From collage and photography to pencil sketches and paintings, the Sketchbook Gallery at Jane St. Art Center is showcasing the work of 40 young artists from Ulster County. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the gallery has partnered with the Ulster County Boys and Girls Club to nurture the creativity, confidence, and artistic expression among local youth.
The exhibition opened on Saturday, March 2, bringing together budding artists and their fans, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of Boys and Girls Club staff and board members, the Jane St. gallery team, and art lovers from across the region.
Founded in 1946, the Ulster County Boys and Girls Club provides youth with opportunities to develop skills and confidence to become responsible adults. Under the leadership of Executive Director Lindsey Quick, 31, the club emphasizes creating a supportive space where children feel valued.
While the club hosts an annual art show each June at its Saugerties Partition Street clubhouse, Quick noted that exhibiting in a professional gallery carries special significance. This year’s June event (date to be determined) will also feature performances by young musicians from the club’s programs at the Orpheum Theater. “Opportunities like these can change the course of a child’s life,” she said.
Sue Worthman, 51, president of the Saugerties Boys and Girls Club and a longtime educator, has been involved with the club for over 30 years. “I love these kids,” Worthman said. “This is my passion. We want to give them whatever they need to be successful and engaged members of the community. Many end up staying right here in Saugerties. It’s a really big deal for them to have their work in a professional gallery.”
For 6-year-old Anya Caba, a Riccardi Elementary School student and multimedia artist, the exhibit is a chance to share her creativity. Her featured piece showcases a mushroom house and a gnome. “Colored pencils are my favorite, but I also used markers for this one,” she explained. Attending with her mother and sister, Caba and her family were excited to see her work displayed alongside that of her peers.
Kingston High School senior Alanny Jiminez, who has been with the Boys and Girls Club for five years, described her artistic process as spontaneous. “At first, I don’t really know what I want to do, and then it just happens. Once I look at the colors, it just comes to me,” she said. Seeing her work in the gallery was a powerful moment. “I really like art and will definitely keep creating.”
Since its opening in 2019, Jane St. Art Center has provided a platform for both emerging and established artists. Founder and director Jennifer Hicks, 66, has supported the Boys and Girls Club since moving to Saugerties a decade ago. “We recently acquired the Sketchbook Gallery space, and I’m thrilled to use it to support young artists,” she said. Hicks purchased the building for the main gallery in 2014 when much of Jane Street was boarded up. Following a three-year renovation, the space now hosts exhibitions, performances, and residencies, with a focus on high-quality local art.
Unlike typical exhibitions, none of the student works are for sale—a deliberate decision to emphasize artistic and personal expression over commercial value. “We didn’t want anyone to feel bad, and we wanted the focus to be on the experience of creating and sharing art,” Hicks explained. She took special joy in watching the young artists’ reactions to seeing their work professionally framed and displayed. “Many of them had never even seen their peers’ work before. It’s been incredibly rewarding to offer this opportunity.”
Hicks, a visual, movement, and healing artist, sees the Jane St. Art Center as a space for collaboration and community engagement. “During the slow winter season, it just makes sense to use our space to benefit the community,” she said.
The Jane St. Art Center building itself has a long creative history in Saugerties. Once home to a Prohibition-era speakeasy and later a newspaper, the space has been a hub for artists, dancers, photographers, and jewelers, including the Saugerties Ballet School, Laughing Bear Batik, and jeweler Raychel Wengenroth, an artisan member of the Society of American Silversmiths.
The Sketchbook Gallery is located at 9 Jane Street in Saugerties. The exhibition runs through March 29. The gallery is open Thursday–Sunday, 12–5 p.m.
Chana Widawski is a contributing reporter. Send correspondence to reporting@theoverlooknews.com