_______________________________________________
Bachelier
Cardonsky Gallery
_______________________________________________
Reviewed
by the New York Times as "one of the most
beautiful galleries in New England," the Bachelier
Cardonsky Gallery was established in the summer
of 1988 in the picturesque town of Kent, Connecticut.
Formerly a Masonic hall, the gallery occupies the upstairs
second floor of a classic 19th Century building on Main
Street. Painted earth tone walls with wood paneling,
high ceilings, and wide plank floors evoke the atmosphere
of a warm and inviting home.
Since
its beginning, the gallery has received countless reviews
in The New York Times, the International Herald
Tribune, Art and Auction Magazine and other numerous
publications. In 1996, Souren Melikian wrote a full-page
article on the gallery in the International Herald
Tribune, and his impressions summarized its spirit:
“Call it the alternative contemporary art culture.
The unlikely setting is a small town in Litchfield County,
its discreet actors are sophisticated New York expats
seeking peace far from the madding crowd, and the even
more unexpected object of the unstoppable trend is the
work of artists that few will have heard of - yet. If
the success . . . of an unknown artist . . . is astonishing,
so is that of the scores of equally obscure artists
tracked down by the Bachelier Cardonsky Gallery since
its opening.”
While a great number of well-known artists have been
shown in the gallery (Calder, Dine, Krasner, Pollock,
Stella, etc.), the main focus is on those who have not
yet received wide recognition, but are clearly deserving
it. Most of the artists are from the U.S., primarily
from New York City and the surrounding New England States;
and the majority work in painting and sculpture, with
some in mixed media.
The gallery is owned in partnership by Violaine Bachelier
and Darby Cardonsky. Ms. Bachelier, originally from
France, came to Kent in 1984 with a background in her
family’s antiques business in Paris, and a Masters
degree in psychology. Ms. Cardonsky moved from New York
City where she earned a Masters degree in Fine Arts,
worked with several art galleries, with Lee Krasner
for 9 years, and with the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.
The Bachelier Cardonsky Gallery has rotating exhibitions
for a duration of 5 weeks, which generally encompass
four artists at one time. In addition, there is inventory
on hand by many other artists who are represented throughout
the year.
