This spring, Rehs Contemporary sets the stage for a sensory overload in New York City. Opening April 9 2016, ‘Synesthesia’ will unveil a body of work from The Ani Art Academies which explores the complex phenomena of joined perception. As you may know, the term synesthesia relates to the idea that a stimulation of one sense, such as seeing an image, causes an additional sensory reaction in another sense, such as hearing a sound. While this sensation is incredibly rare, the talents of the Ani Art Academies will convert you into a synesthete! Stop by and hear the works of art. Feel the colors. Taste the sounds.

The ever-growing Ani Art Academies have expanded their foothold spanning from their flagship studio in Pennsylvania, to the Caribbean and East Asia, with fully functioning studios in Wilkes Barre (PA), the Dominican Republic, Anguilla and Thailand. The roster of participating artists is more diverse than ever before, drawing inspiration from various countries, cultures, and centuries.

Among the many works on display will be Anthony Waichulis’s ( Ani Art Academies’ founder) George and Grace … a work inspired by the 1926 Gershwin musical number, “Someone to watch over me” … and Ani Art Academies’ Anguila instructor Timothy W. Jahn’s Star … a painting which tackles the artist’s belief that: the way contemporary music is presented is all about pageantry. It is less about how good a musician is and more about what they look like. So my image is a portrait of a former lead singer that has “the look”.

This year’s show will be more exclusive than ever as a panel of jurors will evaluate dozens of works and select only the best of the best to represent Rehs Contemporary, the Ani Art Academies and the post-contemporary movement.