Coffee with the Artist was an intimate Saturday morning event encouraging the public to engage with artist Alison Van Pelt. Taking place February 21st, 2026 from 11AM-1PM at 150 W 55th Street NYC (Gallery Chang NY), attendees enjoyed catered coffee and sweet treats from GoGoJang cafe next door. The event was designed so that visitors could speak with Van Pelt in depth, a rare opportunity of intensive and direct engagement with an artist for the general public. 

Those who joined us included repeat attendees from the previous Thursday evening’s Opening Reception, as well as new walk-ins from the neighborhood. Dozens of guests came through, many of whom were seeing Van Pelt’s work for the first time. During the visit, gallery owner JunHwan Chang took an iPhone video of Van Pelt in front of her portrait of Chris Cornell of her S’aints series. The portrait, in the left section to the gallery entryway, was dubbed off-camera by Van Pelt and her friends as “the hot guy corner,” with Cornell joined by portraits of David Beckham and Jesus Christ. Van Pelt has a good sense of humor–reflected again in her portraits of Rupert Murdoch and Pete Doherty, which both are accompanied by the phrasing, “I’d Be Loaded,” a play on words referencing Murdoch’s wealth and Doherty’s rockstar cocaine habit.

When asked about these pieces, Van Pelt noted the connection and added that Doherty used to date supermodel Kate Moss. The reference to celebrities and the use of celebrity as a type of iconography is woven throughout the exhibition, though not a sole theme. Van Pelt’s work is clearly influenced by Hollywood, which makes sense considering the artist is based in Los Angeles, the U.S. (and world’s) celeb epicenter. As aforementioned, Van Pelt’s themes are not limited to stars. Much of her work includes more obscure references to art history, revealing a deeply intelligent mind: Van Pelt was formally trained in both California and Florence. Her website cites Agnes Martin, Robert Rauschenberg and Yayoi Kusama as key influences.

Of Kusama, Van Pelt noted during the event that early in her career, Kusama had written an unsolicited letter to Georgia O’Keeffe, and that the latter artist, far more established at the time, responded.

In the ensuing correspondence, one piece of advice from O’Keeffe to Kusama stands out:   “show your art to everyone you can.”

Gallery Chang is happy to support Alison Van Pelt in such an endeavor.