Gallery RIVAA Contemporary Art Gallery Roosevelt Island In NYC

Gallery RIVAA (Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association) is a contemporary art gallery on Roosevelt Island in New York City at 527 Main Street. Gallery RIVAA's unique location close to the subway and in the primary business area on "Manhattan's Little Island," makes it an easy stop for visitors. RIVAA also manages a second gallery at the Octagon, 888 Main Street, also on Roosevelt Island. More about Roosevelt Island later.

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Gallery RIVAA came together as a formal association that led to the contemporary art gallery on Main Street in 2001, after fostering a well-received Art Frenzy festival that brought art and artists for a day of gallery hopping between sites in Queens, like the Noguchi Sculpture Park, and Manhattan, just after the Museum of Modern Art migrated from its main location for a stay in Queens, during renovations. Art Frenzy organizer, artist and community leader, Arline Jacoby, then brought together a core group of Island artists to form RIVAA. Ms. Jacoby with the help of current president, Tad Sudol, and with unprecedented community support, especially from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, a State agency, secured and rehabilitated an abandoned storefront that is now one of two galleries maintained on the island.

At Gallery RIVAA, Poetic Expressions, featuring the paintings of pastelist, Georgette Sinclair, and Toshiko Kitano Groner, has closed, and new group show, Absolutely Cool opened December 11th and will run until January 30th, 2011. More details about that show can be seen here, including slides and video to compliment those on display on the right side panel.

Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:00 to 9:00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 5:00.

A second gallery in the Island's northernmost residential building, The Octagon, at 888 Main Street, now has a group show put on by Gallery RIVAA members only.This gallery, open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily, is especially attractive since, being off the beaten track, viewers are often given the privilege of viewing a room full of great visual art without any distractions.

Visits to both locations are free with donations encouraged. All art on view, unless already purchased, is available for sale.

Gallery RIVAA includes and regularly show the work of such non-figurative painters Valeriu Boborelu, Ioan Popoiu, Bogdan Borgovan, and Bonnie Goodman. On the figurative side, Anca Pedvis is a painter of rare expressive gifts, and Esther Piaskowski displays highly developed and innovative skills in a variety of media. Among other artists, the photographs of Deborah Julian and the paintings of Georgette Sinclair, Izumi Tokuno and Toshiko Kitano Groner are as beautiful and subtly complex as most offered for viewing or sale anywhere. Founding members and still leaders, Tad Sudol and Arline Jacoby also contribute creative artworks to every show..

Tucked into the middle of the East River as Roosevelt Island is and only a few minutes from the ritziest sections of Manhattan, the surprise is that it remains unexplored by most New Yorkers and many visitors alike. A waterside promenade circles the island, passing historic landmarks, including an old lighthouse at the north end in a park, where the land meets Hell Gate across from Carl Shurz Park and Gracie mansion, and Blackwell House, a restored farm residence that was the first on an island once known as Pig Island. Local Residents prefer the current appellation, taken for FDR, the former president in honor of whom a large park is currently being built on the south tip, near the United Nations.

Add a pleasure-filled walk to your visit to Gallery RIVAA, stroll along the East River taking in the unobstructed Manhattan skyline, sipping coffee from Starbucks next to the subway, or sit and enjoy the breezes on the many benches or on the popular Meditation Steps, just up Main Street from the train. Other restaurants near the subway are Fuji East, serving Japanese fair, and The Sports Bar, featuring many flatscreen TVs for catching up on the local teams. In the middle of town, there is a popular local diner, Trellis, if local flavor is to your liking. As an added treat, Trellis sits next to the quiet courtyard of of the historic Good Shepherd church and community center.

Enjoy your trip. Enjoy the art. Go home knowing you have found an exceptional presentation of art in an exceptional location.

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As this Article is routinely updated, I will be adding the websites of the various RIVAA artists. Here are some relevant websites and a recent article about RIVAA President, Tad Sudol:

Deborah Julian, Photographer

Georgette Sinclair, Contemporary Painter

Anca Pedvis, Contemporary Painter

Tad Sudol, Wire Profile