The Artists Collective of Westport will explore the inner world of physical, metaphysical, and emotional spaces through the visual arts with an all-member show at The Westport Library this summer.
The Artists Collective of Westport’s two-part exhibition will encompass all three of the Library’s galleries — Interiors: A Look Inside in the Sheffer Gallery and South Gallery, and Piece by Piece in the Jesup Gallery.
The two exhibits will open Friday, June 6, and run through Tuesday, July 29, with the artist’s reception and reveal of Piece by Piece to be held on Friday, June 6, from 6 to 8 pm.
For Interiors, each of the Artists Collective members were invited to display a work in the medium of their choice that explores what “interiors” means to them. Contributors this year include Bonnie Edelman, Lynn Carlson, Peggy Dembicer, and Ros Shaffer, as well as Norm Siegel, Suzanne Benton, Julie Leff, Diane Pollack, Miggs Burroughs, Kat Evans, Niki Ketchman, and more.
Piece by Piece is a 6-foot by 8-foot art installation composed of the work of 48 Artists Collective members. Each artist received a 12-inch by 12-inch blank panel along with a 12-inch square section randomly selected from a well-known modern painting. The artists created their individual piece, replicating a part of the larger painting in their own style, without knowing what the final painting will look like until it is revealed at the opening reception.
Each 12-inch by 12-inch “piece” of Piece by Piece will be available for purchase starting the night of the reception. Each square will be $100, with 50% of the proceeds supporting the Library’s art programs and 50% going to the artist. The additional artworks on display in the Sheffer and South Galleries will also be available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds also going to benefit the Library’s art programming. Additional exhibit support is provided by The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center.
“Now in its fourth year, this multi-gallery exhibit with over 100 artists participating showcases the robust visual arts community flourishing in Westport today and continues to be an important and exciting collaboration between the individual artists, the Library, and the community at large,” said Carole Erger-Fass, the Library’s exhibit curator.
The Artists Collective of Westport is a nonprofit organization composed of 150 local artistswho have joined forces to discuss, create, and develop dynamic experiences for the Fairfield County community. The collective is open to all active artists in pursuit of expanding their careers and in developing a strong, diverse arts community.
Join us for a reception for The Artists Collective of Westport’s summer exhibit at The Westport Library, Interiors: A Look Inside, in the Sheffer Gallery and South Gallery, and as the Collective reveals its Piece by Piece installation in the Jesup Gallery.
For Interiors, each of the Artists Collective members were invited to display a work in the medium of their choice that explores what “interiors” means to them. Contributors this year include Bonnie Edelman, Lynn Carlson, Peggy Dembicer, and Ros Shaffer, as well as Norm Siegel, Suzanne Benton, Julie Leff, Diane Pollack, Miggs Burroughs, Kat Evans, Niki Ketchman, and more.
Piece by Piece is a 6-foot by 8-foot art installation composed of the work of 48 Artists Collective members. Each artist received a 12-inch by 12-inch blank panel along with a 12-inch square section randomly selected from a well-known modern painting. The artists created their individual piece, replicating a part of the larger painting in their own style, without knowing what the final painting will look like until it is revealed at the opening reception.
Each 12-inch by 12-inch “piece” of Piece by Piece will be available for purchase starting the night of the reception. Each square will be $100, with 50% of the proceeds supporting the Library’s art programs and 50% going to the artist.
The additional artworks on display in the Sheffer and South Galleries will also be available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds also going to benefit the Library’s art programming. Additional exhibit support is provided by The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center.
The Artists Collective of Westport is a nonprofit organization composed of 150 local artists who have joined forces to discuss, create, and develop dynamic experiences for the Fairfield County community. The collective is open to all active artists in pursuit of expanding their careers and in developing a strong, diverse arts community.
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For more about the Library art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
Westport Local Artists
Visual Arts Collection
Now in its fourth year, VersoFest is rising in the ranks as one of Connecticut’s premier music festivals, delivering on its mission to provide a forum to share knowledge, discover inspiration, and celebrate media in all forms. From April 3 to April 6, The Westport Library’s annual music and media festival promises all of this and more — with four days of insight from industry legends, show-stopping performances, artistic expression, and engaging opportunities for community collaboration.
Commencing this year’s lineup is a Verso Visionary conversation between legendary singer/songwriter Patti Smith and award-winning journalist and rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota on Thursday, April 3. Hit band The Wallflowers follows up with Friday night’s concert on April 4, and the weekend welcomes another Visionary conversation between hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins and Nabil Ayers, president of the record label Beggars Group, on Saturday, April 5.
Prior to Rollins and Ayers taking the stage, Saturday at VersoFest 2025 will be a celebration of boundary-defying artistic expression. Between interactive art exhibits and a graffiti workshop led by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, a weekend family kickoff celebration, and a panel discussion focused on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, featuring an all-star cast of Springsteen collaborators and experts, the Saturday morning and afternoon run of events will be free to attend and open to all.
Saturday starts off with a bang — the VersoFest 2025 Weekend Kickoff Celebration will be a raucous curtain raiser to set the stage for a full weekend of VersoFest events. From 10 am to 12 pm, come celebrate music, media, and creativity in style, with DJs and other fun fare for the whole family.
Taking the stage in the Trefz Forum from 1 to 2:30 pm, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run at 50 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Springsteen’s breakthrough 1975 album — a seminal work that is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock albums of the 20th century. This event is free to attend. Click here to register.
An all-star panel will lead the procession, including Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and the co-producer of Born to Run. Described as a “managerial genius” by Springsteen himself, Appel had a pivotal role in the launch of Springsteen’s career. His mark on the production of Springsteen’s first three albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.; The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle; and Born to Run can be heard decades later in the albums’ musical risk-taking and lyrical romanticism.
“Mike was my musical brother in arms,” Springsteen said in his autobiography Born to Run. “He knew everything about the great groups, the fabulous hit records, every important nuance of the great singers' voices, the greatest riffs, the heart and soul that were in our favorite music.”
Joining Appel is former Columbia Records promotions director Michael Pillot, who spearheaded the album promotion for Born to Run and solidified Springsteen’s quintessential image. From 1974 through 1978, Pillot was directly involved in the promotion of Springsteen’s first four albums on Columbia Records.
Music historians Robert Santelli and Kenneth Womack will also offer insight into Born to Run's legacy. As the current executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, as well as the founding executive director of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Santelli is a Grammy-winning authority in music preservation. Likewise, Womack’s work spans numerous volumes of literary and cultural criticism and poignant commentary for BBC, NPR, ABC’S 20/20, NBC’s Access Hollywood, and more; he also co-wrote the 2024 book, Bruce Songs.
The panel will be hosted by author and pop culture historian Arlen Schumer. In 1978, Schumer was the art director of Thunder Road, the first magazine devoted to Springsteen’s life and music. That same year, he created collateral artwork for two Springsteen concerts, one of which was Springsteen’s legendary Capitol Theater radio broadcast show.
Former music industry executive and Verso Studios advisory board member Dick Wingate will host alongside Schumer. While at Columbia Records, Wingate worked closely with Pillot, managing the marketing of Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town, as well as many other influential rock albums.
Launching in tandem with VersoFest 2025, globally renowned artist 5iveFingaz is bringing his bold signature style to The Westport Library in a series of art exhibits that will provide a vibrant and immersive backdrop to the festival. From March 29 to June 1, his work will span the Library’s Sheffer, South, and Jesup Galleries.
On Saturday, April 5, from 10 am to 2 pm, the South Gallery will feature an Interactive Community Participation Mural designed by 5ive, which will invite members of the community to help fill in and create their own masterpiece during VersoFest. By allowing the viewer to participate in the creation of the artwork, creative immersion and community contribution will be as much a part of the piece as the art itself.
5ive’s immersive exhibit Visual Verses will be displayed in the Sheffer Gallery, transforming the space as it merges the expressive power of visual art with the profound impact of language. Each painting in this collection transcends traditional boundaries by weaving together vivid colors, dynamic compositions, and original phrases crafted to evoke thought, emotion, and reflection. This fusion of imagery and language urges viewers to engage not only with the aesthetics, but also with 5ive’s deeper narratives and intentions behind each piece. More information on 5ive’s Jesup Gallery exhibit is forthcoming.
In addition to his art exhibits, 5ive will also lead two consecutive graffiti workshops, both of which will take place concurrently with the interactive mural. Presented by Verso University, Graffiti 101: Finding Your Voice as a Graffiti Artist will provide a space for participants to tap into their artistic expression and create their own unique pieces using spray paint and markers. This workshop contains two sessions: the first running 12 to 12:45 pm, and the second running 1 to 1:45 pm. Both sessions will cover the same content and are free to attend. Click here to register.
Sunday, April 6, will cap off the weekend with a VersoFest Oral History Podcast live recording with David Letterman Musical Director Paul Shaffer and SNL Tour De Force Christine Ohlman, followed by an afternoon event to close the festival. More details coming soon.
Since 2022, VersoFest has welcomed a number of celebrated global sensations including hip hop legend Chuck D, famed producers Steve Lillywhite and Tony Visconti, Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, the Doors drummer John Densmore, Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, established hit-makers Spin Doctors and the Smithereens, up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs, hip hop originators Tony Crush and DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore, and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
All VersoFest performances, panels, and workshops are free or at market rates thanks to the generous support of donors, community partners, and Library programming funds. A selection of events will be recorded by Verso Studios Crew Call and available on-demand at a later date.
The complete VersoFest 2025 schedule, plus tickets and additional information, can be found here.
Three new art exhibits are currently on display at The Westport Library now through March 25: Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Commentary by Nina Bentley in the Sheffer Gallery, City Sights by Susan Fehlinger in the South Gallery, and Art and Jazz by Jean Krasno in the Jesup Gallery.
A reception for the artists will take place on Wednesday, February 12, from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation of artistic influences, inspiration, backgrounds, and creative processes between the three and Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.
Bentley's work is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array of social issues. Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Social Commentary is a retrospective of decades of her work, composed of sculpture, prints, pen and ink, and multimedia assemblages.
“I got more and more involved in found objects as time went on,” Bentley said. “I’m a big collector. Sometimes, I will get an idea and then I’ll find the materials to make that idea work visually. Other times I will bump into something, like a whole mass of cake choppers — I once got a carton of old knives — or multiples of an interesting material. That sometimes is what starts the project. ... Part of me is crazy wild, part of me is very controlled.”
Born in Brooklyn in 1939, and raised in Great Neck, New York, Bentley attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she studied fine art and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Over her 60 years as an artist, she has lived in Bologna, Frankfurt, London, Zurich, Santiago, and Caracas, and staged one-person shows in both Europe and the U.S. She has won a number of awards in regional juried shows and had her works featured in both galleries and private collections.
Bentley said she is moved by aesthetics and the complexities of the human condition, creating art that speaks to significant matters felt both personally as well as societally.
"I create art in order to gain some perspective on the world around me, while also trying to retain a sense of humor," said Bentley. "In short, my work can be seen as multi-dimensional social commentary."
Fehlinger worked for 35 years as a television producer in New York City. Yearning to paint, she left her job in 2003 and embarked on a career as an artist.
Represented by a number of galleries and solo shows, from Cape Cod to upstate New York, to Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, Fehlinger and her art have traversed many different landscapes. After relocating to Bridgeport in 2014, she found inspiration in the change of scenery, translating it into her art. She works in her studio at Metro Arts in Black Rock, where she paints or teaches on a daily basis.
Fehlinger’s painting style emphasizes an interest in texture, color, and light. Her tool of choice is a palette knife, which she uses to highlight structure, form, and shadow. Her compositions play with scale, placement, and negative and positive spaces, creating visual interest and an individual style.
“I discovered the palette knife … and found that I could apply paint on a canvas quickly, thickly, and spontaneously,” Fehlinger said. “I loved the textures I could produce with the knife, and I loved no brushes to wash. I am a self-taught artist. I wanted to create a strong sense of place — a familiar but somewhat abstracted place — and then capture it when the light is just right.”
As an artist, Krasno said she is deeply inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics, and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.
Art and Jazz is a testament to that. The exhibit creates a sensory experience that combines her art with the music that sparked its creation, incorporating a listening component with accompanying QR codes that link to jazz songs and inviting the viewer to listen and take part in Krasno’s inspiration.
"I work to absorb this magic and tell these stories visually by combining torn paper with oil pastels, pencil, and ripped lithograph proofs from my own previous works," Krasno said. "I play with color, shapes, texture, tone, and storytelling to complement the sounds and lyrics of jazz greats in visual expression.”
Krasno’s paper collages been exhibited throughout the country and installed in many permanent collections. She also has published a number of books, including political texts such as The United Nations: Policy and Practice and Banning the Bomb: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; the recently published Secrets and the Disappeared: A Tale of Brazil; and the mystery novel The Train to Skeleton Coast: A Tale of Murder and the Struggle for Freedom, featuring her own artwork on the cover.
With a BFA from the University of Illinois, an MFA from Stanford University in Art with an emphasis on painting and printmaking, and a PhD in international politics from the City University of New York Graduate Center, Krasno uses her political insights to inform her creative perspectives. As a full-time, tenured lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the City College of New York, as well as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, Krasno’s separate avenues of work speak to the power of one’s perspective when translated through a lens of both analytic processes and creative pursuits.
Join us on Thursday, April 10, for an artist reception for 5iveFingaz, whose art exhibits, including Visual Verses and an Interactive Community Participation Mural, will be on display in the Library's Sheffer, South, and Jesup Galleries from March 29 through June 1, as part of VersoFest 2025.
The reception will run from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation between 5iveFingaz and Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.
About 5iveFingaz
5iveFingaz is a visionary artist whose work seamlessly bridges the realms of street art, contemporary expression, and social consciousness. Renowned for his distinctive fusion of bold visuals and thought-provoking text, 5iveFingaz crafts pieces that resonate deeply with audiences, challenging them to reflect on both personal experiences and broader societal issues. His signature style often features vibrant colors juxtaposed with powerful, concise phrases that speak directly to the heart of human experience, exploring themes of love, resilience, unity, and justice. Emerging from a background rich in urban culture and creative exploration, 5iveFingaz honed his artistic voice through a unique blend of trained and self-taught techniques and active community engagement. His art transcends traditional canvases, finding life on walls, public spaces, and unconventional surfaces, transforming everyday environments into platforms for inspiration and dialogue. The artist’s work has garnered global attention not only for its striking aesthetic appeal but also for its profound ability to connect with diverse audiences on an intimate level.
At the core of his practice lies the "Love More Than Ever" movement, a heartfelt initiative that underscores the importance of uplifting one another with kindness and understanding. 5iveFingaz’s unwavering commitment to positive messaging and social awareness drives his creative process, with each piece serving as a rallying cry for change. His work urges viewers to reflect on their roles in fostering a more compassionate and equitable world. Through exhibitions, collaborations, and public art projects, he amplifies voices that are often unheard, using art as a powerful tool for empowerment and community building. As his influence continues to grow, 5iveFingaz remains steadfast in his mission to spark meaningful conversations and inspire action, solidifying his place as a transformative figure in the contemporary art scene.
Arts & Culture
Artistic Activism for Social Change
Sheffer Gallery
February 8, 2025, through March 25, 2025
Reception: Wednesday, February 12, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Bentley, Susan Fehlinger, Jean Krasno, and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
Nina Bentley's work is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array social issues. Since early childhood, Bentley has been moved both by aesthetics and complexities of the human condition, creating art that speaks to significant matters felt both personally as well as societally.
"I create art in order to gain some perspective on the world around me, while also trying to retain a sense of humor," said Bentley. "In short, my work can be seen as multi-dimensional social commentary."
South Gallery
February 8, 2025, through March 25, 2025
Reception: Wednesday, February 12, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Fehlinger, Nina Bentley, Jean Krasno, and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
Throughout her 35-year career as a television producer in New York City, Susan Fehlinger yearned to paint. In 2003, she finally decided to quit her job and do just that — by exploring her right brain after years of favoring the left.
“I discovered the palette knife that year and found that I could apply paint on a canvas quickly, thickly, and spontaneously. I loved the textures I could produce with the knife and I loved no brushes to wash," Fehlinger said. "I am a self-taught artist. I wanted to create a strong sense of place — a familiar but somewhat abstracted place — and then capture it when the light is just right.”
Fehlinger has since moved to Bridgeport, where she enjoys painting urban landscapes inspired by many years in New York. There, she works in her studio at Metro Arts, where she paints or teaches on a daily basis.
Jesup Gallery
February 8, 2025, through March 25, 2025
Reception: Wednesday, February 12, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Krasno, Nina Bentley, Susan Fehlinger, and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
As an artist, Jean Krasno is deeply inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics, and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.
"I work to absorb this magic and tell these stories visually by combining torn paper with oil pastels, pencil, and ripped lithograph proofs from my own previous works," Krasno said. "I play with color, shapes, texture, tone, and storytelling to complement the sounds and lyrics of jazz greats in visual expression.”
Join us on Wednesday, February 12, for an artist reception for Nina Bentley's Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Social Commentary (Sheffer Gallery), Susan Fehlinger's City Sights (South Gallery), and Jean Krasno's Art and Jazz (Jesup Gallery). All three exhibits are on display from February 8 through March 25.
The reception will run from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation between Bentley, Fehlinger, Krasno, and Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.
About Nina Bentley
Bentley's work is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array social issues. Since early childhood, Bentley has been moved both by aesthetics and complexities of the human condition, creating art that speaks to significant matters felt both personally as well as societally.
"I create art in order to gain some perspective on the world around me, while also trying to retain a sense of humor," said Bentley. "In short, my work can be seen as multi-dimensional social commentary."
About Susan Fehlinger
Throughout her 35-year career as a television producer in New York City, Fehlinger yearned to paint. In 2003, she finally decided to quit her job and do just that — by exploring her right brain after years of favoring the left.
“I discovered the palette knife that year and found that I could apply paint on a canvas quickly, thickly, and spontaneously. I loved the textures I could produce with the knife and I loved no brushes to wash," Fehlinger said. "I am a self-taught artist. I wanted to create a strong sense of place — a familiar but somewhat abstracted place — and then capture it when the light is just right.”
Fehlinger has since moved to Bridgeport, where she enjoys painting urban landscapes inspired by many years in New York. There, she works in her studio at Metro Arts, where she paints or teaches on a daily basis.
About Jean Krasno
As an artist, Krasno is deeply inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics, and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington.
"I work to absorb this magic and tell these stories visually by combining torn paper with oil pastels, pencil, and ripped lithograph proofs from my own previous works," Krasno said. "I play with color, shapes, texture, tone and storytelling to complement the sounds and lyrics of jazz greats in visual expression.”
Westport Public Art Collections
Westport Local Artists
From left to right: Alchemy of Light by Claudia Mengel, Westport Skies by Jason Pritchard, and Journeys in Collage by Christine Timmons
Art is as much an amorphous sensation as it is a tangible form, inspiring highly individual experiences that transcend the boundaries of medium. This winter, The Westport Library aims to invoke such feelings with its three new art exhibits running from December 14, 2024, to February 4, 2025, in the Library’s Sheffer, South, and Jesup Galleries.
The Sheffer Gallery brings the idea of transcendence to life with Claudia Mengel’s Alchemy of Light, a series of paintings inspired by the essential mysticism at the heart of alchemy’s expression in the Middle Ages.
With its intention of turning metal into gold, alchemy was as equally associated with chemical experimentation, as it was with the spiritual belief in ultimate transformation. Thus, the viewer is invited to lend their own voice to the collection’s broader narrative by offering both an initial reaction to the individual works, including paintings New Beginnings and Moving Into Stillness, as well as the group as a whole. Only then can the viewer see the “gold” in this transformation, thanks to the artist’s role as alchemist.
Alchemy of Light epitomizes this duality with washes of pastels, layers of impasto, and the occasional collage, physically creating and capturing light on the surface, as well as in the eye of the beholder. Their patterns and textures create relationships that bring an energy — and perhaps even a magic — to the narrative they impart.
An opening reception will celebrate Mengel’s work on December 18 at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Mengel and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.
Claudia Mengel with her painting, New Beginnings
In the South Gallery, Jason Pritchard’s Westport Skies exhibits a sense of connection, weaving together a collective narrative among this season’s three artists that echoes their individual understanding of the world and the environments from which they draw inspiration.
Using the medium of oil and the practice of en plein air painting to capture atmospheric coastal scenes, Pritchard's work serves as a love letter to his New England home. He creates with the intention of illustrating a sense of space and connection to the region’s landscape, evident in his paintings Compo Beach and Riverside Park — which invite viewers to connect to their own experiences.
"It’s important for me to visit the location to access the feeling of what it’s about to help replicate my sense of reaction back onto the canvas," Pritchard said. "Few things make me happier than taking a nice long walk along a beach, hearing the sound of the tide crashing nearby as I explore both physically, then later in my mind’s eye, the thoughts of my experience back into my painting. I embrace the process of unpacking those memories and calibrating the colors, the shifting light, and the changing weather as elements back in my studio. These variables prompt the brush movements, hues, and tones I enlist, which are often wrapped under an impressionistic skyline, intended to heighten the mood of my paintings further."
Pritchard will showcase his exhibit, along with fellow artist Christine Timmons, at their shared reception on January 9 at 6 pm, followed by an artist conversation with Pritchard, Timmons, and Burroughs at 7 pm.
Riverside Park by Jason Pritchard
Timmons’ Journeys in Collage, in the Jesup Gallery, offers a different approach to the enigmatic quality of art, with pieces like Evita’s Eyes and Cornell-ish Box. Both works exhibit mixed-media collage composed of materials such as various papers, vintage buttons, dead leaves, wire, and ticket stubs on wood panels.
Stemming from a lifelong interest and involvement with art, craft, textiles, design, and an enjoyment of working with her hands, Timmons began learning to work with encaustics (pigmented hot wax), which contain a "mysterious quality" that both intrigues her and informs her art.
"I love getting past the initial uncertainty of beginning a new piece and gradually discovering a path through the labyrinth of building a collage," Timmons said. "While working on a piece, I'm always looking for a visual tension and harmony among the elements ― many of them pieces torn from my trove of old monoprints and papers that I've painted."
The layers of each exhibit give their respective works a rich philosophy that colors not only the art itself, but the experience of the viewer as well. Observe and indulge in The Westport Library’s art exhibits this winter season and pose the question: What feelings do these works inspire in you?
Cornell-ish Box by Christine Timmons
Join us on Thursday, January 9, for an artist reception for Jason Pritchard's Westport Skies (South Gallery) and Christine Timmons' Journeys in Collage (Jesup Gallery). Both exhibits will be on display in from December 14, 2024, through February 4, 2025. The reception will run from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation between Pritchard and Timmons with Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.
About Jason Pritchard
Pritchard uses the medium of oil to capture atmospheric coastal scenes with the intention of illustrating a sense of space and connection to the New England region that he loves. Utilizing the practice of en plein air painting (painting outdoors to capture the subject in its natural setting) for smaller pieces, Pritchard then uses these pieces as preparatory studies for larger paintings, combining them with photographs that he takes while visiting the areas depicted in his work. He then completes the final piece in his studio.
"It’s important for me to visit the location to access the feeling of what it’s about to help replicate my sense of reaction back onto the canvas," Pritchard said. "Few things make me happier than taking a nice long walk along a beach, hearing the sound of the tide crashing nearby as I explore both physically, then later in my mind’s eye, the thoughts of my experience back into my painting. I embrace the process of unpacking those memories and calibrating the colors, the shifting light and the changing weather elements back in my studio. These variables prompt the type of brush movement, hues and tones I enlist which are often wrapped under an impressionistic skyline, intending to heighten the mood of my paintings further."
About Christine Timmons
Timmons’ work with collage issues from a lifelong interest and involvement with art, craft, textiles, design, and working with her hands.
"I love getting past the initial uncertainty of beginning a new piece and gradually discovering a path through the labyrinth of building a collage," Timmons said. "While working on a piece, I'm always looking for a visual tension (and harmony) among the elements ― many of them pieces torn from my trove of old monoprints and often papers that I've painted. Most of my collages nowadays are abstract, and I work principally with paper but often combine it with fabric and occasionally with paint and other media and objects."
Before the pandemic, Timmons began learning to work with encaustics (pigmented hot wax), which contain a "mysterious quality" that both intrigues her and informs her art. Unfortunately, Covid shut down the school where she had been studying, putting a pause to her encaustics efforts for quite a while. Recently she has begun taking encaustics workshops again, excited by the prospect of exploring more about combining encaustics with collage.
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Cornell-ish Box by Christine Timmons, mixed-media collage on wood panel (Various papers, vintage fabric-covered buttons, shell button, coral glass, dead leaves, half-cork, wire)
Jesup Gallery
December 14, 2024, through February 4, 2025
Reception: Thursday, January 9, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Timmons, Jason Pritchard, and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
Christine Timmons’ work with collage issues from a lifelong interest and involvement with art, craft, textiles, design, and working with her hands.
"I love getting past the initial uncertainty of beginning a new piece and gradually discovering a path through the labyrinth of building a collage," Timmons said. "While working on a piece, I'm always looking for a visual tension (and harmony) among the elements ― many of them pieces torn from my trove of old monoprints and often papers that I've painted. Most of my collages nowadays are abstract, and I work principally with paper but often combine it with fabric and occasionally with paint and other media and objects."
Before the pandemic, Timmons began learning to work with encaustics (pigmented hot wax), which contain a "mysterious quality" that both intrigues her and informs her art. Unfortunately, Covid shut down the school where she had been studying, putting a pause to her encaustics efforts for quite a while. Recently she has begun taking encaustics workshops again, excited by the prospect of exploring more about combining encaustics with collage.
Left: Evita’s Eyes by Christine Timmons, Mixed-media collage on wood panel (Ticket stub to Evita Peron Museum, Buenos Aires; details of Timmons' photos, various papers, encaustic wax); Right: Christine Timmons
Timmons grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and earned a BA in French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (with a year abroad at l’Université de Lyon, France) and an MA in French from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The path of her professional career reflected her diverse interests and included teaching French language and literature; working in the Press Bureau at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium; working as a special projects editor for Encyclopaedia Britannica in Chicago; restoring damaged works of art on paper for museums and galleries as an apprentice paper conservator; editing both Fiber Arts and Threads Magazines; and curating art exhibits at The Westport Library for 13 years before retiring in December 2019.
Along the way, she studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and took numerous independent classes in painting, drawing, printmaking, papermaking, photography, jewelry making, bookbinding, and collage at various schools and art centers, among them, Silvermine Arts Center, Creative Arts Workshop, Rowayton Arts Center, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Pelham Arts Center, and Rye Arts Center.
Timmons began exhibiting her work in 2018. Retirement allowed her to dedicate more time on her own art, which she has exhibited widely in both New York and Connecticut. She is an exhibiting member of both the Mamaroneck Artists Guild in Larchmont, New York, and the Rowayton Arts Center.
