KRISTIN FLYNN: What Was
MICHAEL HOPKINS: Serendipity

April 12 - May 11, 2025

Opening reception: Saturday, April 12, from 5 to 7 PM​​​

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Wired Gallery will reopen after its annual winter hiatus with two concurrent solo exhibitions: Kristin Flynn's poignant narrative paintings "What Was" and Michael Hopkins' abstract mixed media works "Serendipity." Both exhibitions will run from April 12 through May 11, 2025.
 
Kristin Flynn: "What Was"
In "What Was," Kristin Flynn presents acrylic paintings on panel that explore humanity's complex relationship with a rapidly changing natural world. Her narrative figures—organizing rocks, cradling fawns, and praying with trees—reflect a deep concern for environmental transformation brought about by development, invasive species, and human activity.
Flynn's work evolves from her twenty-year exploration of bones, dead birds, nests, and forests, weaving an underlying thread of ecological sorrow throughout her detailed compositions. The dreamlike, overgrown woods that form the backdrop of her paintings serve as both setting and character in her visual meditation on climate change and its effects on landscapes and wildlife.
A longtime Hudson Valley resident, Flynn brings over three decades of exhibition experience to this show. Her background includes an extensive career in the fashion industry, primarily as an apparel designer at Nike in Portland, Oregon, followed by creating and directing a fashion design degree program at SUNY Ulster Community College.

 
Michael Hopkins: "Serendipity"
Running concurrently, Michael Hopkins' exhibition "Serendipity" presents two distinct bodies of work that showcase the artist's versatile approach to visual expression.
The first component features Hopkins' vibrant mixed media abstract drawings. These works communicate emotion through the dynamic interplay of color and form, beginning with grid formats that create visual variety while balancing color, light, and texture. With bold, energetic strokes and an electrifying sense of color, these compositions evoke a sense of movement and emotional resonance.
The second component showcases Hopkins' delicate collage work. These intimate assemblages combine found materials, subtle textures, and minimalist compositions that reveal the artist's sensitivity to spatial relationships and material dialogue. With careful attention to detail and placement, these collages demonstrate Hopkins' ability to create meaning through juxtaposition and restraint.
Hopkins describes his artistic process as liberating—starting each piece without predetermined outcomes and allowing forms to emerge through a combination of intuition and intention. His work has evolved from representational drawings in ink and graphite to these more experimental approaches that express his emotions and sensibilities through tactile engagement with his materials.
With a background in drawing, painting, and graphic design, Hopkins has studied at prestigious institutions including Parsons, the Art Students League, and the School of Visual Arts. Since 2010, he has focused on abstract mixed media and pastel drawing with instructor Meredith Rosier at The Woodstock School of Art. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries including previous shows at Wired Gallery, The Rep Gallery in Albany, and The Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.