Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
Scene from the 20th annual Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Ben Samuels
By Katherine Kelton
For the 20th year, Gallery North of Setauket, held its Wet Paint Festival at the Tyler Homestead, located on Main Street in Setauket, on June 1‒2. The festival attracted 70 artists who set up in areas around the homestead, including Frank Melville Memorial Park, Patriots Rock, the Caroline Church, Emma Clark Public Library, the Factory Worker Houses, the Red Barn and the Setauket Green. The different scenery resulted in greatly varying works of art. Admission to the festival was free to all those who wanted to observe artists, eat good food and listen to music.
One artist, Christie Jones, from Patchogue, stated, “Most of my work is inspired by nature, so to be actually immersed in it enhances the work.” She has been painting plein air for a while, and the weekend event was the first time she was able to do it with an audience. Jones invited friends and family and welcomed feedback on her work, stating, “I enjoy chatting with people about my work and I know that everyone who’s talked with me has said I’m the only artist to work without an easel. So that has been interesting to hear.”
The goal of the festival was to showcase plein air art. As Ned Puchner, executive director of Gallery North, characterized, “It’s outdoor painting. It is artists working on-site doing landscape or outdoor subject matter paintings. Plein air means plain air.” He wanted to attract anyone interested in art and history to explore the area and see something unique.
The work created during the festival will also be displayed at the Reboli Center for Art & History on Main Street in Stony Brook from June 25 to July 7 in its own exhibition.
Artist Debbie Foglia had previously worked closely with Joe Reboli before his passing. She shared her emotional story about her connection to Frank Melville Memorial Park, where she elected to paint. “I grew up in the area. When I was a teenager, I took lessons with Joe Reboli, and this was one of the places that we painted.” For her, the day meant not only enjoying nature and painting with an audience but also reminiscing on the memories she made with the famous painter.
Gallery North, a not-for-profit organization, aims to promote fine local art.
The Tyler Homestead, where much of the festival occurred, is owned by the Three Village Community Trust, which promises to “protect the places you love.” While the food, tents and check-in were stationed there, people surrounded the home with easels to capture its “American farmhouse” style, which is why it gained popularity. The trust also provided tours of Patriots Rock and explained the significance of Setauket in America’s fight for independence.
Gallery North also partnered with Level Up Kitchen, which catered the event, and WUSB 90.1 FM/107.3 FM for live music.
Many artists, if not the majority, set up in Frank Melville Memorial Park for the picturesque views of the water and trees. The weather attracted many people to come and stroll the park while watching professional artists create work in real time. With the local roads lined with cars for the entirety of the event, it was a clear success for Gallery North.
Stony Brook resident Jay Gao snapped this photo of artist Denise Franzino creating a beautiful work of art at Frank Melville Memorial Park while attending Gallery North’s 20th annual Wet Paint Festival in Setauket’s historic district on June 1. The well-attended two-day event featured over 40 artists, plein air art tours, nature and history walks, a visit from Sweetbriar Nature Center and live music.
Artist Stuart Friedman paints at Frank Melville Memorial Park during a previous Wet Paint Festival. Photo courtesy of Gallery North
Two-day plein air painting event combines art, history and nature
By Rita J. Egan
Gallery North’s 20th annual Wet Paint Festival will take place in what was once considered a Setauket hub.
Held on June 1 and 2, the plein air painting event, featuring more than 40 artists, will be held on the grounds of the Tyler Homestead. Located at 97 Main Street, the mid-1700s home sits across the street from the Setauket Post Office and Frank Melville Memorial Park. Right in the homestead’s backyard is the Patriots Rock Historical Site, where the Battle of Setauket was fought.
For the 2024 event, Gallery North has partnered with Three Village Community Trust (TVCT), which owns the Tyler home. Erin Smith, Gallery North’s director of development, said they were pleased that the land trust was willing to make the Tyler Homestead available for the event.
The property will serve as the center point, where artists can explore around and near the property to decide the subject of their paintings. Choices include the house and property, Frank Melville Memorial Park, Patriots Rock, the Setauket Green, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, nearby churches and the three Factory Worker Houses located less than a mile down the road.
“You bring your easel, and whatever vignette or view that moves you, you paint,” Smith said. “It’s nice because the whole idea of plein air painting is that it captures the light really well, and it gets you outside. You can really capture the historic beauty of the area in a unique way.”
Smith added that, during past festivals, some artists have chosen to paint objects such as an ice cream truck or bench. As for the Tyler Homestead and the area, it was chosen for “its historical significance and natural beauty.”
“It’s a highly visible central location for the community,” she explained.
Herb Mones, TVCT president, agreed that the Tyler house is the perfect location.
“It not only has the expansive yard, but it’s on Main Street, and it’s so close to so many other historical sites, parks and venues that the artists could spread out, and yet the Tyler house is the central focus,” he said.
In addition to various activities set up in the Tyler Homestead’s back and side yards, Mones said TVCT will provide tours of the Patriots Rock site and discuss the role early Setauket residents and British occupiers played during the American Revolution.
Artist Angela Stratton, who has participated in past Wet Paint Festivals, said she always looks forward to being outside and choosing what to paint.
“When you go out to paint, and you’re looking around, it’s kind of what hits you in your heart,” Stratton said. “One day, to some, a certain spot can look beautiful. The next day you can go and that doesn’t intrigue you.”
The artist added that she welcomes spectators’ questions and appreciates children being exposed to art at the festival. How quickly an artist completes a painting, she said, depends on the person and the canvas size. She said many base how long they spend on a painting on how the sunlight hits a subject during a certain time of day or some will stay despite the light passing.
For Three Village Historical Society Historian Beverly C. Tyler, the homestead is more than a landmark; it’s the home he grew up in. The historian said for a time the property had flowers all over, from front to back, that his stepfather, Lou Davis, cared for. Tyler described the flowers as “absolutely gorgeous.”
“Having the Wet Paint Festival there is sort of a continuation of his efforts to use the property,” Tyler said.
The historian fondly remembers playing on the grounds.
“Everything was very interesting around there, and I would sometimes sit on the front porch and just watch the cars go by and count the number of Chevys and Fords and other types of cars that were going by, and I could see everybody that came into the post office.”
Tyler added the area appeared in several postcards, and the Neighborhood House next to his family home was once a summer boarding house his grandfather ran in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
In addition to viewing artists at work, attendees can participate in wildlife and plant life lectures or go on a guided tour of plein air paintings with regional artists Doug Reina and Christine D’Addario. WUSB 90.1 FM/107.3 FM will present live musical performances each day. Visitors will also be able to purchase food from LevelUp Kitchen and enjoy a delicious picnic in an idyllic setting.
Later in the month, from June 25 to July 7, art lovers can enjoy an exhibition at the Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook featuring the participating artists’ paintings. An opening reception will be held on June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, June 1
11 a.m. History Walk with members of the Three Village Community Trust
Noon to 2 p.m. Music by Tom Killourhy
12:30 p.m. Meet local wildlife from Sweetbriar Nature Center
2 p.m. Take part in a plein air art tour with artist Christine D’Addario
Sunday, June 2
11 a.m. History Tour with Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours
11:30 a.m. Nature Walk with the Four Harbors Audubon Society
Noon to 2 p.m. Music by Kane Daily
1:30 p.m. Plein air Art Tour with artist Doug Reina
—————————————–
Generously sponsored by the Village Art Collective and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning., the Wet Paint Festival will be held on the grounds of the Tyler Homestead, 97 Main St., Setauket from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2. The event is free of charge for spectators. A rain date is scheduled for June 15 and 16. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit gallerynorth.org/pages/wet-paint-festival.
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
Over 50 local and regional artists featured in group exhibition
Gallery North celebrates the beginning of summer with a new group exhibit, Inside/Out, featuring the artwork that has emerged from Gallery North programs including the recent Wet Paint Festival and workshops at The Studio at Gallery North. The exhibition will be on view from July 7 to August 7. The community is invited to an opening reception will be held on July 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.
‘Shibori Quilt’ by Andrea Baatz
The Wet Paint Festival and workshops at The Studio at Gallery North both serve as creative catalysts for artists, encouraging experimentation, and engaging with and supporting an inclusive, multigenerational artist community. These programs take place both inside the gallery’s Studio space as well as at locations in the broader community, and they often reflect the impact of the ecological, historical and cultural composition of the region on local artists. Whether the subject of the composition or the natural materials used in its creation, nature plays a role in many of the works in Inside/Out.
Inside/Out includes artists Marceil Kazickas, Nancy Bueti-Randall along with over 50 local and regional plein air artists who participated in the 18th annual Wet Paint Festival at the Sherwood Jayne Farm in Setauket. Artists representing the studio programs include John Benevento, Andrea Baatz and more than 20 other local artists working in a wide range of techniques and media, such as shibori dyed textiles, encaustic and intaglio prints.
As a complement to the exhibition, Joy Cirigliano of Four Harbors Audubon Society will present The Importance of Biodiversity in the Urban Forest on July 16 at 6 p.m..
This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jefferson’s Ferry, bld Architecture, and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning. The exhibition, reception and lecture will be free and open to the public.
Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
This year's Wet Paint Festival will be held at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm in East Setauket.
Photo courtesy of Preservation Long Island
By Melissa Arnold
Since 2004, Gallery North’s annual Wet Paint Festival has invited artists from far and wide to revel in nature’s beauty. For a week or a weekend, artists enjoy each other’s company and a healthy dose of plein air painting — the tricky, constantly changing art of working outdoors.
This year’s festival, scheduled for June 4 and 5, will be held at the historic and picturesque Sherwood-Jayne Farm on Old Post Road in East Setauket and seeks to build upon past events where visitors can watch the artists work and ask questions about their creative process. There will also be the opportunity to tour the Sherwood-Jayne House, go bird watching, enjoy live music and more.
An artist paints plein air at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm. Photo from Preservation Long Island
“The landscape of the show has changed in a variety of ways over the years, not just in location but in the way it’s structured,” said Ned Puchner, executive director of Gallery North. “During the pandemic, people could paint remotely for a two-week period. Last year, we had a few different locations to choose from. This year, we’re returning to the traditional style of having a specific site where everyone will come together and paint for a weekend, with some additional activities for the public to enjoy.”
The Sherwood-Jayne Farm was originally slated to host the Wet Paint Festival in 2020, and planning for the event was nearly complete when the pandemic shut things down.
“Gallery North reached out to us a few years ago looking to change up the festival from the way it was done in the past,” said Elizabeth Abrams, Assistant Director of Operations and Programs for Preservation Long Island, which cares for the property. “We used to team up with the gallery for an apple festival, and considering we are just down the street from each other, it was natural for us to work together again.”
Preservation Long Island is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting Long Island’s history and culture. Founded in 1948, their focus is on education, advocacy, and the stewardship of historic buildings and artifacts.
Abrams explained that the Sherwood-Jayne House was built in 1730 as an early colonial, lean-to salt box dwelling. The house and surrounding farmland were cared for by the Jayne family for more than 150 years. In 1908, it was acquired by the founder of Preservation Long Island, Howard Sherwood, who lived in the home and displayed a variety of antiques there.
Throughout the weekend, the Sherwood-Jayne House will be open for tours with Preservation Long Island curator Lauren Brincat. Keep an eye out for the Tallmadge wall panels, and the incredibly beautiful wall mural in the parlor that’s meant to look like wallpaper — they are very rare to see, especially on Long Island, Abrams added.
“The house contains a large portion of Howard Sherwood’s personal antique collection and other bits of history from colonial Long Island. This area had a foundational role in American history — exploring the house and its collections are a unique way to learn more about that important time period,” she said.
There will be plenty of outdoor inspiration for the artists at the festival as well. The property is also home to a variety of outbuildings and trails, gorgeous old-growth walnut trees, an apple orchard, and all kinds of wildlife.
The Four Harbors Audubon Society will lead tours exploring the wildlife and ecology of the area, with a particular focus on local birds. If the barn is open, you might be lucky enough to meet some goats, a few sheep, or an old, sweet white horse named Snowball.
Visitors are free to wander the grounds at their leisure, watch the artists work or ask questions, Puchner said. For those who are feeling shy or not sure what to ask, an artist will offer a guided tour and lead discussions once each day.
“The whole objective of the Wet Paint Festival is to help people understand what goes into the process of creating a painting, and to meet local artists. It’s a great way for someone who has no artistic experience to learn how it all works,” Puchner said.
Nancy Bueti-Randall, pictured in her studio, will join over 40 other artists at this year’s Gallery North Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Heidi Sutton/TBR News Media
Over 40 artists will be participating this weekend including Nancy Bueti-Randall of Stony Brook who began to paint outdoors as a way to recharge while raising her three children. She’s spent more than 20 years creating and showing her work, which runs the gamut from pictorial to abstract, figures and landscapes. Most of the time, though, she’s painting in her garden or other familiar surroundings.
Sometimes, she’ll start a painting with the idea to focus on one thing, but something else in a landscape will catch her eye instead.
“There are a lot of challenges with plein air painting. It’s very fleeting — a landscape is always changing, even from day to day,” Bueti-Randall explained. “You have to be fast and responsive to what’s going on around you. It’s about becoming engaged with the thing you’re painting. I can get overwhelmed by beauty, and I try to capture the essence of what I’m seeing in a process of give and take.”
Marceil Kazickas of Sands Point considers herself an artistic late bloomer. She started drawing and painting to cope with a health crisis, and found that when she was being creative, she wasn’t in pain. Kazickas prefers to work in oil, which she loves for its luscious, sensual properties.
“When you go outside, there’s an overwhelming amount of information to take in — the views are always changing, the clock is running, and you want to get your design done quickly because the light and shadows are constantly evolving,” she explained.
“I’m not as focused on painting exactly what I see … People can get caught up in producing a finished, frameable piece of art, but for me it’s exciting to be outside and come up with whatever I can in the short time I’m out there, even if it’s nothing. It’s about the painting process.”
Puchner hopes that the variety of activities, including a scavenger hunt for kids and live music from the Keenan Paul Zach Trio and Tom Killourhy, will appeal to all kinds of people.
“These new additions will give the public the opportunity to enjoy nature, the arts and history all in one place, and our artists will have a fun new location to experiment and be creative in,” he said.
The 18th Annual Wet Paint Festival will be held June 4 and 5 at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm, 55 Old Post Road, East Setauket from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain date is June 18 and 19. The event is free and open to the public.
All participating artists will have their festival work on display in an exhibit at Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket, from July 7 through Aug 7. A free opening reception will be held at the gallery from on July 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.
For more information about the festival or to register to paint, visit www.gallerynorth.org or call 631-751-2676. Learn more about Sherwood-Jayne Farm at www.preservationlongisland.org.
Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket will present its annual Wet Paint Festival from June 5 to June 13.
Now in its 17th year, this annual, outdoor event is a celebration of plein air painting. The Wet Paint Festival provides the community with the unique opportunity to observe some of Long Island’s top plein air painters as they capture the area’s historic and natural beauty. Like last year, Gallery North will slightly modify plans for the festival. In an effort to maintain both the goals of the event and continued social distancing guidelines, the Gallery invites participating artists to create works in public or in solitude during the week of the festival.
Gallery staff will also visit featured locations to arrange a few, optional recorded “virtual visits.” Participating artists will have the option (not required) to work with staff to record a discussion of their process or an informal interview. These “virtual visits” will then be posted on social media and on Gallery North’s website to both promote the event and to allow the public to understand and experience the process of plein air painting.
All participating artists will be featured in a pop-up exhibition at the Studio at Gallery North on June 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend the exhibition in person in small groups. Artists will be on hand from 5 to 7 p.m outside the Studio in Gallery North’s courtyard, to discuss their work, their experiences, and their approach, answering questions from the public.
Registration is required for the artists participating in the festival. The exhibition will be free and open to the public. For more information visit www.gallerynorth.org.
Above, a painting of Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket by artist John Koch at a previous Wet Paint Festival. Photo courtesy of Gallery North
By Melissa Arnold
It’s been a tough season for the plethora of local events that have either been canceled, postponed or restructured. Thankfully, technology like livestreaming and video chat have made it possible for some events to go on as scheduled, albeit a bit differently.
For the past 16 years, the Wet Paint Festival has given Three Village residents and visitors an up close look at the creative process of local artists as they work. The event was founded to honor the memory of beloved Long Island painter Joe Reboli, who died in 2004.
But inviting artists and community members to gather for creative fun and conversation doesn’t exactly fit in this quarantined, socially distant time. So what to do?
It’s been a baptism by fire of sorts for Ned Puchner of Gallery North in Setauket, which has sponsored the event from its beginnings. Puchner, who became the gallery’s executive director in December, was looking forward to his first Wet Paint Festival. Now, he’s been called upon to dream up an alternative.
“It’s been one of those unique experiences where you get to know people really fast,” Puchner joked. “But I’ve also learned very quickly how much support there is here for the arts and the art community, even despite the pandemic and its challenges. It’s been very encouraging for me to see that outpouring.”
Originally founded by former Gallery North director Colleen Hanson and the Reboli family, the Wet Paint Festival invites artists from Long Island and beyond for a relaxed weekend of plein air (outdoor) painting. The artists paint at the same location from vantage points of their choosing, allowing each put their own spin on well-known scenes and landmarks.
In the past, the festival has been held at West Meadow Beach and the adjoining Old Field Farm, Frank Melville Memorial Park, the Stony Brook railroad, the Thompson House, and Avalon Park & Preserve, among other places.
This year’s event will celebrate each artist’s originality as Wet Paint goes virtual. Painting sessions will be either livestreamed online or pre-recorded from a location the artist selects, whether it’s their own backyard or a public spot. During each session, the artist will talk about their creative process and take questions from viewers, just as they would in person.
To accommodate for the new format, the artists will paint for an entire week, from July 18 through July 25. The completed artwork will then be on display on the Gallery North website throughout the month of August.
The virtual festival is the latest in Gallery North’s ongoing effort to provide engaging online experiences during the pandemic.
“We had the Wet Paint Festival completely planned and were starting to gather sponsors and registrants when we had to close the gallery on March 14. When we closed, we decided to postpone the event, not realizing how long we would be unable to function and be outside,” Puchner explained.
“As time went on, we took it as an opportunity to get creative not only with Wet Paint, but with everything we do,” he said. The gallery began to share daily art activities, host “virtual open studio” events, film screenings, lectures, and opportunities to give and receive feedback on work in progress. As the staff grew more comfortable with video chat platforms such as Zoom, they knew they had to find a way to present the Wet Paint Festival, too.
Angela Stratton of Selden has enjoyed painting at the festival for the past 15 years, and while she’ll miss the connection and camaraderie of the typical event, she’s excited to see what comes of the online version.
“I’m the kind of person that likes to be outside anyway, so getting to paint at the same time is really a double treasure,” said Stratton, an oil painter. “Of course, there can be issues with painting outdoors — the sun goes in and out, it can be windy, it can rain — but it gives you the real depth of color you just can’t get from a photo.”
Stratton is still up in the air about where she’ll be painting, but she enjoys the challenge provided by the Old Field lighthouse.
Annette Napolitano, a realist painter who works in both watercolor and oil, would normally go out once a week to paint with a group of friends. She’s participated in Wet Paint for several years now.
“The first time I did the festival, I was so excited to be with the other artists, all of us working in the same place. The world is so big, and it can be a challenge to grab just a piece of it,” said Napolitano, of Rocky Point.
“I think bringing the festival online is a good solution because it’s like a pop-up event — people can come and go as they please. It’s also nice that we have a whole week to work, and it’s going to be fun to see people share their work from different parts of Long Island,” she said.
Puchner hopes that the event will inspire creativity not only in the participating artists, but people at home as well.
“At the center of the arts is expression. Everyone has had different experiences during the pandemic, but it has been significant for all of us,” he said. “There’s a fundamental need to discuss how we’re feeling, and the arts are a safe space for expression of all kinds.”
Livestreamed and recorded artist visits will be available for public viewing the week of July 27 at www.gallerynorth.org. Then, all completed works will be on the site for viewing and purchase throughout the month of August, with commissions split equally between the artist and the gallery. A virtual reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 8 via Zoom; registration is free but required.
For further information, visit www.gallerynorth.org or call 631-751-2676.
*Article from TBR News Media’s Summer Times 2020, free on newstands today.
Setauket artist Jim Molloy paints the Gamecock Cottage plein air at a previous Wet Paint Festival Photo by Jeff Foster
By Melissa Arnold
For many, spending time outdoors is a great way to de-stress and recharge. And for the artistically inclined, it’s easy to feel inspired when you’re face-to-face with a profoundly beautiful scene.
These ideas are at the heart of the annual Gallery North/Joe Reboli Wet Paint Festival, which kicks off its 12th year this weekend in Stony Brook. The festival, hosted by Gallery North in Setauket, was launched to honor the memory of beloved Long Island painter Joseph Reboli. Since then, artists from across the island have gathered to paint outdoors in a variety of Three Village locations.
Stony Brook artist Barbara Siegel has painted at the festival for almost a decade now, and she said there’s nothing quite like “plein air,” or outdoor, painting. “Plein air painting gives you a beautiful opportunity to truly capture a moment — you see with your own eyes the lighting, shadows and detail of a place, in real time — you just don’t get that being inside,” she explained.
This year, the artists are headed to the historic Gamecock Cottage on West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook. According to Brookhaven town historian Barbara Russell, the cottage was purchased in 1876 by William Shipman for hunting and fishing. It earned the name Gamecock from either its bird-shaped weather vane or Shipman’s love of raising wild birds. “It’s really an interesting place,” Russell said. “And it defies understanding how it still exists, considering it’s been hit by every major storm and hurricane in our area since (the 1800s).”
Participating artists:
Rose Barry
Renee Blank
Sheila Breck
Yow-Ning Chang
Robin Clonts
Anthony Davis
Denise Douglas-Faraci
Greg Furjanic
Jim Kelson
Kathee Shaff Kelson Junee Kim
Elizabeth Kolligs
Arntian Kotsa
Lee Ann Lindgren
Esther Marie
Linda Davison Mathues
Eileen A. McGann
Muriel Musarra
Paula Pelletier
Linda Prentiss
Joan Rockwell
Stephen Rosa
Joseph Rotella
Oscar Santiago
Barbara Jeanne Siegel
Angela Stratton
Rita Swanteson
Natsuko Takami
Susan Trawick
Rae Zysman
Artist Muriel Musarra of Stony Brook has been a part of the festival from the beginning, and the Gamecock Cottage is a familiar subject for her artwork. “I’ve painted the Gamecock Cottage several times before from different angles — everyone loves it,” she said. “I’m looking forward to painting it again because something about the scene is always different. You never see the same thing twice.” The cottage was built out of solid wood in a Carpenter Gothic style and includes ample ornate trim, Russell said. Restoration has been underway for some time now, and historians at the festival will give visitors a rare look at the interior.
Gallery North Director Judith Levy said the festival will feature nearly 30 artists painting throughout the weekend, beginning Friday morning, July 15. On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., Russell and Bev Tyler of the Three Village Historical Society will lead a historical walking tour beginning at the West Meadow Beach Pavilion. The tour will move down Trustees Road and end at the cottage. Along the way, the group will learn how the beach and surrounding area was used by a variety of civilizations, from the Native Americans to the Colonials and beyond. A selection of artifacts from various time periods will be on display inside the cottage.
Following a weekend of painting, the finished artwork will be available to view and purchase at Gallery North from July 19 through July 24. An exhibition reception will be held on Thursday, July 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. “It’s a lot of fun,” Levy said of the festival. “There’s a lot of camaraderie among the artists and they all enjoy getting together to paint.”
The 12th annual Gallery North/Joseph Reboli Wet Paint Festival will be held at the Gamecock Cottage, Trustees Road and West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook. Painters will be on-site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 17. Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Rd., Setauket. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-751-2676.
