The Tivoli Artists' Co-op
by Johanne Renbeck

Hidden behind clean white paint on the walls of the Tivoli Artist's Co-op are constellations of tiny nail holes that have been carefully plastered and smoothed after every exhibit. Each tiny invisible prick represents a vision. It marks the spot where an image or object once hung, the creation of one of the many area artists who have found haven and inspiration in the Co-op since its inaugural show in 1992.

Over the years, the Co-op's succession of shows has provided a gift of energy and excitement to the community. Shows like The Landscape: Real and Imagined, Shrines and Altars, and The Magical Feminine all shine out from the past, adding luster to the light-filled galleries at 60 Broadway in Tivoli, as do others focused on subjects such as food, botanicals, fashion, prints, nudes, portraits, dance, glass, dogs, and Halloween. Each year's lineup of lively thematic shows is punctuated by exhibits featuring the work of two or three individual artists whose work is compatible in style or subject.

Some exhibit themes blossom just once; others grow into annual events during certain spans in the Co-op's history. The Furniture Show flourished for several years, as more recently has the Erotic Art Show, scheduled for its seventh run this coming February. Ania Aldrich remembers how the show came into being. "Once in a while the energy of an organization runs low. A group of us were wondering what to do to raise energy when I said, 'Well, sex always works.' Everyone laughed, but I continued to think about it." The Co-op had always been closed in January, so Aldrich proposed a one night Erotic Art Show to launch the year 2000 exhibit schedule. She would pay expenses out of her own pocket, ask for donations at the door and hope for the best. Members Gigi Alvare and Katheen Mandeville joined the planning process.

Results exceeded expectations. The crowd, encouraged by invitation to dress for the occasion, arrived in glamorous and outrageous costume, packed the gallery and spilled out onto the freezing streets of Tivoli. Spirits soared. Not only did the Co-op make a profit at a time when capital was needed, but people clamored for more. "Why only one night?" they demanded. And so the event became an annual fundraiser for the Co-op.

Innovation has been a hallmark of the Co-op, but one show remains locked in tradition: the Holiday Show. As it has from the first year, this year's Holiday Show features a wide array artist crafted gifts such as original handmade ornaments, pottery, hand painted fabrics and textiles, jewelry, musical instruments and toys as well as paintings and drawings. Unlike usual gallery shows, this one is cash and carry. Gallery hours are 1 to 5pm Fridays, 1-9pm Saturdays and 1-5pm Sundays, through December 24.

The holiday show actually predates the Co-op itself. For two holiday seasons, artists rented available storefronts in Tivoli and mounted a show of arts and fine crafts as an alternative shopping venue for the area. The show generated so much excitement that after the second show in 1992, exhibitors decided to continue renting the space at 60 Broadway. "It wasn't like we were planning on having a Co-op, but we wanted to have the spirit of being together," remembers Patti Hill Gordon who has been a member of the Co-op ever since.

Along with the spirit of togetherness came responsibilities for running the gallery. In a co-operative gallery, management lies in the hands of members, in this case a cadre of some 40 or so. Membership changes over time. When an established member resigns, a new member is welcomed from the waiting list. Regardless of this evolution, the chores of the Co-op remain the same. Julia Aneshansley, who recently joined the group, is impressed with the devotion of the group to publicizing its events. She also credits the group with hosting delicious openings. "Everyone brings food. A lot of artists are very good cooks!" Monthly meetings are attended by all and discussion drives the direction of the group. Whether it is an executive question about optimum gallery hours or a mundane detail about who will pick up paper products, everyone is launched into endeavors well outside the sphere of studio work.

Sometimes membership duties can be labor intensive and demanding which begs the question, just why do artists line up to join the Co-op? Past and present members are quick to explain.

"The beauty of the place is that it's friendly and open," says Ania Aldrich, a member since the Co-op began. "You can experiment. You can take risks."

"Here, we are given the freedom to do or not do, freedom to explore in a non-judgmental place where new work is accepted," agrees long time member Marie Cole. "I think that if I'd had to have my work juried every time, I wouldn't have grown as I have."

The hothouse nature of the Co-op has a direct impact on the direction of members' work. Take the case of Diane Bauer. "If you do something new, you know you have a venue for it and you get feedback from members," she explains. When some members proposed an abstract show a few years ago, Bauer took the challenge. "I had been thinking about doing abstract work for years. Because of the abstract show, I started and haven't stopped since."

Past member Mimi Graminski recalls, "The Tivoli Co-op was definitely an incubator for me. It was a great place to experiment and grow artistically. I was able to create work that was challenging, and not have to worry about being accepted by the commercial marketplace." Being part of the Co-op affected Graminski in other ways. "Watching the development of the artists was inspirational to me. We had the opportunity to grow, and have a dialogue with each other."

In gallery rooms featuring double glass paneled doors and high windows designed in another century to capture illumination for light factory work, members of the Tivoli Artists' Co-op have found a congenial space in which to mount their shows. For many festive openings, late afternoon sun bathes the rooms and ivy that covers the old brick building sometimes tunnels into chinks around windows as if attracted by the bright spirit within. From its origins in a wish for togetherness, the Co-op continues to flourish in its second decade of visual adventure.