Art Gallery

Welcome to The Ruth Bauer Neustadter Gallery at HACPAC, a captivating space where both local and professional artists converge to showcase their remarkable talent. Our gallery is a dynamic hub that celebrates the diverse artistic expressions from within our community and beyond.

The exhibition Roots of Light, by artist Amy Ashlyn, offers an immersive exploration of healing depression through the beauty and power of nature. Through

a collection of abstract paintings, the artist captures both the pain and hope woven into a journey of healing. Some works plunge into moments of darkness, expressing deep inner pain with stark contrasts, heavy forms, and raw, emotional intensity. Others radiate renewal, using vibrant earth tones and flowing organic shapes to suggest growth and resilience.

A defining element of the show is the use of rich, three-dimensional textures, built through layered materials that create a sculptural, almost living quality on the canvas. These textured surfaces echo the grounding forces of the natural world — sand, trees, plants, and water — anchoring the emotional narratives in something tangible and authentic.

Through the creative process, Amy chronicles her evolution from silence and pain into strength and empowerment, embodying the transformation from woundedness into a fierce and rooted womanhood. Roots of Light invites viewers not just to witness a personal story, but to find echoes of their own strength within nature’s eternal cycles of survival and renewal.

All are welcome to attend the artist’s reception on Thursday, October 9th, 6-9PM to meet Amy in person and view her work.  Light bites will be shared. Free event, please bring family and friends!

Amy Ashlyn is an autodidact painter with a love for the abstract, which allows her to express and evoke emotions through art. She discovered her unique style of creating a three-dimensional relief on canvas by using joint compound, acrylic paints, wax, etc. She later began using additional mediums, including those she hand selects while in Nature for added textures. Amy searches the depths of our natural world for inspiration; the light and the darkness amongst the shapes in Nature compose a vision within her mind to convey onto a canvas. Her life experiences and the strength within the human heart inspired her to create singular and intriguing paintings. With her unique and expressive vision, every blank canvas is born with a voice.  Through imagination and passion for her craft, she tells her story of healing, evolving, and living a purpose-filled life.

All paintings are sealed with thick coatings to maintain the integrity of each piece’s exquisite colors and shape.

Read Article About Amy Ashlyn

Upcoming Gallery Events

Meet the Curator

Kim Schmitt Thomas

Art Gallery Curator

Kim’s mission for the Gallery at HACPAC is twofold. By bringing compelling and lively exhibitions to the community, Kim hopes to encourage a deeper appreciation for art, as it holds the power to greatly enrich our lives, especially in today’s fast paced, high-tech world. Additionally, while exhibiting the works of more established artists, Kim also seeks out new motivated artists who have built cohesive and intriguing bodies of work. As a full-time working artist herself, Kim is aware of how challenging it can be for emerging artists to be granted gallery exhibitions and believes in offering opportunities for new creatives to show their work. In addition to her work as Gallery Director and Curator for the Gallery at HACPAC, Kim works as the in-house artist at hOMe Store, an interior design and furnishing store in Hawthorne, NJ. There, she paints original pieces in her studio and also creates commissioned works specifically for clients’ spaces. Kim is also represented by Barsky Gallery of Hoboken, NJ, CINQ Gallery in Dallas, TX, The Art Collective Gallery in Rogers, AR, and also exhibits at Glen Hansen Studios in Southold, NY, as well as the Gallery at HACPAC. Kim’s work hangs in both private and corporate collections across the country, and has been featured in (201) Magazine, The Bergen Record, The New York Times, Furniture Today, Dallas Style & Design Magazine.