SPOTLIGHT
Ethan Cohen, Founder & Executive Director, Ethan Cohen Gallery (#77 on UAW Map)
Can you tell us a little bit about what you do? And how long you’ve been in your current position. I started my gallery, Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, back in 1987 in New York, at a time when contemporary Chinese artists had little to no visibility in the West. I was fortunate to work with some of the earliest pioneers like Ai Weiwei, Gu Wenda, Xu Bing, artists who are now household names in contemporary art. Over the years, I expanded to African contemporary art, emerging artists from the Middle East, and other underrepresented regions. My goal has always been to bridge cultures, support artists who challenge norms, and create spaces where critical dialogues can happen. In 2011 we bought the old high school in Beacon and it is now emerging as a bustling Art Center that includes gallery spaces, an art library, artists studios, performance spaces, recording studios and more.
Use three words to describe yourself: Energetic, Creative, Curious
What brought you to the Hudson Valley/Catskill Mountains? The beauty of the Hudson Valley and the DIA
What do you love about your job? My gallery has never been just a business. It’s a platform for artistic experimentation, for political discourse, for amplifying marginalized voices. We’ve hosted shows that were controversial, difficult, and risky, but necessary. I see the gallery as a living space—one that evolves with the artists and communities it serves. We’ve nurtured long-term relationships with artists and collectors alike, building a reputation not only for innovative programming but for standing by artists when it counts.
What exciting things do you have planned for UAW? We’re thrilled to present a dynamic lineup for Upstate Art Weekend, including a special talk in our Auditorium (day and time TBD) with renowned artists Mickalene Thomas and Derrick Adams; Half the Sky, a powerful exhibition of 11 Chinese women artists originally curated by my mother, Joan Lebold Cohen—an art historian, photographer, and curator known for her pioneering work documenting contemporary Chinese art from the 1970s to the 2000s; and the launch of our new Art Library, powered by the Cohen Art Foundation, an initiative dedicated to preserving and activating the cultural legacies of Joan Lebold Cohen and Jerome A. Cohen through exhibitions, education, and a global contemporary art archive. Additional weekend programming includes performances, readings, and screenings of avant-garde films from the library’s extensive collection.
Best place near you to get:
Breakfast? My house
Lunch? Asahi Poke & Tea
Dinner? Il Figlio
What’s your favorite local store? Farmer’s Market on Sundays
What’s your favorite art/creative space to visit? the Graffiti room at the KuBe Art Center
What is one tip for people experiencing UAW for the first time? Be curious
What is a fun fact about you that might surprise people? I ride a unicycle
Now for the speed round! Pick one or the other:
Valley or mountains? Mountains
Car or train? Car
Walk or hike? Walk
Sun or snow? Sun
Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors
Diner or restaurant? Restaurant
Market or shop? Market
Clear or clouds? Clear
Sunglasses or hat? Sunglasses
Abstract or realist? Abstract
Contemporary or modern? Contemporary
Sculpture or painting? Painting
IRL or digital? IRL
Look or listen? Look
See or feel? Feel