On Exhibit: Sara Conklin
"Family Ghosts" - Mixed Media
May 1 - June 29
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 4 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Artist Statement:
In her new painting and works on paper series, Family Ghosts, Sara Conklin explores the complexities of memory and the past. Working from old photos and layering over existing paintings, Conklin creates a transparent multidimensional effect that reflects the influence of nostalgia and truth on our personal histories. The works on paper in this series challenge the viewer to question what we can truly trust in our memories and investigate the ways in which our recollections of the past are impacted by emotion, time and experience. Through this exhibit she invites viewers to reflect on their own memories and the ghosts that may linger in their own history.
Artist Bio:
Born in Connecticut, Sara Conklin lived in New York City for the past 35 years, but has recently returned to her roots in Northwest Connecticut. She works as a sales account manager for a technology company to support her art passion. When she isn’t working 9 to 5, Conklin enjoys plein air painting in beautiful Litchfield county or working in her studio in Torrington on various projects. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Springfield College and attended Banff Center of the Arts in Alberta Canada and The Arts Student League in New York City. She was a member of the Ceres Gallery in New York from 2008 - 2018 and a member of the Silvermine Art Center. Among the venues Conklin has exhibited are Five Points Gallery in Torrington, Ridgefield Guild of Artists in Ridgefield, Broome Street Gallery in New York City, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance in Narrowsburg, NY, as well as in other local and national galleries and museums.
Coming Soon: Don Sexton
"In My Life" - Mixed Media
July 6 - August 30
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 6 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Artist Statement:
Don’s studio is located in Goshen, Connecticut. He has studied painting, drawing, printmaking, and etching at Wesleyan University and at the New School, the Stacy Studio Workshop, and the Koho School of Sumi-E in New York City and at the American Center for the Arts in Paris. His paintings are in collections in the United States, Europe, and Australia. He is frequently asked to do commissions of places and events.
Many of his works are mixed media: Ink and oil pastel on paper. He has developed a unique mixed media technique that produces extraordinarily vivid colors. He also works with oils for subjects that call for deeper hues.
Artist Bio:
Don received his B.A. from Wesleyan University in mathematics and studio arts. He also has a Masters and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Chicago. For fifty years he was a full-time faculty member at Columbia University (and is now retired). He has traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Latin America.
His works have won many awards such as Best in Show, Awards for Achievement in Mixed Media, Awards for General Excellence, and Artist of the Month as well as several Honorable Mention Awards. He has had several solo shows in New York City, New York State, and Connecticut and has exhibited in numerous juried group shows in the Northeast. Images of his work appear in Salann magazine and in Art of Connection.
Don was a founding board member of Columbia University’s Research Center for Arts and Culture. He was also a founder of Columbia’s Institute for Not-for-Profit Management, taught Columbia courses on Management of the Arts for many years, and worked with Museums Collaborative to conduct training programs for executives of numerous arts organizations – large and small, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. He has also assisted the Whitney Museum and the New York City Ballet with their marketing activities and consulted for the Metropolitan Opera, the Pittsburgh Public Theater, and many well-known organizations such as IBM, Unilever, Citi, Pfizer, MetLife, DuPont, UNICEF, Boeing, and Coca-Cola. For more information, visit Don's website at sextonart.com.
The Jamie Gagarin Gallery and Exhibits at OWL
The Oliver Wolcott Library features art exhibits that rotate every two months. The exhibits are displayed in the
Jamie Gagarin Community Room & Gallery.
All exhibits include an opening reception on the first Thursday of every other month between 5 and 7 p.m.
Patrons can meet the artist, have a first look at the artwork and enjoy refreshments. All exhibits and opening
receptions are free and open to the public.
Since the art gallery shares its space with the community and library events, it is recommended that you confirm
that the art gallery is open before visiting. Please call us at 860-567-8030.
How to Submit Art for Consideration for an Exhibit
All artwork exhibited is selected through a competitive, juried process by the Cultural Committee appointed by the President of the OWL Board of Trustees. The Cultural Committee uses guidelines in its selection including technique, price range, size of proposed work, type of medium, type and style of framing, and artist credentials.
For more detailed information on the submission process, click here.
Gallery Dimensions