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Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Smithtown Township Arts Council presents Between Artist, Artwork and Audience — Emotional Connections in Art at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James from May 3 to May 31. 

Have you ever wondered about what is going on in a painting? For the viewer, art can be a doorway into the soul, passion, conflict, or love that is woven into each artwork. The artist’s creations sometimes reveal unspoken personal struggles or achievements, which cause the viewer to connect with a familiar experience in their life or inspire a new way of seeing the world. How we see art is uniquely affected by the lives we have lived. 

In this latest exhibit, artists were asked to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their artwork and 96 artists from 48 Long Island communities as well as Brooklyn, Queens, Irvington and Larchmont  NY, NJ, OH, MA and NV answered the call. 

Works were created using acrylic, charcoal, conte, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, colored ink, oil, graphite, ink, mixed media, monotype print, oil, pastel, pencil, watercolor, and woodcut.

All of the artists have all shared brief personal connection statements which will be available to gallery visitors.

A statement by one of the exhibiting artists Joseph Gattulli helps to define the essence of this exhibit … “My art is not just about visual aesthetics; it is an invitation to engage with the deeper, often unspoken aspects of our emotional lives. I hope that viewers find a sense of connection and empathy, recognizing their own journeys within the narrative of my art.”

“We hope the exhibited work will touch our viewers whether they are intrigued, nostalgic, uplifted, calmed, hopeful or otherwise,” said Allison Cruz, Executive Director of the Smithtown Township Arts Council and Mills Pond Gallery.

Exhibiting artists include Debra Baker, Brenda L. Bechtel, Ron Becker, Kusuma Bheemineni, Kyle Blumenthal, Joyce Bressler, Kathy Brown, Renee Caine, Al Candia, Linda Ann Catucci, Carol Ceraso, Bernice Corbin, Jane Corrarino, Trisha biSha Danesi, Karen B Davis, Jennifer DeMory, Bernadette Denyse, Thomas DiCicco, William Drost, Paul Farinacci, Ellen Ferrigno, Bernadette Fox, Stuart  Friedman, Peter Galasso, Joseph Gattulli, Joan Genchi, Arlene Gernon, Michele Gonzalez, Meghan Goparaju, Rhoda Gordon, Susan Guihan Guasp, Alexandra Guma, Regina Halliday, Christopher L. Hanson, David Herman, Tyler Hughes, Heather Jablon, Julia Jenkins, George Junker, Sally Anne Keller, James Kelson, Angelica  Kempa, Mary Kiernan, Catherine Knight, Myungja Anna Koh, Sara Kohrt, Scott Lawson, Matthew Lombardo, Tracy Mahler, John Mansueto, Jeanette Martone, Adriena Masi, Liz Jorg Masi, Kathleen McArdle, Avrel Menkes, Romalia Mitchell, John Morris, Diane Motroni, Judith Musaro, Mary Nagin, Judy Pagano, Maureen Palmieri, Patti Peterson, Vanessa Pineda Fox, Denis Ponsot, Jeff Potter, Kelly Powell, Nicole Pray, Josephine Puccio, Bernice Rausch, William Reed, Robert Roehrig, Lori Scarlatos, Adriana Serban, Kendra Singh, Gisela Skoglund, Lynn Staiano, Mike Stanko, Maddy Stare, Judy Stone, Amanda Szczurowski, Gia Dianna Taylor, Joanne Teets, Ashley Thorbjornsen, Andrea Tonty, Robert Tuska, Diane Van Velsor, Robert Wallkam, Joseph Weinreb, Marie Winn, Marie Winn, Nina Wood, Patty Yantz, and Theodora Zavala.

The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, May 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to meet the exhibiting artists and view their work.

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., Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery is always free. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.