September Artist of the Month Christopher D Phaneuf

Christopher D Phaneuf is a mixed-media abstract expressionist whose work captivates with eye catching visuals and emotional intensity. Known for his distinctive style,
Phaneuf dives deep into the process of mixed-media action painting, creating pieces that are as unique as they are powerful. His work is not just seen - it’s felt.

instagram: @rectanglesbychris

Eiko Tabata- May Artist of the Month

Eiko Tabata Art Gallery
Nature is a powerful force. It provides life for billions of people and it can take back those gifts in moments notice as well. It all depends on the balance that we are able to create. If we contribute to it with the respect that it deserves, nature reflects those contributions back to us with her
beautiful creatures and colorful landscapes. My focus and journey is to capture those amazing reflections in my works of art.

I find that tapping into nature can be very soothing and healing to the soul. With the different faces that natures presents, I can easily find inspiration from this plurality. On my canvas, nature is portrayed as a loving thing because this is how I see it. To express this love of nature, I typically use
warm and bright colors. Each item has many shades from which I create by mixing up a small number of mediums on the fly.

It is with this work that I hope to lift up people that are feeling down, to provide a scene in a painting that demonstrates something bigger than all of us as individuals, and to display and highlight the tremendous gifts that surround us every day.

It is my intention, to communicate through canvas, that by loving and respecting our surroundings and our environment, we can all live in a magical space shared by all.

www.eikotabata.com
eiko@eikotabata.com
781-775-5316

March 2024 Artist of the Month- Sally Gello-Silvers

Sally Gello-Silvers
Time Revisited
Artist Statement
Each of us carries with us a rich reserve of images, experiences and emotions. For me, those images and experiences include nature, events happening around me, current social issues, happiness, grief, loss and joy to name a few.
As an artist, I express those images and experiences by putting charcoal, unique papers, fibers, string, ink, paints and just about any materials that move me onto paper and layer with textures, shapes and color. My goal is to tap into what is within, bring it forward and create a work of art through the use of different mediums that can be shared with others. Because art is personal I ask my viewers to see what resonates with them as they view the work.

The name of this exhibit is “Time Revisited.” Twelve years ago I traveled with my husband on a volunteer medical trip to a remote region of Nicaragua called the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) to offer support and medical assistance to the people in a small village there. I was moved by the raw beauty of the countryside, the poverty, the sickness, the doctors working in the clinic, the fear I experienced as we were guarded by soldiers with rifles due to fighting that had occurred between the Contras and Sandinistas in the region many years prior, the courage and graciousness of the people and the pleasure people took in the simple joys of life.

While there I also worked with children, shared paper and crayons with them. Some of the kids had never seen crayons or had the opportunity to draw before . I returned home with drawings done by the children and many photos of the country, the people, and life in the villages. The images and experiences of the trip continued to remain with me over the years. Now 12 years later, it is with the works in this collection, that I pay homage to the people, the love and bravery that inspired them to live urging my viewers to live in the moment, be kind and generous to each other.

The materials I used in all the works felt to me, as I chose them, to reflect the people and culture. They are earthy, raw and natural and include original photographs, fibers and paper, charcoal, thread, string, ink, acrylics and watercolors.
A decade later I think back on how showing support and kindness were so important in building bridges to others and how at the time we traveled there the possibilities seemed limitless to make a difference in the word. In many ways now the world seems to have shuttered it’s windows. It is my hope that the shutters open wide again in the future and we continue to build bridges with people and cultures all over the world.

Sally Gello-Silvers is a mixed media artist. She lives and works north of Boston.
sally.gellosilvers.artist@gmail.com

Sally Gello-Silvers Time Revisited

Looking At Time with Bob Frishman

Andover’s Bob Frishman is January’s guest curator at Memorial Hall Library for an exhibit of paintings, prints and art-photographs with clocks and watches in the scenes. Bob’s clock-repair business, Bell-Time Clocks, has operated in town since 1993, but he has retired from repairing and now focuses on writing, lecturing, and creating exhibits about the history, technology, and vital cultural importance of timekeeping.

Bob displays more than twenty artworks from his personal collection. These include an 1830’s oil-on-canvas portrait of an English woman with a watch, a Berenice Abbott 1929 photograph of a New York City watchmaker’s shop, a 1919 Norman Rockwell magazine cover with a cuckoo clock, a 1922 Swiss Longines watch poster with Father Time, and much more.

Pieces from Bob's collection can be viewed in the display case at the top of the stairs on level 1 and in the main circulation area.

November Artist of the Month- Heather Scott

Heather Scott is an artist and art teacher who has lived in Andover for the past several years. Ever since she was young, she has been drawn to creating food and animal characters and putting them in quirky situations. She enjoys working from a set of prompts and seeing where the words and ideas take her.

By day, Heather is an art teacher at Tremont School in Concord, MA, where she teaches multiple sections of Studio Art, Art History, and Art Appreciation. She loves working with students and bringing her love of visual art into their lives. Heather is also an experienced graphic designer, and creates all of the admissions and promotional materials for the school.

Each of the pieces in this collection was created using an Apple Pencil and Procreate on an iPad, and are available for purchase. When Heather is not teaching or drawing, she loves spending time with her family and pursuing her latest passion – creative writing.

For prints, please email Heather at scott.hmj@gmail.com.

Steven Edson

Artist Statement: The Art of The Automobile

As a photographer, I attempt to describe moments in transition while observing the complexity and vastness of the land, people, and objects within constantly changing conditions.  For these brief moments, time stands still for eternity.

Form and function welded, bolted, and stitched together for speed, comfort, performance, and safety. My car photography illustrates the exquisite precision of bent metal and chrome to conform to a designer's vision for the efficiencies of aerodynamics combined with the beauty of timeless style. Within this series, I use the camera to highlight and celebrate the industrial precision of car design both in its abstraction and the transformation cars undergo in different lighting and environmental atmospheric conditions.

Cars are a catalyst for many people’s earliest memories: from romantic dinner dates or to the store and day trips across the region or cross-country adventures. Vehicles are used for pleasure and for commercial entities and for some, the sheer thrill and enjoyment combined with the skills of racing to be the first to cross the finish line in the shortest amount of time.

All vintages are represented in my work starting from 1885 to the Model T and antique cars from the turn of the century to the vintage era of the 1920’s thru to mid-century cars of the 1930’s to the 1950’s and on to hot rods, muscle cars and current late model cars including performance luxury vehicles and race cars.

Lens Based ARTIST / Documentary Photographer
102 Florence Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476
http://www.stevenedson.net
e-mail: steve@stevenedson.net Studio: 617.993.3212 / Mobile: 617.504.4994
Instagram: #edsonphotoart

Michele Bourgeau- July Artist of the Month

Michele Bourgeau

Michele is a visual artist who grew up in the Midwest, six in line of nine children. Whether in or out of school, art making was a constant throughout Michele’s life as she was inspired by creative parents, nature, recycling materials and a dynamic junk drawer. Michele celebrates the gifts of her youth through her art by embracing quirky elements of design and color to express ironic or poignant narratives. This playfulness invites the observer to see the unremarkable as quite extraordinary. Michele’s work includes more traditional paintings in oil, watercolor or acrylic as well as printmaking, ceramic, sculpture and mixed media. In 2022, Michele collaborated with master chocolatier, Michael Nichols of m cacao in Amesbury, MA, to create six unique designs for edible cocoa butter screen print art bars. Four art bars are currently available with two additional to be unveiled by the end of 2023.
Michele currently lives and works in Andover, Massachusetts with her husband, Timothy, and terriers, Zuzu and Malcolm. In June 2022, Michele opened ONE19 Gallery, a small studio/gallery
space on her residence property at 119 Lowell Street, Andover, MA. Contact Michele at michelebourgeau@gmail.com.

Michele's work is displayed in the circulation area and the display case in the reference room.

April Artist- Joe Gemellaro

Joe Gemellaro

I was born to draw. I never thought it was anything special until I started receiving complements from both students and teachers in grammar school. The Edgar Allen Poe portrait is a slight revision of a portrait I did of the author back in sixth grade. My portraits often celebrate and honor those who have given much to society: musicians, athletes, authors, poets, actors, and even a few politicians. I am very happy that I was able to honor one of my idols, Italian boxer Rocky Marciano, with a portrait I created that is on permanent display in the public library in his hometown of Brockton, Mass. These portraits are my small gift to the world during these troubled times. I hope they remind people of the great talent that continues to exist in the world and that they somehow inspire others as well as give them hope for humanity.

February 2023 Lidia Mikhaylova and Baluka Shop Nesting Dolls

The Hidden Beauty in Simplicity- Lidia Mikhaylova

I enjoy expressing the world around me through my paintings, and I love putting the reality of everyday life on the canvas using colors and shapes. The purpose of my art is to inspire people to see the hidden beauty in the simplicity of their surroundings. Too often we are waiting for miracles, but forgetting to look right in front of us. There is a lot of beauty in everyday life! In order to notice it, we simply need to pause, look around…and maybe ask yourself a question: what brings richness to my life? As a child, I wanted to become an artist, but didn’t go for my dreams. This is not an uncommon story. Born and raised in Russia, Siberia, I’ve spent most of my life working in the corporate world as a lawyer. After more than 15 years of a successful career in Moscow, I made the decision to move to Riga, Latvia in the search of new ways to fulfill my dreams.

“If not now, then when?”- I thought. “Life is full of challenges anyway.”
Latvia is the place where I became inspired by the colorful imagery of my surroundings and completely fell in love with painting.
The fall of 2019 was one of the happiest and most fulfilling periods in my life. I had an opportunity to travel across the ocean and witness the incredible beauty of the east coast of America, and my art was seen by the eyes of distinguished American viewers. Three years in America taught me how to enjoy the change, as well as anticipating the transformation. I continue to transfer the beauty of the surrounding reality onto the canvas / silk, and get incredible pleasure from it.
I used to paint mostly in oil, but a couple of years ago I tried painting with special inks on silk, and I really liked it. Silk is, in my opinion, the most refined and lively material, and paintings on it are very special.
I passionately believe that love and beauty will make our world a better place.

Yours, Lidia
401-855-7672
simpleartforms@gmail.com,  http://simpleartforms.com,  https://www.facebook.com/SimpleArtForms/,  https://www.instagram.com/simple_art_forms_/

Display case: Baluka Shop Nesting Dolls

Founded in 2022, Baluka Shop’s mission is to preserve the traditional folk art of Ukraine and to support the local population during times of great economic hardship and war.
The project is named after our grandfather Stepan Ivanovych Baluka (Степан Іванович Балука), who was the mayor of Chernihiv, a northern city in Ukraine, from 1979 to 1984. Stepan Ivanovych was an avid supporter of local folk art and worked closely with artists. He passed down his admiration of the art form to his children and grandchildren. Today, we want to share these beautiful collectibles with you!
Where are Our Dolls Made:
Located in the north of Ukraine, and known as the spiritual capital of the country, Chernihiv was founded more than 1300 years ago, in the 7th century. Home to ancient churches, the city was considered one of the most important centers of the Kyivan Rus’, being the center of princedom. In 2022, Chernihiv was named a Hero City for defense and outstanding heroism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The city remains unconquered, but war continues to disrupt normal life in the region.
Two of our founders, Vladyslav and Tetyana, now residents of Andover, Massachusetts, were born and raised in Chernihiv. Over the years they kept in good contact with the workshop, where nesting dolls, amongst other wood-crafted items, are brought to life. 

 www.baluka.shop, 
 www.baluka.shop/shop/.

December Artist of the Month

Diane Maroun

Artist statement.
Painting is one of the things I love doing. Although I try other things, painting is the one medium I come  back to. Animals and Victorian style pieces are a favorite and I hope to add Fantasy pieces as well. I am interested in usually  one strong light source to   show a subject to a good advantage.

BIO:
Born and raised in Methuen, MA I was taught to draw at first by my Mother who was an artist and took lessons after that through public school.  I received an Associate of Arts Degree from Bradford College in Bradford, MA  and a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art at The School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA. Since then I have painted with different groups and on my own. I ran The Andover's Artists Guild Art in the Park outdoor art show for many years, helped several organizations run shows of their own and participated in many group shows.

October artists- Dorothy Lorenze and Renate Berthold de Bustard

Dorothy Lorenze paints contemporary still life and interiors following the classical atelier methods of oil painting. Her representational paintings realistically and poetically render translucency, texture and atmosphere. She enjoys celebrating the simple forms of nostalgic and evocative subjects finds inspiration in surprising moments of unexpected color or patterns of reflection in familiar objects. A recent transplant to Andover, Dorothy and her husband moved from New York state just prior to the Covid pandemic and is happy to join the New England Art Community. Previously, her work was exhibited in solo shows as well as national and invitational art exhibits, including American Women Artists National juried exhibit at Steamboat Art Museum, the International Trompe L’oeil exhibit at John F. Peto Studio Museum, Ames Mansion Historic Site and Weir Farm National Historic Site. Six paintings of the interior of American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir’s Connecticut home, painted during her residency there, were purchased by Weir Farm National Historic Site. Since moving here she has won an Honorary Mention at the Guild of Boston Artists, Best in Show at Newburyport Art Association and awards from Rockport Art Association and Museum. Dorothy’s painting studies have included the Art Students League, New York Academy of Art and Purchase College. She feels especially privileged to have been mentored by Todd M. Casey of Grand Central Academy. Dorothy became a juried member of New York’s historic Salmagundi Club and is a Signature member of American Women Artists, Elected Member of Allied Artists of America and member of Oil Painters of America, as well as Hudson Valley Artists Association and Newburyport Art Association. www.dorothylorenze.com,  dlorenze@me.com, Instagram: @dorothylorenzefineart FaceBook: Dorothy Lorenze Fine Art

In the Display case:

Títeres Kasper is a puppetry performance and design company owned and operated by Renate Berthold de Bustard, a recent immigrant to Andover, MA. The name “Títeres Kasper” translates from Spanish to “Kasper Puppets” and refers to the famous German court jester character, called "Kasperle."The combined influence of Spanish and German in the company name is a direct reflection of Renate’s heritage. Born in Germany, Renate moved with her family to Venezuela when she was a small child. She received a formal education in fashion design Munich, followed by several years of hands-on training in New York City. Following her time in New York, Renate returned to South America, where she transitioned from design to textile production and from textile production to puppet-making and performance. When Renate immigrated to the United States in 2015, she brought Títeres Kasper with her, where she has continued her work to support the mission of her company—to inspire parents and children, teachers and students, to cherish and nurture not just the love for stories, but for storytelling as well.

MHL Staff: Anna Tschetter, Sarah Margi and Gerry Deyermond Display Case: Andover Teens

Collages:
Anna Tschetter (she/her) is one of the Teen Services Librarians at MHL. She has been making collages for the last 15 years and loves to use found materials, advertising images, postcards, and all kinds of paper. She also enjoys many fiber arts like sewing, crochet, and embroidery.

Quilt and Rug Hooking:
Gerry Deyermond is the Assistant Head of Circulation and has been sewing for many years and enjoys making quilts and home decor. She took up rug hooking about 8 years ago and also enjoys wool applique and knitting. 

Embroidery:
Sarah Margi is a Children's room aide. She started embroidering about two years ago. She is a self taught artist and use embroidery almost in a therapeutic way. "I love to embroider and recreate vintage illustrations. It's a fun, easy, and relaxing hobby to have."

Display case: "Andover teens worked with artist Peggy Rambach over the course of three weeks to work on painting items from nature - leaves and feathers - colored pencil and watercolor.

Known as a writer and teacher of writing for the majority of her career, Peggy Rambach, M.A. M.F.A. began to draw in 2016 when she urged her students to illustrate their writing. Then she expanded from pencil and pastel to colored pencil and watercolor and began painting as a Natural Science Illustrator. Though raised in New York City, Peggy always loved nature, and Natural Science Illustration gave her a way to express it. "

June Artist of the Month- Virginia Guazzaloca

Virginia Guazzaloca

Virginia Guazzaloca is a library assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. Her grandfather gave her his old SLR camera, and she never looked back. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Artist Statement

Whenever I go somewhere, I try to always take pictures. When taking photos, I always try to find interesting angles or focus. I like to get the camera down low or point the camera up at what people don’t normally see, for a different point of view. I want to capture a picture of a place where you can imagine a fairie living, and to show people what they are missing when they just walk right by without taking the time to look around.

April Artists of the Month

Lisa Hayden

Is nature ever untouched by human influence? I explore this intersection on my canvas, combining a lifetime love of painting and the natural world. Using a palette of blues and greens and expressive motion, I aim to capture the feeling of both the outside world and the touches left behind by human creations – a vertical stroke suggesting fences, old piers, boats, windows. Painted and textured with brushes and palette knives, my work ranges from seascapes and abstracted landscapes to fully abstract pieces. Each painting is a journey in itself, with a captured sense of time passing and experiences lived.

Lisa Hayden studied painting at the University of Miami before returning to her native Massachusetts where she continued classes in painting and other art forms at the Danforth Museum and Worcester Art Museum. Four years painting in an environment of warm ocean waves, wild greenery, and colorful architecture has melded with the last 30 years of New England shores, forests, fields, and the Boston Seaport to create her visual viewpoint. Lisa lives in Northborough MA and participates in art events throughout the East Coast from Maine to Virginia. Visit www.MeltedTheory.com for more about the artist, including local events, or email meltedtheory@gmail.com for information on purchasing paintings. 

Display case- Rich Padova

 "Presidential Visits to Andover" is the theme for a display during the month of April at MHL.  Over the years several presidents and former presidents have visited Andover for various occasions, and April's display contains memorabilia related to those presidents and former presidents that are on loan from Rich Padova,  a member of Andover's 375th Anniversary Committee and a history and government professor at Northern Essex Community College.

 Rich Padova is a member of Andover's 375th Anniversary Committee, the Master Plan Steering Committee, Friends of Memorial Hall Library and the Andover Center for History and Culture.  During the academic year he teaches history and government at Northern Essex Community College and during the summer is a historical tour interpreter (guide) at Lawrence Heritage State Park, where he provides guided museum tours of the visitors' center, guided walking tours of the downtown historic mill district and narrated boat tours of the Merrimack River.

February Artists of the Month Molly Foley and Beth Frey

Molly Foley

As a child I was always drawn to soft things, a worn piece of silky ribbon or my dog Abigail’s smooth floppy ear. Still, it took me until my forties to realize that my creativity was best served through weaving and fiber art. Weaving allows my playful and imaginative side free reign to combine fibers, patterns, and colors - the possibilities are literally endless - providing me with the sense of freedom I have spent much of my life searching for. My love of weaving takes many forms including wall hangings, scarves, table runners, and clothing made with the SAORI weaving method. SAORI also helps me to explore deconstruction and reconstruction, using anything from audio tape to old clothing.

The wall hangings I make using the frame looms were given the name Hopefuls by my good friend and gifted Andover musician Sandi Bedrosian after I made a weaving for her to cheer her after a serious injury. I love to create custom pieces to convey a certain energy and my hope is that the playfulness and warmth I feel in creating the Hopefuls shines through and brings joy to their owners.

My love of astrology infuses my work with a sense of magic and wonder. As I've explored my own creativity and spirituality, I have found weaving is often used as a metaphor for alchemy. Learning to bring together individual threads into a varied and unique piece, has taught me how to take the disparate and often contradicting parts of myself and fashion them into a unified whole.

My work has been part of the group shows - Chemistry of FiberLAB at LexArts in Lexington, MA, Loom in Essence at JMAC (2020) and Worcester Center for Crafts (2021) in Worcester, MA, and Fantasy Lands at Artless Bastard in De Pere, WI. Finally, I am a member of the Cazimi Collaborative whose public art installations - Andover Weaving: Rebirth Renewal, Time is a Circle, and the upcoming (March 2022) Andover Mending: Healing and Resilience - have provided opportunities for wonder and contemplation along Main Street in Andover, MA.

Website: https://www.mfcreates.com
Instagram: @725Fulton
Email: molly.725fulton@gmail.com

Cazimi Collaborative Website: https://www.cazimicreativecollaborative.com
Instagram: @cazimi.collab

Would you like to try weaving? Molly donated a small loom to learn how to weave. It is part of the Library of Things collection www.mhl.org/library-of-things. Watch Molly teach Gerry Deyermond, Assistant Head of Circulation how to weave using the loom at https://vimeo.com/672480926

Beth Frey Frey Ceramics- display case

About the Artist:
Beth Frey fell in love with clay at age thirteen, and developed a passion for pottery that grew throughout high school and college. As an art major at Swarthmore College she took a variety of classes, but kept coming back to clay, concentrating on both functional vessels and sculptural pieces.
She began her professional career as a gallerist in Boston for many years, working in her family's art gallery. After moving to Andover and taking care of her two children full-time, in 2019 she set up a ceramics studio in her home to pursue pottery once again.
You can view more of her work at www.freyceramics.com

Artist Statement:
I strive to create pottery that captures and celebrates the beauty of nature. My inspirations are the woods, gardens and beaches that surround me in my native Massachusetts. I love the challenge of combining art and functionality in my work, to create pottery that will be used and cherished for generations.
I begin most of my work on the pottery wheel, and use a variety of techniques to alter, carve and glaze each piece by hand. Hand carving is the most challenging and time-consuming technique for me, but also the most rewarding. It requires intense concentration, and I’m able to channel that into a meditative experience in the studio.

Vicky Enright

Vicky Enright was born and raised in the city of Philadelphia but has now spent more time in the Boston area with over 25 years in Andover. What a great town it has been to raise two sons, walk a few good dogs, and appreciate the charm and nature of New England! Vicky has been married to a childhood crush (from summer camp in Maryland) for over 30 years - Tim Enright.

Having studied graphic design at Syracuse University, Vicky often was hired for her illustrative abilities. She has designed wallpaper, illustrated children's books, greeting cards, wedding invitations and in the first year of Covid won a state wide poster contest encouraging healthy outdoor activities in a mostly Spanish speaking neighborhoold of Salem, MA. The town of Andover has used her to design and illustrate items for the Shawsheen 100 year celebration, (canceled due to Covid), the town's 375th year celebration along with illustration and design for holiday activities. Vicky has worked for Andover Trails with an illustration showing a proposed bridge connecting hiking trails over the Shawsheen River. She also does graphic design for some businesses downtown.

Vicky works mostly in watercolor; in the old days with ink. While she likes to keep her watercolor on paper she works digitally with Procreate and Photoshop, as well, but has dabbled in other mediums when it was necessary.

The Friends of Memorial Hall Library commissioned Vicky to create four illustrations of the Library in all seasons. Her artwork appears in their new Food for Friends cookbook.

Artist statement

Life, as we all know, can be filled with heartaches and such, so I really like to show the little details of our lives that are so joy filled....staring at the lights on a Christmas tree, or at a school of fish swimming by, or just the most adorable face of a young child. I also love to have my clients say these three words at the completion of a project: "I love it."

Vicky's website: https://www.vickyenrightdesigns.com/
Vicky's email: venright@gmail.com

Elena Cronin

Artist Statement

I grew up in New England and spent my summers roaming the woods and coasts of Maine. There I grew to appreciate the natural beauty of the land and seascapes around me. My love of nature led me to watercolors. They are perfect for En plein air painting (painting outside). The luminosity of watercolor makes it the perfect medium for working quickly and capturing the light in natural landscapes. I enjoy playing with composition and often use diagonals and swirling patterns to create the feeling of motion. After retirement in 2020, my new adventure is to become an entrepreneur. I have my own website where more of my work can be seen at ElenaCroninArt.com, an Etsy shop called ElenaCroninArt, and a Facebook page where I share my process and everything that goes into painting. I hope you will visit and enjoy seeing my work.

About the Artist

I attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. There I studied painting, drawing and print-making with a special emphasis on the techniques of the old masters. One of my fondest memories is passing through a secret door behind a medieval tapestry into a hidden studio to learn to replicate the techniques of master painters. This was in the 1970s! After graduating, life took a practical turn, raising a family and an interesting career in medical ultrasound. Now retired, I am once again able to dedicate my time to the craft of painting and growing my small business. It has been so much fun to rediscover art and share it with others. Visit ElenaCroninArt.com to see what I’ve been working on!

Cassie Doyon - Pangea Mosaics

About the Artist

Cassie Doyon holds a masters degree in art education from Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and has worked as an artist and art educator in the Merrimack Valley for the past 30 years. Her artwork has won several awards and has been exhibited throughout New England. See more of her work at http://www.cassiedoyondesigns.net/. 

Artist Statement

I work in mixed media with a strong focus on mosaics.  I use a wide variety of materials in my work, including natural, foraged and found items such as sea glass, bone, driftwood and stone.  My use of color is widely variable, from muted and earth toned to bright and psychedelic hues. Where mosaic work tends to be structured and planned, I try to incorporate spontaneity and serendipity within my pieces. I am particularly focused on surface design and pushing the boundaries of sculpture with unconventional and re-purposed materials.

Much of my artwork is abstract in style and form, reflecting my lifelong interest in tribal art and artifacts from around the world. I was born and raised in a seaside town, and the ocean has been a powerful, repetitive theme through most every piece of art I have made.  In addition, I like to create “color and texture memories” of places I’ve visited over the years, and to explore macro and micro-environments in nature.

Maryellen Stone Photography

Artist’s statement

As a photographer I feel fortunate to be able to share my love of animals and the outdoors in the form of photography.  In my work I try to capture a special moment in time or bring unnoticed beauty to the eyes of others.  As I’ve grown as a photographer, I’ve expanded my subject matter and it’s presentation in more creative ways.  While my first love is the natural world, I also enjoy the challenge of creating images that show the rhythm and unexpected beauty of other subjects.  I consider my images successful if they evoke a memory, make you laugh, gasp, smile or pause awhile to take a look.    --Maryellen Stone                                                          

About the Artist

As a photographer, Maryellen is grateful to be able to combine her love of animals and the outdoors with photography. Her photographs have been published in several books and other print media. She has won recognition at various art shows throughout Massachusetts. Maryellen is a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, The North America Nature Photography Association, The Cape Cod Art Center, The Photographic Society of America, The National Association of Photoshop Professionals, The Plymouth Center For The Arts, Phlorography, a supportive community of Artistic Floral Photographers, The Cape Cod Art Center Camera Club, and the Reading Art Association.  

In January, 2021 two of Maryellen’s images received Top 250 image honors in the Share The View International Nature Photography Contest. A third image received Honorable Mention honors in the Pollinator category.

Maryellen volunteers at the Joppa Flats Education Center’s, (MA Audubon), bird banding station and is a member of the weekly volunteer survey team at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord Unit. Maryellen is a former member of the Board of Directors of Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch.

Maryellen’s recent exhibits include the Kimball Library in Atkinson, NH, the Flint Memorial Library in North Reading, MA, and the Firehouse Center For the Arts in Newburyport, as well as acceptances into juried exhibits at The Cape Cod Art Center and the Plymouth Center For The Arts.  

A retired educator, Maryellen lives happily with her husband and their cat Lily north of Boston, MA.  Maryellen believes like Miss Rumphius that, “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.”

More of Maryellen’s work can be seen at www.naturesimages.com.

Image galleries: https://maryellenstone.myportfolio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Natures-Images-Photographic-Art-by-Maryellen-Stone-439146339507287

Pat Watson Photography

Artist Statement

My goal with floral photography is to for the viewer to experience the same emotional reaction I had when I captured the image. My path to floral photography began in the garden. Being in the garden is my “happy place.” I enjoy digging in the dirt and watching flowers emerge in the spring. I am especially drawn to rare or unusual flowers. I greatly admire the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and consider her to be an inspiration for my work. Photography has also been a lifelong hobby of mine, especially when traveling. Over time, I began photographing flowers in my garden as a way of capturing their fleeting beauty. After raising a family, as I approached retirement, I joined a local camera club where my two lifelong hobbies converged. I quickly developed a passion for macro photography and developed my skills, both with the camera and through processing images on the computer, to create floral images that are works of art, rather than purely photographic. During COVID I have recently learned to paint my own backgrounds in Photoshop. In that sense, I consider myself to be a digital artist, as well as a photographer. I want to give special thanks to Stefani Traina and the Andover Library for giving me this opportunity to share my work.

About the Artist

I am a recently retired attorney and a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, where I serve as co-chair of the Field Trip Committee. I am also a member of Spade & Trowel Garden Club and am a volunteer at the Flint Memorial Library in Middleton. I live in Middleton with my husband Doug, together with our cat and parrot. We have two adult daughters, Sarah and Julia. This is my second exhibit. You can find more of my work here. If you are interested in purchasing any of Pat's work, email her or visit her website.

Joe Votano Photography - Diversity

Artist Statement

In writing this artist statement I realized that I deal mainly with ephemeral visual relationships of all kinds- hence Diversity using the medium of digital photography to express what I see, feel, and imagine. There are all sorts of different relationships: those among strangers or friends, nature and man, among species in nature, communal ones among people, and those generated in one's mind.

Maybe it's all those museums I've visited. Spending hours looking at painting and sculptures and always asking myself what is the intent (the message) the artist is trying to convey. Recognizing the diverse intentions of artists plays out in developing diversity in your own thinking about subject matter and ways to treat it. This definitely carries over into, the ephemeral visual relationships one sees.

For example, think about how one can visually express solitude:  a lonely person, an isolated tree, an empty room, a deserted seashore, such visual relationships are endless. How one responds to the scene before the camera is what makes us all a little different, consciously and subconsciously we are different, so why shouldn't our diverse personality show up in diverse photographic works. When it happens, it's usually results in creative outpourings in different subject areas.

David Brooks, NYT columnist, in a July 29, 2019 article on Diversity mentions "people who specialize in one thing succeed early, but then slide back to mediocrity as their minds rigidify." Diversity in subject matter in photography is a way to keep those little gray cells imagining different ways of seeing things then combining images as well as our thoughts on how to present something new and rewarding. Maybe this is why my website (www.joevotanophotography.com) keeps growing  year after year.    

                                                                                                                                                                            -- Joseph R. Votano

Joe Votano is avid photographer with his principal areas of interest being fine art, street photography, and documentary photography. He has received numerous awards in both monochromatic and color prints from both the Merrimac and Greater Lynn Photographic Association. His images have been published in Prestige Travel Hong Kong, Michelin Travel Guide, Aishti magazine (Middle East) and in Boston.com (Boston magazine). In the last six years he has had four books published by Schiffer Publishing: the widely acclaimed Boston Below co-authored with Karen Hosking about the Boston subway system; the Shaker Legacies, a 160 page photo-documentary which covers the development of Shakerism in the USA principally in Massachusetts and New York; and in 2018, the Every Changing Coastline and the Timeless Seashore. The latter two books being a combination of fine art and scenic photography coupled to aesthetics. His newest book, Moments to Ponder.. street photography here and elsewhere, is due out in 2021 from Schiffer Publishing.  His work can be seen at: www.joevotanophotography.com.

Virginia Guazzaloca Photography

Virginia Guazzaloca is a Library Assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Artist Statement

Whenever I go somewhere, I try to always take pictures. I went hiking at Mount Monadnock last summer with my family, and brought my camera along, hoping to get some interesting photos. I always try to take photos with interesting angles or focus. I get down low, point the camera up, focus on something in the foreground instead of the normal sweeping landscapes. I want to focus on what people usually just walk right by without even noticing it’s there.

Please contact Virginia at vguazzaloca@gmail.com for a price quote if you are interested in her work.

Johanna Kerrigan Photography

Artist Statement
To me, photography is an expression of capturing a story without words. Every picture has its own unique backstory but only one frame is captured. It makes us think why was this moment in particular so important? What can we gain from what we see?

Bio
I’ve always had an interest in photography. Growing up it was a hobby of my Dad’s that I participated in and grew to love as well. When I began my high school career I had limited practice with a camera, but as soon as possible I was taking all the photography courses my school had to offer. Photography became my way to capture the world from a different perspective. With every picture I take, I am able to hold that moment in time forever. Towards the end of junior year, I began to consider what I wanted to do with my future, and art, especially photography, was something I wanted to continue with. In March, I officially committed to the Pratt Institue in Brooklyn, New York to continue my studies as a photography major.

As the seriousness of the Coronavirus has restricted my senior year to the walls of my bedroom and a computer screen, I am hopeful for the future. Though many long-awaited traditions have been canceled for our safety, I am grateful for the four years at AHS. I have made long-lasting relationships, and I am proud of all that I was able to accomplish. This was not the ending anyone expected for the class of 2020, but together such a strong community has grown together, and my classmates and I will leave our high school careers in search of our futures beyond quarantine.

Johanna Kerrigan
18 years old
Andover High School Student

Pat Watson Photography & Sarah Nourse Watercolors

ARTIST STATEMENT

My goal with floral photography is for the viewer to experience the same emotional reaction I had when I captured the image. My path to floral photography began in the garden. Being in a garden is my “happy place.” I enjoy digging in the dirt and watching new flowers emerge each spring. I admire the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and consider her to be an inspiration. Photography has also been a lifelong hobby of mine, especially when traveling. Over time, I began photographing flowers in my garden, as a way of capturing the fleeting beauty of flowers. After raising a family, and as I approached retirement, I joined a local camera club where my two lifelong hobbies converged. I soon developed a love for macro photography and developed my skills, both with the camera and through processing images on the computer, to create floral images that are works of art, rather than purely photographic. I am especially drawn to rare or unusual flowers.

BIOGRAPHY

Pat is retired attorney and a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, where she serves as co-chair of the Field Trip Committee. She is also a member of Spade & Trowel Garden Club and is a volunteer at the Flint Memorial Library in Middleton. Her floral images have a distinctive style, and have won recognition by judges at local camera clubs. She lives in Middleton with her husband Doug. Pat’s other hobbies include cooking, gardening, hiking, quilting, kayaking and traveling. This is her first exhibit. You may see more of Pat’s work at https://patwatsonphotography.pixels.com/.

Display Case - Reference Area

The display case exhibit is a set of watercolors by Andover resident, Sarah Nourse. Sarah has worked as an aide at Memorial Hall Library in both the Teen Room and the Children's Room.

Donna Mills & Virginia Guazzaloca

Artist Statement

Unlike many artists, who know from childhood that they are in love with drawing and painting, I began to paint in middle age, and almost by accident. After a 20-year career in corporate pension plan administration, I went back to school to get a degree in fashion design. Wanting to learn to draw and paint so I could execute some fabric designs, I started to take art lessons.

The fashion and textile design career never materialized, but those art lessons became the highlight of my week. Fabric fell by the wayside, and now my main love is portraiture. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than the individuality and personality of the human face. I love the challenge of creating a likeness, hopefully capturing not just the surface features, but something of the person’s inner essence as well.

I also love to paint “small things.” There is so much beauty around us, and painting gives me eyes to see the little miracles of nature—mushrooms, tiny flowers, leaf formations—that I might otherwise miss.

Donna Mills holds a BA in Fashion and Textile Design from California State University, Los Angeles, and garment construction has always been a primary form of creative expression for her. As part of her study of textile design, Donna began to paint about 20 years ago. In 2017, she moved from southern California to Massachusetts and joined the Andovers Artists Guild. Inspired by the new environment and the natural beauty of New England, she began to spend more creative time in her studio, and has shown and sold many of her pieces. While Donna’s style is representational, she prefers “painterly” to photorealistic. You can view her work at www.donnamillsart.com/gallery. In addition to creating paintings and garments, Donna is a certified hand analyst and creativity coach. She provides a safe space for her clients to explore their purpose and work through their creative blocks. To learn more about that aspect of her work, visit www.printsonpurpose.com.

Display Case - Reference Area - Camera Collection (1940s-1990s) - Virginia Guazzaloca

I’ve been interested in photography ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother and aunt got me my very first camera, a little Kodak point and shoot that I brought everywhere with me. In high school, I took my very first photography class, and fell in love with the dark room, developing and printing my own film. When I started getting more serious about photography, and started taking classes in college, my grandfather gave me his old Canon AE-1. Photography ended up being a way for my grandfather and I to connect, something we were never really able to do before. He told me stories about how he would grind his own glass for his enlarger, about developing his film and printing his own photos. He even once mentioned to me that his camera collection would be mine when he passed away. Sadly, he passed away last year. Our conversations about photography are some of my best memories of him, and I’m so glad I now have his camera collection to help me remember him.

Fernanda Lopez & Vicki Murphy

Fernanda Lopez Paintings

Artist Bio
Fernanda Lopez is a Colombo-American community artist and art therapist. She started to use painting as an intuitive healing modality at age 18. At that time, she was dealing with anxiety and depression that resulted from some significant changes and life transitions. As a result, she decided to study psychology, yet kept learning to paint on the side, knowing from experience that art is also a way to heal. During an exchange program in the United States, Fernanda learned about art therapy and consequently changed her career and life path. She enrolled in Lesley University, where she completed a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapies and Mental Health.

Currently, Fernanda works as an art therapist serving the Lawrence, Lynn, and Lowell communities. Fernanda is currently focused on strengthening Lawrence Arts House (aka LA House) a community art based studio in Lawrence that promotes the arts as a tool for empowerment, self-expression and healing. Fernanda is also starting a small private practice in Lawrence, offering an open studio approach to art therapy. For any inquiries about these visions, please contact Fernanda directly at lawrenceartshouse@gmail.com

Artist Statement
This body of work is the result of many years of self-exploration. My initial goal was to intentionally show my work to the public. By showing, I am culminating a process of self-acceptance and celebration of the uniqueness of my work.

As an art therapist, I was guided by the question of how to create work that is genuine and congruent to the many ways that I experience myself. As a result, some of these pieces became "process paintings". From my methodology, "process paintings" are creative endeavors in which self-judgment is acknowledged as an integral part of the creative process. Balancing working with my own therapist and developing a studio practice, I was able to honor self-judgment as an inner part that brings light to my own resistances and the many voices that "stunt" my creative growth. My therapist suggested that I offer to myself the same compassion that I bring to my work with others. I have learned a great deal about self-acceptance and self-love, and as a result (and after many tears and growing pains), I have become more kind and acceptant of myself and my creative work.

As stated above, my goal is to show my work to the public, to allow it to be seen and felt by others, interpreted and imagined in many multitudes of ways. I hope that these images bring vibrancy to this space and that they inspire others to get acquainted with their inner judge, embrace it and make that best out of it.  

Display Case - Reference Area -Wool Works by Vicki Murphy

My love of working with wool was a graduated process.  It began with knitting, felting and rug hooking, but my preference these days, and where I get most creative, is with wool appliqué.  After years of pursuing my hobby, I have a huge stash of wool and yarn, and working with wool is the best kind of therapy, especially during long cold winter months in New England.                                                           —Vicki Murphy, MHL Staff

Evan Bedrosian & George H. Winslow Display

Artist Statement

I make art to express the intentions and desires that have manifested in my unconscious mind. I am interested in using my imagination and skill to explore the visual makeup of dark and mysterious imagery in my unconscious mind. I am fascinated with the concept of color from simple to complex variations of one tonal value.  By manipulating these colors, I have found a purpose through today’s visual culture.  By combining these colors with the desires from the unconscious mind, a revitalization in my work and association with a group of characters has emerged entirely from my own creation.

My intent has been to create a world through the visual representation of the stream of consciousness in a new and unique way.  Through a creation of robots for my undergraduate Thesis show Supplement for Life, I have found a way to recycle the old and forgotten art from the Medieval era and bring it into modern time by capturing the darkness and whimsy of my imagination. By exploring different techniques of oil and acrylic paint and bringing the work to a larger scale, the work is situated within a realm of color and fantasy.  My overall goal was to create a series that has its own unique nature.

Color, Through the Abstract Mind conjures a world where these invented robots interact with a selection of demons and monsters that originate from the Medieval Christian art. By associating color and variations of said colors, I utilize the elements of abstraction, surrealism, and illustration. Using these styles to create this body of work has enabled me to explore and nurture my feelings of anxiety, depression and fear.  Not only in the thesis selections but in most of my work over the past 3 years has been a collection of color and abstract shapes.

Evan Bedrosian, BFA Studio Arts- Painting Concentration, 2019, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
September 2019
evan.bedrosian@gmail.com

Evan Bedrosian is an Andover resident. He hopes to work in the field of graphic arts.

Display Case Exhibit - George H. Winslow, Andover Town Clerk

George H. Winslow was Andover town clerk for 30 years in the 1930s-50s. Before that, he was general manager of the American Woolen Company Homestead Association and in charge of the development of Shawsheen Village and sale/rental of the properties. As part of his work with the American Woolen Company, he traveled with his family several times to China for business and hosted travelers from China in Andover. Most of the business was related to government contracts for uniforms during World War I. This collection consists of items brought back from these travels. All of the items in this collection are over 100 years old and came from China and Japan to Andover. Also included is a copy of the original passport application and pictures showing the collection and the family's travels.

Ulrike Kapp Paintings & Andover 1969 Display

About the Artist

Uli Kapp was born and raised in Germany, and the architecture of her hometown, and many trips to Italy during her upbringing, influenced what she loves to paint. She is inspired by European artists like Hundertwasser, Klimt and Klee. Art has been part of her life from early childhood. She had some formal training at school, and her style is self-taught and developed over time. Painting and expressing, what she sees and feels makes her happy. While playing around with paint and brush strokes, she creates energizing paintings from her imagination, or from photos, with her interpretation and bold colors, layers of layers of acrylics to create a certain effect. Occasionally she paints with oils on canvas, and mixed media.

Her profession in health and wellness as a professional reflexologist and associated polarity practitioner, has a big influence in her artwork. Her intention is to make a positive difference in people’s lives and to achieve wellness.

Uli integrates balance and flow into her artwork and her life. Her artwork is a healing tool for her to bring inner balance and happiness into her life and others. She is a rowing enthusiast. As an active master rower and coxswain, she spends many mornings on the Merrimack River and enjoys the sunrise, the different looks of the river in all kind of weather situations. She gets inspired by the water, the birds, the clouds, the energy of every stroke in the boat. A resident of Andover for over 20 years, she is president of the Andovers Artists Guild. Commission pieces are available. www.ulikapp.abmp.com

Display Case: Andover in 1969

Curated by staff librarians, Stephanie Aude and Anna Tschetter, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the display case is filled with artifacts from 1969, including clothing on loan from the Andover Center for History and Culture.

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photographer

Howard Hoople takes pictures of butterflies in Andover, the Adirondacks, Texas and anywhere else he happens to be. A former president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, Howard leads butterfly walks, showing people how to observe and identify butterflies without damaging these delicate creatures. He has had butterfly photos published in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Butterflies, American Butterflies, and Butterfly Gardener magazines. He also produces and prints an annual butterfly calendar and note cards, all featuring his photos. And he is very pleased to talk with anyone interested in learning about butterflies! Visit his website at www.andoverbutterflies.net. 

Virginia Guazzaloca Photography

Virginia Guazzaloca is a Library Assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Architectural Photography (large format)

One of my favorite classes at Salem State was large format photography.  While taking the class, I mainly focused on unique architecture. Any building that stood out in any way became my subject, whether it was because it had burned down, or was covered in buoys, or just an old stone church in the middle of nowhere.

Monhegan Island, ME (digital)

I went on a trip to Monhegan Island, a small island off the coast of Maine, and spent my entire trip taking pictures. I wanted to get across the idea of just how small the community is there, and just how beautiful it is.

Please contact Virginia at vguazzaloca@gmail.com for a price quote if you are interested in her work!

Rich Vogel Photography & SHED Clock Towers

When I think of black and white landscape photography, the magnificent images of the West captured by Ansel Adams come to mind.  While Andover doesn't have the dramatic features of the West, its woods and ponds are every bit as beautiful in a subtler, more understated way.  With these twelve black and white prints, I’ve tried to capture a bit of this quiet beauty that is within a short walk or drive from my home near Andover Center.

I enjoy walking in the woods in and around Andover, where my wife and I brought up our two boys and walked our dog.  (Many thanks to the Andover Conservation Commission and AVIS for dozens of miles of well-maintained trails.) These walks provide a welcome escape from the hectic rush of the surrounding area.  The New England weather and seasons vary these landscapes with an infinite variety of light and mood.  I especially love the sharp contrasts of winter, which are well suited to black and white photography.  I try to capture this sense of calm and variety of light and mood in my photographs.  I also try to find a pleasing arrangement of elements in my compositions without compromising what is essentially random and natural.

I use mostly black and white film in medium and large format (2 1/4 inch square and 4 by 5 inch negatives).  This allows me to take my time, capture detail and concentrate on variations and balance of shades of gray, contrast and composition.  I develop and print the negatives using traditional darkroom processes in my basement and other darkrooms in and around Boston.  Instead of sitting in front of a computer manipulating digital images, I enjoy this slower, more deliberate, meditative process, working with my hands to make a physical object.

Travel for work and the iPhone revived the interest I had in photography as a child.  After a brief fling with digital photography, I fell in love with film and darkroom processes.  I began studying photography at evening classes at Northern Essex Community College in Lawrence and Theia Studios in North Andover, starting in 2013.  After retiring from a career in software, I continue to take workshops and work as a teaching assistant at the New England School of Photography, struggle in the darkroom, wander the woods in the Andover area and travel under the big skies out West every summer.

Jodi Feil at Theia Studios, Nick Johnson at the New England School of Photography, and Bill LaPete at LaPete Labs in Boston have taught me a great deal about photography and printing. I have shown my work at regional and on-line galleries, including the Griffin Museum of Photography, Camera Commons, The Darkroom Gallery, The Curated Fridge, a photo of the day at Don't Take Pictures and an honorable mention on L.A. Photo Curator. To view more of my work, go to richvogelphotography.com.

Display Case - Our Clock Towers: Celebrating the Everyday Sounds of Andover

On our first of many walks to the Addison Gallery we collectively heard the sound of the Memorial Bell Tower located at Phillips Academy. The sound of these bells has connected us to our neighborhood and as a community of learners. The children in the Springboard classroom at SHED Children’s Campus refer to it as “Our Clock Tower.” The sound of Our Tower and others in surrounding communities has connected us when we are apart. After the weekend, children often come in with stories about their sightings of clock towers. After a family trip, R came to school eager to share, “I was in Boston and saw a clock tower but it wasn’t like our clock tower.” In the display case, artists used their passion for creating with loose parts to build models of their own personal clock towers. Inspired by the Memorial Bell Tower, children incorporated their version of the many details we have noted on the tower such as writing on the side of the tower, the door, clock with no numbers “just lines”, lots of stairs, base of the tower, crack or lines in the tower, and windows.

A big THANK YOU to Christine at the Addison Gallery who has supported and inspired our research of the Memorial Bell Tower. Through looking at work by Paul Manship, we have enhanced the lens at which we look at our three dimensional world. She has guided our endless questions and scaffolded us in gaining a deeper understanding of what we see and the story of what is happening to help us appreciate the art around us.

Martin Culpepper - Nature Photography

Artist Statement

My name is Martin Culpepper, I'm fifteen years old and an aspiring wildlife photographer. I'm in 10th grade and planning on going into Biology in college out in the Yellowstone area. I have been obsessed with learning about wildlife since my earliest memory and now it's nice to interact with nature through my photography. I started taking pictures at the age of 12 and have progressively spent more and more time out in nature observing animal behavior and documenting them with my camera. I enjoy taking pictures of bears, owls, raptors, song birds, water birds, moose, deer, weasels, foxes (pretty much all mammals, even skunks) and marine life. I spend about 50-60 hours a month looking for wildlife to photograph, walking in the woods and on the beach. I've been fortunate to travel all over the country with my parents and see animals in all their different environments. My favorite place in the world is Wyoming but I recently went to Alaska this summer to photograph Coastal Brown Bears (basically Grizzly bears that live on the beach) and Alaska comes in a close second for landscape and wildlife. With my pictures and presentations I hope to inspire people to spend more time outside and encourage them to protect nature & wildlife. In my spare time I’m a Boy Scout and enjoy camping, hiking, fishing and all things nature. I also enjoy writing science fiction and have signed up for NaNoWriMo to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.

All of the photographs in this collection have been taken in the last two years. I’m obsessed with Raptors & Owls so there are many different kinds of owl pictures. I have a 500mm lens and this allows me to stay far away from the bird, respect its space and still get great pictures. All the snowy owl pictures were taken at Salisbury beach, Plum Island and Hampton Beach. I was able to document over 25 different individual snowy owls last winter. The Barred Owl was at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.I spent many many hours with this Barred over the winter last year on the Marsh Loop trail. It was in the area for over four months. The Short Eared Owl is my favorite to photograph because it’s so aerodynamic. I have photographed more Screech Owls than I can count. They’re small and adorable. I have many other photographs of other species of owls as well that are not included in this gallery.

The Juvenile Bald Eagle was taken in Salisbury, MA. All the bears, otter and moose were photographed in Alaska on my trip there in July 2018. My mom and I flew in a 6 seater plane an hour and a half down to Katmai National Park to walk with the bears. These are wild bears not captive in a zoo or reserve. This was the most exciting wildlife adventure I’ve ever had. I waited for over 8 hours several days in a row, waiting for the foxes to come out of their den to play. This family was so much fun to watch and take pictures of. The short tailed weasel won first place in the underaged mammal category from the Mass Audubon Society last year. I took this shot at the Ipswich River Audubon Sanctuary in Topsfield, one of my favorite places to spend time locally. This little guy was extremely fast and it’s incredible that I was able to get this picture. I also took the picture of the hummingbird and the fawn there as well. The ducklings I photographed in Newburyport, MA.

The best place to connect with me is on instagram @ martinz.photos. You can find me at facebook at Martin Culpepper Nature Photography. My website is still being built but a lot of it is up www.martinculpepperphotos.com

Andover Artists Guild & Display Case Artist Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz

The August and September art exhibit features works by eight members of the Andover Artists Guild: Joan Breen, Melissa Kuhn Forte, Elaine Meisinger, Donna Mills, Steve Mills, Garima Parakh, Donna Price, and Rekha Quazi, MD.

Joan Breen - Artist Statement
Painting - Jenny on the Marmalade; Medium: Pastel; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 22”x16”
Why do I paint? There is so much exquisite beauty surrounding us. Most often, we are too busy to see it. I feel my job as an artist is to look, see, and then reproduce that beauty – not in the way a photographer reproduces an image, but in the spiritual juxtaposition of peace, tranquility and joy; in the gloriousness of color and line; in the spontaneity of that nanosecond of recognition. And then there are the faces: on the subway, in the street, in shops and alleyways. So much beauty, everywhere! The painter sees into the soul of his model. Dropped eyes, a slope of the shoulders, that wisp of a smile fleeting across memories of pain and joy. So many beautiful faces. These are the things that drive me to paint. My mother was also an artist, and she used to say, “The drive is the talent.” So much to paint, so little time!

Melissa Kuhn Forte - Artist Statement
Small Painting 1 - Mount Desert Island Sunset; Medium: Acrylic on Canvas; Format: Square; Dimensions: 10”x10”
Small Painting 2 - Mount Desert Narrows; Medium: Acrylic on Canvas; Format: Square; Dimensions 10”x10"
I am an Andover based Artist, who enjoys recreating landscapes, animals, and architectural structures through my paintings, sketches, and illustrations. I work with a multitude of mediums including pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, and oil. I’m inspired to create scenes that have interesting contrasts within them, humorous elements, or just the simplicity of the beauty in nature.

Elaine Meisinger - Artist Statement
Painting - Junkyard Dog; Medium: Watercolor; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 30”x23”
Making my art is a creative journey that helps me become more aware of myself and my surroundings and enhances my sense of the wonder of life. With painting I try to express, without words, the beauty of nature so that others may see it too. If I come across a scene that speaks to me, I do a small sketch or a series of sketches. After selecting one, I will look at the shapes and may move objects around to find a pleasing composition. Then I organize the values so the viewer knows where to look and can easily travel around the painting. I love color and like to note how the light falls on objects. This process helps me to express my feelings about the scene. My painting is a watercolor of the junkyard that formerly was located on Park Street, Andover, owned by Morris Krinsky many years ago. Morris considered himself an artist in that he liked to arrange his findings like sculptural items. My painting is a tribute to Morris and his  "Junkque Yard."
E-mail: cartdesign2@yahoo.com

Donna Mills - Artist Statement
Painting - Wash day; Format: Landscape; Dimensions: 28”x22”
Unlike many artists, who know from childhood that they are in love with drawing and painting. I began to paint in middle age, and almost by accident. After a 20 year career in corporate pension plan administration, I went back to school to get a degree in fashion design. Wanting to learn to draw and paint so I could execute some fabric designs, I started to take art lessons. The fashion and textile design career never materialised, but those art lessons became the highlight of my week. Fabric fell by the wayside, and now my main love is portraiture. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than the individuality and personality of the human face. I love the challenge of creating a likeness, hopefully capturing not just the surface features, but something of the person’s inner essence as well. I also love to paint “small things”. There is so much beauty around us and painting gives me eyes to see the little miracles of nature - mushrooms, tiny flowers, leaf formations - that I might otherwise miss.

Steve Mills - Artist Statement
Painting - Primary Trinity; Medium: Watercolor; Format: Square; Dimensions: 18.5" x 18.5 "
I work in oil, watercolor, pencil and pastel. My style is realism and surrealism with an emphasis on the human figure. I believe that art is a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. My work as a scientist nurtures my mind as my work as an artist nurtures my soul.

Garima Parakh - Artist Statement
Painting - View of West Parish Church; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 27” X 23”
Tall trees, quiet marshes and quaint towns .. I am mostly drawn to these elements. I like to go out and paint en-plein air whenever I can. My goal for each work is to achieve the fleeting effect of light on canvas. I paint energetically and quickly. I use a combination of wet-on-wet and layered approach. I often use palette knife to apply paint quicky to achieve the desired freshness and vibrancy. Blending is very minimal. My style is a mix of Realism, Modernism and Impressionism. I am an Andover- based artist. I was born in India and worked in the IT industry for 15 years. I have been painting professionally since 2012.  My paintings have been accepted in several juried shows and are held in private collections all over the country.

Donna Price - Artist Statement
Painting - Barred Owl; Medium: Oil; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 40”x  28 ”
Nature and the environment feature in my artwork as I find inspiration in the natural world around me. I prefer using a bright rich color palette and working in a variety of mediums. I often experiment with composition and enjoy illustration and the ability to tell a story within my work. I have a passion for painting wildlife in a realistic style and I also enjoy sketching, drawing and photography. Born in Australia and interested in art from an early age, I went on to study art after school at the Queensland College of Art majoring in graphic design. I worked as a graphic designer and a commercial artist for many years and also as a children’s art teacher. I have won a number of awards throughout my career and continue to explore the wonderful world of art using a variety of mediums and techniques. Most of my artwork to date has an Australian theme. Now as I live in Massachusetts and as a current member of the Andovers Artists Guild, I am working on paintings of wildlife, landscapes, mixed media compositions and scenes of beautiful New England. I enjoy painting either on site (en-plein air) or in my studio using my own photographic reference. I was inspired to paint this beautiful Owl after discovering her perched in this tree while exploring the woodland behind my home. She was well camouflaged and I was lucky to take a few shaky photos with my phone. I sketched out a rough composition and decided on doing a larger painting that would include the ochre colors and rich browns and greys surrounding her. I have always loved birds, especially owls and as owls are often associated with wisdom and knowledge I thought it an appropriate subject for the library exhibit.

Rekha Quazi, MD - Artist Statement
Painting - Great Grandmother; Format: Portrait watercolor on paper; Dimensions: 24"x18”
Though I am a pediatrician by profession, art has been my passion since childhood. Growing up, a lack of guidance left me to explore it on my own. I pored through art books, and painted and sketched whenever I could. It was after my daughter left for college four years ago that my interest in painting was rekindled, and my newfound time allowed me to take lessons at Gessner studios. I am learning new techniques, and readily evolving my style of work. My favorite medium is watercolor and lately my subject matter has included landscapes, portraits and artifacts from my homeland, Kashmir, India. I have also tried painting with alcohol inks, and had a lot of fun with the process. Beauty is all around us in the form of nature; to observe that and create it on paper gives me immense pleasure. I like to take on challenges. The whole process of painting is very gratifying and can transport one to another reality. After a busy workday taking care of my patients, there is no better way to unwind. I only hope to continue pursuing this wonderful hobby. It gives me great joy to share my art with you, and I hope you enjoy it. The figure in this painting was inspired by my great grandmother, whose grace and presence resonated through my childhood home. Diya, as we called her, was a light who radiated throughout our community and brightened the lives of everyone around her. This image brings me back to that distant past. A Kashmiri woman: simple, beautiful, and perfect…

Display Case - Watercolors by Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz

Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz, a longtime resident of Andover is an exceptional watercolor painter.  She has always enjoyed painting, however worked full time so had little time to commit to her passion.  Jeanne Marie was influenced in her early years by her mother Francis Gorse who was an accomplished oil painting artist. Jeanne Marie became an avid student of Andover resident Cory Staid. Cory was a member of the Andover Artist Guild and the Reading Art Association and won numerous awards for her work in the medium of watercolor. Recently Jeanne Marie has been studying with Margo Pullman of West Newbury, which included a trip to France in the heart of Vincent Van Gogh country, where she learned new water color techniques. In 2014, Jeanne Marie suffered a significant stroke that resulted in aphasia, a language and communication disorder. She now has difficulty speaking, so painting has become even more important to her.  Since her stroke, painting has helped her relax and focus on recovering.  She’s also been able to express herself through her artwork when words are difficult to use. Her favorite subjects are flowers and landscapes of places traveled.  Painting helps her appreciate the beauty of nature. Jeanne Marie lives in Andover with her husband, Gary.  She has two children and four grandchildren who she spends as much time with as possible.  This is her first opportunity to exhibit her artwork.

Island Street Studios Group Show & MHL Makerspace

Island Street Studios Group Show

Island Street Studios at Union Crossing is a vibrant and diverse creative community of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Lawrence's historic downtown. Housed within one of the eco-conscious, redeveloped mill buildings, ISS is on the second floor with views overlooking the former Everett Mills on one side and the mighty Merrimack River on the other.

The artists featured this month include Leslie Cottrell, bestselling author, transition coach, speaker and founder of The Visionary Passage. Issa Van Dyk's work (monotype prints) explores themes of spirituality from different traditions as well as relationships to our ancestors, other sentient beings, and our place within the overall web of life.

Display Case, Level 1, Reference Area

Memorial Hall Library has a new Makerspace, Make @ MHL. On display are some of the equipment and samples of what it can do. The Makerspace is equipped with a poster printer, vinyl cutter, 3D printer, sewing machine and all sorts of other cool stuff for creative projects. Stay tuned for program announcements.

The Art of the Stitch Quilt Exhibit

This month's exhibit features works by a fabric art critique group known as “Joined by Stitch.” The artists include Betsy Abbott of Andover, Tarja Cockell of North Andover, Sue Colozzi of Reading, Janis Doucette of North Reading, Anne Kimball of Lexington, Madalene Axford Murphy of Amesbury, and Alanna Nelson of Melrose. They are all members of SAQA, Studio Art Quilt Associates, a major national organization of quilt artists, as well as several other regional fiber arts groups. They first came together nearly two years ago to support their individual journeys as artists.  Every member uses fiber in creating her work but each has also developed a unique voice ranging from the abstract to the representational. While all value color, line, and texture, they achieve those goals through a variety of techniques, some beginning with hand-dyeing, printing or painting, even weaving the fabric, others using the evocative commercial fabrics available today. All use machine stitching in their work but some add hand stitching as a design element. Once a month the members bring work to a meeting, seeking either feedback from the rest of the group for a finished piece or advice on a particular aspect of a work in progress. Their exhibition is available for viewing during regular library hours. The public is also invited to a special evening gathering, “Meet the Artists,” on Tuesday, April 17 from 7:00 to 8:00pm.

Group member Betsy Abbott has said, “We represent a rapidly growing number of diverse, fiber artists in our country and around the world, and we are delighted to have this local opportunity to share some of our work.”

For information about the work on display visit this page.

Island Street Studios Group Show

Island Street Studios at Union Crossing is a vibrant and diverse creative community of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Lawrence's historic downtown. Housed within one of the eco-conscious, redeveloped mill buildings, ISS is on the second floor with views overlooking the former Everett Mills on one side and the mighty Merrimack River on the other.

The group show features work by several artists, including Cornia Corneyjo, Cassie Doyon, Deycloud, Lynne B. Mehlman, Emily O'Hara, Elizabeth Peck, Jose Rodriguez, Jean Schwerdt Stewart, Whitney Stewart and Andrea Stoehr. Their work is installed in the Level 1 hanging exhibit area and in the display case in the Reference Room.

About the artists:

Corina Cornejo is an artist and fashion designer born and raised in Lawrence, MA. Graduating with a BFA in Fashion Design from MassArt in 2014 she would move to New York City and work as a designer for various brands such as G.H. Bass & Co. and Karl Lagerfeld Paris. After several years in NYC she decided to come back to Lawrence, MA and start her own indie brand known as Bag Lady Goods. Mostly creating one of a kind canvas totes and pouches but also experimenting with hand embroidery. While Bag Lady Goods is still in its very beginning stages she has managed to open up a small studio space in Lawrence, MA and continues to work on building her brand while still working as a freelance designer in the mass market industry.

Cassie Doyon is a local Merrimack Valley artist and art teacher who works with mixed media mosaic sculpture. Her art reflects a life long interest in primitive/tribal arts around the world along with the beauty of the natural world and is particularly focused in surface design, color and pushing the boundaries of sculpture with unconventional and repurposed materials.

Deycloud is a 25-year-old artist from Lawrence, MA. She studies Graphic Design at Northern Vermont University and loves her community of Lawrence, MA. When she’s not doing her homework, or expressing her anxieties and struggles on canvas, Deycloud spends much of her time mentoring Lawrence youth as an art instructor in addition to serving customers as a barista at El Taller Café in downtown Lawrence. She has been drawing since she was in the third grade and later, started painting in high school. Deycloud’s art is heavily influenced by surrealist Salvador Dalí. Her inspiration flows mainly from her love of psychology and astronomy, ie: how dreams interact with the human mind and its subconscious; the idea of a multiverse, portals, galaxies, alternate dimensions, and magical places. Deycloud believes that her art invites her to dig deeper into her own mind and come to terms with the reality of the world we live in. You can find Dey and her art on Instagram @deycloudart.

Drawn to the beauty of nature, Lynne Mehlman has been painting her whole life. Throughout her school years she took as many different kinds of art classes as she could, from ceramics to calligraphy to lithography. However, she never found the intensive and thorough training that she desired until she met Robert Cormier, the instructor of the R.H. Ives Gammell Studios in Boston, MA and a former Gammell student himself.  Lynne subsequently studied with him for 4 years. Lynne then furthered her studies with Paul Ingbretson, another Gammell student, in Manchester, NH, for more than 5 years. Lynne’s training comprised as much focus on learning to see as on the craft of drawing and painting. Robert Cormier called it an impressionistic approach, based on what hits the eye first.  Paul Ingbretson calls it painting in the visual order.  She found truth in Gammell’s words, “A student’s progress seems to him like the falling of successive scales from his eyes… It is, in fact, only after his eyes have acquired a fairly high degree of sensitivity, which is to say, when he can paint fairly well, that a student realizes the overwhelming difficulty of painting.” Her studies began with charcoal cast drawing, as taught in the 19^th century European atelier system. From cast drawing Lynne progressed to still life drawing and oil painting, figure drawing, and, finally, portraiture and figure painting.  To complement her intensive studio work, she studied plein air landscape painting with David Curtis, yet another Gammell student.

Emily O’Hara of Silver Labyrinth Design is a self-taught metalsmith and fiber artist.  She maintains a metals studio at Island Street Studios in Lawrence, MA and a weaving studio in her home in Andover, MA. In 1990, she took her first weaving class at East Lansing Community Education in East Lansing, MI.  After returning east, she took classes in color theory and design and tapestry weaving at Harrisville Design in Harrisville, NH.  She was a member of Hudson-Mohawk Weavers Guild in upstate NY and The Weavers Guild of Boston in MA.  Upon reading a brief article about weaving with metal in Handwoven magazine, she became increasingly curious about metal weaving and found her first course in metalsmithing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she has taken classes for the past fifteen years.  Additionally, she has taken courses at Metalwerx in Waltham, MA and MassArt in Boston, MA.

Elizabeth Peck
I believe that art is essential to our quality of life.  Painting is my escape to an amazing place.  It enriches me, soothes my soul, balances me, and gives me peace.  I am passionate about painting, and hope my audience feels my excitement. I grew up on a farm in Poland, where life was both hard and simple.  My art education began in the US, with classes and workshops taught by local New England artists.   Eventually, I earned my Certificate in Fine Art from the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Then continued with several semesters at the School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.  Today, I continue my educational journey by taking a little bit of something from many, different, well known artists, including David Leffel, Jeffrey Watts, Rose Frantzen, Robert Liberace, and Michelle Dunaway. My painting experience centers mostly in New England.  However, I also travel extensively to paint in the American Southwest, Alaska, France, Netherlands, Norway,  Italy and Scotland.  I paint landscapes (mostly en plein air), trying to capture not only the light and color, but also the mood and energy of the scene.  I like to paint portraits (from life), trying to convey the character, personality and spirit of the subject.  With my still life paintings I try to evoke emotion in the viewer.
My abstracts give me the freedom to express my imagination and the emotions that I feel at the moment. 

Jean Schwerdt Stewart invested most of her years in creating one-of-a-kind pieces of silver, gold & platinum jewelry,while still studying and working in the fine arts of watercolors and oils. After retiring from 45 years of jewelry design, Jean has been working exclusively in oils, and has invited other artists into her home studio to simply share the joy of painting together. They call their group, "Artists in Action." Jean lived overseas with her husband, and educator with the Department of Defense, and she continued her art studies in many places, including Okinawa, Germany and Yugoslavia. Find her on Facebook.

Jean Stewart, accomplished fine artist, goldsmith, jewelry designer and co-owner of Whitney's Custom Jewelry, has been creating one-of-a-kind silver, gold and gem creations both nationally and Internationally. Today, Jean continues this tradition of excellence along with her daughter Whitney Stewart, after whom Whitney's Custom Jewelry was named. Whitney's philosophy is simple - to create one-of-a-kind jewelry creations that are not only intriguing and beautiful in design but also are of the highest quality. Each piece designed by Whitney's features only the best materials such as fine silver, sterling silver, gold, precious and semi-precious stones.

Andrea Stoehr is a self-taught fused glass artist who discovered the beauty of fused glass several years ago during a trip to New Mexico and a visit to a glass gallery. Fascinated by the changes of light and color, she vowed that this was something she just had to do. After taking a one-night workshop on how to make a fused glass tile, she was off and running. Over the following 10 years, and through various experiments, failures and happy accidents, Andrea came to understand the medium more and more. Most pieces are fired in a kiln to 1440-1500 degrees Fahrenheit, with a hold varying per piece being fired. Andrea works out of a studio at the Island Street Art Studios in Lawrence, MA. She has her creations for sale at Positive Images Gallery in Haverhill, MA, and at Pick’n Cousins home décor store in Hampton, NH. She also participates as a vendor in the Coastal Christmas craft fair in Salisbury, MA during the Blue Ocean Festival of Trees every November. Find Andrea Stoehr Designs on Facebook.

Maria Cusumano & Mark Towner

Maria Cusumano

Maria Cusumano has been teaching at Endicott College since 2001, following academic appointments at St. Ambrose University and Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame.  In addition, she held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Craft Museum, Davenport Museum of Art, Johnson County Mental Health Center, and the International Center of Photography. Her artwork is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Chicago Art Institute.  She has participated in exhibitions at institutions including Indiana University, Pratt Institute Center, Minneapolis College of Art, and the University of Michigan. Her continued interests include writing poetry and songs, Vedanta, scholarly research, and photography. Professor Cusumano received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Mark Towner

Appointed Dean of the Endicott College School of Visual and Performing Arts in 2000, Mark Towner held previous academic appointments at institutions including the University of Iowa, St. Ambrose University, Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame, Ohio University, and Wayne State University. In addition, he served in managerial positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Northeast Document Conservation Center, American Craft Museum, and the Davenport Museum of Art.  As a practicing artist, his works have been included in solo and group exhibitions at Rocky Neck Arts Center in Gloucester, MA, the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a variety of galleries in New York City. His publications include Printed Pleasure: Published Pain and The Arts in Healing. Dean Towner received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art where his studies included aesthetics, photography, and printmaking.

Level 1 Display Case

The display case features travel photographs by Memorial Hall Library staff member, Pam DiPesa.

Mark Chester & Emily O'Hara

Artist Statement

In youth my penchant to discover places and people began, National Geographic, my guide; for forty years with wanderlust and curiosity I covered the continents photographing cultural landscapes. I’ve come full circle—traveling the world not leaving the state. The Bay State: A Multicultural Landscape, supporting MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Coalition), is a collection of informal, environmental portraits of ethnic diversity in Massachusetts. 400-plus photographs that represent over 180 countries are touring the state; a companion book for donation to schools and libraries will bring awareness to our cultural diversity: subjects of various stations, foreign-born, naturalized U.S. citizens residing in the Commonwealth. Prompted by the 2010 Census, the seed was planted earlier on assignment at Ellis Island for a 1978 essay by mentor, Charles Kuralt. Unlike my candid street photography, this is a straightforward approach: individuals looking into the camera, telling stories through expression, place and pose.

Mark Chester has been a professional photographer since 1972. He was director of photography and staff photographer at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, in New York City. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the museums in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Cape Cod, Denver, Portland (Maine), San Francisco and Washington, DC, among other communities across the country.

Emily O'Hara - Level 1 Display Case

Emily O’Hara of Silver Labyrinth Design is a self-taught metalsmith and fiber artist. She maintains a metals studio at Island Street Studios at 50 Island St in Lawrence, MA and a weaving studio at home in Andover. Her interest in weaving was sparked in childhood after seeing a floor loom in the home of a family friend. At age 25, she took her first weaving class at East Lansing Community Education in East Lansing, MI. After returning east, she took classes in color theory and design and tapestry weaving at Harrisville Design in Harrisville, NH. She was a member of the Hudson-Mohawk Weavers Guild in upstate NY and Weavers Guild of Boston. Upon reading a brief article about weaving with metal in Handwoven magazine, she became increasingly curious about metal weaving and found her first course in metalsmithing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she has taken classes for the past fifteen years. Additionally, she has studied at Metalwerx in Waltham. There, her Fold-forming course with Charles Lewton-Brain and Micro fold-forming course with Cynthia Eid truly informed her creativity. Emily has been featured in Bliss Boston, on-line publication, in Daring Spirits blog, The Andover Townsman, collectively with Island Street Studios in The Lawrence Eagle Tribune and Rumbo. She has participated in The Weavers Guild of Boston annual show and sale, The Holly Fair in Cambridge, Crafts in the Park and various local craft shows and fairs. She had a piece in the Celebrating Women Gallery Show at Island Street Studios in May of 2017.

Kristina Trott & Vicki Murphy

Kristina Trott - Artist Statement   

  I've lived in central Andover most of my life, and carried a camera much of the time since childhood, documenting everything from the '54 hurricanes to blizzards to the many Shawsheen floods. It was only when I acquired a 35 mm Canon in the 60's, though, that I could begin to do justice to the local birds, butterflies and wildflowers I've always loved and studied. Even better, since my switch to digital, all financial restraints are off, and I can and do shoot everything I find interesting! And I think there's very little in the natural world that is not. (Most notably fungi, which I belatedly discovered around 5 years ago and have added to my compulsive ID searches, list-making, and photo documentation.)
    Andover is not the town I grew up in, most conspicuously the area above the Center where too many newer homeowners have leveled the original residents' lovingly tended flower gardens/pollinator sanctuaries in favor of chemically treated and commercially (and loudly) maintained turf deserts.(Not to mention one long-time resident's home that was seized and demolished and their extensive gardens leveled for playing fields). In town butterfly species that used to number close to two dozen are down to 5 or 6, and those not at all numerous. Finding subjects for my lens these days requires ranging farther afield, although my own yard (a very conspicuous outlier) and that of one like-minded neighbor still offer welcome finds.
   Fortunately, central Andover still offers much for the nature loving photographer, (mainly thanks to Phillips Academy's benignly neglected bird sanctuary, and nearby conservation land) so I don't need to range too far afield. In fact, everything in this exhibit, except the Holt Hill image, was taken within a half-hour walk of my house. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be living where I do.
   In addition to my nature photography (which I offer for sale in the form of notecards and matted enlargements), I do a limited number of commissioned  horse portraits in graphite, solicited mainly at Springfield Arabian shows in the spring and summer. Horses have been another lifelong passion, although I've never owned one; I've been drawing them from childhood. I have had pieces accepted twice for exhibit at the American Academy of Equine Art annual shows in Lexington, Kentucky.

Vicki Murphy - Original Ewe Wool Works

Garima Parakh

Garima Parakh is an Andover based artist. She was born in India and has a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering. She worked in the Information Technology industry for 15 years. She has been drawing and painting since childhood. In 2012, she started painting full time. Her paintings have been accepted in several juried shows and are held in private collections all over the country. www.garimaparakh.com.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My landscapes are emotional glimpses that show my deep connection with nature. I am alive when I breathe the air and feel the textures. I like to maintain a loose but exciting quality in my artwork by use of dynamic color and composition. Often times, I let my imagination and memory run free.  The result is an amalgam of exciting visual images.

Pearl White Artist and Photographer

PEARL WHITE

"You won't find just families, babies, bellies, pets and corporate headshots in my portfolio. You'll also find the elusive Fae people. I don't just push the button on the camera; I am inspired to create the scenes that come to life when your child walks into my studio. Every detail is meticulously thought out and it takes months to curate all the pieces that bring the scene to life."

Pearl has been part of the photography and art worlds since childhood. Her artwork can be found in private and public collections around the world. The heirloom images she creates for families, at her studio in Andover, will be treasured for generations.

Blending art with photography with art is what Pearl loves to do the most. Visit http://www.pearlwhitestudio.com/

Lisa Hertel Drawings & Vicki Murphy Wool Works

Artist Statement

Fairy tales, folk tales and myths have always fascinated me. I believe they speak to our Jungian collective unconscious. I have always particularly adored animal tales, which bring out human foibles in anthropomorphized format. In my watercolors, I seek to illustrate those animal tales in as realistic a way as possible, as if it really were possible to keep boots on a cat, or for a grasshopper and an ant to converse. I actually do quite a bit of research to choose as authentic an environment as possible, whether it is what our collective unconscious believes a troll should look like, or what sort of spider would live in Jamaica, which is the American source of many of the Anansi tales.

To produce each painting, I start with a detailed pencil drawing based on photographs. I then ink it using technical pens of varying thicknesses. After the ink has set, I erase the pencil and paint it, then I write the accompanying story, based on as many sources as possible. Some, like Aesop's fables, are merely a paragraph or two; others can be quite long. I write more for adults than children, because I believe we all can still learn from these tales.

                                                                                                                                               --Lisa Hertel

About the Artist

Lisa Hertel is an artist from a long line of artists. Lisa's art is mixed, both 2D and 3D, in a variety of media. She is willing to learn and try anything new. A potter since the age of seven, she makes a variety of ceramics, including wheel work and sculptural items. She loves to draw, and does both pencil work and intensely detailed pen-and inks; she also paints, mostly in watercolors, and does wire sculpture. She often combines media, such as adding watercolors to the pen-and inks, or using glass in her pottery. Recently, she has begun doing encaustics. She has also learned blacksmithing, glass blowing, paper-making, stained glass, and glass fusing. She offers classes in her studio at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, which is the largest art colony on the East Coast. After 25 years as a pharmacist, she quit her day job to pursue a career in art. Her other passions include speculative fiction and volunteering; she helps run literary science fiction conventions and curates an exhibition of art at the Essex County Probate Court. She has been an Andover resident for 25 years. Visit her website.

Reference Display Case - Wool Works by Vicki Murphy

Vicki Murphy's love of working with wool was a graduated process.  It began with knitting, felting and rug hooking but her preference these days, and where she gets most creative, is with wool applique.  After years of pursuing her hobby, she has a huge stash of wool and yarn and finds that working with wool is the best kind of therapy, especially during long cold winter months in New England.

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photography

After receiving an MBA from Harvard University and having a rewarding career in health care management, in 1999, Howard Hoople began renewing his childhood interest in butterflies. Howard is now an accomplished butterfly photographer and President of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. He has had butterfly photos published in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Butterflies, American Butterflies, and Butterfly Gardener magazines. He also produces an annual butterfly calendar and note cards featuring his photos, and is very pleased to talk with anyone interested in learning about butterflies.

Cliff Hauptman & Susie Hauptman

Artist Statements

Cliff Hauptman
During my professional career, I have been a corporate writer, photographer, graphic designer, motion picture editor, outdoor writer, author, fishing columnist, and communications director, often concurrently. Many of the digital drawings in this exhibit are inspired by my photographs, but they contain no photographic elements and are drawn line by line from scratch, using the computer's mouse as a pen and brush. Once printed, I further enhance each archival pigment print with pastels so that each becomes a unique, mixed-media original. I create these digital drawings using Adobe Illustrator. They are vector graphics, which are based on mathematical equations and can be resized to any dimension without pixilating. My digital drawings have a highly graphical quality, which becomes transformed, in varying degrees, by the application of additional details and textures in chalk pastels. The result is a colorfully saturated melding of graphic design and fine art, a changing edge where precision and impression interface. Visit www.cliffhauptman.com.

Susie Hauptman
My necklace designs are inspired by my travels in the Southwest and reflect the desert colors and Native American cultures. While hiking in the high desert, I collect many of the stones I use in my work. One of my favorite places to collect the luminous agates is the area around Abiquiu where Georgia O'Keeffe lived and worked. After polishing and drilling holes, I incorporate these beautiful stones into my work. I also include fossils and petrified wood in some of my pieces. I purchase other stones from Native Americans selling their beads at roadside stands and in small shops in New Mexico. I combine my passion for crochet into my longer necklaces by crocheting with silk thread and waxed cotton. Some of my crochet shawls, market bags, a shell box, and purses are also on display.

Heather Barker Photography & Gayle C. Heney Raku Potter

Heather Barker Artist Statement

Heather Barker comes from a creative family, many of them pursuing careers in the arts. Heather has worked in human services for over 25 years, including working at a women's shelter answering domestic abuse hotline calls and performing case management. She has also worked with teens at the Department of Youth Services and with adults of various abilities and barriers, finding vocational training through the Mass Rehab Commission. Heather broke state records in Massachusetts with the number of people she assisted in regaining employment. She also worked in the Welfare to Work grant program through the Department of Transitional Assistance.

Over the years, Heather has implemented and organized Expressive Arts groups with the populations she has worked with. About this, she says, "I had a strong desire to help them heal through the arts and learn healthy ways to express themselves. I found it a window at the very least for them to come together as a group and begin to build bonds and support for each other. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to watch street kids give me attitude about doing an art project and then begin working with clay and paints at the same table as their rival gangs.  Art does amazing things to everyone it touches!”

Raising her daughter as a single mother has made her realize that she needs something for herself, some form of creative expression. “After hearing so much of the darkness and struggles in the world through my human service jobs over the last 25 years, I began to snap away. I found photography more valuable than ever to help me focus and to remember the beauty in the world all around me everywhere, people, family, nature, my daughter, events…whatever, I began to snap away."

Current Work

• Photograph The New England Music Awards http://nemusicawards.com/ at their annual awards show
• Freelance  photographer at Chelmsford Independent  http://chelmsford.wickedlocal.com/
• Brand Ambassador for Howl Magazine, www.howlmag.com, a local print and online arts and entertainment magazine. My photos are used in the magazine and online.

Won Best Color Award at The Whistler House of Lowell, show in 2014. http://www.whistlerhouse.org/

She plans on doing more shows in the future.  You can follow her photography journey on her Facebook page, Heather Barker’s Photography.

Gayle C. Heney Artist Statement

The process of Raku includes placing glazed pieces of pottery in a kiln, usually powered by gas burners. The glazes respond to the low-fire temperature, which rarely exceeds 2000 degrees F., by melting, bubbling and developing a “shiny look.”  When the glazes are mature, the pot is removed with tongs and placed in a container filled with combustibles such as shredded paper, magazines, straw or sawdust.  In this reducing environment, the combustibles ignite, creating a smoke-filled atmosphere.  Those areas of the pot left unglazed become black as a result.  In addition, metallic luster, crackle patterns and iridescence are possible in this exciting process.  Raku, as a firing method, provides an opportunity for serendipity and immediacy, which enhances its appeal for me. 

Historically, Raku bowls were thought to have been made first by a Korean immigrant to Japan.  His son, Chagiro, (1515-1592) and his family became known as the Japanese “Raku family.”  Chagiro made tea bowls for the famous tea master Sen-no-Rikyu. This genetic line of potters continued until 1944. Raku tea bowls exemplify the Zen emphasis on “simple living,” and were originally associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. Classical Japanese tea bowls are small, irregular, made by hand and without detail.  Their simple form, unadorned rim, lack of detail and understated glazes require handling in order to be fully appreciated. 

Raku in America is very different from its Asian ancestor.  Here, Raku is known for flamboyant color, metallic luster and free form.  Emphasis is placed on the exciting process of firing with glazes that can amaze our senses and challenge our notion of what pottery can be. 

Rob Franco

Artist Statement

My passion for art began at an early age during visits to a neighborhood artist in Newport, Rhode Island. This led to training as an illustrator in the US Air Force and continued as a graphic artist in the Boston area.

After studying with renowned pastelist and teacher, Albert Handell at drawing and pastel workshops in Woodstock, New York, the focus of my work was portraits of children and animals. I continued in this genre for many years.

While a student of the late David Ratner and John Evans, both renowned artists, my passion turned to oil painting. This medium allows me to build paintings with texture, using palette knives, brayers and various size brushes.

My fascination with the ocean continues to inspire my work. I enjoy searching the New England and Eastern Shore coastlines to find subjects that display a mood that will transform into a painting.

Looking into a tidal pool or the reflection of a small boat on the water gives me an emotional feeling of calm. The colors produced by the boat, sky, or water and sand enrich the scene. Shadows on the sand or reflections and shadows on the water are ever changing, and finding these painting opportunities is exciting and priceless for me.

Visit www.robfranco.com for more information.

Matthew Pearsall & Essex Art Center

Matt is currently an Andover resident who grew up a few towns to the north in West Newbury. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Engineering and is working within the field in Chelmsford, MA.  Painting is mostly a hobby which he has been lucky enough to pursue thanks to the many hours spent in hotel rooms when travelling for work. When not travelling to job sites in New England, he likes to vacation abroad and is inspired by the unique countries and their trademark landmarks to create many of the art deco travel posters on display here. Inspiration for the oil-based animal paintings comes from enthusiastic friends and family and their all too willing subjects. If you have any questions or like what you see he can be reached at matthewrp91@gmail.com.

Essex Art Center Adult Clay Pieces in Reference Area Display Case

Works in clay created by adult classes at the Essex Art Center are on display. The exhibitors include students in Clay Works with Larry Elardo: Gale Batsimm, Christianne Tardif-Kellerd, and Amy Ferguson, and students in Hand-building with Peter Wood:  Virginia Dalis, and Kristen Donegan. Gayle Heney, who has taken classes at EAC, also has two pieces on display.

Stephanie Mobbs Deady

Stephanie Mobbs Deady is an artist with a zest for life and all things whimsical. Family, laughter and love fuel her and inspire her creative process. Stephanie paints at her home studio in Andover and is available for commissioned works. Visit www.stephaniemobbsdeady.com.

Paintings by Debalina Sarkar

Debalina Sarkar is a new artist and a resident of North Reading. As a small girl, she was interested in art, but soon discontinued it for academics. Her parents were called to school in second grade because her teacher thought that her parents had helped her with her art homework. Her teacher made her paint in front of her because she couldn't believe a second grade girl could paint that well. Since then, Debalina has painted many paintings during festivals in India. Although she is a research scientist by profession, she rediscovered her art after almost 25 years, after her son was born. She started painting early this year, and was so excited that she painted over 100 paintings in 5 months, mostly with her newborn in her arms. She paints mostly landscapes, flowers and small animals. She uses traditional oil painting on canvas, but has also worked with acrylics and watercolors.

Her influences include American, European and Indian painters. She has also been inspired by various art forms such as contemporary, wet-on-wet, Madhubani, and Renaissance techniques. A lot of her ideas come from within, but many are influenced by modern day painters such as Bob Ross, Wilson Bickford, Ginger Cook, Kevin Hill, and Gary Jenkins.

Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families

Of Many Colors, created by the Family Diversity Projects, includes photographs and interviews with 20 families (children, teens, and adults) who have bridged the racial divide through interracial relationships and/or adoption. In a world where race is considered by many to be a formidable barrier between people, the families in this traveling exhibit have discovered richness and value in diversity. This exhibit of multiracial families has a great deal to teach about racial identity and racism. The same exhibit will be displayed in all five Andover elementary schools during September. Of Many Colors is also available in a beautiful companion book (featuring over 40 families) published by the University of Massachusetts Press. Major funding is provided by the Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) and elementary school PTO's.

Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) partners with the Andover Public Schools to support innovative system-wide, curricula-enhancing initiatives that will inspire our students to succeed in facing today's global challenges. Since 2005, ACE has granted more than $500,000 to support public education in Andover and is continuing its work to broaden support and community involvement in our schools.  To learn more about ACE, visit www.aceandover.org or contact Jennifer Srivastava at jsrivastava@aceandover.org.

Donna Howard

Prismatic and electric, painter Donna Howard cleverly weaves subtle narrative into each one of her bright paintings. Textured and nuanced with an ambient, lyrical sense of space, Howard’s paintings are emblems of a prolifically curious mind, and speak to diverse experiences and moments of human life. Strict, precise brushwork betrays the artist’s ardently playful and whimsical fancies, speaking to the duality inherent in all of our psyches. With every shift and movement of the eye as it engages with Howard’s works, we see refreshingly differently, as if we were looking through a kaleidoscope. An emerging artist, Donna Howard has already exhibited her works throughout the Northeast.

Susan Schön & Tom Vartabedian

Level 1

Andover resident, Susan Schön has worked as a textile designer for over twenty-five years, designing products ranging from original one-of-a-kind hand-painted silk clothing, her own line of hand-painted children's clothing, wall coverings, upholstery, apparel, and numerous graphic design applications. Her work as a designer has allowed her to develop many different styles, and her passion for art and design continues to grow, often inspired by observing and exploring the natural world.

Level 2

The Level 2 display cases feature a photo exhibit commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on display until May 10. The collection by photographer, Tom Vartabedian, is entitled “Armenian Village People --- A Country Kaleidoscope” and depicts life in modern-day Armenia, a century following a devastating massacre by the Ottoman Turkish Government that killed 1.5 million people and left another million displaced from their homeland.

A showing of color images represent part of a collection taken by Vartabedian during two trips to Armenia over the past decade, covering scenes of people living and toiling in the mountains and valleys. The images depict life in this historic land whose history dates back more than 3,000 years. The Andover library is among others throughout Merrimack Valley and the North Shore which will feature the exhibit during this centennial year.

Vartabedian, a Haverhill Gazette columnist, worked as a photographer for 40 years before retiring a decade ago.  Much of his photography these days is dedicated to travel and pleasure.

Skip Montello: Simply Reflections

Skip is a photographer working and living in Rockport Massachusetts. He is an exhibiting member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Rocky Neck Gallery, Rockport Art Association, Newburyport Art Association and the Griffin Museum of Photography. His passion for photography developed during his career at the Polaroid Corporation, where he spent more than 30 years as a photographic scientist, engineer and technology leader.

Over the years he has moved from film based media to digital. He has a deep love for the area in which he lives and is constantly inspired by the ocean. When not photographing, he is a sport fishing charter captain, sailing instructor and outdoor writer.

Skip's photography is frequently displayed in many juried photography exhibits around the country. His photography has earned numerous awards at the art associations in Rockport and Newburyport and the worldwide Nikon Small Wonders Competition. He has exhibited in several solo exhibits including art associations and public libraries. His work is held in private collections in the USA and Europe.

Skip is a graduate of Northeastern University, Engineering and Science and a US Navy Submarine Veteran.

Visit his website www.skipmontellophotos.com.

Sanjeev Nandan

Andover resident, Sanjeev Nandan is a self-taught artist driven purely by the passion to create something new and interesting every time he has a blank canvas in front of him. Every painting is an experiment and a learning experience. Over the years, he has been influenced by various artists and their styles. His creations are original concepts designed by infusing real life subjects with a bit of imagination. His style has evolved over time, but one thing has not changed - the paintings are bright and colorful. He uses acrylic paints to give them an almost oil-like effect. To see more of his artwork go to http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sanjeev-nandan.html.

The Level 2 display cases contain photographs taken by students at Andover High School's Photography Club as part of their Humans of Andover Project. Inspired by the Humans of New York project, the students set out to capture various personalities within Andover. The artwork shown is a combination of film and digital photography and showcases what stood out to these photographers around our town.

Susan Siegel and Rob Franco

1st Floor Exhibit

Andover artist, Susan Siegel has been painting with pastels and acrylics for almost 20 years. The paintings in her exhibit, “Landscapes I Have Known and Loved," focus primarily on color, light, mood, and atmosphere, and are based on her emotional responses to the landscapes of her travels and to her connection with the ocean in Cape Cod. Along with her husband, Susan is both an artist and seasonal gallery owner of the Front Porch Gallery in Wellfleet, MA. She is also a member of several local arts organizations, including the Andover Artists’ Guild, the Newburyport Art Association, the Wellfleet Art Galleries Association, and the Pastel Painters of Cape Cod. Her work has been exhibited primarily in New England and sold throughout the U.S. to collectors from New Hampshire to California.

Level 2 Display Cases

Rob Franco's passion for art began at an early age during visits to a neighborhood artist in Newport, Rhode Island. He trained as an illustrator in the US Air Force, and worked as a graphic artist in the Boston area. A fascination with the ocean and other bodies of water continues to inspire his work. Visit his website at www.robfranco.com.