In the Eye of the Beholder

When artist Antoinette Wysocki arrived in Westchester from London, she set out to find a studio with a sink. She found one at ArtsWestchester, a repurposed bank building that frankly had only one studio available with a sink. So for the next 14 years, she pursued her artistic practice interpreting the beauty, sustainability and rarified exquisiteness of the natural environment. In doing so, she tucked away secret messages beneath the images. Previously, as a student, she had immersed herself in botanical studies at the Smithsonian Institute. Now, with artist and floral designer Shula Wiener, she has created what I call a secret garden in the bank vault at ArtsWestchester, which they call Allurement, based on what they view as the seductive aspect of nature.

As I stepped into the bank vault one day, I was greeted by lush Spanish moss and the aroma of ferns, orchids, monstera, sansevieria, dandelion, and a variety of seasonal flowers. The vault had been transformed into a meditative and mystical space – a living nest of branches, bark, and plants. A path leads to a small desk that invites visitors to write their thoughts and experiences.

The installation is part of the “vault project,” which encourages artists to consider what it means to collect, store, gather and protect valuable things – treasures that enrich our lives. The vault project is intended to commission artists to reimagine a safe space where a creative intervention can spark a meaningful community dialogue about legacy. Visit, engage and refresh in this secret garden that will change, at least for a moment, the way you think and feel. So, until it closes on January 11^th, 2026, it is there for self-reflection.