NEWFANE — During the month of June, the Crowell Art Gallery at Moore Free Library, 23 West Street, presents “Art Among Friends” by a group of six local artists - Connie Evans, Alice Freeman, Kathy Greve, Laurie Klenkel, Louise Zak, and Lynn Zimmerman.
A reception will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 2 to 4 p.m.
This group of artist friends came together online during the pandemic to create new work and encourage each other on their artistic journeys. This show is a sampling of their ongoing work. Most of the pieces are in watercolor, although some oils, collage, and handmade paper books and boxes will also be on display.
Connie Evans is a retired teacher and lawyer who moved from Boston to Vermont 16 years ago. With time to pursue other interests, Connie has dabbled in a range of arts - including figurative sculpture; bookmaking; collage; painting with watercolor, gouache, and oil; Japanese sumi-e painting; pen and ink drawing; paper marbling; and botanical drawing - but her primary focus has been watercolor painting.
She credits her classes with the River Gallery School and Lynn Zimmerman for a solid foundation. She lives in East Dummerston.
Alice Freeman moved to Vermont in 1972 and started painting shortly thereafter. Over the years she has enjoyed painting in watercolor, acrylic, pastel, and oil; pen and ink; drawing cartoons; designing and painting furniture; and making quilts and collages.
Along the way, she has received instruction and encouragement from Naoto Nakagawa, Cindy Szekeres, David Rohn, and Lynn Zimmerman. Alice lives in Newfane with her husband, Castle Freeman, and her muse, long-haired dachshund Freddy.
Kathy Greve, a longtime resident of West Townshend, has been painting in watercolor since she was a youngster. Since then she has explored photography, block printing, pottery, and acrylics, but she never lost her love for watercolor.
Her teachers and mentors have included Elaine Reed, Robert O'Brien, Donna Koutrakos, and others, including the members of the Saxtons River Art Guild and the Friday Morning Artists group. She takes her subject matter from painting en plein air or from photographs taken by her son Tristan Moriarty or herself.
Laurie Klenkel's professional career includes many creative roles: landscape architect, graphic designer, historic preservationist, inventor, entrepreneur, and pastry chef.
Laurie has always enjoyed creative problem solving, trying to find the most desirable outcome. She approaches her artwork that way too. Her work reflects her desire to write a cookbook and paint the desserts as she tests her recipes. She lives in Brattleboro.
Louise Zak began painting classes at the River Gallery School after she retired. Recently, she found the forced isolation in the pandemic liberated her artistic spirit and encouraged her to experiment with new approaches.
A lifelong lover of arts and crafts and fashion design, she finds painting inspiration in nature and in photographs taken by friends and family. Louise lives in Brattleboro.
Lynn Zimmerman is, and always has been, an enthusiastic maker and painter of things. She is excited by color and the beauty of natural things and she combines those in her work in watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache, colored pencil, and ink painting.
She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Rhode Island School of Design. She has worked as a designer and illustrator for more than 30 years. Lynn offers instruction in painting and drawing as well as book arts and collage with an emphasis on supporting students in their creative journeys. She lives nearby in New Hampshire.
The gallery is free and open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m.; Thursdays 1 to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The show will run from Thursday, June 2 through Wednesday, June 29.