Christina Varga (b. 1971, Milwaukee, WI) is a self-taught visionary artist living in the Hudson Valley. Her work incorporates a variety of materials including up-cycled and discarded objects, appropriated day-to-day ephemera such as vintage maps and magazines, holographic mylar, tissue paper, and mixed media including paint pens, pastels, acrylic, and oil paints. Her subject matter references pop culture trends, interdimensional pattern, and a repetition of Pixelated squares. In 2003 Christina Varga founded VARGA Gallery in Woodstock, New York. For over a decade she showcased an eclectic variety of cutting edge artists and conceived, planned, publicized, and curated hundreds of exhibitions. She directed and produced the weekly cable access program “Apocalypse VARGA”, an Arts, Culture, and Media Variety Show – a showcase for artists represented by VARGA Gallery as well as musicians, speakers, and other creative industry professionals. Her work has been shown at The American Visionary Art Museum, The Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine, and at Kunsttiendaagse in Bergen, North Holland. Her work is in the collections of Uma Thurman, Grace Potter, Dweezil Zappa, Kate Pierson, and Dave Wakeling. She has been featured in The Sufi Journal, Resurgence Magazine, The New York Times, Chronogram as well as other regional, national, and international publications.
Varga launched the Phoenicia Festival Of The Arts in August 2023 The festival is a town wide event happening every August and spans the entirety of Main Street and includes a Main Street Market for Artists and Artisans in the center of town and plenty of family friendly activities and happenings throughout town. The Phoenicia Festival of the Arts is a project 20 years in the making bringing musical, theatrical and visual events promoting diversity and unique cultural offerings. Christina lives and works in Phoenicia, NY where she fuses her love of gardening, creativity and motherhood. She is the proud mother of two children and a self-proclaimed Art/Garden/Life-ist. Email phoeniciafestivalofthearts@gmail.com
She is currently presenting MADE YOU LOOK at Queen of Rogues in Glenford, NY. This is Varga’s first solo exhibition since masking began and an eclectic collection of a variety of new works including collaged vessels, a “String Theory” series of works incorporating filament, thread and yarn and new mixed media collages, paintings, portraits and VARGA Girls. An outdoor display of Varga’s 16 foot mural featuring luminary and celebrity Daphne Guinness created during the Howl Festival in New York City is planned with 4 other Guinness inspired portraits included in the exhibit including an appropriated Lee Sanna painting “Liverpool” as background to Varga’s original portrait of the Guinness Brewery heiress and muse of the late Alexander McQueen.
Closing party May 31st, 6-9pm. 2440 Route 28, Glenford, NY.
Today, Christina shares deeply and passionately about her life philosophies including how and why art is such a vital part of who and what she does. There are nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout our talk as well as moments intended to inspire. She is currently connecting with folks who want to be a part of this year’s Phoenicia Festival of the Arts, so be in touch if this is you!
You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vargagallery/.
Today’s show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.
Our show music is from Shana Falana!
Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org
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