Exhibitions & Events
Solo Exhibition: Eternal Ephemera
Classic Photography Exhibition by Anton Wei @ The Octagon Gallery
April 1 - June 29, 2025
Opening Reception: April 12th from 5 - 8 PM
@The Octagon, 888 Main St, Roosevelt Island, New York, NY
Join us for the opening of Anton Wei's classic photography exhibition Eternal Ephemera at The Octagon Gallery.
In the artist's words: "The world turns, moments unfold, some linger as treasures, most fade away. Through my camera, I captured the ordinary’s charm, developing it into black-and-white life. Touching the wet photo paper, I felt those scenes revive, as if I were there, unseen, sharing their emotions. We live, feel, and think; that’s what makes us human. This exhibition invites you to pause and see—through the lens, onto the paper, into the soul."
Solo Exhibition: In the Making
Works by Dan Nistor @ RIVAA Gallery
April 4 - 27, 2025
Opening Reception: April 5th from 6 - 9 PM
Closing Reception: April 26th from 6 - 9 PM
Dan Nistor’s paintings capture fleeting moments of emotion, light, and atmosphere with immediacy and intensity. This collection reflects not just recent works, but a series of visual explorations shaped by the artist’s experience in the studio–where music, mood, and memory influence the brushstrokes. Avoiding anecdotal narratives, Nistor’s work invites viewers to engage with form, movement, and process, each piece offering its own quiet dialogue between painter and observer.
The exhibition runs at RIVAA Gallery from April 4-27, 2025. Please join us at the opening reception on Saturday, April 5th from 6-9 PM.
24th Vernissage
24 Year Anniversary Exhibition @ RIVAA Gallery
March 7 - March 30, 2025
Opening reception: Saturday , March 8
6 - 9 PM
Like a good friend, we're here for you!
RIVAA is proud to celebrate another year as a Roosevelt Island nonprofit organization. We wouldn’t be here without you, our loyal Island art lovers and supporters. So we thank you and hope that you’ll celebrate with us by bringing your family and friends to our Vernissage 24 exhibition.
Whimsical and Wonderful
Chamber Music@ RIVAA Gallery
Sunday, March 30th, 3 PM
The previously cancelled chamber music concert is back! We're pleased to invite you to the upcoming chamber music concert curated and directed by Roosevelt Island resident Yi-heng Yang, who is faculty at The Juilliard School of Music and a leading historical keyboard player, the concert features two classical quintets performed by the Quodlibet Period Woodwind Ensemble. The sounds and colors of the music of Mozart and Sayve come alive with historical flute, natural horn, bassoon and clarinet, and a copy of a Mozart fortepiano. MUSICIANS: Aaron Goler - Bassoon | Kelsey Burnham - Flute | Elise Bonihivert - Clarinet | Rachel Nierenberg - Horn | Yi-heng Yang - Fortepiano PROGRAM August de Sayve Quintet for Winds and Piano op. 15 W. A. Mozart Woodwind and Piano Quintet in E-flat, K. 452 There is no entry fee but a suggested donation of $25 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.
Call for LGBTQ+ Artists
Submission Deadline May 15th, 2025
Pride Month Exhibition @ RIVAA Gallery
RIVAA invites LGBTQ+ artists to participate in our upcoming exhibition 'Pride & Prejudice'. This year's theme, a nod to Jane Austen's famous novel, explores identity and societal perception, focusing on both/either side of the title's coin - the celebration of LGBTQ+ PRIDE and the struggles against PREJUDICE. Open to all NYC based LGBTQ+ artists. The exhibition will feature works that reflect personal narratives, historical challenges, and visions of a more inclusive society. Open to all mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, digital and video art, and mixed media. Feel free to express your interpretation of PRIDE & PREJUDICE through your art. 🖼️ Submission Guidelines: - Up to 5 pieces per artist. - Explain how your artwork relates to the theme "Pride & Prejudice." - Artwork must be ready to hang or set on a display surface. 📝 Submission Details: - Submissions are free. - If your artwork is accepted, there is a $25 flat fee for participation. - Drop-off your accepted artwork in-person with the fee at RIVAA Gallery on May 29, 2025. 📅 Important Dates: - Deadline for submissions: May 15, 2025 - Exhibition dates: June 1-12, 2024 - Opening Reception: Sunday, June 1, 2025 from 5 - 8PM - Artwork pick-up: June 12, 2025 📍 Location: RIVAA Gallery 527 Main St, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044 📧 For questions and submissions, please contact us at pride@rivaagallery.org🏳️🌈
Basswood and Steel Sculpture
@ The Octagon
January 5 – March 28, 2025
Opening reception: Thursday , January 9, 6 -9 pm
The Octagon Gallery, 888 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York City
The exhibition Basswood and Steel Sculpture features sculptures Waterfall, Ascent, and Foxtrot by Victoria Thorson whose artistic practice centers on a search for abstract forms.
Thorson works with basswood valued by artists for its soft, fine, even texture. It is in the process of making that she discovers the final form.
The artist explains: “With minimalistic precision basswood is cut into tilting planes. Next, it is carved, shaped, and smoothed to a softness of touch. I sense the wood’s strength and flow by intuitively feeling the lines of energy in the grain, cracks and knots of the wood. Each form is then anchored by a repurposed, found steel object that is the right proportion, weight, and aesthetic to become part of the sculpture.”