I saw a poster for Nonna Hall’s next art exhibit and it was intriguing to me. The exhibit features the works of graphic and collage artist Charles Wilkin and Randall J. Lane, a sculptor, woodworker and artist well known for his drawings. The title of the exhibit is “When the sky is not enough” - which I didn’t understand at all. I spoke with Charles who I have known for years as one of the owners (along with his husband Martin Higgins) of the 2Queens Coffee & Tea Company. 

For roughly fifteen years Charles was a beekeeper in my neighborhood in Yulan. The 2 Queens Company at that time sold his sensational honey varieties and a lovely line of natural teas. Several years ago, Charles gave a marvelous presentation at the Sunshine Hall Library about beekeeping that was so telling about the fragility and important role bees play as pollinators that it forever changed how I garden and grow everything on my small farm. Of course, I have known about bees and pollinators for a long time but Charles clearly unwrapped the dangers bees face and how we need to work at protecting all of our pollinators in our environment. Charles curates the 2Queens line of teas using many ingredients bees pollinate. Martin Higgins a long-time coffee roaster by profession added the absolute best robust line of exceptional coffees to the 2Queens company of products. 

Sadly, because of work routines running their expanded business, the coffee roasting facility and now a delightful 2 Queens Cafe & Store on Main Street overlooking the Delaware River in Narrowsburg, the concept of free time for these two successful businessmen is at a premium! Charles told me recently that he is not keeping bees any longer and the last batch of the honey inventory has been sold out long ago. He did say that even though it is very challenging, he is thinking of starting back with just a few hives later this year. He  said that over the years of beekeeping he saw growing seasons getting shorter which puts a lot of stress on the bees to work so much harder to pollinate, and that 60-70 percent of beekeepers report losing their bees due to climate changes, disease, and new viruses.

Charles and Randall, who is the owner of the Cochecton Pumphouse on Route 97, have been great friends for years but this will be their first art show together. According to Charles, the title is about working on new projects, “The sky is a very big positive and perhaps divine as looking towards the heavens. It’s taking that energy and translating it into art.” Charles said the exhibit is a whole new body of creative work with experiments and new concepts. 

The exhibit will be held at Ceramicist Nonna Hall’s new Studio and Showroom building, Hall Space on April 26th through May 17 with an Opening Reception on Saturday, April 26 from 4-7pm (everyone is welcome to attend.) The Hall Space Building is located at 550 State Route 55 in Eldred across from Irene’s Diner. For more information go to www.HALLSPACENY.COM.