RIP: Nadia Trinkala, 1966-2011
We are so very saddened by the death of Nadia Trinkala, one of the brightest rays of light on the Nippertown art scene. She was 44 years old.
Trinkala was an artist, as well as a former arts gallery owner. Back in 2002, she opened the Trink Gallery on the second floor of her spacious retro furniture/home furnishing store on Remsen Street in Cohoes. Although the gallery was short-lived, it hosted the stellar exhibition “Visions and Vibrations: The Visual Art of Musicians,” featuring work by George Frayne (aka Commander Cody), Tom D’Ambrose, John Caldwell, Buck Malen, Chip Fasciana, Sergio Sericolo, Theresa Burns Parkhurst and others.
A beautiful woman and a most supportive and encouraging spirit, Trink will be deeply missed.
UPDATED 4/18: There’s a wonderful new Nadia Trinkala Memorial Site.
UPDATED 4/14: A Celebration of Life service will be held for Nadia at 2pm on Saturday, April 30 at the Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes. Friends and relatives are welcome. For those wishing to remember Nadia in a special way, donations in her memory may be made to Rensselaer County ARC, Residential Services, 79 102nd St., Troy, NY 12180 or to Living Resources, Carriage House Arts Program, 300 Washington Ave. Ext., Albany, NY 12203.
Obituary at The Times Union
Lauren Stanforth’s story in The Times Union
David Brickman’s story at Get Visual
Stephen Leon’s story at Metroland
This is sad, sad news indeed. You are so right when you say Nadia was one of our brightest rays of light. Look at her in the picture! Radiant. She always was, whenever you saw her. I remember the exhibits she mounted at Trink. Not that many, but man, they were *events*. Everyone turned out. I saw her not too long ago at a restaurant on Troy Night Out. Beautiful as always. Her passing is deeply felt.
The “Visions and Vibrations” show got me back into performing after taking over a decade off. I didn’t really know Nadia, but it is not too much to say that single a event she hosted changed my life. I will always be grateful. Rest in peace, Trink!
Oh, no. Trink was so supportive of me when I was taking my baby steps as an artist. The same show Tom Lindsay mentioned above gave me my launch as a painter, and put me back in touch with Tom, who I have been playing music with again ever since.
She was sweetness personified and she will be missed.
Didn’t know Trink personally, but I met her at her fabulous store in Cohoes. Loved her taste and the atmosphere of the store. What a loss…
One of the core members of an art group that I created in 2009 for creative women called The Swan Sister’s Society. She was our “Sister Trink Moon Beam.” We are all devastated and shocked. We just spent a wonderful day together as a group at my house discussing our latest artistic ventures and she brightened our whole day. Deeply saddened and we love her now and always! Your Swan Sisters,
Kali, Onna, Debbie, Lisa, Amanda, Erin, Ashley, Miriam, Eve, Gina and all.
I met Nadia in the early 2000s when she had a storefront in Cohoes with vintage furniture. She was so gracious as to allow me to bring a crew of over 30 people into her store on a weekend afternoon and basically take over for the day to film a portion of my music video “So Long Baby.” She never even asked for a dime! She was someone who was always looking out for other artists and expanding that community as much as she could through her own creativity and knowledge. It was easy to find friendship in such a person and she will be greatly missed amongst all those whose lives she touched.
My memories of Nadia are associated within the neighborhood and the George Washington School, formerely Brunswick Common School District. When I first met Nadia as a youngster my biggest task was to keep Nadia and her friend, Natalie’s, names straight. Her brother Michael was a classmate of my daughter. I am sorry to say I was not aware of her impressive accomplishments in the art and local business world as I would have liked to have visited her enterprises. It is with sadness that I express my family’s and my own sympathy to Michael, Diane, and Michael and all family and friends.
Nadia had the most beautiful creative spirit of anyone I have ever known. She inspired creativity in countless numbers of people in upstate New York and New York City, where she had been living for the past few years in DUMBO. Bob Gullie and I were co-directors of
the TRINK gallery in Cohoes and along with Nadia presented Visions and Vibrations: The Visual Art of Musicians, which featured the work of a group of very talented musician/artists. Although Nadia had influenced the regional art scene for many years, Visions and Vibrations was a truly transcending experience for everyone involved and the nearly 1000 people in attendance.
Nadia rocked every city she had a gallery in … Cohoes, Troy, and Hudson. The last time
I spoke to her she wanted me to join her in a project that I feel had the potential to bring her beautiful creative spirit to a global stage. She was committed to changing the world through art and music..