'Variations on a Theme 4: Pyrenees' by Terence Netter Image courtesy of Gallery North
Up next at Gallery North in Setauket is Terence Netter: Legacy of the Human Spirit, a memorial retrospective of contemporary artist, philosopher, educator and former Jesuit priest Terence Netter. Generously sponsored by Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning, the exhibit will be on view from April 4 to May 12.
The collection of small, medium and large paintings and mixed media works spans Netter’s career and focuses on his lasting impact.
‘New Moon’ by Terence Netter
Netter was captivated by human consciousness and its expression through the creative process and once stated, “Art is nature reborn through the free consciousness of individuals. It is how our species creates the spiritual air we breathe called culture.”
Netter’s paintings are intrinsically tied to his work within the community. While his style evolved over time from action painting to meditative minimalism, his work continued to express his spiritual search for truth in a way that served as “seeds of contemplation” for viewers. It is this type of mindful thought that is to be cultivated in the many cultural spaces Netter pioneered. Netter serves as the inspiration for the future Terence Netter Creative Center at Gallery North, which will foster the “visual expression of that infinitely evolving human spirit,” as Netter wrote.
Raised in Bronxville, New York, Netter received his MFA from George Washington University, and exhibited nationally and internationally, including numerous solo shows at the Woodward Gallery in Manhattan and at Gallery North. He served as the founding Director of the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, was instrumental in the creation of the Pollock-Krasner Study Center, and was President of the Board of Trustees of Gallery North.
The community is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, April 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a panel discussion on the artist’s impact on the Arts and his legacy within the community on Saturday, May 11 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Road in Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
'February Flora #30' by Scott Farrell will be on view at Gallery North through March 31. Image courtesy of Gallery North
Up next for Gallery North is Equilibrium, a selection of works by ceramicist Lori Rosen and photographer Scott Farrell, on view from February 22 to March 31 with each focusing on the interactions and relationships of a contained and constructed environment in dynamic equilibrium.
In Farrell’s work, the large glass windows of a greenhouse contain a lush indoor environment. These windows serve as a barrier, containing life and maintaining balances in temperature, humidity, and air quality. Farrell utilizes our separation from this balanced environment as a pre-existing “filter” — one that is whitewashed, streaked with condensation, or reflective — to create impressionistic and abstract compositions.
‘Stepping Stones’ by Lori Rosen
Balance is also central to Lori Rosen’s series Stepping Stones. Each reminiscent of actual stones glistening after a rain shower, her sculptures are comprised of delicately stacked harmonious compositions that appear to defy gravity. Rosen’s creative process plays with contrasting textures, luminous shapes, and bold forms, all emerging from her practice of yoga and meditation. Chance encounters unite both artists, as does the serendipity of the creative process. Rosen and Farrell seek these encounters as part of a lifelong search for balance both within themselves and the larger world around us.
The community is invited to an opening reception on Thursday, February 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. As a complement to the exhibition, Gallery North will host an ArTalk and discussion session with the artists on Thursday, March 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition, reception and ArTalk are free.
This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning.
Located at 90 North Country Road inSetauket, Gallery North is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
Above, 'Glorious Sunset' by Paul Edelson will be on view at Gallery North through Feb 18. Image courtesy of Gallery North
Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket kicks off the new year with Coalescence, a selection of works by painter Paul Jay Edelson and sculptor Arthur Bernstein, on view from January 11 to February 18.
Coalescence is a two-person exhibition featuring small and medium-scale oil paintings by Paul Jay Edelson and wood and resin sculptures by Arthur Bernstein. These two unique artists use inspiration from nature to materialize balletic compositions and abstract forms.
‘Open Form’ by Arthur Bernstein will be on view at Gallery North through Feb 18. Image courtesy of Gallery North
Edelson’s alla prima paintings condense nebulous liminal atmospheres formed where land, sea and sky meet. He captures these protean seascapes through expressive marks that allude to the initial subject, often the shores of Long Island, while simultaneously exploring abstract moments of color and texture.
The graceful abstract sculptures of Arthur Bernstein allude to solidified fluid movements and organic forms, which are often informed by the wood itself. The works are primarily carved from black walnut, which is native to Long Island and sourced locally. Bernstein’s attention to the balance of negative space, combined with the gently curving forms, create engaging structures for viewers to navigate.
The community is invited to an opening reception on Thursday, January 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. As a complement to the exhibition, Gallery North will host a Meet & Greet and wine tasting with the artists for Gallery North members on Thursday, February 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.. The exhibition and reception will all be free and open to the public.
This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
In perfect timing with the season, Gallery North in Setauket presents its annual group exhibition of small original works for holiday giving, Deck the Halls, from Nov. 16 to Dec. 22.
Enjoy artwork by over 50 local and regional artists in a range of media, including painting, printmaking, works on paper, sculpture, glassware, and more. The exhibition offers an excellent opportunity to support local artists, and features a diverse selection of affordable, exciting, original artworks for everyone on your list and is generously sponsored by WFC Architects and Jefferson’s Ferry.
In addition, Gallery North also features a large assortment of artisan-created jewelry, handmade crafts, and decorations within the Shop at Gallery North, as well as clothing and artist-made greeting cards produced in the Studio at Gallery North. They also offer the gift of an art class or workshop to an aspiring artist, child, or adult.
As a complement to the exhibition, Gallery North will host a Holiday Gift Bazaar, a special holiday gift market inside the Gallery and the Studio on Dec. 9 from noon to 7 p.m.
The purpose of the Holiday Gift Bazaar is to provide the community with an alternative to holiday shopping in malls and shopping centers. The event will offer an excellent opportunity to support local artists and businesses, complete with warm beverages and treats from LevelUp Kitchen.
Holiday shoppers will find a diverse selection of affordable, exciting, original paintings, prints, photography, ceramics, pottery, woodwork, glassware, artisan created jewelry, handmade crafts, decorations, and clothing — perfect gifts for everyone on your list.
‘Tis the season to shop local!
Located at 90 North Country Road inSetauket, Gallery North is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
Up next for GalleryNorth, 90 North Country Road, Setauket is a unique exhibit titled Animal Spirits and Ancient Rituals: New Work by Kelynn Z. Alder, on view from October 5 to November 12.
Animal Spirits and Ancient Rituals is Kelynn Z. Alder’s first solo exhibition at GalleryNorth. It features paintings, monoprints, and drawings that all reference Alder’s Mexican cultural heritage. Many of the paintings are from the artist’s personal experiences in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico during the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities in Chamula, a town run entirely by the Tzotzil speaking Maya. In Chamula, as in most of Mexico, festivities and religious practices are a merging of ancient Indigenous rites, rituals and beliefs, meshed with Catholicism.
By Kelynn Z. Alder
“Día de los Muertos is a celebration of both the living and the dead,” Alder states, “And the underlying theme of this work has much to do with the cycle of life and death — My reaching back to my ancestors… My rising consciousness of my own mortality… The continuation once I’m gone and become myself an ancestor.”
Blending the styles of the Mexican muralists and the impressionists, each painting in Animal Spirits and Ancient Rituals evokes the artist’s ancestral searching, yearnings, experiences, emotions and opinions — while encouraging others to reflect upon their own ancestry and personal journeys. Alder’s prints feature the artist’s personal interpretation of La Lotería – a traditional Mexican board game as well as an inspirational templet commonly used by many artists.
The daughter of an immigrant, Alder skillfully weaves the rudimentary pictures of La Loteria into Indigenous, political and religious iconography to create a complex arrangement of memory, political commentary, and symbolism. Indeed, through vivid paintings of Chiapas and the bold imagery of La Loteria, Animal Spirits and Ancient Rituals transports us to Alder’s inner visual world, while also offering important messages confronting the migrant crisis between the Mexican and U.S. border.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, October 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.
By Kelynn Z. Alder
As a complement to the exhibition, GalleryNorth will present a multi-site, guided tour in collaboration with the Long Island Museum on Sunday, October 15, from noon to 3 p.m. The collaborative event will include guided tours of Alder’s exhibition, Animal Spirits and Ancient Rituals, and SOMOS/We Are: Latinx Artists of Long Island, an exhibition guest curated by Alder at the Long Island Museum.
GalleryNorth’s portion of the event will include a printmaking demonstration with Alder and Lorena Salcedo Watson, followed by a tour of Alder’s solo exhibition. GalleryNorth will also host an ArTalk with Alder and Lyn Pentecost, former Director and Co-Founder of the Lower Eastside Girls Club on Saturday, November 4 at 3 p.m.
The exhibition, reception, and ArTalk will all be free and open to the public. Information on registering for the guided tour and print demonstration can be found at gallerynorth.org.
This exhibition is generously sponsored by bld Architecture, Jefferson’s Ferry, and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning. The exhibition, reception, and ArTalk will all be free and open to the public. Information on registering for the guided tour and print demonstration can be found at gallerynorth.org. For more information, call 631-751-2676.
Mark your calendars! Culper Spy Day returns on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.(rain date is Sept. 10). Presented by the Three Village Historical Society (TVHS) and Tri-Spy Tours in collaboration with more than 30 local historical and cultural organizations, the day will feature activities related to the Culper Spy Ring which was founded by Benjamin Tallmadge, George Washington’s chief intelligence officer during the Revolutionary War.
Now in its 9th year, the annual event is the brainchild of Margo Arceri, who first heard about Washington’s Setauket spies (including her favorite spy Anna Smith Strong) from her Strong’s Neck neighbor and local historian, Kate W. Strong, in the early 1970s.
“My love of history grew from there,” said Arceri who today runs Tri-Spy Tours offering walking, bike and kayak tours of the Setauket area. “Everywhere you turn in the Three Villages you are looking at an artifact, and as the historical society believes, the community is our museum and I would really love to put that on the forefront of people’s minds. History is constantly evolving and new information is being discovered everyday. We don’t know what is waiting to be unearthed next and that fills me with excitement.”
Participants will have the opportunity to visit 9 locations in Setauket, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson (see list below) to learn about Long Island’s brave Patriot spy ring. Admission to all locations, with the exception of the Sherwood-Jayne House tour and the Spies! exhibit tour at the TVHS, is free.
“Guests at Culper Spy Day can expect to learn about American Revolutionary history in their own backyard. The hometown heroes who risked their lives and turned the tide of the war lived here on Long Island, working with George Washington right under the noses of their British neighbors. Through re-enactors, storytellers, demonstrations, and self-guided and docent-led tours, visitors at Culper Spy Day will enjoy information and inspiration at all of our historic sites,” said Mari Irizarry, Director at the TVHS.
According to Irizarry, several new exciting events have been added to the roster this year. “We’re proud to host George Washington, Martha Washington and their Squire in his field tent / oval office on the grounds of the historical society; we have partnered with Preservation Long Island to create a deluxe scavenger hunt across all sites for excited clue seekers to learn along the way; and Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum will present their new exhibit, Privateers: Pirates with Permission with guided tours, privateers re-enacting the plundering of the Roe family and colonial-themed storytelling for children.”
Colonial cooking demonstrations by Diane Schwindt from the Ketcham Inn will feature an authentic recipe from Mary Floyd Tallmadge, who was the wife of Benjamin Tallmadge and daughter to William Floyd, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Visitors may sample the food and take home the recipe.
In addition, The Long Island Museum will have the recently discovered Culper Spy letter on display throughout the day. “The handwritten letter dated November 8, 1779 from Benjamin Tallmadge (using his alias, John Bolton) to Robert Townsend (alias, Samuel Culper Jr.) is the only known surviving letter between the two,” said Arceri.
The event also marks the launch of the Three Village Historical Society’s brand new 1776 Augmented Reality app through the generous donation of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
If you don’t have time to visit all the locations, Arceri recommends visiting the Sherwood Jayne Farm and the Drowned Meadow Cottage as they are not open to the public very frequently “so it is a treat to step back in time and visit these sites” as well as the Caroline Church of Brookhaven and the Setauket Presbyterian Church and their historical cemeteries.
Arceri is looking forward to welcoming new visitors to Culper Spy Day. “Last year was such a huge success — we had over 1100 people visit ‘Culper Country’ and we expect to have those numbers grow as more and more of the mainstream are getting Culper fever,” she said. “Setauket has really become a tourist destination and Culper Spy Day is certainly a highlight for these visitors as they are able to see many of the sites and visit with many of the organizations that make up our Revolutionary story.”
Irizarry agrees and is committed to continuing this event for years to come.
“At the Three Village Historical Society, our mission is to preserve our shared history. The Culper Spy Ring is an essential part of how we won the Revolutionary War and became a country — that’s a history we can ALL share! Culper Spy Day is a celebration like no other, and we love seeing history come to life year after year. As more sites and organizations get involved, this incredible event gets better and better.”
The 9th annual Culper Spy Day is made possible by the generous support of Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.culperspyday.com
Visit the grave of Culper Spy Abraham Woodhull in the Setauket Presbyterian Church cemetery. Photo by Heidi Sutton
PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS:
1. THREE VILLAGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 93 North Country Road, Setauket. Located in the circa 1800 Bayles-Swezey House. Here you can take part in outdoor events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. including “building” a timber frame house with Abraham Woodhull; children’s story hour; colonial crafts; an invisible ink demonstration;; Culper Spy-themed authors and book signings; Anna Smith Strong’s famed clothesline, a colonial cooking demonstration; 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers in America) and Huntington Militia encampment; and much more. Docent led tours of the Spies! exhibit will be held every 30 minutes at $10 per person. Food trucks will be on site. 631-751-3730.
2. SETAUKET NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, 95 Main St., Setauket. The original part of the house, where the central chimney is located, was built in the early 1700s. In 1820 it was moved to its present location from its original site on Setauket (Conscience) Bay by Dr. John Elderkin. The building has served as an inn, and has housed a general store, post office, bank and a Franklin Library. Docents will give tours of the historic home from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 631-751-6208.
3. PATRIOTS ROCK HISTORIC SITE, Main Street, Setauket (across from the Setauket Post Office). This glacial erratic boulder is said to be the location of the Battle of Setauket on Aug. 22, 1777. Stop here between 10 a.m. and2 p.m. to meet representatives from the Three Village Community Trust who will discuss the importance of Patriots Rock and its local and environmental history. 631-689-0225.
4. CAROLINE CHURCH AND CEMETERY, 1 Dyke Road, Setauket. Built in 1729, this timber frame building has maintained its Colonial appearance. Now an Episcopal church, during the Revolutionary War the Caroline Church was Anglican and a Colonial extension of the Church of England. The graveyard contains the remains of six Patriot soldiers as well as soldiers from World War I and II.The inside of the church will be open for guided tours from noon to 4 p.m. and tour the cemetery your leisure with a docent present for questions.631-941-4245.
5. SETAUKET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CEMETERY, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket. The previous church (1714–1811) was a part of British fortifications during 1777. The fort was under the command of Loyalist commander Col. Richard Hewlett. The present building dates from 1812. Come tour the interior of the church from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and then tour the cemetery with the grave of Abraham Woodhull ofWashington’s spy ring at your leisure. 631-941-4271
6. EMMA S. CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY, 120 Main St., Setauket. The library (circa 1892)will display Revolutionary War soldiers’ equipment in the lobby, enjoy live music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and kids can enjoy an outdoor craft from noon to 3 p.m. 631-941-4080
7. SHERWOOD-JAYNE HOUSE, 55 Old Post Road, East Setauket. Originally built around 1730 as a lean-to saltbox dwelling, the house and farm were maintained as an operational farmstead for over 150 years by members of the Jayne family.Visit with Big Bill the Tory aka William Jayne III, who will explain the noble intentions and virtuosities of King George III and tells you the TRUTH about Washington’s pesky band of renegade spies! Tours run continuously from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5 per person. 631-692-4664
8. THE LONG ISLAND MUSEUM, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate with permanent and changing exhibitions on American history and art, along with the finest collection of horse-drawn carriages in the country, some of which belonged to Revolutionary War heroes. Visit the History Museum between noon and 5 p.m. to view the newly uncovered Culper Spy Ring letter by Benjamin Tallmadge to Robert Townsend. Tour the museum’s galleries and grounds for free. 631-751-0066
9. DROWNED MEADOW COTTAGE MUSEUM, corner of West Broadway and Barnum Avenue, Port Jefferson. The Revolutionary War-era Roe House was originally constructed circa 1755 and Phillips Roe, a member of the Culper Spy Ring along with his brother Nathaniel and cousin Austin, was known to have lived there.Visit the Revolutionary War-era Roe House between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. with a new exhibit, Privateers: Pirates with Permission, tours, privateers re-enacting the plundering of the Roe family and colonial-themed storytelling for children. 631-473-4724
* Please note: Public restrooms are located in the Setauket Neighborhood House and Emma S. Clark Memorial Library.
'COVID Driveway Quince' by Bruce Lieberman. Image courtesy of Gallery North
By Tara Mae
It is an art form to recognize one’s daily surroundings as fecund food for thought despite their familiarity. Gallery North’s new exhibit, Poetic Visions: Recent Works by Bruce Lieberman, explores the eponymous artist’s appreciation and perception of his own backyard as he cultivates its curated wildness. On view from Aug. 24 to Oct. 1, the show will feature approximately 35 of Lieberman’s oil paintings. While canvas sizes vary, the world within them is universally expansive.
‘Yellow Thirst’ by Bruce Lieberman Image courtesy of Gallery North
“The paintings are vivid, luscious, gardenscapes spanning summer through winter, when it is more bleak. Even then, he still pulls out colors and textures in the browns and other, more muted, [tones] that he paints,” said Gallery North’s Curator Kate Schwarting.
Immersing the audience in a verdantly vivacious, incrementally abstract atmosphere, these renderings inspired by his Water Mill property are rooted in realism, yet blossom with imagination.
“This is a presentation of paintings that blur the line between representation and abstraction. It also presents a painter who is very far along in his career trying to move into something new and push boundaries of his artistic practice. [Lieberman] revels in color and gets others excited about the interaction between color and form,” Gallery North’s Executive Director Ned Puchner said.
Poetic Visions, Lieberman’s fifth solo show at Gallery North amid many group exhibitions, is the latest harvest of a long, fruitful relationship. Making their public debut, the paintings invite viewers to seek the serenity of soulful solitude.
For Lieberman, these works reflect an introspection born out of necessity: they were primarily started during the COVID-19 lockdown, when he ceased teaching painting and figure drawing as an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University.
‘Crape Myrtle Pool’ by Bruce Lieberman. Image courtesy of Gallery North
Informally referred to as the “COVID Driveway Series” by Lieberman, the paintings reference a time when circumstances encouraged him to find novelty in the known as he navigated the unprecedented pandemic.“It has become rather a cliché to speak about how ‘COVID made me do it.’ Or how one’s COVID experience framed and affected their work.’ But…it sort of did. It gave me an excuse to cut my ties with everything. I stopped teaching, stopped going out, stopped going to openings, stopped going to New York,” Lieberman said in an email. “[My wife and I] canceled everything! It, the COVID experience, removed guilt from the decision…For us, we were lucky to have the ability—the luxury—to withdraw from the world.”
Setting up an easel at the furthest point of his property line and painting whatever he saw in all directions, Lieberman experimented with different points of view, paint techniques, and previously untapped styles of brushstrokes.
Such interior creativity born of outside chaos is evidenced in the precise details and less defined boundaries of Lieberman’s paintings. Using the landscape as his muse results in a sort of inherent optimism; even as trees appear bare, traces of green can be found — the promise of fertile rebirth.
“My garden has become a big giant motif — a living still life with endless variations…my Giverny,” Lieberman said.
Almost impressionistic brushstrokes illustrate different types of foliage and lighting as well as rich bright colors for the plants, beautiful blue reflections on fencing, and similar nuances, according to Schwarting.
“Bordering on abstraction, it is a very identifiable scene, but areas of canvas draw you in and almost become an abstract moment on the canvas. It happens very organically, a natural process of him exploring the medium through his paintings. There is an amazing juxtaposition of abstract, painterly brush marks, with drips of the paint. I love how you can have both in one place,” she added.
A singular entity containing multitudes is a recurrent theme in the art of Lieberman, who began his career in the figurative art world of New York City.
Traces of the genre are apparent in elements of Poetic Visions. Representative objects contrast and complement the somewhat subjective wonderland Lieberman’s paintings project, revealed to onlookers by the revelations of his paintbrush.
“He developed a sort of a new vision of his home during [lockdown] and it came through daily examination of his surroundings. When you look at something long enough, you begin to see it differently and start to think about the larger meaning behind the growth of a flower, the changing of a season, or how light can illuminate colors,” Puchner said.
Lieberman’s contemplative examination was a three year study that he now strives to share and shed. Like most acts of creation, the process of producing the paintings was a labor of love; Poetic Visions is a culmination of Lieberman’s efforts as he looks towards the next endeavor.
“I worked hard, I worked for three years on these paintings. So I care about them. I look forward to getting them on the wall and looked at. An added bonus — [having] my studio clean so I can move on to the next thing. Trying to make great paintings is always the goal,” he said.
Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket invites the community to an opening reception for Poetic Visions on Thursday, Aug. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. and a free ArTalk with Lieberman on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 3 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Julianne Mosher
On June 17 and 18, visitors from across Long Island headed to Old Field Farm in Setauket for Gallery North’s 19th annual Wet Paint Festival, a fun-filled weekend to not only admire local artists practicing their craft en plein air, but to see the excitement of a derby. According to Sally Lynch, owner and farm operator, the festival couldn’t have come during a better weekend.
The 2023 Seaside Hunter Derby took place on June 18 on the campus and as the riders competed, over 40 artists took to their canvases to paint and sketch the local scenery and content.
“All the horse people are thrilled to see their horses painted,” said Lynch. “There’s a reason why the horse remains a constant subject of the arts.”
She added that the day before, the farm hosted vintage riders (ones who ride side saddle) in full old-school costume who also modeled for the artists on-site.
The two-day festival also featured nature walks courtesy of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, live music by Tom Killourhy and the Keenan Zach Trio, plein air art tours with Jim Molloy and Nancy Bueti-Randall, a history tour with Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours and an animal presentation by Sweetbriar Nature Center.
The event was sponsored by bld Architecture, Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning.
All of the artwork created at the festival will be on display at the Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook on July 5 through August 27. The public is invited to an opening reception on July 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Artist Laura DiLeone at last year's Wet Paint Festival. Photo courtesy of Gallery North
*See schedule of events for both days at end of article
By Julianne Mosher
It all started as an event to remember a local painter, but now, 19 years later, it’s bringing new artists to light.
Since 2004 Gallery North’s annual Wet Paint Festival has invited artists from across Long Island to set up shop at a different location to paint the landscape in real time. This year’s festival, on June 17 and 18, will be held at Old Field Farm in Setauket.
Open and free to the public, the Wet Paint Festival will have something for everyone. Located at 92 West Meadow Road, Old Field Farm is a historical Long Island show grounds with a long equestrian tradition. According to its website, the farm was built by philanthropist Ward Melville as the North Shore Horse Show Grounds in 1931. For over half a century it attracted thousands of riders and spectators to equestrian competitions, many of which were successful charitable fundraisers.
Artist Angela Stratton at a previous Wet Paint Festival. Photo courtesy of Gallery North
The farm was privately owned until 1986 and was then acquired by Suffolk County to prevent commercial sale of the property or possible subdivision and development as it stood vacant and began to deteriorate. The site added that during this time, the county initiated a search to identify an appropriate entity to take on an extensive restoration required and manage Old Field Farm and return this prized local institution to its rightful place in the community.
Now several decades later, Gallery North chose their annual two-day event to take place at this scenic location. According to Executive Director Ned Puchner, they are expecting at least 50 artists to come by, set up shop and paint plein air.
“The festival is always in a new location and gives local artists the opportunity to not only paint the local scenery, but meet the public,” he said. “It’s also a great way for artists who are new to painting to try it out.”
The festival started out as a tribute to local painter Joseph Reboli who was popularly known for his beautifully crafted landscapes that often depicted local area. His widow, Lois, helped create the Reboli Center for Art and History in Stony Brook. As president of the center, she has been involved with the Wet Paint Festival since its inception.
“Joe was a modest guy,” she said. “He painted because he loved this community; I’m sure he would be extremely honored.”
As the artists paint the different scenes at Old Field Farm, whatever is created during those days will then be on display at the Reboli Center in an exhibition from July 5 to August 27. An opening reception will be held at the Center on July 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of it again and have the opportunity to be involved with the community,” added Reboli. “This is what we’re all about.”
While the main purpose is watching artists (coming from as far west as Port Washington to eastern Wading River), there are other events that day that will fancy people of all ages. Guides from the historic farm will be on site to provide tours of the Old Field Farm structures and grounds, and provide information on equestrian history and culture.
Local naturalists from the Four Harbors Audubon Society will lead tours on the rich ecology and wildlife of the surrounding area, regional artists will lead guided tours on plein air painting, and there will be children’s activities as well.
Sponsored by bld Architecture, Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning, Gallery North will also team up with WUSB 90.1 fm/107.3 fm Stony Brook to present live musical performances each day. LevelUp Kitchen, based in St. James, will also be on site to purchase picnic lunches before the event.
“Every year the festival has been growing,” Puchner said. “Three years ago there were about 30 artists who signed up, now it’s a little over 50.” He added that last year was the first time they added tours and music, which was a huge success.
“We’re really happy about how it’s been developing,” he said. “There is a vibrant creative community made up of artists, musicians, actors and the like that live in the area and this is a great opportunity to come out, go to a free event and meet the creative community in action.”
Selden-based artist Angela Stratton is excited to be returning to the event she has been attending for 17 years.
“As an artist, I love being outside in nature,” she said. “Long Island is beautiful and there are so many places to paint, so I want to go out and paint it!”
The Wet Paint Festival will be held on June 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.(Rain dates are June 24 and 25). For more information about the festival or to register to paint, visit www.gallerynorth.org or call 631-751-2676.
Wet Paint Festival Schedule:
Saturday, June 17
10 a.m. – Nature Walk with the Four Harbors Audubon Society
11:30 a.m. – Meet local wildlife, courtesy of Sweetbriar Nature Center
12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Live music by Tom Killourhy
1:30 p.m. – Plein Air Art Tour with artist Jim Molloy
Sunday, June 18
10 a.m. – Nature Walk with the Four Harbors Audubon Society
11:30 a.m – History Tour with Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours
12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Live music by the Keenan Zach Trio
1:30 p.m. – Plein Air Art Tour with artist Nancy Bueti-Randall
'Thirteen Moons: Nature Adapts and Transforms' by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North
By Tara Mae
Nature’s beauty is at once defiantly delicate and stubbornly resilient. Elements Adrift, on view at Gallery North from Jan. 12 to Feb. 19, considers the alchemy and artistry of the natural world as expressed through Long Island artist Anne Seelbach’s oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings as well as mixed media pieces.
Seelbach’s first solo show at Gallery North, it consists of approximately 35 works from three different series that organically ripple outward, encompassing the serenity of the sea and the perniciously predatory impact of pollution. Elements Adrift explores the inspiration found in the environment and the toxicity inherent in careless encounters with it.
‘Thirteen Moons: Nature Adapts and Transforms’ by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North
“Seelbach’s figural abstraction reflects her fascination and love of nature and interest in pointing to those elements that are polluting and deprecating it. In the past, she has tried to bring attention to that through her work,” said Gallery North’s Executive Director Ned Puchner.
Put together, each individual series transforms from island unto itself to an archipelago of artistic expression, chronicling Seelbach’s relationship with the world around her and transitioning the audience from one sequence into another.
“Some pieces are really fascinating in that they show [Seelbach] moving on…you see her moving from one series into another, and I think that is really where the excitement in her work lies. She goes from series to series and in each series, she will sort of dwell on a topic and then move on, finding new avenues to build off of,” Puchner said.
The first collection, “Troubled Waters,” follows the ebbing of natural resources as pollution flows into and interferes with sensitive ecosystems. Drawn to the seascapes of Peconic Bay off Long Beach in Sag Harbor and the Napeague Harbor at Lazy Point Beach in Amagansett, Seelbach’s work evolves to encapsulate the devolution of marine life as the disruption and detritus of humankind menaces it.
“Instead of painting traditional landscapes, I always ask the question, ‘What is happening?’ in nature, rather than painting a beautiful view,” Seelbach said. “The landscape and seascape are created by forces of nature, the change of seasons, with the rotation of the earth. This is what I try to get at.”
Dance into the Unknown, 2014, oil on canvas, 30″ x 30″ by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North
The vague abstraction of her fish renderings in this series came from fact, as the pollutants were actually getting into aquatic animal reproductive systems and causing deformities.
“When I started the series the fish were more realistic. I had to find a way to represent the effects of the chemicals. So, I stylized the fish form and duplicated it to create stencils of schools of fish,” she explained.
Seelbach’s fish and other animal stencils are frequently made from repurposed and up-cycled washed up or left behind bits of metal, plastic, and netting from which she rescues the shoreline.
While nature may have been shifting and changing around her, with rightful residents being harmed by invasive interlopers, Seelbach’s relationship with it remains steadfast and symbiotic, as reflected in her “Moon Paintings” series.
These works, conjured from summer trips to Monhegan Island, Maine, illuminate the serenity she found walking along the sea cliffs, gazing at the lunar lit waters below.
“I am still interested in the edge, where land, water, and sky meet…The moon shining on the sea and in tidal pools inspired these paintings,” Seelbach said. “As the sun nurtures the growth of everything by day, I suggest that the moon nurtures creative thought, ideas and possibility at night. I get most of my ideas at night when my mind is drifting, without a particular thought.”
Primarily painted on paper rather than on canvas, the “Moon Paintings” are imbued with deep blues and other hues that convey the depth of the setting’s nighttime repose. Yet, in these works, the moon is both a light and power source, rejuvenating sea, sky, and artist.
In fact “Earth: The Elements,” the third series to be highlighted in the exhibit, was a concept that came to Seelbach as she sat on the cliffside rocks and boulders.
Earth: mercury (Vermillion), 2020, acrylic and reflective paint on linen, 30″x36″, relates to the planet Mercury by Anne Seelbach. Image courtesy of Gallery North
“They made me ask ‘What is the Earth?’ And immediately I thought of the elements. Thinking about each individual element, what it was and a bit of its history, I realized that many were acknowledged thousands of years ago, by the scientists of that time, the alchemists and philosophers,” Seelbach said.
Breaking down these otherwise immovable objects into their most basic essence, Seelbach sought to honor the individuals of the past who had understood better than to take them at face value. So, within some of these paintings, she includes the alchemical symbol of the historical elements and the periodic table designation.
Each element Seelbach selects is thoroughly, albeit abstractly, examined and expressed. Similar to the other two series, “Elements” inner complexity and vitality is amplified by Seelbach’s color palette and painting style. Rich, earthy tones and texture add dimension and definition to the paintings.
“I was really drawn to the raw energy of them, dark and muddy in certain places,” Puchner said. “In all of her art, there is a kind of an endless search for beauty in nature. Even in the study of the earth’s elements, at root is her trying to explore the minerals and elements that exist within the nature that she brings into her artwork.”
Seelbach’s art is an outlet for her observations, an investigation of the inquiries raised by striving to be attuned to the world around her. At its core, her art seeks to explore and observe rather than obfuscate.
“I paint what is. I see landscape as formed by the forces of nature, the seasons, the rotation of the planet. The question I ask sitting on the beach or a rock is ‘What is happening?’ What are the forces of nature that underly what I am looking at?” she said.
Patrons are invited to make their own discoveries about nature through Elements Adrift. An opening reception will be held tonight, Jan. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. As a complement to the exhibition, Gallery North will present a lecture on the marine ecology of New York’s waterways by Patricia Woodruff from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University on Jan. 20 at 6 pm. Gallery North will also host an ArTalk with Anne Seelbach on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m.
Located at 90 North Country Road, Setauket, Gallery North is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www. gallerynorth.org.
“My love of history grew from there,” said Arceri who today runs Tri-Spy Tours offering walking, bike and kayak tours of the Setauket area. “Everywhere you turn in the Three Villages you are looking at an artifact, and as the historical society believes, the community is our museum and I would really love to put that on the forefront of people’s minds. History is constantly evolving and new information is being discovered everyday. We don’t know what is waiting to be unearthed next and that fills me with excitement.”
