ArtSake recently caught up with Paula Friedman, the Director of the Bernay Fine Art gallery to get a sneak peak of what they’re up to.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be the Owner/Director of Bernay Fine Art. My brother Lou and I are partners in Bernay Fine Art, a contemporary art gallery in Great Barrington, MA. We grew up in the Berkshires surrounded by art and artists. Our father Warner is a painter and our mother Marcia was a potter. We have always had a deep appreciation for artists and their dedication to their craft. We decided to open a public gallery three years ago after I operated a private gallery in Chicago for several years.
For those who haven’t yet been to the Berkshires, how would you describe your community? The Berkshires is the ideal location for a new gallery with its rich history in the arts, from Tanglewood’s annual music festival to Jacob Pillow’s dance to Edith Wharton’s The Mount. Located in the corner of Western Massachusetts, equidistant from Boston and New York City, the area was well on its way to becoming a twelve month a year destination even before COVID-19. Now the area is bursting with transplanted city dwellers looking for a place to live full time but not too far away from a big city.
How would you describe your gallery? Our gallery has an eclectic mix of artists working in a variety of medium from graphite on clayboard drawings to classical still-life paintings. We rely on our eye to exhibit artists we like without qualifying the type of art it is. We are fortunate to have a very talented group of artists that live in the area and like to show in our gallery. They too see the growth potential in the Berkshires. We like to think our relationships with the artists distinguishes us from other galleries. Being exposed to our father’s experiences while growing up, we feel strongly that a successful gallery is based on a partnership between the artists and the gallery.
What are you looking forward to in the near future? What’s next? Warner Friedman and Lynda Schlosberg are two recent recipients of a Mass Cultural Council Fellowship for painting. Below are two installation pictures of Warner and Lynda’s work in our gallery.
Image credit: All images courtesy of Bernay Fine Art.
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