1. For Immediate Release
(contact: Barbara Galazzo 845-809-5838, 914-815-3133
mobile, gallery66ny@gmail.com)
For immediate release, (Cold Spring, NY, August 2015)
Gallery 66 NY August Exhibitions
The exhibition “Francesco Mastalia - Organic” and
“Wilfredo Morel – Farm Art” Opens August 7th, 2015 and
runs thru August 30th at Gallery 66 NY. An opening
reception for the artists is set for August 7th from 6-9 p.m.
The Hudson Valley has become an epicenter for the local,
organic, sustainable food movement. With its rich agricultural
land, the awareness for sustainable living, and the growing
demand for local, organic food, the ‘locavore’ farm-to-table
movement has become a way of life in the Hudson Valley.
Gallery 66 NY will be exhibiting two dynamic artists who
bring awareness to the farm community and sustainability in
the Hudson Valley.
Francesco Mastalia
ORGANIC
Farmers & Chefs of the Hudson Valley
“Organic” is one of the most misunderstood and often
misused words describing food today. In narrating their
stories, the farmers and chefs share their philosophy about
what it means to grow and live organically and sustainably.
“Organic” is not just about growing and producing food, it is
about the life of our planet. It is about preserving an
agricultural tradition that will safeguard farmland for future
generations.

2. ORGANIC spotlights the Hudson Valley as a region at the
forefront of this movement. It features the dedicated farmers
who are committed to growing and producing food using
sustainable methods, and the chefs who echo their beliefs
and pay homage to the food they produce.
The portraits of the farmers and chefs were photographed
using the wet plate collodion process, a technique developed
in the mid-19th century. The 17,000-mile journey through the
Hudson Valley includes over 100 of its farmers and chefs.
Francesco Mastalia has traveled the world photographing
tribal, religious, spiritual, and indigenous people. His book
DREADS published by Workman Artisan is a photo
documentary on the history of dreadlocks. With travels to
Ethiopia, Kenya, Angola, Namibia, Senegal, India, Japan,
New Zealand, Jamaica and throughout the United States.
DREADS is now in its eighth printing, sold worldwide, and
includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize winning author
Alice Walker. His current book, ORGANIC Farmers & Chefs
of the Hudson Valley published by powerHouse Books,
chronicles the Hudson Valley’s organic sustainable food
movement.
Wilfredo Morel
Farm Art
“Committed to using his art as a force to build
a healthy, stronger community”
“Farm Art” sculpture by Wilfredo Morel will be on exhibit
the month of August. Inspired by Picasso and the Age of
Iron, Wilfredo Morel has been creating metal sculpture
installations throughout the Hudson Valley since 1991. His
creations range from semi-abstract images, to
representational bronze sculptures and metal wall reliefs.
Morel’s sculptures can be viewed at both private and public
installations along the Hudson River. His sculptures are
created from metals which were one time used for functional
purposes in the communities in which they are discovered,
incorporating his love for community and art. Morel’s
philosophy is to use art as a “vehicle of hope demonstrating
the evolution of purpose in the lives of all things and beings.”

3. His “Farm Art” was created to raise awareness of the
seasonal migrant farmworkers who, year after year,
maintained the farms but also of the many Latino immigrants
who have become vital to Hudson Valley farming
community. It is best described as a journey which begins
with a pile of farm equipment and long ago discarded after
many years of use. His hands feel the history and struggle
in each piece of cold steel as he creates a new path for it.
Each magnificent sculpture is unique in history, style and
texture. Sadly, the story of the migrant farmworker and
current workers is not always as fortunate.
“Farm Art” was a natural outgrowth of his work at Hudson
River Health Care (HRHCare), which provides health care
and support to the migrant and immigrant farm workers
throughout the Hudson Valley. Through his work there he
became keenly aware of the plight of the migrant and
immigrant farm workers. Morel’s “Farm Art” has become the
foundation of demonstrating art as a force to build a healthy
and stronger community.
In addition to the works displayed here, many other pieces
of “Farm Art” sculptures are on display at Greig Farm in Red
Hook, N.Y. In keeping with the spirit of “using art as a force
to build a healthy, stronger community”, a percentage of the
proceeds from the sale of “Farm Art” are donated to support
farm worker health programs at HRHCare and the operation
of local farms.
We hope you will join us on August 7th for the opening
reception, 6-9 pm, to meet both of these dynamic men who
champion the sustainable farm movement. The exhibit will
be on view August 7 through August 30, 2015. Regular
hours are Thurs-Sunday 12-6 pm or by appointment. For
more information call 845-809-5838 or visit
www.gallery66ny.com.