Contemporary Artists to Watch Now: LAA New Member Show
Last Week, I visited the Loft Artists Association New Member Exhibition, a quartet of voices, showcasing the talent and versatility of four contemporary Connecticut-based artists.
Alana Rockland Kogan’s pieces with her layered surfaces, memory and material collide. There’s a fluidity that keeps you standing in front of each work longer than you planned. My favorite works by Alanna are her abstracts inspired by her trip to Mozambique from the Dunes Series, depicting the relationship of the earthy rich sand dunes and the water. I also happen to own one of her small Dunes paintings.
Leah Odze Epstein’s contribution is a meditation on form and effect with her Rock Series. I met Leah during a Loft Artists Open Studio, and I was introduced to her digital paintings featuring 1970’s nostalgia. The Rock Series is different, and it is an earlier body of work. The paintings are abstract and grounded. They focus on the relationships of texture, tints, tones, and shades.
Her compositions move with an almost lyrical sense of space that invites the eye to focus on the freeform rock shape, centered on the canvas. You feel calm and grounded.
Anna Kuchel Rabinowitz brings a bold, structural confidence to the show. Her forms feel architectural—not just built, but engineered with purpose—and there’s a warmth beneath that precision that softens without surrendering strength. However, the architectural and geometric themes are expressed with unique materials like string, cord, and recycled film from a football game. Anna throws the viewer a curveball with her collages that include a variety of color schemes and subject matter. The collages are Victorian Cottage Core meets botanical garden with a dose of whimsy.
And artist/author Victoria Friedman—her contrast of black and white is a welcome shock: unexpected, and insistent. She doesn’t use stark or harsh lines rather she adjusts her line quality creating waves and caverns portraying the use of both positive and negative space. These aren’t decorative choices; they’re emotional decisions, “meditations” according to the artist and they hit.
Together, these four voices create a debut that feels cohesive without collapsing into similarity. The Loft Artists New Member Show is a promise—of discovery, dialogue, and work that stays with you long after you step back into the street.
The New Member Show is on view thru February 15th. Gallery hours are 1-4pm, Saturday and Sunday. The Loft Artists Association is located on 575 Pacific Street in Stamford, Connecticut.
Keep Exploring and Connecting
As always, I’m passionate about helping you discover new artists and build your art collection with intention. My latest reviews and tips are always available on Art Collecting with Emily, and you can learn more about my creative coaching for artists and healing arts at Grassroots Impact Creative Coaching.
