daily life today. For me, abstraction is the poetry of contemporary art, encouraging the expression of feelings through the use of color, line, shape and texture. In “Existential Threat”, I’m feeling the push of angry chaos against previously calm everyday existence. In “Aftermath”, I’m feeling something of the destruction and loss following the mighty storms of late.”
Harriet Livanthinos, Existential Threat, 24×30, Watercolor and Ink on Waxed Canvas
Harriet Livanthinos, Aftermath, 24×30, Watercolor, Ink and Beeswax on Canvas
Reidunn: “To paint abstractly gives me freedom by using lines and shapes. It’s like making sense of and showing feelings in a puzzle. In this exhibition, two of my favorite paintings are “Global Events” and “Rhapsody”.
Reidunn Fraas, Global Events, 36×36, Acrylics on Canvas
Reidunn Fraas, Rhapsody, 24×20, Acrylics on Canvas
Charlotte: “My paintings are molded by the emotional and intellectual experiences of my life. What is conveyed is the integrity of the moment.”
Charlotte Tusch, Unlikely Fable, 20×20, Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas
Charlotte Tusch, Jazz, 24×24, Acrylic on Canvas
The Lace Mill, an affordable housing complex for artists, exemplifies creative place-making with adaptive reuse, energy efficiency, and historical preservation as its cornerstones. A component of the City of Kingston’s BEAT (Business, Education, Arts, Technology) Initiative, the artist community serves as a linchpin of the burgeoning Midtown Kingston Arts District. This former US Curtain Mill at 165 Cornell Street in Kingston, NY, was built in 1903 and once employed hundreds of Kingston residents, many of them women.
There are several galleries for exhibitions and music events. Work studios are used to conduct figure drawing classes, photography sessions, workshops, presentations, and music rehearsals. An art council was created to facilitate the development of events and today it provides a model for communities nationwide.
Sandra Bertrand is a former NAWA magazine co-editor, artist and playwright and frequent contributor to art publications, who resides in New York. https://thenawa.org/member_artist_page/sandra-bertrand/
