NEW SCOTLAND — A new art gallery is opening in Stonewall Plaza.

 The inaugural exhibition features 17 local artists and is set to launch Saturday, April 18.

 THINGS! Global Experiences is the creation of Voorheesville’s Elena Silverman, a village resident for the past 30 years, who said the space grew out of a shared vision with her husband, Warren, and her own long relationship with art, deepened through experiences like working with Cambodian hand-woven textiles.

“I just decided that the gallery is where those two parts of my life will finally meet — vision and a structure,” Silverman told The Enterprise. “I have experience in economics. I know how to run the place.”

She said, “The gallery is still in its early stage — some visible elements such as the website, social-media presence, and signage are in progress. But the core of the space is already active through the artists and the exhibition itself. In that sense, this is a true beginning, building from substance outward.”

The inaugural exhibition is titled VOICES, a name Silverman chose to reflect the distinct inner presence each artist brings to a work. She said she was not looking for uniformity of style but for authenticity and a genuine sense of communication — art that speaks, not just hangs.

“The whole idea of the gallery is to create a space where people don't just see art, but they listen to it, in a way,” she said.

Silverman credited the Thacher Natural Art Show for providing the mailing list that connected her with many of the participating artists.

Among them is Joe Schaefer, a Voorheesville resident whose work Silverman described as iconic pop art with theatrical energy. 

His “Royal! Interrupted” piece “stood out to me for its immediacy, wit, and strong visual personality. It carries a sense of theatrical tension and speaks very directly, with a vivid and unmistakable voice,” Silverman said.

“You can feel this energy right away as you put the eye on his art,” she said. “It’s absolutely amazing, it’s overwhelming.”

Another of the 17 featured artists highlighted by Silverman was Kris Kelly.

“Kelly’s work brings a quieter, more reflective presence,” Silverman said. “Through abstraction, she creates space for the viewer — inviting a slower, more inward experience. Her voice complements the exhibition by adding openness and subtlety.”

Silverman concluded, “Together, these two works illustrate something essential about VOICES: It is not built around sameness, but around the resonance of very different artistic expressions.”

Moving forward, Silverman said she and her husband see “this as more than a one-location idea. If the gallery establishes itself with a strong and positive identity, I would be very interested in expanding into a second space over time — growing carefully from a solid foundation.”

VOICES runs from April 18 through May 30.

Beyond the major exhibitions scheduled for this year, Silverman said she’s also “envisioning short one-week solo presentations between them. These would allow individual artists to come forward more fully and offer visitors a more focused, intimate encounter with a single voice.”