The River Gallery: a local treasure
By MARY GREENE
NARROWSBURG — Barbara Braathen
first came to the notion of managing an art gallery
in college, when, with her artists friends, “it
would become the resolution around four in the morning
that I should open a gallery,” she joked.
Now she owns the River Gallery on Main
Street in Narrowsburg. But it is not her first venture.
She moved to New York City in the 1970’s, where
for 18 years she owned a gallery downtown. In 1998,
Braathan moved to the Upper Delaware River Valley.
Her first contact with Narrowsburg came when she approached
the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance. Shortly thereafter,
during a brief stint selling advertising, she got
a feel for the hamlet. “And of course I love
Dave’s Big Eddy,” she said, which reminds
her of Manhattan. “You never know who is going
to walk in. The cooking is fabulous. It’s a
huge draw.”
Growing up in North Dakota, Braathan
always thought of herself as an artist. She was inspired
and influenced by her art teacher, Robert Moore, who
taught K-12 in her public school, and received the
National Teachers Award one year. He brought her to
her first museum, taking the class to Winnepeg, Manitoba
to visit a Van Gogh exhibit.
In addition to paintings by local and
NYC artists, the River Gallery exhibits and sells
craft and furniture items such as handcrafted woven
rugs by Bethany resident Charles Blanchard, metal
bird sculpture by city artist Raymond Rockland and
a collection of beautiful and unusual boxes. “This
trunk,” said Barbara, “is a teak circus
trunk from Bali, mid-19th century. The ironwork is
exquisite, perfectly preserved. And, of course, you
fantasize or imagine about what life events took place
around that box!”
Braathan is involved in community events
around town. She offered the River Gallery as a venue
to host last winter’s Eaglefest poster auction.
She herself bought an eagle poster, by Sullivan West
sixth grader Michelle Birney, which hangs in her gallery.
Braathan is grateful every day for
the beauty of the Upper Delaware, and she appreciates
the wildlife that abounds in the area. “Since
moving out of Manhattan and being in the country,
I’m no longer afraid of anything, like snakes,
or mice. I look at them as God’s creation—they
have their spot, too.” she said. “I feel
totally blessed by having landed here. It has everything
you would want from nature. Everything. And you’ve
got easy access to the city, so you’ve got everything
there too. It’s just a perfect spot.”
Summer hours are Thursday to Sunday,
11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information call
845/252-3230, email bbraathen@galleryriver.com
or visit www.galleryriver.com
on the web.
News & columns provided by The
River Reporter
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