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CURRENT EXHIBITS
City Hall Holyoke:
Mayor’s Office, Room 1, City Hall, 536 Dwight Street, Holyoke
HOLYOKE —
Works by Natasha Colón Ortiz and Lora McNeece Barrett will be on display in the Mayor’s Office at City Hall, 536 Dwight Street.
The theme is “Waterpower.”
According to the artists, the strength of the City of Holyoke has long been in its canal system. Since the late 1800s, water has been harnessed to power industry. Three levels of canals not only help to contribute to the economy of Holyoke but have served as the muse for the work of Colón Ortiz and Barrett. The canals not only serve as a bridge between the past and the present, but have bridged the once student and teacher relationship of Natasha and Lora, but have been the catalyst that has forged a new bond as mentor and student learn from each other, share ideas about art and commerce, and delight in the creation of art.
Late in the summer of 2025, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia asked members of the community for ideas to enliven the Mayor’s Office. Numerous people suggested that Colón Ortiz and Barrett were the natural choices for this body of work as both have been noticed for their use of the canals as inspiration for their many paintings. When Natasha and Lora agreed to provide paintings, based on the Holyoke canals, Mayor Garcia became, coincidentally, the recipient of an award by the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition as Mayor of the Year, and the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department received the Utility of the Year Award. Garcia characterized the awards as “testament to the resilience and ingenuity of Holyoke’s development strategy.” He cited the growing interest of start-ups and entrepreneurs impressed by the city’s vision of a clean energy economy.
Colón Ortiz is an artist, teacher, and community leader. A proud, island-born, Puerto Rican, she attended Holyoke schools and graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in Neuroscience and a minor In Studio Arts. She owns Paper City Arts, which provides art services throughout Western Mass. Her body of work includes teaching in Holyoke and Springfield Public schools, painting murals, leading workshops for children and adults, and collaborating with well-known local agencies such as Beyond Walls, Community Mural Institute, Holyoke Art, and Nueva Esperanza.
Barrett is an artist who enjoys creating landscapes, florals, and urban scenes, looking for the special in the mundane. She has exhibited in solo and group shows in museums and galleries on Cape Cod, Western Massachusetts, Paris, Mexico, and other international and domestic venues. Her paintings are in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the world, including the permanent collection of the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. Dr. Barrett is an accomplished teacher as well. She served as an art teacher in the Holyoke Public Schools for 35 years, including 15 years as the Chair of the Art Department. She is a Senior Lecturer-Emeritus of Art Education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Store Front Gallery:
HOLYOKE — A new public art initiative aims to transform downtown Holyoke this summer. The Storefront Gallery brings vibrant, artist-designed displays to vacant storefronts along High Street, turning windows into a walkable, outdoor gallery.
The project launches with a public unveiling and artist-led walking tour on Wednesday, July 30 from 4 to 6 p.m., beginning at 289 High St. in front of The ARTery. Community members are invited to attend the event, meet the artists, and explore this unique reimagining of downtown’s visual landscape. Refreshments will be provided by A Good Mix; local maker Nicole Reyes will be on site serving a selection of her signature lemonades.
Through an open call earlier this year, artists were selected to create installations that reflect themes of identity, place, and imagination, showcasing the creative voices rooted in the region. Artists featured in the inaugural installation include Kahli Hernandez, Destiny Santiago, Jankaleishka Cruz, Lora McNeece Barrett, Natasha Colon Ortiz, Robert Markey, Peter Zierlein, Gabriela Sepulveda Ortiz, and Caoin Springer O’Durgy.
The Storefront Gallery is presented by Holyoke Art and made possible with support from the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, Mass Cultural Council, and Holyoke Health.
“This project is about more than filling windows — it’s about opening them,” said Kathy McKean, executive director of Holyoke Art. “It’s a way to see our city differently, to uplift local artists, and to bring people together downtown.”
NOTE: This exhibit is subject to being taken down at any time.