banner

Check It Out!

Keeping you up-to-date on what's happening at your library. We invite you to join in the conversation!
MAY 5, 2012
In the Gallery: Parallel Visions
     For the month of June, Canton Public Library’s Gallery will feature the work of “Parallel Visions,” a group of very talented artists, most of whom  have been working together since the summer of 2008.  The artists are Walter Kendra, Estrid Eklof, Carolyn Newell, Lisa Tellier, and Josa Weatherwax.  The show will run through Saturday, June 30. 
 
     The members of Parallel Visions are all accomplished artists who have painted individually and in groups for a number of years.  Their group meets weekly, providing support and companionship as well as helpful criticism.  Beginning in 2009 they have had several group shows, including at galleries in Hartford, Farmington, New Britain, and Colchester.  Their weekly painting sessions have taken them to many of Connecticut’s well-known scenic locations, including the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Topsmead Farm in Litchfield, and Ashlawn Farm in Old Lyme.  Farther afield, they have painted on Monhegan Island and Rockland, Maine, and in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

     Estrid Eklof and Carolyn Newell had been painting together for a number of years in both Connecticut and Maine.  During weekly study with watercolorist David Dewey in Old Lyme, they met Lisa Tellier.  The three began to paint under the direction of Susan Finnegan, an area artist and teacher at the University of Hartford Art School and Trinity College.  At about this time, Walter Kendra was retiring from his position as a professor of art at Central Connecticut State University and was looking to join a painting group.
 
     Walter Kendra, a Collinsville resident and the founder and president of the Maxwell Shepherd Memorial Arts Fund, is known primarily for his work in the printing medium.  By joining the group of painters, he has renewed his long-neglected interest in oil and watercolor painting.  Walter is very active in both the New York and New England art scenes,  In addition to appearing in numerous group shows, he has had solo exhibitions in New York, Connecticut, Virginia, and North Carolina and is represented in private and college collections.    He has been honored with first prize awards in sculpture, painting, and graphics.  He is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Art School at the University of Hartford.
 
     Estrid Eklof, a resident of Kensington, CT, trained as a professional classical pianist, with a degree from Boston University School of Fine and Applied Arts.  While performing as a pianist, she took breaks to study watercolor painting in Maine and Connecticut.  Her work has been included in several group shows, including the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Hill-Stead Museum, and a number of library galleries in Connecticut.
 
     Carolyn Newell of Avon has degrees in zoology, art history, and accounting.  She has studied painting, sculpture, and drawing at the University of Hartford, the West Hartford Art League, Wesleyan University, Central Connecticut State University, and at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.  Her work has been included in shows at the New Britain Museum of Fine Arts, the Canton Art Guild, and several library galleries in Connecticut.
 
     Lisa Tellier, who lives in East Haddam, began her serious instruction in the arts studying watercolor at the Fitchburg Art Museum.  Later she went on to the School of the Worcester Art Museum, Paier College of Art, and the Lyme Academy College of Art.  She has exhibited her work at the Lyme Academy and the West Hartford Art League, among others.

      The newest addition to the group is Josa Weatherwax.  Much of her work includes abstractions based on traditional  landscapes and often combines paint, printmaking, and sculpture.  Recent and current exhibitions include shows at Rockwell Art in Ridgefield, CT; the Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam, CT; the CCNS show in Rowayton, CT; and the Junior League Show House in West Hartford.  She has studied at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, the University of Salamanca in Spain, and the Hartford Art School.  Josa currently has a show at Rockwell Art in Ridgefield, CT.   Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the country and is held in both public and private collections. 
           
     Each artist in the group has developed a unique style and approach to the subject.  In working together and in showing their work in group shows, they provide their audiences with a fascinating opportunity to view a subject captured in a multitude of ways.  The shows highlight the differing perceptions that make art ever new and varied.  Such is the case with “Parallel Visions” in the Canton Public Library Gallery.
 
     Library hours are Monday-Thursday 10:00-8:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00-5:00.  Canton Public Library is at 40 Dyer Avenue, Canton.  For information:  (860) 693-5800 or www.cantonpubliclibrary.org


   Add a Comment
Enter your comment below, then click Submit.
Enter the letters you see on the left:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe via RSS
Search

Categories