Art at APL
UPCOMING EXHIBIT | “COUNTENANCE: THE CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT”
Exhibition Opening Reception | Dec. 5, 2025, at 6-7:30 pm | The reception is hosted by the Friends and Foundation of APL, and also features a performance by the B Flats, Albany High School’s intermediate jazz improvisation ensemble, and light fare. The art opening is free and open to the public.
Exhibit Viewing | Dec. 6, 2025-May 9, 2026 | During open hours at Pine Hills Branch. | Free and open to the public.
About the Exhibit | Curated by Opalka Gallery, “Countenance: The Contemporary Portrait” reveals a desire for connection. While some of the 10 artists explore themes of feeling surveilled, isolated, scattered, or inauthentic, others touch on illness, cultural identity, or just the love and challenge of observing a fleeting encounter. The exhibition poses the question: “As our gaze is more and more mediated by screens, do we really look at each other face to face anymore?”
Featured Artists | Nuveen Barwari, Judith Braun, Maggie Halloran, John Hampshire, Phil Knoll, Mark McCarty, Philip J. Palmieri, Winosha Steele, Felicia van Bork, Oliver Wasow
Exhibition Funding | Art at APL is funded by FFAPL, with additional support in 2025 from the Arts Thrive and Grow grant through The Arts Center of the Capital Region. Arts Thrive and Grow has been funded by New York State, Kathy Hochul, Governor. We thank Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins for her extraordinary commitment and leadership, and our elected officials who represent our grantmaking region: Senators Jake Ashby and Neil D. Breslin; Assemblymembers Scott H. Bendett, Patricia Fahy, John T. McDonald III, Angelo Santabarbara, Phil Steck, and Mary Beth Walsh.
THE ART AT APL PROGRAM
Art at APL, which is curated by Opalka Gallery, is a fine arts exhibition program at the Pine Hills Branch showcasing the work of contemporary artists connected to the Capital Region. The program, which began in 2013, integrates professional artwork into public spaces within the library, enriches the library experience, and gives visitors something interesting and educational to look at while they browse the collections. Art at APL is made possible by the Friends & Foundation of Albany Public Library.
OTHER EXHIBITED ART
In addition to the Art at APL exhibitions, the library occasionally displays art, photographs, and other pieces created by students and other members of the community. If anyone objects to art on display in the branches, the Exhibited Art Reconsideration Request should be filled out and submitted.