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The latest exhibit at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James, Winners Showcase, features nine artists associated with the Smithtown Township Arts Council (STAC) who were winning artists from shows at the gallery in 2023. On view from March 9 to April 5, it features works by Eleanor Day, Tyler Hughes, Sally Anne Keller, Tracy Mahler-Tekverk, Jeanette Martone, Liz Jorg Masi, Fred Mendelsohn, Patricia Morrison, and Robert Tuska.

Eleanor Day, an artist from Pennsylvania, works mostly in oils for figurative, landscape and interior representational art. “I have a decisive style dominated by bright colors and strong outlines, suggestive of stained glass and Mexican muralists through subject matter that speaks for and to those in our society whose voices go unheard,” she said.

Tyler Hughes of Patchogue is a representational oil painter whose work is centered around the exploration of the human form and its emotions. With a profound connection to symbolism and the esoteric, Hughes’s work invites viewers into a world where ancient stories and universal truths converge.

Watercolorist Sally Anne Keller of Rocky Point is inspired by the light, color, and atmosphere provided by nature. “I grew up on Long Island and appreciate the atmosphere of all Long Islands seasons.  I capture in my seascapes and landscapes the atmosphere, fog, dust, wind, rain, and sunshine,” she explained.

Tracy Mahler-Tekverk of Kings Park said “It is important for me to constantly learn in creating my artwork, while still giving myself the creative license necessary to form a compelling piece. For all my paintings I aim to balance realism and looseness, while accurately capturing the way light wraps around the subjects.”

Jeanette Martone‘s pencil and ink drawings capture the emotions, environment, struggles and beauty of those living on the edge of life. The Bay Shore artist’s subjects are captured in a moment of time revealing their inner spirit and the beauty that can be found in the infinite details of their lives.

After being a commercial artist most of her life, Liz Jorg Masi of Smithtown now devotes her time to fine art painting. She excels in portraiture but also paints landscapes and still lifes in pastel, oil, and watercolor.

Fred Mendelsohn of Port Jefferson has carried many titles in his life…neurologist, philanthropist, author, musician, and artist. Predominantly a landscape artist, Mendelsohn works in both oil and egg tempera paints. “The bucolic fields and waterways of the North Shore and the villages of Italy are sources of inspiration to me,” he said. 

Through her art, Patricia Morrison of Coram is interested in conveying a message, wanting to make people think. Patricia enjoys beauty, jazz and nature and likes to blend these aspects in her art “to show my appreciation for the beauty in nature, and to inspire and heal others going through controversial issues.”

A resident of Sound Beach, Robert Tuska‘s paintings and drawings cover a vast spectrum of styles and mediums. His recent works are more of a pop stylized surrealism while maintaining his comic background. “My photo surrealistic paintings combine the influence of comics and accuracy of the sublime,” he explained.

The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday March 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. to meet the exhibiting artists and view their work. 

Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A, Saint James. Hours of operation are Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. (closed March 31.) For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.