Have you been wondering about all the recent foot traffic in and out of the Bedford Store? You know, the historic building overlooking the Village Green that houses the Bedford Historical Society?
It turns out that Bedford native Bernadette Durham has curated an art collection—the Red Fox Gallery—on the first floor, and while she’s keeping her finger on the pulse of the community, she’d like to affect our mood and senses. “I believe in harmony, and I want to bring a discussion about art and culture to the community,” she says.
“I am feeling a dark trend in the art world lately, and it was prevalent at Art Basel this past December,“ she continues in reference to the premier art show in Miami Beach. “Black and white, grays, moody artworks. I get it, as it is what many of us are feeling with so much chaos erupting in the world. However, in January I decided I wanted to make a change. I wanted to bring in fun, unique statements about what’s happening in our world, but with light—letting the light come through the darkness.”
To that end, she reached out to her existing artists and sought out new contributors in order to curate a fresh theme for installations in the gallery—a delicate balance of the darkness with light. A combination of playful and thought-provoking works to get people thinking outside their usual safe space.
North Salem ceramicist Carey Lowell has been showing her works at Red Fox since the opening last November, but this spring, she will debut new vessels and objets in muted watercolor shades. New recruit, Bedford graphic designer Carol Bouyoucos is now exhibiting her popular line of vibrant botanical images on Durham’s walls. Another new exhibitor, Annie Varnot, created “Swelling,” a mixed-media sculpture that is constructed out of straws, pompoms and other recycled materials and lit from below to illuminate its form.
In mid-May, Durham will welcome a new artist to the Red Fox Gallery; Azadeh Ghotbi’s photographic series “Fading into Glory” will be hung for a limited engagement. Ghotbi says, “The exhibit is an invitation to observe one’s surrounding more keenly, more empathetically, and rejoice in the process of discovery.”
Many of Durham’s original artists, like Lowell, have been bringing light to Bedford through their inspiring works all along—photographers William Abranowicz and Hana Sackler and mixed media artists Karrie Hovey and Stephen Proski, to name a few.
The first seeds for the Red Fox Gallery were planted back in 2015. “I wanted to curate a collection of my art, as well as that of my friends and acquaintances, to bring together a group of people who fundamentally speak their truth through their art. This collection represents what’s important to me,” says the award-winning photographer. “Lynn Ryan, the executive director of the Bedford Historical Society, proposed transforming this space last fall, and after sleeping on the idea overnight, I jumped at the opportunity.”
Durham’s vivid botanical photography is currently on exhibit in the form of one-inch-thick acrylic healing cubes that include inspirational quotes. She also curates a collection of upscale, vintage and luxury furniture, lighting, and decorative objects. While they serve as the gallery’s furnishings, everything is for sale—including those eye-catching monkey and mouse lamps and aluminum tables and chairs, all from the sought-after Italian design company, Seletti.
Whether you’re looking to decorate a new home, for a thoughtful gift for someone special, or you just want to be part of the conversation, stop by Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 pm, or by appointment. Prices at Red Fox Gallery range from $5 to $12,000.
Red Fox Gallery — 612 Old Post Road, Bedford, NY