The Visual Author, short photographic stories by Kara Mia Collier-Ibañez
UPCOMING ARTIST EVENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
James Litaker Returns to New York City with Solo Exhibition at Pictor Gallery
New York, NY, November 6, 2025 – Acclaimed painter James Litaker (b. 1953) brings his richly narrative vision of American life back to New York City with a new solo exhibition at Pictor Gallery, located in the Landmark Arts Building in Chelsea. This marks Litaker’s first solo show in New York since his celebrated 1990s exhibition at the Firehouse Gallery in Harlem.
Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Litaker is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and a scholarship member of the Salmagundi Club. His artistic journey has spanned continents and decades, from the streets of Harlem to the canals of Amsterdam, where he studied the traditions of the Dutch Masters. His time abroad deepened his fascination with light, composition, and narrative, elements that continue to define his distinct visual language.
After many years living and working in Andes, New York in the Catskills, Litaker returns to his native city with a body of work that bridges history and contemporary life. His paintings bring a Renaissance sensibility to scenes of Harlem, Greenwich Village, and beyond, celebrating the humanity, rhythm, and resilience of urban life.
Over the course of four decades, Litaker has chronicled friends, family, bars, musicians, and street scenes with extraordinary empathy and technical skill. His paintings transform fleeting encounters into enduring meditations on community and character.
Drawing on themes of African American survival, resistance, and resilience, Litaker’s work connects the personal to the collective, the local to the universal. From city streets to rural landscapes of Delaware County, his canvases honor the spirit of everyday life with equal reverence.
“I paint to preserve,” Litaker says. “To hold the past and present in a single gesture, and to reveal the beauty of the stories that define us.”
A traveler in spirit and a storyteller by nature, James Litaker continues to explore how art can bridge memory and imagination, past and present, people and place.
Exhibition Details:
Pieces are still available for purchase
Artist: James Litaker
Exhibition: James Litaker
Venue: Pictor Gallery, Landmark Arts Building, Chelsea, NYC Dates: November 6-30 2025
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 12PM - 6PM
Website: www.pictorgallery.com
Reach out to Edy at @castrocreatesnyc to inquire about available art work
(Special orders available for the holidays)
Discarded Dreams, Reborn Dolls: The Unplanned Collection by Natalie Walsh
Art with a Story, Built from Scraps
Every doll I make is a small act of creative defiance. They are built not from factory materials, but from discarded dreams: a forgotten button, a scrap of worn fabric, a thread that refused the landfill. I love giving these old, worn-out items a second life, turning what was being thrown away into something new, intricate, and pretty. It’s a joy to create them, but it’s just as satisfying to know I’m keeping these beautiful bits and pieces out of the bin.
The Process: Where Chaos Finds Form
For me, the real pleasure lies in the unplanned. I rarely start with a blueprint; I simply gather the materials at hand, follow the flow of the fabric, and see how the character begins to emerge. For a while, the mood was all flapper—shimmering, dancing figures straight out of the 1920s. But then, things got interesting, and a little darker.
The Portrait Ghosts
When I started taking requests, the collection got a touch of the macabre: a strong Gentleman Jack, the mysterious Black Dahlia, the moody Edgar Allan Poe, and the incomparable Nick Cave (sometimes, yes, the vampire version).
It's a tricky challenge, crafting recognizable figures—especially the ones in suits! There's not much room for my usual creative chaos when everyone knows what Poe is supposed to look like. But the David Bowies? That's where the outrageous outfits let the fun back in! These are true Portrait Ghosts, one-of-a-kind likenesses capturing the essence of cultural legends, both real and fictional.
Packaging & Authenticity (The Honest Part)
I believe authenticity is part of the charm. Some of these beautiful creations have a home, tucked away in boxes I’ve "dickied up" myself—repurposed shoeboxes and whiskey boxes, giving them a perfectly imperfect, found-object charm.
However, most of them are too eager to be discovered and travel box-free. If you are looking for art with a soul, a rich history, and a touch of the beautifully strange, explore the collection.
Each doll is one-of-a-kind, made with love, salvaged materials, and zero apologies.
To contact Natalie please D/M @MABBINGTONS to place your order today!
Stay tuned for Natalie Walsh's NYC gallery debut