ART

What started as a pop-up gallery in November 2021 became a dream come true for art enthusiasts Dan and Kate Rosenberg, as the two settled into a brick-and-mortar space to open Convey Art Gallery, a contemporary art gallery, in Ridgewood.

The Rosenbergs have been developing their own personal art collection for about 10 years, and when they lived in New York City, going to galleries was always a favorite pastime for the pair. When they moved to Bergen County though, they found there wasn’t a gallery nearby unless they visited the city and opening one of their own had always been something they talked about. So, they developed their own curated show as a pop-up with the work of four artists: Alexander Hall, Mr. Nice, Sara Ward and Kev Munday. The gallery now hosts and represents the art of 13 artists, including the original four.

“I remember the first day in the gallery, we got the keys and we had to paint the walls and clean up the floors and I was just so happy to do this manual labor because it was moving towards something we loved so much and we were so excited for people to come in,” Kate said. “It was surreal, and it sometimes still is. I just think sometimes, ‘Wow, this is mine; this is what we’re doing.’ It’s weird, following a dream. It’s crazy. I’ve never done that before. I graduated school and got married, had kids. There was no huge risk there and so it’s good. So, when people walk through the door and they’re excited about who we are and what we’re doing, it just feels like we’re doing the right thing.”

Co-founder Kate had previously worked as a photographer and graduated from William Paterson University, and she has always had a passion for anything artistic. She and her husband have not only curated the collection for the gallery, but their own personal one, filled with a variety of styles ranging from African art to street art.

Opening the gallery was a process that felt so surreal and organic, said Kate.

“It was like, ‘Wait, are we really doing this?’” she said. “We had talked about doing this forever and it happened so organically, and we started small. Did I ever expect to just hit the road and try to open

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on North Broad Street in Ridgewood? No way, that would’ve been overwhelming to think about, but our path has shown us the way. It’s happening easily and maybe it’s because we are so passionate about it.”

For the Convey Art Gallery, one of the major goals is to make art fun and accessible to patrons and visitors. The co-founders are hoping to develop a creative and inspiring atmosphere for people in their space. With art ranging from pop art to street art to abstract art, they are hoping there is something for everyone.

“We have art from floor to ceiling,” Kate said. “It’s not a typical art gallery. We’re just showing work that might be new and exciting and different. Honestly getting to support these working artists has been the best thing and having relationships with them has been the best part. It’s just awesome.”

The other artists featured at the gallery include Soo Kim, Dana Salzone, Mike Rohner, Holly Suzanne Rader, Mr. Brainwash, Yvonne Claveloux, Tori Schoeler, Amy Shekhter and Pitch Black.

For bringing artists in, Kate says it is a lot about instincts. Working with artists has become a favorite aspect of the gallery for her, and finding the artists comes in a variety of ways. Some artists reach out, others are recommended to her, and others Kate finds, but in selecting them, she considers if their style is the right fit and if their personalities work together.

“Sometimes I think it’s the universe putting us on the same path,” she said. “I want to bring artwork to people. I just want the art to be something of value and joy at the same time.”

And if a visitor has something more specific in mind when looking for the perfect art piece, the gallery also offers commissioned work. With that type of project, the gallery works as the middleman between client and artist to create the perfect piece with custom sizes and color palettes. the gallery is hoping to expand on their event offerings. They have hosted newcomer clubs and women’s clubs, and the gallery is also looking to host more live artists demonstrations as well, especially now that they are working with more local artists. They also partner with local vendors who come in to sell artisan goods.

“We didn’t have local artists in the beginning, so we didn’t have the opportunity to have the artist demonstrations and events like that, but now we have local artists,” Kate said. “We just have to keep thinking of new creative ways of getting people in.”

In addition, the gallery has paired up with One River School of Art and Design in Allendale for a student showcase in October, where the students will be working on a project together to be presented at the gallery.

“It’s cool because the kids are really trying their very best since it will be in an art gallery,” Kate said. “I just want to be an approachable gallery for young

Additionally, Convey Art Gallery is also open for events. While they opened in November 2021, while the pandemic still made in-person events difficult,

While New Jersey is home to a range of restaurants, people to show some work. We’re not a big gallery, from Italian to Tex-Mex to Thai, dishes from the Big so we’re using a corner to showcase this, and it’ll be fun. I’m hoping it’s a drive for other kids to see too.” Work It After Hours. Easy are hard to come by. And for Convey Art Gallery in general, Kate hopes the patrons will take the time to just take in the art as they continue to grow as well. “What can’t you get out of art? It’s all about perception. It’s just to be exposed to creative energy. People walk in and say it’s so happy and vibrant. It’s like you see a piece of artwork that’s beautiful, exciting and happy and it just gives you a whole new perspective on things,” she said. “I think it’s intimidating though too. Sometimes people will just stand outside and peek in and I just want to say come on in. People don’t know what to expect sometimes. We just want people to come in and enjoy the artwork. We’re not pushy and we let people do their own thinking. I’ve been in a gallery and the second I walk in, they’ll start selling me on the art, and I just want to enjoy the artwork. So, for my gallery, I want people to come and check it out and just enjoy it.”

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