The community is invited to the Lake Sunapee Region Center for the Arts First Friday event on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 7 PM. Gallery openings and artist receptions are taking place at several New London locations, including the New London Inn, Lake Sunapee Bank’s Main Street Branch, New London Hospital, and the Tatewell Gallery. Light refreshments will be served at each venue.
The New London Inn will host 10 artists from the former Banks Gallery, including Ron Brown, the former owner of the Banks, whose Portsmouth gallery remains in operation. Ron is both a musician and a painter who works in oils and acrylics. His contemporary style is always pushing for that allusive and intoxicating vision.
Vicki Koron says that she was blessed to live in beautiful outdoor spaces which have influenced her artwork. She works in oils, watercolor, and mixed media painting, as well as wood block printing.
Lisa Jelleme of Andover begins her work with a small study sketch or photograph. She completes her work in the studio. Her goal is to capture the beauty and light of the atmosphere. Lisa accepts commissions for landscapes, house portraits, still life, and pet portraits.
Grace Cooper knew that she would become an artist at a very young age. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and worked as a textile designer for fine printed fabric for both apparel and home furnishing. She is inspired by what is beneath the obvious and seeks the underlying moods and emotions.
Sally Cole Ladd hopes to bring awareness to the irreplaceable beauty of the rural countryside and the open Atlantic shoreline through her paintings. “I try to portray my sense of the wonder, color, grace, and infinite changeability of the countryside around me.”
Tom Pirozzoli is a self-taught artist who has been painting, drawing, writing, and performing music for 40 years. His work is shaped by a keen interest in the elegant simplicity and fanciful spirit of New England interiors, architecture, and landscapes. His belief is that one individual can touch upon the universe.
Hannah Jean Cole Dahar graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, earned a Master’s degree in art and teaching from the University of New Hampshire and is an art teacher at Windham High School. “My work strives for a sense of atmosphere.” Hannah enjoys the beauty of color displayed each season.
Patricia Sweet-McDonald was born in Clearwater, Florida, where she first painted tropical flowers and vibrant sunsets that inspired her to pursue the intensity of watercolor painting. She learned the love of painting from her grandmother and is primarily self-taught.
Alan Gepfert works in stone to sculpt people, children, animals, and a range of abstract forms. “The vision for a work begins in an image from my mind’s eye, as I strive for personality and inner character.”
John Koron of Andover, a Bank’s artist, will also be exhibiting at the New London Inn. Tom Pirozzoli will provide music at the Inn on opening night.
Lake Sunapee Bank will host Suzanne Cronin, who won the “American Made Award” from the Martha Stewart Magazine. She is very well known as the painter of the American flags on birch bark.
The Friends of New London Hospital have brought together 31 artists for this gallery event. Each of the artists have previously exhibited with the hospital. The reception will be held in the hospital’s Main Lobby, with five exhibit spaces that can be accessed through the main entrance. Additionally, the Kearsarge Chorale Chamber Singers will perform at this event.
The artists include: Deborah Bacon, Tom Barber of Andover, David Bashaw of Andover, Matthew Brown, Debbie Campbell, Brenna Colt, Grace Cooper, Jeanne Cronin-Connolly, Liz D’Amico, Betsy Derrick, Paula Dorr, Ann Eldridge, Jill Fischman, Amy Fortier, Ludmilla Gayvornosky, Stephen Gorman, Paul Howe, Barbara Hunting of Andover, Brett Kellerman, Gillian Martlew, Susan Parmenter, Kim Russell, Eric Schultz, Ken Schuster, Yvonne Shukovsky, Patricia Sweet-MacDonald, Mark Vernon, Mimi Wiggin, Sandra Williams-Crossley, Kittie Wilson,and Tatiana Yanovskaya-Sink.
Finally, we are delighted to welcome the Tatewell Gallery to this evening of artistic enjoyment. Their exhibiting artists will be announced at a later date.
New London locations for the May 1 Art Galleries events are the New London Inn at 353 Main Street; Lake Sunapee Bank at 321 Main Street; New London Hospital at 273 County Road; and Tatewell Gallery at 255 Newport Road.