NEWS About Exhibitions, Events, Press Articles & Social Media Posts
Welcome to My World. Here you’ll find updates on exhibitions past, present, and future, glimpses into my studio process, and the garden inspiration behind every piece.
Current & Upcoming Exhibitions — See where my work is showing now and where you can visit upcoming solo and group shows.
Studio & Garden Journals — Follow my creative process through reflections on studio work in my Art Blog and garden cultivation and inspiration in my Garden Blog.
Press Features — Read about my work in publications that have covered my art and creative practice over the years.
Instagram Feed— See daily happenings right here—no need to leave the site to follow along.
Set on a hill overlooking the scenic Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York, Locust Grove includes a historic estate, including art galleries, a museum, and a Nature Preserve with 200 acres of landscaped grounds and five miles of hiking trails
Located in their Visitors Center, the Transverse Gallery is dedicated to continuing the century-long tradition of displaying art by contemporary artists. Starting with Samuel Morse in the 1850s and continuing on with the Young family from 1895 through the 1970s, art was a central focus of the estate & its owners. Locust Grove carries on that appreciation for art today at the Transverse Gallery, with four solo exhibitions each year featuring selected artists.
Mary Ahern’s Artist Statement: In my garden, I cultivate both plants & artistic inspiration. My art bridges garden & gallery, inviting intimate observation of nature. Through my art, I embed hidden philosophies discovered in my garden’s contemplative spaces.
Mary Ahern designed the upstairs studio space in her Northport home specifically to fit her house and her needs. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Long Island homeowners who enhanced features of aging homes rather than erase them
Article extracted from the article written initially By Arlene Gross Special to Newsday. November 11, 2025
Antique or vintage homes are distinctive for their timeless craftsmanship, but they don’t always fit 2025 living.
They can mean living under imposing ceilings surrounded by intricate moldings but within cramped, closed-off rooms. Classic casement windows might let in less light. Staircases with carved wooden banisters often lead to dank, dreary cellars. And it could cost more than the homeowner paid for the house to bring it into the 21st century.
And experts say renovating an older home can be less expensive than building something completely new. But it depends on the project. It’s a special kind of person who would want to make the commitment and investment in a historic home that requires extensive updating to bring it up to today’s living standards… “It’s for the love of the style that somebody would want to do that type of renovation to keep the charm and the craftsmanship of the home…”
The goal of repurposing homes is “to preserve and accentuate and expand on the original qualities of the structure,” Falino said.
“If it has good qualities, you want to bring those out. It’s really nice to bring in more light and open the spaces up, but also maintain the feel of the original,” Falino said. “It has a lot to do with studying the scale of what the original structure is and, as you add to it, trying to add in kind.”
Seamless transition from interior to exterior
Ahern redesigned her home to have better views of her garden, which inspires her art. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Eleven years after moving into her Northport home in 1989, Mary Ahern transformed her prewar, one-story Cape-style farmhouse into a light-filled home and artist’s studio.
“I’m only the fifth owner of the house,” said Ahern, 77, an artist whose large floral portraits and landscapes are inspired by her own garden.
Working with architect Falino, they transformed the lower level from an unfinished basement into an office for Ahern’s husband, Dave Ruedeman, who teaches information technology remotely. The whole renovation took six months, during which they lived in a trailer on the premises.
The second floor, which was added, has a primary suite and two artist studios. The main floor, previously divided into a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms and a bathroom, is now completely open. According to Falino, the cost was approximately $400,000.
“It only has one wall now,” Ahern said.
Ahern redesigned her home to have better views of her garden, which inspires her art. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
This post is an abstract from the full article written by Arlene Gross for Newsday.
November 20 – December 21, 2025 1200 NY-25A, Stony Brook, NY 11790
The Museum is open: Thursday: 11:30 am to 7:00 pm & Friday–Sunday: Noon to 5:00 pm
Reception: Thursday, November 20th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m
The Long Island Museum and LIMarts are thrilled to present Common Ground, celebrating the vibrant creativity of our region’s artists.
For generations, LIM has served as a gathering place where people of all ages come together to experience the art, history, and culture that define our region. This year’s exhibition centers on the theme of Common Ground, an exploration of shared spaces, community, environment, and cultural connection.
Each artist was invited to reflect on what Common Ground means to them—whether it’s rooted in land, identity, gathering, or personal connection. The exhibition invites visitors to consider how we may share commonalities with one another and discover something new about ourselves along the way. While Long Island itself is our shared foundation, every artist brings their own story and perspective to life here.
LIMarts is a special initiative dedicated to supporting and showcasing the exceptional visual artists who call Long Island home—from Brooklyn to Montauk and beyond. This annual exhibition celebrates the diversity, creativity, and talent that make our community so extraordinary.
This artwork sparks a vital conversation that reflects the interconnectedness and delicate balance within both the microcosm of my garden and the macrocosm of the cosmos. These identifiable floral Images are glazed and intertwined with my abstract underpaintings inspired by the visuals of the universe.
By recognizing the delicate balance required for both terrestrial and celestial ecosystems to thrive, I aim to provide a visual context for understanding the essential balance necessary to sustain life’s intricate harmony across all scales – from the tiniest flower to the grandest galaxy.
Through this layered, evocative imagery, I invite viewers to pause, contemplate, and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the fragile yet resilient web of life that sustains our world and cosmos.
Juried into this dynamic exhibition by Joshua Ruff, Co-Director of the Long Island Museum of Art, is my oil painting, Phantasm – Coral Peony.
“Phantasm – Coral Sunset Peony”, a 36×36″ oil painting, is a vivid celebration of life’s vibrant energy inspired by the peonies that enchant my garden. Imagine a dynamic dance of colors—pink, yellow, and orange petals that swirl with a captivating grace, all harmoniously converging towards a lively green center. The energy in the petals encircling the center of the flower also represents the feeling humans have when they are moved by emotions. This piece is about celebrating movement and color, capturing the very essence of a flower in full bloom. It invites you to step into a world where every brushstroke is infused with the joy and wonder of nature’s beauty. I hope it inspires a moment of reflection and connection to the natural vibrancy all around us.
