It’s time to honor the best of the best. The Smithtown Township Arts Council will present its annual Winners Showcase Fine Art Exhibition at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James from March 15 to April 11.
The exhibit features over 60 works of art from nine prize-winning artists from past juried exhibitions in various forms of medium including acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, pencil, Silver Gelatin film photography, carved plaster and mixed media. Featured artists include Christopher Hanson, Matthew Manthe, Howard Pohl, Adam D. Smith, Myungja Anna Koh, Robert Berson, Nicholas Valentino, Ross Barbera and Marianne Andresen-Magin.
Christopher Hanson (Rocky Point) specializes in figurative and narrative pieces which range in many different styles and subject matters using Oil and Graphite. Also proficient in digital media, Chris explores many facets of Fantasy, Science fiction, and Horror in his professional illustrations.
Matthew Manthe (Miller Place) has been sketching since childhood, always with a pencil and paper in hand. “I have spent hundreds of hours filling my walls with artwork.” He exhibits in galleries across the Northeast. “I have a passion for filling every inch of the page with detail, a practice that has fueled my art for years.”
Howard Pohl (Lindenhurst) Howard built his first darkroom in which to develop black-and-white film in 1985. Despite the popularity of today’s Digital photography, Howard still finds the traditional method of analog photography to be motivating and continues the process to this day. He is passionate about capturing the blacks, whites, and shades of gray that make up the monochromatic palette which allow him to stay true to the negative image.
Adam D. Smith (Selden) Growing up on family boats on the waters of Long Island, Adam has always been inspired by the beautiful coastline and the magic of water. “I relish the challenge of translating our environment onto canvas. Whether a coastal scene, a nautical-inspired work, or simply a water portrait, I love finding the right colors to invoke a response.”
Myungja Anna Koh (Stony Brook) Anna bases her paintings on inspiration within her mind, specifically to capture and improvise the unique energy of objects. She wants to leave traces of paint on paper or canvas by using momentary, impromptu energy. She works in acrylics, watercolors, and digital art. Also a children’s book author, Anna immerses herself in storytelling in her art and her writing.
Robert Berson (Northport) has lived on Long Island all his life except for a 2-year stint in the army. As a physician for some 40 years, he did not always have the time to take lessons in drawing or painting but periodically would be drawn back to art and try to squeeze it into his days. Now retired 10 years, Robert has become more serious about his pastel art.
Nicholas Valentino (N. Babylon) “Attending Parsons School of Design gave me the skills and confidence to pursue my creativity.” Nick brings a unique and personal perspective to his art. Working with mixed media and “throw-away” items, Nick’s passion is creating a new spin on automotive parts “giving them new life and purpose through my art.”
Ross Barbera (Ronkonkoma) is inspired by the interplay and rich diversity of textural surfaces, form and color in landscape environments. Many of his works explore the visual interaction that occurs between streams, ponds and bodies of water with their surrounding landscape environments. Ross taught at St. John’s University, Department of Art and Design, where he served as chair for three years.
Marianne Andresen-Magin (Huntington) has always loved to draw and paint. She specializes in illustration art and loves to feature animals in her artwork. Working in many mediums including ink, marker, watercolor, and colored pencils the beauty of nature and animals inspire her. Marianne is also an award-winning children’s book author.
The Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A in St. James. Regular gallery hours are Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 am. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery is always free. All parking in rear lot: GPS parking address 176 Mills Pond Rd., St. James, NY 11780.
For information or directions visit millspondgallery.org or call 631-862-6575.
