A Red Hook Gallery Connects Local Artists

By Michelle Madden

Photos by Jiatong Lu

When you open the door of Verse Work/Shop on Market Street in Red Hook, you feel like you’ve stepped into a friend’s home—your hippest friend from Brooklyn whose art, furniture, rugs, lighting, and jewelry you deeply covet. Have a seat in the plywood rocking chair; try on the  shiny brass bracelet; touch the silky smooth leather keychain; caress the woven tapestry. They could all be yours…

The tone of Red Hook itself is set from the moment Route 199 veers to the right and you head into town. Stuck in the ground is a gigantic metal fork, a tractor’s width across, and soaring skyward. The plaque reads “A Fork in the Road.” No one quite knows when it went up. It seems like it’s been there forever, though in fact artist Steve Schreiber put it up in 2000 (without permission).

Verse was opened a year ago by Cassandra Ruff and Vanessa Shafer, sisters who grew up in Red Hook and never thought they’d come back. “But here we are,” grins Cassandra. 

They both have artist-ish backgrounds. Vanessa is an architect; Cassandra trained in graphics and illustration. The impetus for Verse was the realization that despite being a mere three miles from Bard College, one of the most renowned art schools in the country, the town had no galleries or places for local artists to display their work. 

“People have historically been drawn to Red Hook for the farms. Now we’re giving them new reasons to come into town,” says Vanessa.

The name itself is loosely based on Vanessa’s initials (VRS), but that’s just the starting point. 

“Verse means writing that is arranged in lines that have rhythm,” explains Vanessa. “But lines are also central to art and architecture and furniture. It’s the collection of lines that create something more than the sum of the parts.”

The shows are referred to as Talk Shop, followed by a number that goes in chronological order. The current show is Talk Shop 7.0. 

“The idea,” explains Cassandra, “is to both literally and figuratively encourage talk between the artists and the community, as well as dialogue between the art itself.”  

All shows are group shows and present a range of objects laid out in “domestic vignettes.” This approach gives the show a sense of harmony, while making it easy to imagine the object’s forever-home being your home.

Each show brings together different artists—but several carry over, such as the millwork group New York Heartwoods, known for their credenzas and stools; and FN Furniture, whose playful, iconic, plywood rocker uses no nails or screws. Should you choose body-as-canvas, don’t miss Aglaia Jewelry—stunning yet affordable—or heavenly smelling organic skincare products from the Hudson Valley. All artists are regional or have ties to the region.

There is an understated confidence both inside the gallery and with the sisters: a calmness, a comfort, an elegance. It comes from knowing when to speak, and when to be quiet and let the art do the talking.—Verseworkshop.com