This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/17/2018 12:00 AMIt's a fact: The arts scene is flourishing in Connecticut's Lower River Valley. Summer is the perfect time to visit a gallery where you've only window-shopped before, or catch a summer arts festival on the Essex Town Green. If a gallery's hours don't mesh with your schedule, give them a call; most are happy to set up a time for you to come by and check out their offerings. Many are longtime institutions, but you may notice a few new names on this list as well.
Cooper & Smith Gallery
10 Main Street, Essex
Nathaniel Foote and Pamela St. Clair opened the Cooper & Smith Gallery three years ago. They both come from a background in the arts, St. Clair in publishing and writing and Foote in television, music, and fine art. With 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, the gallery offers a full range of genres and styles, from realism to abstraction. "The focus is not so much on any particular style of painting as it is on work that evidences a strong drawing discipline at any stage in the artist's process," said St. Clair.
The gallery is open Thursday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For info, call 860-581-8526 or visit www.coopersmithgallery.com.
Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio & Gallery
1 Spring Street, Chester
Artist Leif Nilsson finds inspiration in his local surroundings. "For me it's the natural beauty, the vernacular architecture, and the people who recognize the importance of those elements that make it so special," said Nilsson. Nilsson paints plein air impressionistic landscape compositions directly from life, both in his hometown of Chester and abroad. He hosts opening receptions for his newest works several times a year. On the first Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m., visitors can listen to Nilsson's band, Arrowhead, while browsing the gallery. He also hosts the Concerts in the Garden series on Thursday evenings during the summer in his garden's amphitheater.
The gallery is open on weekends from noon to 6 p.m. For info, call 860-526-2077 or visit www.nilssonstudio.com.
Lori Warner Studio/Gallery
21 Main Street, Chester
Since opening 10 years ago, the Lori Warner Studio/Gallery has focused on inspiring local art with its theme of "Dream. Create. Inspire." The gallery showcases a range of unique mediums; its focus is on printmaking. "We do everything from printmaking to sculpture to photography," said Gallery Manager Jackie Holtzman. "It's all contemporary." The gallery often hosts meet-the-artist events and openings.
The gallery is open Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For info, call 860-322-4265 or visit www.loriwarner.com.
Maple & Main Gallery of Fine Art
1 Maple Street, Chester
Maple & Main Gallery opened eight years ago in a building that was formerly a ship's chandlery. In addition to the main space, the Stone Gallery features a different show each month, and the Small Works Gallery displays small paintings, pottery, and blown glass. The Spring Exhibition runs through Sunday, June 24. The second annual 8 x 8 Exhibit runs through Thursday, May 31. "The 8 x 8 show will be over a hundred paintings, all eight by eight, all $200," said chairperson Claudia Van Nes. "All the work is original and almost all the artists are from Connecticut."
Artist Joyce Senesac leads "Learn Perspective in One Morning" on Monday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m.; Alan James of Deep River leads a watercolor plein air workshop on Sunday, June 3 at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $40.
The gallery is open Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For info, call 860-526-6065 or visit www.mapleandmaingallery.com.
Melanie Carr Gallery
1 North Main Street, Essex
A new gallery that opened last October, the Melanie Carr Gallery is dedicated to contemporary art. According to artist Melanie Carr, it presents "thoughtfully curated work from artists across the nation and beyond while serving as a hub for open exchange." Carr has a 10-year background working at the New Britain Museum of American Art. She teaches at Central Connecticut State University and the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.
The Imagined & Invented Figure runs from Friday, June 15 through Monday, July 23, with an opening reception on Saturday, June 16 from 5 to 7 p.m., and artwork by Kathleen Jacobs and Rick Fox from Friday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 9, with an opening reception on Saturday, Aug. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. The Joy Girl, a live performance art with international performing artist Kate March of I AM, is on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m.
For info, call 860-830-6949 or visit www.melaniecarrgallery.com.
Six Summit Gallery
6 Summit Street, Ivoryton
Six Summit Gallery in Ivoryton hosts paintings, sculptures, and more in a building listed on the Historic Registry. "Nine years ago we took an abandoned building, transformed it, and we haven't looked back," said Gallery Director Leo Feroleto. "We now host/co-host over 10 ongoing venues (art, fashion, film, wine, cuisine) bursting with relevant extraordinary paintings and sculpture."
The collection includes works by Leonor Fini, William Kent, Salvador Dali, and more. "We have thousands of pieces in inventory, including artists in some of the most prestigious collections in the world," Feroleto said.
Six Summit hosts art shows focused on anti-poaching efforts, touching back to Ivoryton's history of processing elephant ivory. Beginning on Saturday, May 19, the gallery is hosting a joint seasonal salon show with more than 100 pieces of art at Six Summit Gallery and the Copper Beech Inn.
For info, call 860-581-8332 or visit www.sixsummitgallery.com.
Spectrum Art Gallery and Artisan Store
61 Main Street, Centerbrook
An expansion of the Arts Center Killingworth, Spectrum Art Gallery just celebrated its fourth year in Essex. Inside, you'll find paintings, sculpture, mixed media, and fine crafts. Events include the third annual Summer Arts Festival on Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Essex Town Green. The free festival features artwork by painters, photographers, printmakers, and more, along with crafts by jewelry designers and other artisans. An exhibit featuring the festival artists runs from Friday, May 25 through Sunday, July 8, with an opening reception on Friday, May 25 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The gallery is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., and Thursday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For info, call 860-767-0742 or visit www.spectrumartgallery.org.