Made You Look Exhibition at Queen of Rogues

By Robert Brune

PHOENICIA — Christina Varga is a magnificently magical human being and artist that everyone should experience. Varga went to school at University of Florida for Journalism & Communications, made her way to NYC where she became inspired by the art scene in the Lower East Side. As she explains, Varga spent her twenties in the city, thirties in Woodstock as an art gallery owner and board member of the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum. She has since settled in Phoenicia in 2009 and as the owner of VARGA Gallery since 2019. 

Varga is wildly talented at promoting her artwork on Instagram @vargagallery, as well as Facebook, with the most incredibly entertaining video clips of her creating art and being such a loving mom to her two children who are often nearby in her social media posts. Varga is what the artworld calls an outsider artist in the way that she doesn’t have any formal training in the arts. Although she describes her inspiration and motivation exactly as some of the most well-educated people in the field of art, as getting into a playful childlike mindset when creating her works. Some of the works are a combination of Varga’s incorporating art pieces created by her children by adding collage and lacquer. 

Varga explains, “Anything I make on these collaborative works with my kids, I split with them fifty/fifty, if they sell.” 

Varga’s work has been shown at The American Visionary Art Museum in the 13th mega exhibit: "All Faiths Beautiful," 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. Varga’s artwork has been featured in The Sufi Journal, Resurgence Magazine, Raw Vision as well as other regional, national, and international publications. “Golden Mosaic Buddha” was the cover art of Chronogram Magazine’s December, 2006 edition.

The Queen of Rogues (QoR) gallery owned by Liz Piccoli is thrilled to be showing Varga’s magnificent collection. Varga’s work bursts with colors using repurposed plastic and items that most people discard such as classic coke bottle caps that can be discovered in several of her works of art. The work is a marvelous reflection of her high energetic personality as a celebration of all that is possible and beyond. Another element of her work is inspired by the work of Alberto Vargas who is known for his Varga Girls which were first featured in Esquire Magazine and then in Playboy. Varga explains, “My friends know I’m into making art out of vintage erotica, so they give me old magazines all the time.” The featured work of artwork is a stunning unmistakable collage portrait of Yayoi Kusama dotted with brightly colorful pom poms. 

At the opening reception this past Saturday, this new gallery QoR located in Glenford on Rt 28 was packed with folks from all throughout the Woodstock and Hudson Valley area. Piccoli is a perfect fit with Varga as she’s got a great welcoming host. Piccoli is also a former dancer and does choreography with the Catskills Foundation productions at the Orpheum Theatre in Tannersville, as well as being a board member of the Phoenician Theater (Directed ‘Love Letters last year). 

In addition to being a mom, artist and gallery owner, Varga launched The Phoenicia Festival of The Arts in beautiful Phoenicia, New York 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. The festival showcases the town center as a gem in the panoply of cultural opportunities in the upstate region.