It's All About Community: Armonk Outdoor Art Show

By Abby Luby

In September 2023 a major rainstorm pelted a large tent at Community Park. Huddled under that tent was a group of people figuring out how they would set up the grounds for the nationally acclaimed Armonk Outdoor Art Show taking place the next day. “We all saw how high the water was, how it was saturating the ground,” recalls Nancy Rosner, Managing Director of the Art Show. “As we wondered what to do, I suddenly realized what an incredible, close-knit group of people I get to work with.” Rosner’s vivid memory of that day is a reminder of the unwavering dedication of the Art Show’s board and the 300 volunteers essential to the smooth-running annual event. The volunteers are known to go the extra mile helping artists set up their booths, regularly checking in with them, offering snacks or briefly watching their booth when needed.

The Art Show’s 64th year will take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 26 – 27 at Community Park - 205 Business Park Drive. As always, the show’s net proceeds support the North Castle Public Library’s educational and entertainment programs, library furnishings, upgrades and the Ar-monk Players theater group. About 10,000 to 12,000 visitors from the tri-state area come to see 160 juried painters, photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists. It’s two days that guarantee a sensorially rich excursion in the boundless realms of color, shape and design.
Rosner, who grew up in Armonk, remembers going to the Art Show as a child and walking through aisles of booths lined up in the field near the police station. “It was much smaller at that time,” Rosner says, “but I was still over stimulated because there was so much to look at. A glass artist had these big bubbles and as a little kid I was in awe, wishing to know how he did that.”

“For years, we didn’t have a paid director and we were all volunteers,” says Marian Hamilton, the show’s co-chair for 25 years. “The show was so important as a main fundraiser for the library that we really felt we needed to institutionalize the whole process.” Hamilton says bringing in Rosner saw a growing number of younger volunteers and more sponsors. “Since I first started, we added more sponsorships to our list. This past year we raised $90,000 from our sponsors alone. We couldn’t do this without our sponsors.” Last year Art Show sponsor levels were Diamond - $15,000, Platinum - $7,500, Gold - $5,000, Silver - $3,000, Bronze - $2,000 and Copper - $1,000.A loyal Diamond Level sponsor is Cross Private Client Insurance, which has offices in Armonk. “We’re not looking just to donate,” says Denise Koslowsky, Cross Private Principal and Director of the Personal Lines Department. Cross Private partners with Chubb to insure high end art collections.
“The Armonk Outdoor Art Show is a great way for us to connect with our existing clients,” says Koslowsky, who is also an artist and displays her work at the show’s Cross Private/Chubb booth. “We send out a lot of Art Show tickets to our clients and to collectors we know. We want our clients to meet us, say hello and enjoy the show.

With a background in art history and arts in education, Rosner has spent much of her career working at known museums such as the Barnes Foundation, the Ed-ward Hopper House Museum and Study Center and the Hudson River Museum. She was hired as managing director of the Art Show in 2024. Chubb has art experts there as well. People come to the show to buy art and it’s always awesome to see them leaving with art under their arm.”

One of last year’s Gold Level sponsors was Teal Canvas, who has been an Art Show sponsor for the last two years. A fine-art consultancy, Teal Canvas partners with interior designers, architects and hospital-ity groups and whose booth shows work by artists they represent. “We introduce our services and show a range of about 120 nationwide artists,” says Teal Canvas founder Jay Gutnick. “People come to our booth at the Art Show because they are very interested in art. The Art Show is wonderful because most people are not passive observers and come with the intention of buying art.”Award-wining artist Ummarid (Tony) Ei-tharong, who has exhibited his work at the show for the last 20 years, says he deeply admires the staff and volunteers who help out during the show. “They are so organized,” Eitharong re-marks. “They take care of all the artists, and they undoubtedly respect what we do, which is awesome. They also help take purchased artwork from the booths and deliver to the buyers.” Eitharong, a veteran exhibitor and award-winning artist including Best in Show in previous years, sold 33 works last year including his 2D mixed media pieces and bold abstract paintings. He recalls how his work started to evolve after being prompted by the Art Show’s volunteers who advised him to exhibit more of his abstract work.

“The next year I came back with new work,” he says. “The committee is made up of wonderful people who are serious about art and who listen to the artists.”
The very first Armonk Outdoor Art Show in 1961 was held on the lawn of the Armonk Methodist Church bordering Main Street. Gaining popularity, the show moved to the larger space of the North Castle Library’s parking lot and then to the American Legion Field in front of Town Hall. In 1997 it finally moved to its current home at Community Park. The shifting locations moved the show further from town’s center where art show visitors would dine, check out local businesses and real estate.

Last year, the Art Show’s effort to reconnect with the town was through “Armonk Has Heart,” a public art project featuring 12 large, one-of-a kind fiberglass heart sculptures, each designed by 12 Art Show artists. The three-dimensional hearts were displayed throughout town for the full month leading up to the Art Show. A map of where the hearts were located in town guided a children’s scavenger hunt. The hearts were later auctioned off to benefit the Friends of the Library.
One of the hearts was created by artist Stephen Anglim whose vibrant style revealed an urban scene redolent of Central Park in New York City on one side and
a beach scene with a lone person contemplating the ocean on the other; both scenes represented Anglim’s dual themes seen in his work. Anglim was especially pleased to see families come by his booth after the scavenger hunt to see his work.

“Families and little kids saw my artwork and realized it was the same style as the heart I created,” Anglim explains. “They said ‘Oh my gosh – he’s one of the Hearts of Armonk artists!’ They took the time to look at my work and asked questions wanting a greater understanding of my art.”
“We are really proud of the work we did in the Armonk Has Heart project,” says Rosner. “It was an exciting experience to work closely with town officials and local businesses. Everyone was so dedicated to the project and to this community.

It was a wonderful experience.” North Castle Town Supervisor Joe Rende, who has volunteered for the show for about 20 years, notes how enthusiastic everyone was in the “Armonk Has Heart” project.

“Town employees, including Anthony Ruvo of the town’s Maintenance Department and Jake Terenzi of Parks and Recreation were key for the project,” Rende recalls. “They mounted the hearts on the pedestals and protectively placed them throughout the town. Also, our town clerk Alison Simon always takes an active role by helping Nancy Rosner.” Rende says the Art Show is a chance to show off the town’s dedication to volunteerism. “It shows the existing level of community spirit throughout the town,” Rende notes. “It also draws young and old and we are seeing second generation children moving back here to raise their families. The Art Show is a wonderful joint effort between the town, the Art Show and the Chamber.”The Armonk Chamber of Commerce, who helped fund a small part of the “Armonk Has Heart” program, will be honoring the Art Show this year with the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award. Chamber president Neal Schwartz says it’s the only award the Chamber will be giving this year in recognition of the “Armonk Has Heart” success. “Not only did the program inspire people to come and navigate through the town, it placed the hearts around town in places where there hadn’t been any art,” Schwartz says. “It was a successful effort and to Nancy’s credit, it brought Art Show goers back into town. We are honoring the connection we have of working together to a higher level than it’s been in a long time.”
The Chamber will honor the Armonk Out-door Art Show on Monday May 11, 2026 at the Mount Kisco Country Club in an all day event including a golf outing, cocktails and dinner.

As Rosner and her board and committees immerse themselves in planning for the upcoming September show, she acknowledges how art plays a positive role in today’s world.“Public art is so important because it brings communities together to bond over something beautiful,” Rosner says. “The Art Show provides joy, a moment of escape and reminds us there is beauty in the world during times that are challenging. You can lose yourself while looking at a work of art, knowing that you bring something to the art while the art brings something to you.”

Be sure to save the date for the 2026 Ar-monk Outdoor Art Show - September 26 & 27. Visit armonkoutdoorartshow.org and follow @ArmonkOutdoorArtShow on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

Abby Luby lives in the Lower Hudson Valley. Her published short stories and poetry appear in Parhelion, Persimmon Tree, Third Street Review and Syncopation Literary Journal. She has written for The New York Daily News, SolveClimateNews, and The Examiner News. abbyluby.com