Probus
April 22 - May 9, 2026
On view at Equity Gallery, Probus joyfully explores drawing as the probity of creation with thirty-seven artists and over sixty works of art. “Probity” is the quality of having moral principles, honesty and decency. In the context of artistic practice we consider how drawing shows the artist’s truthfulness and goodness. In fact, art historians and appraisers use drawings to confirm the validity of an artwork, signifying that the most simple of markings connote authenticity.
In homage to an exemplary figure in the classical canon of art historical drawing, Raphael Sanzio da Urbino, New York Artists Equity Association (NYAE) invited a diverse group of artists to exhibit what drawing means to their practice. Whether as a tool for exploration, an articulation of process, or as its own chosen medium, the artists in Probus collectively exemplify the boundlessness of drawing as a vehicle for expression.
Probus includes drawing in countless forms. Artists Steven Assael, Brooks Frederick, Patricia Watwood, Daniel Maidman, and Zane York show us the exquisite beauty of figuration, leaving their viewer in awe. Patrick Bayly, Andrew Cornell Robinson, Guno Park, Alaiyo Bradshaw, and Mark LaRiviere exhibit emotive and experimental portraiture in both fine lines and strong contouring. John Kelly, Dulce Lamarca, and Sarah Valeri’s work shows how drawing can be used to articulate and document performance. Peter Drake, Ben Prichard, and Peter Schenck’s bold drawings provide an impressive range in what drawing as a medium can accomplish through different textures. Sharilyn Neidhardt’s coloring book series invites public engagement by offering prints of her drawings for viewers to purchase, take home, and enjoy coloring in themselves. Sunny Chapman, Marianne Gagnier, and Becky Kinder show us how simple marks and lines form full compositions. Matt Rota, Andra Samelson, and Manju Shandler’s graphic images embody the energy of illustration and storytelling. Daniel G. Hill, Dianne Smith, and Mary Schiliro’s pieces exhibit how drawing is a tool for studying and process for the artist. Meer Musa, Kristin Kunc, Katherine Jackson, Selime Okuyan, and Christine Lepp’s pieces show exploration in landscape, how drawing can be a tool for scenic expression. Mary Flinn, Peter Bonner, Gordon Fearey, and Melanie Berardicelli’s drawings vibrate with color, demonstrating the innate playfulness associated with drawing as a basic human form of expression. Julien Gardair and Melanie Vote’s works are examples of how drawings can be installations, taking up physical space as sculptural pieces they extend our understanding of what drawing can be.