Geary, a contemporary art gallery with roots on New York City’s Lower East Side, is opening a new chapter in Salisbury, relocating to a restored 1840 building at 14 Main St. after five years in Millerton. Owned by Jack and Dolly Bross Geary, it was at 34 Main St. in Millerton and is reopening in the handsome teal-colored, two-story building built in 1840 and until recently owned by the interior design and architecture studio of Hendricks Churchill. Geary’s first show in the new building is scheduled for Feb. 21 and will feature the work of one of the gallery’s five artists, Alan Prazniak.
“Our lease on the gallery space in Millerton was coming up in March, and we questioned whether or not to renew,” Jack Geary said. “We were interested in owning our next space, and fortuitously, the Salisbury building came on the market.” The new building offered more space than the Millerton location — 5,000 square feet on two floors in turnkey condition. “In addition to three exhibition rooms, there’s even a bedroom with an en suite bathroom for a visiting artist to stay,” said Jack.
The Gearys founded their gallery in 2013 on the Lower East Side in New York City, then moved to Varick Street in SoHo before landing at their final New York City location on the Bowery in 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the Gearys found themselves living primarily in their Lakeville home, they discovered the Millerton space on Main Street. With its white walls and track lighting, they determined it would be the perfect spot for a gallery. As it turned out, having two geographically disparate spaces proved cumbersome to program and maintain, so they consolidated their efforts in Millerton which they will transfer to Salisbury.
The Gearys are already planning events for the new space, including art classes, lectures, readings and parties. During the gallery’s time in Millerton, from 2020 to the present, Geary hosted 28 exhibitions, as well as performance art events, poetry readings and dinners celebrating exhibitions. Most recently, they hosted a dinner for artist Dana Sherwood in conjunction with her exhibition. Ever the creative artist, Sherwood made all the plates, candlesticks and serving bowls used at the dinner.
The gallery currently represents five contemporary artists: Will Corwin, Tura Oliveira, Alan Prazniak, Reeve Schley and Sun You. Most are painters, though some also work in sculpture and installation. “We are focused on showing our represented artists,” Dolly said, “but we also enjoy showing other artists with whom we have relationships.” The Gearys have exhibited at art fairs in Miami, Chicago and San Francisco and have placed works in museum collections and exhibitions, raising artists’ profiles and building momentum for the gallery’s future.
Alan Prazniak, whose work will be featured in the opening exhibition, describes the show, “Earth Tones,” as “a collection of work that chronicles the time after moving my studio to the Catskills from Brooklyn in 2024. ‘Tones’ refers to the colors, but also — maybe more importantly — to the frequencies of the mountains. There’s a music to them; it can be overwhelming if you let it in. Staring at a giant hill in the distance, listening to it hum, falling under the spell of whatever’s out there. But finally turning your back to it to go into the studio, trying to make something of it.”
Geary is open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment. Information is available at info@geary.nyc
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
