MEGAN COLLINS
Reflections on Asia: Mixed Media Paintings, Drawings & Collages
January 10 through February 14, 2010

They Might be Dragons, detail
42x54" oil pastel and watercolor on black ink paper

The H. Pelham Curtis Gallery at the New Canaan Library was pleased to host Megan Collins - Reflections on Asia.

The legend behind the painting above holds that ambitious carp exhibit enormous perseverance by swimming upstream against the strong current and jumping a mythological gate in order to become dragons.  To the artist, the piece is subtly political because it represents the Taiwanese Pan Green coalition pressing for independence from, and equality with, "Big China."

Many of the pieces in the show are from the artist’s time in Taiwan, and after, when Collins had time to reflect on her adventures.  Most are mixed media or collage and are made from papers she found in Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and America. 

Collins explains: In a sense the papers document my tourist travels in Asia and my trips back home, connecting the dots of my experiences.  My observations about the enigmatically exotic lands of the East and the frustratingly beautiful country that is my own provide the inspiration for my works.  I hope you enjoy them.

About the artist:  Megan Collins graduated magna cum laude from Hartford Art School/University of Hartford with a major in writing and printmaking.  She holds an MS Art Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a teaching degree in Art.  Megan currently teaches art to first, second and third grade students at Hurlbutt Elementary and Weston Intermediate School in Weston.  During the summer, she teaches at the Personal Fulfillment Art Camp at the Saxe Middle School in New Canaan. Her husband Duffy Franco's family are long-time New Canaan residents.

This exhibit was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Susie Salomon and Laura Einstein. Gallery hours are Mon.-Thurs., 9-8, Fri.-Sat., 9-5. Sun, noon – 5.

KAREN KAAPCKE
Drawings & Paintings
November 29, 2009 through January 4, 2010


Fatigue

The H. Pelham Curtis Gallery at the New Canaan Library announces the opening of Karen Kaapcke - Paintings and Drawings on Sunday, December 6, with a reception at the Library from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.

Karen Kaapcke's paintings are often based on the relationship between the observer and the observed. As she explains: "When I paint a figure I am involved in the question of the gaze of the subject, the relationship that ensues when the model/subject refuses eye contact, or grants it only fleetingly - hiding and revealing at the same time.

Although at times, when the back of a head might seem more like an object, the engagement always remains as a kind of tension."

Karen also explores what it means to paint: "to develop the intensity of flesh tones, the play of light on form..." Although grounded in classical painting techniques, her work has a contemporary, conceptual element; ever-evolving and fresh.

After having studied sculpture in NYC with Barney Hodes, and drawing and painting with Ted Seth Jacobs at his studio (Ecole Albert Defois) in France, she won many awards and scholarships; among them a full scholarship to the National Accademy of Design in New York City.

Karen has taught drawing and painting at Parsons School of Design and Crosby Street Painting Studio. During the school year she teaches private and small groups out of her studio in East Harlem. Summers are spent in France with her architect husband and two children, where she views with a fresh eye each year the French countryside and its people.

This exhibit was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Susie Salomon and Laura Einstein. The exhibition will run through January 4, 2010.Gallery hours are Mon.-Thurs., 9-8, Fri.-Sat., 9-5. Sun, noon – 5.

SUSAN BAKER & JOAN WHEELER
An Alternate Universe
October 18 through November 23, 2009

Susan Baker, Winging It One

Joan Wheeler, A Dog's Life

Susan Baker and Joan Wheeler each have their own individual and unique creative styles. Joan Wheeler’s boxed assemblages and dioramas contain a mixture of vintage dolls, toys, and images that express her interest in the unexpected juxtapositions of objects, emotions, and events in everyday life. Ms. Wheeler explained: I am what is termed “a serious collector” or “an object addict” and have spent countless hours of my life in search of those special objects that speak to me… For years I have used this growing pile of stuff to serve as props for the miniature worlds that I stage and photograph or construct as boxed dioramas, or large-scale installations covering several thousand square feet for major museums.

Susan Baker creates her freestanding forms with found objects, papier-mache, metal pieces, wood, plastic, and clay and loves knowing that many of her materials had a previous. Her two modes of working, with ink, gouache and collaged images on a flat surface and with the three dimensional forms seem to balance and reflect one another. Susan Baker has said: After many years of working mostly in two dimensions in mixed media, I began a few years ago exploring various ways to let the materials speak for themselves in a more direct way, to step off the paper or canvas and inhabit real space.I like to allow the dynamics of form, color and image to come together and take on their own identity, inviting the artist and viewer to explore deeper levels.

Both artists created an enjoyable, unique and fascinating ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.

“An Alternate Universe” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators are Laura Einstein and Diane Kerner. Gallery hours are Mon.-Thurs., 9-8, Fri.-Sat., 9-5. Sun, noon – 5.

EDITH BORAX-MORRISON
Penweave Drawings
pen and ink drawings
September 6 through October 12, 2009

Penweave Drawings is an exhibit of abstract, “woven” images with intricate patterns, drawn with pen and ink in color and black and white, many in the shape of a mandala.


Betrothed, pen and ink, 30 x 30

Artist's Statement:

"For many years I have been fascinated with the magical and religious significance of hair and weaving. From early fairy tales to biblical references, the importance and power of hair and body adornments has influenced my work. I identify with Arachne from mythology condemned to weave endlessly as punishment for challenging the goddess Minerva's reputation as the greatest weaver.

I call my drawings "Penweaves." The process generates and defines my artwork. Confronting a blank paper, pen in hand, abstract free-flowing "woven" linear images emerge from my unconscious. At a crucial point I assess the composition and the patterns, making changes and additions based on my formal training and my present emotional response to the work."

DEBRA SCHAFFER
Step Into the Third Dimension
3-D mixed media photo collages
June 27 through August 31, 2009


Come to the Fair

About the Artist:

The art of Debra Schaffer was on view in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery at the New Canaan Library from June 27 through August 31. The exhibit will opened with a reception for the artist on Saturday, June 27 from 3 -5 p.m.

Debra Schaffer has been creating her three dimensional photo collages for nearly 20 years, making the move from sculpture after acquiring a camera. Traveling with her retired husband, Schaffer finds that many of the scenes they come upon—across America and in Europe—“speak to her” and inspire her to take the many photographs required to capture all the detail of a place. She cuts out and recombines images of the scene and arranges them with bits and pieces of small objects to express her experience of a place.

In her words, “I take hundreds of photographs of a scene, cut them up like puzzle parts, and reassemble them into a dimensional multi-layered collage. The photographs are my paint. The finished work has a focus and composition that becomes the essence of the place or event without being an exact reproduction.” Her pieces range in size from the very small—a few inches square—to 3-by-4 feet.

Schaffer has been exhibiting her art, primarily in New York and Connecticut, since the mid-1970's. Her pieces have won many awards, including Best in Show at the New Canaan Society for the Arts' "Spectrum" show in 1999. She was also awarded First Prize for Mixed Media at more recent Spectrum shows and at the Founders Show, Art Society of Old Greenwich, and Ridgefield Guild of Artists Annual Juried Competition for many years. She is a member of several artists’ guilds and art societies, including the Silvermine Guild.

“Step Into the Third Dimension” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Eva McCarrick and Betty Stern.

Artist's Statement:

"I make art out of everyday experiences. I portray the mundane that is often overlooked, undervalued, or taken for granted. Old and mysterious doors and windows, hardly noticed pastoral vistas, and the hustle and bustle of markets and streetscapes become my subjects.

I take hundreds of photographs of a scene, cut them up like puzzle parts, and reassemble them into a dimensional multi-layered collage. The photographs are my paint. The finished work has a focus and composition that becomes the essence of the place or event without being an exact reproduction.

I think like a sculptor. I never see flay. My art is three-dimensional because I bring thirty years of stone and woodcarving to my collages. I always see perspective and want viewers to be pulled into my experiences and share the events and places I have seen."
- Debra Schaffer

WINDOWS, LOOKING OUT, LOOKING IN
An international exhibit of children's art assembled by Creative Connections, a nonprofit cultural exchange organization.
May 15 - June 15, 2009

More information >>

STIMULUS
New painitngs by Allen Wittert
April 5 - May 11, 2009

Absolute Escape acrylic on canvas, 52" x 42"		Three Sisters of Southport acrylic on canvas, 46" x 42"

Allen Wittert, a US citizen born in South Africa, is intent on bringing his brand of dynamic painting to his US audience and making a name for himself in the art world.  Beginning his art career here as the storyboard artist for the AFLAC Duck commercials, he has since had five solo shows in Fairfield and Westport showcasing his colorful large acrylics, which straddle abstract expressionism and contemporary figuration. He resides in Fairfield with his wife and two young boys, and works out of the renovated Armstrong Steel Factory in Bridgeport on Knowlton Street.  “Stimulus” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators are Karen Ferguson and Grace Connell.

JOHN GRUEN / OBJECTS, FLOWERS
An exhibit of silver gelatin photoraphic prints
February 22 - March 30, 2009

Canning Jars, New York, 2006	American Beauty, New York, 1998

“Since the inception of my career the distinctive concern of my work has been to create images falling inside the tradition of the classic still life employing the medium of black-and-white film photography and darkroom printing. The quality of illumination forms the principal unifying element: all exposures are made within the confines of the studio, using studio strobes or daylight.” - John Gruen

“John Gruen /Objects, Flowers” an exhibit showcasing the silver gelatin photographic prints artist John Gruen was on display in the H. Pelham Gallery at the New Canaan Library February 22 - March 30. Gruen, a resident of Delaware County , New York , has been exhibiting his photographs since 1976, when his work was chosen for a show at the Helios Gallery in New York City . Since then, many corporate and public entities, including Reader’s Digest, Schlumberger Limited, Bibliotheque Nationale, and the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art, have acquired pieces for their collections.

The objects referred to in the show’s title are commonplace American objects—saws, chisels, eggbeaters, medicine bottles, corn sickles. These ‘found objects’ from farm auctions and flea markets, scarred with cracks, dents, scratches, dirt, and rust, reference the mores of their old-line American users.

Also included in the exhibit were images from Gruen’s “Flowers” series. These images complement the objects mood and lighting, as they were taken in sunlight. Gruen was a resident artist at four art colonies to work on the series: Yaddo, MacDowell, the Constance Saltonstall Foundation, and the Weir Farm Art Center . The Richard Florsheim Art Fund also awarded him a grant in support of the project. Critic Patricia Rosoff described these flower images as “a perfect marriage of simplicity and attention to detail, of scale and subject, and best of all, a gift of poetry.”

“John Gruen /Objects, Flowers” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curator was Susie Salomon .

SONIA LYNN SADLER: COLORIST
An exhibit of paintings, linocuts, wax-resist works and illustrations
January 11 - February 16, 2009

Celebrating Juneteenth

The Sojourners

The art of Sonia Lynn Sadler was on view in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery at the New Canaan Library from January 11 through February 16. Sonia Lynn Sadler, artist and designer, was born at Fort Riley , an army base in Kansas . As a result, she traveled a great deal as a child, but eventually found herself at the Maryland Institute College of Art studying fine arts and illustration. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City . Sadler has had a career in fashion, working as designer for Anne Klein, Jones New York and Liz Claiborne. Her accessories have been featured in The New York Times and Women's Wear Daily. The Hallmark Golden Key Award was presented to Sonia for her work at the Hecht Co. in Washington D.C. Sonia's artwork has been featured in the Washington Post, Valentine New York , Washington Woman, The Daily News, Washington Woman, Essence and the Gleaner, and The New York Times. Sonia also has illustrated children’s picture books including “Ma Dear’s Old Green House” and “The Goat Goes to Town.” " Sonia Lynn Sadler: Colorist” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Diane Kerner and Laura Einstein .

DIANA MOORE
Forms in Bronze and Steel
November 30, 2008 - January 5, 2009

Prickly Purse, closed

Prickly Purse, opened

Diana Moore’s sculptures are of purses and vessels. Her purse shapes, cast in carbon steel, rusted and weathered, sometimes assume a female form. With a precise and detailed exterior and interior each represents both the public and private self. As a purse, it is a personal possession that can be seen as a symbol of bounty and inheritance. Many are inspired by other cultures and ancient civilizations: some have an African feel, another one looks like a Japanese teapot. Moore ’s vessels are a kind of comic exploration of self expression, a giving forth of one’s creative energy. Each has an oversized mouth, a derriere, and a body in between with a decorative skin. They are made of bronze with a silver nitrate patina. Diana Moore was born in 1946 in Norfolk , Virginia , and studied art Northern Illinois University and the University of Iowa . Moore was commissioned by the General Services Administration’s “Art in Architecture” program to produce award-wining public art at the Federal Courthouses in Newark , NJ , Concord , NH , and Lafayette , LA.  Her work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washingto , DC, and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and JP Morgan Chase in New York. “ Forms in Bronze and Steel” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curator was Susie Salomon.

Liz Whitney Quisgard
Pattern and Structure

October 19 - November 24, 2008
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

The Minotaur Story
woodcuts by
Donald Axleroad

September 7 - October 13, 2008
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

The Minotaur in the Labyrinth, detail

Woodcuts by artist Donald Axleroad were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from September 7 through October 13. The exhibit, The Minotaur Story will opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, September 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery. The large-scale woodcuts in this series depict important scenes and players in the eponymous myth: King Minos of Crete and his queen, Pasiphae; Ariadne and Theseus; Icarus, Bacchus, the White Bull and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Mythology offers the artist “a chance to express visually the opposing forces of good and evil, the fear and hope that humanity is all about.” Further information about this artist and his work can be found at donaldaxleroad.com. The Minotaur Story was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Laura Einstein and Eva Chou McCarrick . Gallery hours are Mon.-Thurs., 9-8, Fri.-Sat., 9-5. Sun, noon – 5.

New Canaan Impressions - A Juried Show

June 28 - August 25, 2008
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Botanicals - Prints by Eve Stockton

April 6 - June 23
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Prints by Weston artist, Eve Stockton, were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from April 6 through May 12. The exhibit, “Botanicals” opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, April 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

The large-scale woodcuts from her series “Bloom,” “Woodland Landscapes” and “Evolutionary Landscape,” explore change and transition in the natural world, as well as individual forms and phenomena. The artist has degrees in architecture from Yale and Princeton University and it follows that the study of structures in nature is evident in her work. Light and color are also play an important role.

Eve Stockton has exhibited her award-winning work in many venues throughout Connecticut and New York . She is a member of several artists’ associations, including the Silvermine Guild of Artists, and is affiliated with the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk . Further information about this artist and his work can be found at www.evestockton.com.

“Botanicals” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curator was Susie Salomon.

Artist’s Statement:

Nature, science, myth and memory all provide inspiration for my artwork. With a focus on large-scale woodcuts, my recent prints are evocative of landscapes and cellular activity.  Utilizing a multifaceted background in architecture and art, I engage the variables of printmaking to produce an ongoing body of nature-based, graphic images.

The majority of my prints are printed from three-foot square woodblocks. Several of my prints, such as Woodland Landscape III and Evolutionary Landscape, have imagery that can grow left-to-right further blending process and content. I can deepen my investigation of a subject by repeating three-foot increments and growing the imagery to 6’, 9’, 12’, and so forth. In addition, there is unlimited potential to expand these prints into dynamic installations, such as the 21’ Clouds into Water Series. Typically each set of woodblocks is printed to make a small edition of 5-10 prints along with trial proofs and variable proofs. The “Bloom” series is a variable edition of colorful prints that can be exhibited individually or can be grouped in dynamic clusters.

My prints are about nature. Nature’s creative force is evoked by probing states of dynamic transition in general, and rhythms of individual forms and phenomena in particular. Organic patterns combine w/ shifts of light and color in a visual tapestry of abstracted forms. The subject matter of these nature-based prints seems familiar at first. Upon closer observation, however, the imagery is rendered to suggest dichotomies, such as order/chaos, fragility/fecundity, and microcosm/macrocosm.

A curator described a recent print as having “a science-fiction feel”. While my imagery might have both an alluring and a forbidding quality, my main goal is simply to give elemental things a new expression. My woodcuts reflect observations of the outdoors plus an eclectic interest in science. They stem from a compulsion to record and analyze. There’s an environmental reference, but not in a didactic way.  These large prints, especially in their expanded forms, can challenge how one perceives the natural world by begging contemplation of the most basic elements of life.

Wild Life - Paintings by Nancy Moore

February 24 - March 31
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Mosaic

Mate

NANCY MOORE There are many ways to unlock parts of ourselves. For Nancy Moore, the key was a box of crayons. In 1998, she treated herself to a deluxe 96-pack of Crayola crayons. She opened the lid, and the scent transported her to the cool green linoleum floor of her childhood playroom, where she had spent hours drawing. The smell and feel of those crayons, coupled with her reverence for nature, led her to paint her first chameleon, entitled “Self-Portrait,” showing that people change their colors often in order to fill many different roles. The materials used in the paintings are watercolor, crayon, colored pencil, and graphite. The crayons are applied within the barest pencil outline of a creature. When the watercolor is laid on top, a wax relief, or batik effect, is created. Layers of crayon, paint, and pencil are drawn and painted until a fabric of woven texture appears. In some cases, animal and background merge to become a kind of landscape. Although these creatures do exist - ever more fleetingly - in nature, Moore ’s interest is in developing the possibilities in their colors and design, rather than in their faithful representation. Playfulness is important, and a willingness to look at what’s underneath. Recently, Nancy has been shifting her focus from images of animals to the concept of transformation and evolution from animal to human, playing with the idea of shape-shifting and creation myth. A resident of Ridgefield and former editor at Yale University Press, Moore has always been a “stealth artist,” never having studied art formally. While a student at Trinity College , she took art courses as independent studies, moving cautiously from black-and-white pen and ink drawing into the sea of color under the guidance of Pro fes sor George Chaplin, who was a student of Josef Albers at Yale. Twenty-five years and two children later, she took the plunge into full-color self expression and hasn’t looked back. Juggling her editing and painting careers ever since, Moore has been looking for balance between the written word and the painted image. She composes bits of prose that appear on many of her pieces, words that speak to the viewer about the fragility of both the natural environment and human relationships. In 2006, Moore was invited to exhibit at Yale University ’s Environmental Sciences Center at the Peabody Museum . Her solo exhibition ran for one year and featured an ever-shifting menagerie of 19 reptiles, birds, insects, and other creatures in mixed media. Today her paintings and prints hang in homes from Vermont to California . Nancy Moore is a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists and the Ridgefield Guild of Artists. The exhibit, Wild Life, was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Curators were Diane Kerner and Judy Pollack .

Nancy Flavin - A Celebration of Her Life and Art
Sculptures

January 13 - February 18
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Dressed for the Times

NANCY FLAVIN

“A Celebration of the Life and Art of Nancy Flavin,” an exhibit of Nancy Flavin’s sculptures was on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from January 13 through February 18.

Nancy Flavin, a long time resident of New Canaan , was perhaps best known by her friends and family as an artist.  Although her artistic creativity was expressed in other ways earlier in her life, it was her passion for sculpting that would ultimately define her. A style often referred to as “whimsical and complicated” was as much a description of her life as it was her artwork. It was this combination of emotions that became her signature.

Nancy was a loyal and committed member of The New Canaan Sculpture Group for a very long time. She loved working there and spending time with her friends. Her sculptures in terra cotta and bronze garnered many awards, including the top sculpture award, the Mollie and Albert Jacobson Memorial Award, for her bronze sculpture, ‘Book People’ in Silvermine’s “Art of the Northeast U.S.A.” 

Juror Maurice Tuchman praised the work as “Terrifically complicated, but it has a single vision, well articulated in a very intense manner.” The artist’s family has since made a gift of this piece to the New Canaan Library. Flavin’s work also placed first in the 2002 Old Greenwich Art Society competition and the Carriage Barn’s 2000 Spectrum Show, and won first prize in the Rowayton Art Center in 1998 and 1999. Nancy passed away in 2005. Her art represents one woman’s life, and the expression of a passion that filled her soul. What a gift and now a celebration. “A Celebration of the Life and Art of Nancy Flavin” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Ruth Smithers and Susie Salomon.

Book People

Micahel Torlen - The Ocean is Blue and Black
Works on Paper

December 2, 2007 - January 8, 2008
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Last Blue-Fin (Love and Theft 3) 2006, Monoprint, 20" x 36"

MICHAEL TORLEN Michael Torlen is a painter and printrmaker, born in San Diego into a Norwegian commercial fishing family. His major series of works, “Songs for My Father” and “Sanger Fra Mor” (“Songs From Mother”) totaling thousands of images reflect his memories of a youth spent on a boat with his father and his own experience on the sea as a commercial fisherman. They are strong, powerful images that evoke a range of feelings, including one of respect for nature’s beauty and intensity. Torlen has a studio in Port Chester , NY , and is one of the founding faculty members of the School of Art +Design at SUNY Purchase, where he still teaches. He also paints on frequent trips to Monhegan Island , Maine .

Artist’s Statement:

In 2002, I completed 1,000 works in my project, Songs for My Father, a body of landscape-inspired pieces in various media, dedicated to my late father, a Norwegian commercial tuna fisherman.  I painted the landscape, a long-standing Nordic subject, in and around Acadia National Park , Maine , during the 1980's, and have worked on Monhegan Island during the summers since 1995. 

In winter 1999, while an artist-in-residence at Weir Farm, a national historic site administered by the National Park Service, in Wilton , CT , I began to explore the woodlands as a complement to the seacoast.  In 2001, I was a visiting artist at Weir Farm. My most recent series, Sanger Fra Mor, dedicated to my mother, is an ongoing visual essay.  Working across media in paintings, watercolors, drawings and monotypes I use commercial fishing, oral history and nostalgic images to explore memory, identity and maritime history.  For this project, I draw upon my experiences both as a young boy aboard ship with my father, and as a crewmember on a commercial fishing vessel.  My connection to this subject continues during summer visits to Monhegan Island , Maine where I paint outdoors as well as research the resources of the Monhegan Museum .

In my studio practice I make oil paintings and works on paper, including monotypes.  My imagery develops from direct landscape and studio painting, photography, and memories.  I often work in series, using repetition, simplification and variation of image and media, to structure narratives.  My monotypes combine old and new technology in multiple layers--computer editing, digital printing and traditional printmaking methods, including plate lithography, silkscreen, and handwork.  The layering of these processes serves as a metaphor for memory.

In my work, the persistence of memory, stages of life, the environmental crisis, and the empty ocean are thematic subtexts. – Michael Torlen

The Ocean is Blue and Black by Michael Torlen ws sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Laura Einstein and Susie Salomon.

Torrance York - Point of Place

October 21 - November 26, 2007
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

About the Art and Artist

The photographs of Torrance York were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from October 21 through November 26.

TORRANCE YORK is an artist and educator. She earned an MFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design and a BA from Yale. York’s current still photography work includes three series of landscape images, Selections, Functional Ground and the new Urban Coordinates series, and a developing series documenting children, Caution: Children at Play.

York explains, “ Science and technology have given us new ways to catalog our world and our whereabouts. I title each landscape image with the date and the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the point from which it was photographed.

I am drawn to the systematic nature of this technology. However, the images that are anchored by the longitude and latitude are my subjective response to that specific place and point in time. Each coordinate, simple in number, in fact represents a living environment with its own character and narrative.”

Photographed with a shallow depth of field and often at ground level, these images draw the viewer’s attention to the specific details of the scene—to the microcosm within the given ecosystem.

The Point of Place exhibition includes images from York ’s Functional Ground series, which explores the visual terrain of a working dairy farm and the surrounding roads and fields; images from the artist’s new series, Urban Coordinates, shot in Brooklyn , NY ; as well as images from her earlier series, Selections. The Selections series was created before York purchased her first GPS reader, but the importance of specificity of place was still at the core of the work.

Myron Polenberg - Paintings

September 9 - October 15, 2007
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

About the Art and Artist

The paintings of Myron Polenberg were in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from September 9 through October 15. The exhibit will opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, September 9 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

MYRON POLENBERG is an abstract painter living in the Hudson Valley . He has spent a lifetime pursuing art and during the last decade he has devoted his time to working in the studio. His paintings range from large to mural-size canvases and relate to the abstract expressionists.

The theme of presenting fragments or pieces of images to the viewer persists throughout much of Polenberg’s work. By abstracting and deconstructing deeply symbolic images, such as a nation’s flag, the artist diffuses their emotional intensity.

The artist’s flag paintings led him to the deeply emotional and political subject of the Holocaust. Growing up in Brooklyn , survivors of the Holocaust were a compelling presence in his early life. Reflecting back on these haunting childhood memories Polenberg says, “I remember the visceral response I had to the refugees who came with the numbers tattooed on their arms. The number paintings happened as a result of thinking about the Holocaust and all those people who might have survived. As an artist I wanted to make a contribution so we never forget what people are capable of doing, of losing all their humanity and compassion.”

Myron Polenberg’s paintings have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions in New York City and the Hudson Valley . Recently his tree paintings were shown in a solo exhibition at the Yellow Bird Gallery, Newburgh , NY . The number paintings were shown in a solo exhibition at The Center Hall Gallery at the Hudson Opera House, Hudson , NY . Opening on September 9, 2007 , Polenberg’s paintings will be shown in a solo exhibition at the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery in the New Canaan Library, New Canaan , Connecticut., through October 15.

“Paintings by Myron Polenberg” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Diane Kerner and Judy Pollack.

Hanneke Goedkoop and Kees De Waal- Dreams & Reality Paintings and Prints July 7 - August 27, 2007 in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery
Wings	Dreams & Reality, the prints and paintings of Hanneke Goedkoop and Kees De Waal, were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from July 7 through August 27. The artists held a reception on Saturday, July 7 from 3 - 5 p.m. and Thursday, August 9 from 5 - 7 p.m. in the gallery. Kees De Waal, born in Bussum, Netherlands in 1922, has been making art since he first won a drawing contest at the age of 14. He attended the Higher School for Textiles in Enschede and the Arnheim Art Academy. After a long career as a fashion retailer he rededicated himself to drawing and the graphic arts and started the De Waal Foundation to help needy children in Latin America. Still a very active printmaker, he divides his time between the Netherlands, France, and Greenwich, Connecticut. Also an award winner at a young age, Hanneke Goedkoop considers her painting “a consequence of some kind of need. It is a need to fill some void in one’s self, which I do through painting both the chaos and harmony of nature.” Her work is a blend of old and new techniques that draws on natural elements and personal experience. As a conceptional artist, Hanneke leaves the objective behind in her creative process. A native of the Netherlands, as well, Hanneke now resides in Rowayton after a long stay in Darien. Hanneke attended the Academie of Beaux Arts in Belgium and has studied at The Rowayton Arts Center, the Silvermine Arts Center, and The Center for Contemporary Printmaking, all in Connecticut. Dreams & Reality was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Susie Salomon and Jeanne Siebert.	How Deep is the Ocean, How High is Our Sky Kees De Waal
Cranes Hanneke Goedkoop

Leslie Giuliani - American Primitive
Encaustic Paintings and Collages

May 20 - June 25, 2007
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

About the Art and Artist

The paintings and collages of Leslie Giuliani were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from May 20 through June 25. The exhibit, American Primitive, opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, May 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

Leslie Giuliani’s paintings are primitive in style, more abstract than literal, and individual interpretation. She uses encaustic, an ancient medium of color pigment mixed with wax. It is painted while hot and melted. Depending upon the heat used in the final fusing process, different surface textures are achieved. The hardened wax can be carved like wood and objects can be embedded in the paint providing the opportunity to use a variety of materials in each painting. Carved and cut-out pieces are also appliquéd onto some surfaces. The paintings are quite dimensional. The artist, a self-taught woodworker, adds carved panels and cut-out shapes to her constructions. These can be burned, painted, or left in their raw state to frame the larger images. Combining many pictorial, textural, and carved panels and using stitch-work imagery some works have the look of painted wooden crazy quilts. Smaller works have the look of primitive icons or retablos.

“ American Primitive” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Susie Salomon and Laura Einstein.

Peri Schwartz Interior Perspectives PAINTINGS, PRINTS, DRAWINGS April 8 - May 14, 2007 in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery
Studio VII Oil on canvas, 62" x 40" 2005	Peri Schwartz is a New York artist whose work is in American and European Museum Collections, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of the City of New York; the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and the British Museum . Her work blends realism and abstraction. Most importantly, “The precision of the drawing is essential - just as a musician or dancer uses the structure of the notes, I believe that the discipline of getting the proportions right brings harmony to the work.” Peri is especially pleased to be showing her work, in which books are a prominent element, in a library. "Interior Perspectives” was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Susie Salomon and Laura Einstein. More information about the artist's work can be found at www.perischwartz.com.

Drew Harty
Invisible Views

PHOTOGRAPHS

February 25 through April 2
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Drew Harty composes and manipulates the most extraordinary photographs of water and of objects and reflections in the water. These very large black and white prints have an almost abstract quality that entices the viewer into the image to study more closely this new reality.

The artist suggests, "Look beyond the obvious rocks, mud, and sediments depicted in my photographs, and you may see the transparent layers, depth, and space that fascinates and draws me back to the water’s edge.”

In addition to this series of photographs, Harty has worked on a number of important projects, which include documenting Philip Johnson’s Glass House and landscaping for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and photographing the 1750 Hoyt family home in New Canaan for the descendants of this early New Canaan family.

Mr. Harty lives in upstate Treadwell , New York , and has shown his work in several juried shows in the Northeast. He has taught many workshops in photography and videography to students in many venues, including at the New Canaan High School . Visit www.drewharty.com for more information.

”Invisible Views” is sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators are Ruth Smithers and Jeanne Siebert.

Gail Lee & Gale Parsons
A Dialogue

January 14 - February 19, 2007
in the H. Pelham Curtis Galllery

Paintings and prints by Gail Lee and drawings by Gale Parsons were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from January 14 through February 25. The exhibit opened with a reception for the artists on Sunday, January 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

Gail Lee has a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Georgia . She began her career as a graphic designer in Atlanta , after which she became a serious ceramics artist. Until five years ago she was a professional portrait and fine art photographer. She closed her business to develop her painting and printmaking. She lives in Pound Ridge , NY and is a member of many art guilds, including the Silvermine Guild of Art. Her work has been widely exhibited in Connecticut .

Gale Parsons studied fine art at San Francisco State College and at Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids . She worked for a time at a large architectural firm in San Francisco in the color and presentation department. After moving to the East Coast and raising a family, she established a mural and decorative painting business. Gale lives in Norwalk and is now beginning her eleventh year as Gallery Director at the Rowayton Arts Center . She divides her time between RAC and her studio, which she recently moved to her home after the Remington Building in Bridgeport was sold.

This exhibit is sponsored by the Friends of New Canaan Library Art Committee. Exhibit curators were committee members Diane Kerner and Judy Pollack.

Gail Lee
Artist's Statement:

I approach each new work surrounded by the patterns, textures, images, and colors that I'm naturally drawn to and let intuition take over. With energy and spontaneity - and virtually no preconceived ideas - recurring themes emerge and surprising new ones spring to mind, all of which adds to the mystery, awe, and total joy of the creative process.

Abstract art is a very personal and individual statement. My pieces are inspired by the visual forms in nature and my feelings and emotions. I do not intellectualize when I work, rather I enter that state of consciousness where creativity takes over and I feel more like an observer. When this happens I feel a bit detached from the piece, say thank you and enjoy it. Art is very important to me and I am very grateful for the way it has enriched my life.

Gale Parsons
Artist's Statement:

While I was at the Remington Studio in Bridgeport I began experimenting with graphite powder as a base for my pieces and used erasers as drawing tools, charcoal for definition and pastels and watercolor for touches of color. With these new tools in my art-vocabulary, I was able to express and explore ideas that had been growing in my mind. This series has given me the impetus to keep exploring to see what will come up next.

Most of my work is deeply connected to the natural world and often emerges as trees, sticks, feathers or nests. Drawing has always been my first love and drawing things from nature in all its glorious forms and relating it to life experiences is my passion.

Peter de Sève

Two By Two

Beach Bum

December 3, 2006 - January 8, 2007
n the H. Pelham Curtis Galllery

The art of Peter de Sève was on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from December 3 through January 8. The exhibit will opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, December 3 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

De Sève’s dark humor and sense for witty characterizations has led him to become one of the leading character designers for such feature films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt, Mulan, Tarzan, ABug’s Life, Finding Nemo, and Robots. He was the sole character designer on the Oscar-nominated film, Ice Age and it’s sequel, Ice Age- The Meltdown. De Sève’s illustrations have appeared in most major American magazines, including TIME, Newsweek, Smithsonian, Premiere and Entertainment Weekly. He is also a regular contributor of covers to The New Yorker Magazine.  

Other highlights of the artists’ career include having designed posters for several Broadway shows, and winning a silver Clio award for his work on a NIKE animated television commercial entitled “Destination Moon.” In 2002, de Sève received the distinguished Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, one of the industries highest honors.

De Sève lives in Brooklyn , New York , with his wife Randall and daughters Paulina and Fia. He is a native of Great Neck, New York , and a 1980 graduate of the Parson’s School of Design in NYC.

See more of his work at www.peterdeseve.com.

This exhibit was sponsored by the Friends of the Library Art Committee. Exhibit curators were committee members Susie Salomon, Laura Einstein and Alva Solomon.

Marilyn Kirsch
The Worn City

October 22 - November 27
in the H. Pelham Curtis Galllery

The abstract paintings of Marilyn Kirsch were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from October 22 through November 27. The exhibit, The Worn City, will opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, October 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery. Marilyn Kirsch has been painting professionally since her student days. After graduating from High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she found her way to Boston, Massachusetts where she attended Massachusetts College of Art. She interrupted her studies for several months to live and paint in Rome, Italy. That trip had a profound effect on her work and is in many ways, and in spite of many more opportunities to travel, still an influence on her art. She returned to Boston and received her BFA in 1973.  In 1976 she received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. 

Kirsch describes her art as being “somewhere between abstract and completely non-objective. At times there seem to be recognizable images in my paintings, but these images lack definite boundaries and oscillate between possibilities. I am interested in the tension that occurs when perception is not absolutely clear.”

Kirsch’s work has been exhibited in many cities in the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Palo Alto, Santa Barbara and Iowa City. Her solo exhibitions include shows at the Philadelphia Art Alliance (1999), Akar Architecture & Design in Iowa City (1999) and the University of Szeged in Hungary (2005). Pintura Fresca, a group of which she is a member, will have an exhibit at Gallery 435 in Slough, England, next September. Her work has also been purchased for many private and corporate collections.

She lives in New York City with her husband, Gabor T. Herman, a Pro fessor of Computer Science.

Daniel Root
Abstractions on Copper and Glass

September 10 through October 16
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Within Without, 22" x 17" painting on copper

Untitled, 29" x 24" painting on glass

The art of Daniel Root were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from September 10 through October 16. The exhibit,  Abstractions on Copper and Glass, opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, September 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery..

Daniel Root’s current work is an exciting exploration of the abstract image on surfaces of glass and copper, oftentimes having the added application of paint and beeswax. Root began creating fine art photographs almost twenty years ago and by 1991 he had eliminated the camera from the process, creating beautiful abstract images directly on sheets of color film. He is intrigued by the abstract forms found in nature and the environment, whether in New York City or other locations. Root’s work has continued to expand and evolve ­- as beautifully shown in this exhibit of copper and glass paintings.

The artist’s commercial photography career began in New York City in 1984, where he made production stills for theater, worked on video shoots and television. He also focused on portraiture for entertainment and corporate clients. He continues to work in this capacity and his images may be seen in most major magazines throughout the world.

Daniel Root has exhibited in several New York galleries, as well as galleries in Palm Beach , Wisconsin , Kentucky , Connecticut and North Carolina . He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.

Abstractions on Copper and Glass was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Art Committee members Diane Kerner and Laura Einstein.

James Prosek
Paintings and Drawings

July 1 through August 28
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery



The paintings of artist and author, James Prosek, were on view in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from July 1 through August 28. The exhibit, James Prosek – Paintings, opened with a reception for the artist on Saturday, July 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the gallery.

Easton artist James Prosek is a self-taught artist, accomplished author, activist and fisherman. A 1997 graduate of Yale University, he became well-known with the publication of his first book, Trout: An Illustrated History in 1996. Since then, he has written six books, his latest a children’s book, A Good Day’s Fishing.

Prosek paints tributes to nature, focusing our attention on the loss of the natural environment. The depiction of natural forms is not something new. From Albert Durer to Eugene Delacroix and James Audubon, artists have often looked to nature for inspiration. What sets Prosek's work apart though, is his desire to remove his subject matter from its native environment. Rather than painting fish in their natural habitat, Prosek presents his images in utter isolation thus enabling him to render “the beauty of the forms and the diversity of the shapes and colors.”

Francis Johansen
Paintings and Drawings

May 21 through June 26 , 2006
in the H. Pelham Curtis Galllery

Helping Hands

Francis Johansen was born in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1971. He exhibited artistic ability at an early age, drawing a detailed ballpoint of King Kong grabbing at airplanes before he was six years old. Throughout elementary and high school, he was called upon by teachers to do artwork for special projects; during his junior and senior years in high school, he attended art classes at University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Francis Johansen attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and graduated in 1993 with an emphasis in design. Although he created works with a variety of subjects, architectural studies became a cornerstone of his portfolio. He moved to Denver, where he took part in a number of art shows and eventually had some solo shows, one of which was based on "Bacon," a book of illustrations which he self-published.

His dream was always to move to New York City and in July 2004 he moved to Brooklyn. He created more charcoal and pastel pieces, including a number of large charcoal drawings of New York buildings. In January 2005 he went to Vietnam and returned with a sketchbook of watercolors he had done while there. In early 2005 he made a number of contacts in the art world, and felt as though he was on the way to realizing his dream. One of his meetings was with Susie Salomon, chair of the New Canaan Library Friends Art Committee and curator of this exhibit.

Francis died unexpectedly in May of 2005, but his family decided to hold this show to honor Francis and share his work. He is deeply missed by all who loved him.

Jason Stewart
Paintings on Paper

April 2 through May 15, 2006
in the H. Pelham Curtis Galllery

Bowl of Grapes and Rose

The paintings of artist Jason Stewart were exhibited in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from April 2 through May 15. The exhibit, Paintings on Paper, opened with a reception for the artist on Sunday, April 2.

Mr. Stewart’s still life paintings are deceptively simple and ingenuous. Similar in size, the squares of paper that are the background for the objects he composes are rich and densely pigmented. The objects are a study of color and form. There are no people in a still life. Stewart explains, “But they were there very recently. They left behind the mystery of who they are and why they placed these particular objects on this particular table. A still life painting invites each viewer into someone’s world and offers complete freedom to speculate about the life or lives that caused these objects to appear.”

He likens a still life to a play. The background is the stage on which the objects respond and relate to each other. Each viewer derives a unique story from the work based on his own associations and experiences.

Mr. Stewart has exhibited his paintings in more than 20 one-man and group shows since 1979, and his work is represented in more than a dozen public collections in the United States and Europe .

In addition to being a fine artist, Mr. Stewart is an exhibition designer and curator, and the past director of the art galleries at Skidmore College, SUNY Albany and the College of St. Rose in Albany. He also has a long association with the Corporation of Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, both as an artist in residence and in their development office. Mr. Stewart is currently the Director of Program and Resource Development for the Elizabeth Foundation in New York City, an organization that supports and enhances the creative lives of artists in all disciplines through a variety of innovative financial and art-related programs.

Paintings on Paper by Jason Stewart is sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators are Art Committee members Susie Salomon and Diane Kerner.

Richard Byrnes: Paintings, Prints and Sculpture

February 19 through March 27, 2006
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Over Kansas, monotype

Memories of Vaux, sculpture

The paintings, prints, and sculpture of New Canaan artist, Richard Byrnes, were exhibited in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery from February 19 through March 27.

Richard Byrnes has been showing his work in galleries and juried exhibitions four nearly four decades. His work is both representational and abstract. The artist does not view these as competing approaches, however, since the basis for all of his compositions are the forms and lines that define his subjects. My “Hockey Players,” he explains, “is an abstract design that happens to look like hockey players. My portraits, of course, do look like the sitters, but the entire composition is held in its own space by underlying abstract elements.”

In addition to being a fine artist, Mr. Byrnes is also and educator and entrepreneur. He is the President of Double Diamond Corporation, a company which produces and distributes educational videos in the arts and sciences. Byrnes holds a BFA from the University of Notre Dame and an MFA from Columbia University. He is a member of the Silvermine Artist’s Guild and on the Board of the Greenwich Art Society.

Variations on a Theme by Richard Byrnes is sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators are Art Committee members Laura Einstein and Ruth Smithers.

Leigh Leibel and David Lehner: Photographs

January 8 through February 13, 2006
in the H. Pelham Curtis Gallery

Leigh Leibel	David Lehner

An exhibit of black and white photographs taken by Leigh Leibel and David Lehner was exhibited in New Canaan Library’s H. Pelham Curtis Gallery January 8- February 13, 2006.

Leigh Leibel is a writer and fine arts photographer who casts the eye of a documentarian on the world around her to “call attention to the ineffable in the ordinary.” Her work has been shown in many juried exhibitions in the Northeast and has received many awards, including an “Award of Merit” from Jordan Kantor of MoMA and an “Award of Excellence” from the Yale University Art Gallery . She is also a 2005 juried artist member of the Silvermine Guild. Leibel received an “Honorable Mention” in the Golden Light Awards 2005 Competition for her Coney Island portfolio, which will be on exhibit in the Library. She is a graduate of Sweet Briar College in Virginia and studied at The International Center for Photography in New York City.A former executive producer with CNN, Leibel now lives with her husband and two step-daughters in New Canaan , where she is working on a book documenting the lives of teenage girls and taking photographs “for the sheer joy of making images of the world around her.” David Lehner holds a doctoral degree in English and American Literature and is the Chair of the Middle and Upper School English Department at Rye Country Day School in Rye , New York . He studied photography in high school in Bucks County , Pennsylvania , and pursued this interest while on a tour of duty in Europe with the U.S. Army. Lehner is a realist who believes that “photography shows its greatest strength the more closely it adheres to the truth.” He shoots with a “normal” camera lens in natural light and keeps any manipulation of his images to a minimum. Says Lehner, “I am drawn to scenes of peace and subtle harmony, if only to assure myself that such places still exist in our world.”

David Lehner’s photographs have been exhibited in galleries in the New York metropolitan area. He lives in Pound Ridge with his wife and three children.  

Photographs by Leigh Leibel and David Lehner was sponsored by the Art Committee of the Friends of New Canaan Library. Exhibit curators were Art Committee members Diane Kerner and Susan LaPerla.