Melissa McGill, an artist who lives in Beacon, was commissioned to create a public installation for the 58th Venice Biennale that she titled Red Regatta to signal concern about the effects of climate change, including sea-level rise, on the city.
Her piece involves a series of orchestrated regattas through November in Venice’s lagoons and canals with 52 flat-bottomed vela al terzo sailboats. Each has a sail painted in one of 50 hues created by McGill:
McGill is shown painting the first sail at Atlas Studios in Newburgh:
And during a preview of the regatta on May 11 in Venice:
A handpainted photo, “Red Regatta (Coppa del Presidente della Repubblica)” (below), was displayed at Magazzino Italian Art in Philipstown, which co-organized the project:
Photos courtesy Magazzino Italian Art
