NEWFANE-Crowell Art Gallery at Moore Free Library, 23 West St., will present a variety of art work by Gayle Robertson through Sunday, Sept. 29.
For Robertson, making art is an expression of the experience of being alive- "it's either a reflection of my life, what's happening in and around me and for me, or it's filling a need I have," she says.
The show offers a range of her art - paintings (watercolor and oils), some prints, collage, sculptures (wax, clay, and stone) - from different periods of her life, "while I was working in different industries, raising the kids, […] grad school."
Robertson says that when she looks at a piece of art she has created, she can feel the physicality of that moment - she finds it "a connecting experience."
Autobiographical art
Robertson's mother's family comes from the Rutland area, so she has spent almost all her life in Vermont.
She was born in Texas and, from the age of 3, would visit her grandparents. "I was here all the time, and now I live in Vermont," she says.
The bond with the state has continued with her own family as well.
"My husband's from Bennington, so we always wanted a place here and, in 2004, we bought a second home," Robertson says. "This is where our kids were. They did the same thing I did [by visiting Rutland so often] here every weekend."
She has worked in lighting design, computer graphics and design, spirituality, and end-of-life and bereavement, but the common thread is her artwork, which she describes as "a way to engage with the moments of my life and a tool for exploring all this meaning."
Robertson explains most of her work is a reflection of her reality - "It's like putting time in a bottle," she says.
"There is work that comes from times of loss or transition, a sculpture that embodies our ability and need to support each other," she says.
Some still lives also offer order, along with wild landscapes and flowers for beauty, and portraits that share deep emotion, she adds.
The next stages and canvases
"I'm super grateful to the library for the space they provide," Robertson says. "And I'm grateful to all the people... a lot of people are very excited."
She's also excited to be moving to a new studio soon for her next artistic journey.
"My plan is to let that studio tell me what it has to offer and then let myself participate in figuring out what that space is good for," she says. "We'll see what comes out of it."
In the meantime, "life is still complex and sometimes perplexing," she says. "Beauty remains. Order can be comforting. I continue to work and explore."
Gayle Robertsons' work will be exhibited through Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Crowell Art Gallery at the Moore Free Library, 23 West St. The private library is supported by the residents of Newfane. Admission is free.
Hours for the library and gallery: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 1 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Information: moorefreelibrary.org/crowell-gallery/.
This Arts item by Alyssa Grosso was written for The Commons.