The Donald Gallery
The well-traveled space between South Church’s sanctuary and Fellowship Hall serves as popular Rivertowns gallery representing local artists. The Donald Gallery is named for its founders, longtime South Church members and artists Robert and Elizabeth Donald. Their first exhibition, in 1982, was of missing children. Since then, local painters, photographers, sculptors, and even a fiber artist have shared their unique views of life, the world, and self.
The Donald Gallery is curated by Nick Herring and Kris Kliemann. It displays approximately six shows each year.
To learn more about the Gallery, or to inquire about a show, please contact the South office at: office@southpres.org. Media inquiries are handled by Katy Gravenor.
Gallery hours are Tuesday 12–6:30pm | Wednesday 2–4pm | Thursday 12–4pm | Sunday 9am–1pm. All other times by appointment only. Contact the South Church office
2025-2026 Season
Discard, Reclaim, Nurture by You | Hector “Bori” Rodriquez | through May 24
Artist Talk & Reception April 19, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Hector “Bori” Rodriquez is a mixed-media artist whose vibrant and exciting work brims with joy, curiosity and powerful personal narratives from an unexpected source: the inhumane realities of mass incarceration.
“I started creating when I was faced with the possibility of the death penalty or life without parole,” said Bori, a formerly incarcerated artist and speaker who spent 27 years and two months in New York State prisons. His vivid, surrealist pieces exist at the intersection of art, justice and education, and include themes of eco-feminism, drawing on childhood memories with his mother.
“I hope people leave my art exhibition with an open heart and mind about investing in people, not incarceration,” said Bori, ”and a willingness to learn more about the impact of mass incarceration on society.”
Steamroller Prints with DRAW Gallery through Feb
15 super-sized b&w prints on loan from the DRAW Gallery in Kingston NY. These prints, from multiple artists, including our own Cheryl Hajjar, are a result of the Steamroller Print Fest, held in September. Artists made 2 x 2 foot square inked blocks, paper was carefully placed and they were printed when a steamroller rolled right over! Show will be up until end of Feb!
Painting Life | Wayne Bowen | Oct 26 - Dec 7
Opening Reception October 26, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wayne Bowen’s work falls within the genre of realism, focusing on everyday life and ordinary objects.
Through carefully observed light and shadow, Bowen imbues the mundane with a sense of reverence, inviting viewers to witness the resilience and grace found in lives too often overlooked. His commitment to realism is not only a stylistic choice but an act of empathy, transforming ordinary moments into powerful reflections on humanity.
“I often look for beauty in the marginalized and disenfranchised while in search of the right compositions among their circumstances.”
The artist lives and works in Westchester County.
Interface | Matthew William Robinson | Sept 7 - Oct 19
Opening Reception September 7, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
What makes a “place”? Matthew William Robinson asks that question of every viewer with dreamlike pieces, formed out of his own observations and photography, that deconstruct and challenge our ideas of the buildings and spaces around us.
“Painting these subjects is an act of compulsion, solving a puzzle, and an attempt at urban planning or un-planning,” he says of the work he creates in his Beacon, NY studio. “Sifting through the debris of Americana is an act of soothsaying, a way to quiet anxieties and peer into the future.”
(shown here: 324 East 4th 2025 acrylic on canvas)
PAST SHOWS
2024 - 2025 Season
2023 - 2024 Season
2022 - 2023 Season
2021 - 2022 Season
Group Show to Benefit the Donald Gallery | Sept 26 - Oct 31, 2022
A benefit to raise funds for needed repairs and upgrades to the beloved Donald Gallery.
Featuring artists Marie Bourdain, Gina Bratter, Linda Friedlander, Nora Galland, Charles Green, Nicole Jones, Kathleen McCarthy, Carol Sommerfield, Donna Thompson and Adnan Yunus.
How do you measure the value of a non-profit gallery that has served the community and artists for 35 years? We think you can, for life in the Rivertowns without the Donald Gallery would be less bright, intriguing, and interesting.
For 35 years this little gallery has tireless delivered on its mission to showcase emerging and established Rivertowns artists. Many artists had their first solo exhibit at the gallery, later to move onto exhibits in grander and more prestigious venues. The Donald Gallery was, for many of us, a wonderful and affirming next step in our artistic careers and, for that reason, we are immensely grateful.
During its long history, the Donald Gallery never asked for much. It just kept going, tirelessly fulfilling its mission and bringing joy to the viewers and artists alike. Age has finally caught up with our beloved gallery and we know it needs some improvements to ensure it can continue to serve its mission.
It seems most fitting that it is artists and the gallery’s volunteer curators who are here to support our first fund raising effort. The ten artists in this exhibit have all made a monetary donation to the gallery, and the commission on sold work will go directly to the gallery’s repairs and improvements. Additionally, some artists are donating work, ensuring that the full sale price is directed to the gallery and its renovations.
If you would like to contribute to the fundraising event any amount is most appreciated and will make a difference. Make your check out to South Presbyterian Church with “Donald Gallery” in the memo line and mail to South Presbyterian Church, 343 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522. We thank you!
