Gochman Family Collection Opens Branchline In Hudson Valley

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Gochman Family Collection (GFC), known for its extensive holdings of contemporary Indigenous art, has opened a new public exhibition space called Branchline in Katonah, a town in New York's Hudson Valley. Located less than two blocks from the Katonah train station, the facility held a press preview on Thursday and an inauguration on Friday evening.

Established five years ago, the GFC boasts more than 850 works, making it one of the world's leading collections in its field. While many pieces have been displayed in the New York apartment of founder and custodian Becky Gochman, approximately 200 works are typically on loan to institutions globally. The new space is intended to significantly increase accessibility to the collection.

GFC creative director and curator Rachel Martin (Tlingít) emphasized the organization's commitment to action over rhetoric during the press preview. Martin stated,“It's one thing to articulate a mission, but what matters to me is if I'm putting that language out into the world then I'm making sure that our organization is following that with action.” She envisions Branchline as a hub for community engagement, fostering a sense of ownership among the Native community in its decision-making processes, and introducing Katonah residents to new artists.

The name“Branchline” refers to a railway term signifying a point“where paths diverge and new paths begin,” according to GFC director Laura Pipps. Pipps noted the excitement surrounding the metaphors of both trains and trees, reflecting the institution's aspiration for experimentation and growth. The space will eventually encompass 10,000 square feet across four buildings and will be free to the public.

The initial phase features a three-room gallery on the ground floor, two artist-in-residence bedrooms upstairs, and a ceramics studio downstairs. Architectural renderings reveal plans for a sculpture deck leading to a new barn for large-scale works, which will connect to an Annex for experimental programming. The site will also include a retail store and café called Twig.

Inaugurating the nearly 2,000-square-foot gallery is the exhibition“Line Break,” curated by GFC assistant curator Moonoka Begay (Ndee + Diné) with collection associate Nicola van Brugge. The show, featuring 28 works by 18 Indigenous artists, interprets the concept of a“line” metaphorically, exploring themes such as lineage, borders, horizons, and sound barriers, rather than purely formal qualities.

Highlights include Jaune Quick-to-See Smith's The Spaniard (1988), displayed alongside Sara Flores's Untitled (Shao Pei Maya Kené) (2024), a painting reflecting the Shipibo-Conibo people's worldview. Other featured artists include Teresa Baker with Echoes (2024) and George Morrison's Night Shadows. Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape (1994). The exhibition also presents Nadia Myre's“Code of Construction” series, which draws on wampum belt traditions, and Faye HeavyShield's the red line II (2025).

The centerpiece is Raven Chacon's Storm Pattern (2021–24), a handwoven wool textile paired with a multichannel sound piece. Chacon's work, influenced by the sounds of drones at the 2016 Standing Rock protests, translates the harmonious dissonance of surveillance and counter-surveillance drones into both sound and traditional Diné weaving patterns.

The exhibition also includes a site-specific outdoor installation by Matthew Kirk, and the still-under-construction Annex currently houses drawings by Shuvinai Ashoona. The GFC team plans for the Annex to remain adaptable, allowing artists autonomy in their interpretations of the space. Martin reiterated,“What GFC is doing is not trying to become an institution. It's trying to just meet where things are needed, and a space is definitely needed for art that is outside of the white box that you're used to seeing, so that's what we're offering.”

Source: ARTnews

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