“Tidal Connections”

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in cooperation with the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists will present Tidal Connections, a group exhibition opening August 20 through Sept. 29, 2011 at 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT. The exhibition will feature works by WALA artists Britt Bair, Randi Jane Davis, Lori Glavin, Dana Goodfellow, Hanneke Goedkoop, Ruth Ipe, Pamela Lindberg, Mary Manning, Nancy McTague-Stock, Claudia Mengel, Elise Mills, Vicki French Smith, Grace Shanley, and Diane Weeks.

 Tidal Connections showcases the work of twelve Fairfield County artists, all working in a loft situated in South Norwalk. With the common denominator being the shared, local living experience, inherent to this exhibition are the many different ways in which this coastal, Southern Connecticut region is connected to the daily lives of its inhabitants. From traditional landscapes to contemporary mapping, the Wilson Avenue Artists use a variety of genres and media to bring their diverse, personal viewpoints to the public.  

The artist's reception at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum which will be held on Sept. 23, 2011, 5:30-7 p.m. was specifically planned on the weekend of Norwalk's Annual Boat Show, at a time when people come from near and far to celebrate a part of this tidal region, thus forming their own 'connections' with the area. Free Admission to the reception but reservations are required.

Britt Bair graduated from Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH with a Liberal Arts degree and the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art and Photography. Her career began as a Graphic Designer and Photography Rep. in New York City.  About thirteen years ago she started painting again and now works in a variety of medium including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel and photography. She has won many awards at local shows and has painted in Italy, Canada, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Most of her recent work has been seen in galleries throughout CT. She is the co-founder of the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists and co-president of the Fairfield County Plein Air Painters. Her work may be found in private collections from California to New York.  

Throughout various professional endeavors, Randi Jane Davis’ commitment to painting has remained a constant.  For years Davis pursued a career in engineering, which allowed her to hone skills that have served her well as an artist: scrupulous problem-solving abilities and keen awareness of patterns and spatial relationships. As a plein air painter, Davis examines objects and their surrounding, transferring her impressions to the canvas in fluid, gestural strokes.  Her paintings have been described as “beautifully serene and tranquil; they capture a mood emphasized through a keen eye and a muted palette.”  Woven into each scene is a luminescence created by balancing light, color, and shadow.  Davis resides in Ridgefield, CT.

Painter, printmaker, and collage artist, Lori Glavin has been involved in the visual arts for over 25 years. After earning her BFA from Syracuse University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts, she worked in New York as a graphic designer and art director. She held creative positions at Conde Nast and the New York Times. Glavin is an artist member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan, CT and a co-founder of the of the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists. She exhibits in galleries throughout the Northeast and in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Glavin resides in Darien, CT.

Painter and printmaker Hanneke Goedkoop was born and raised in the Netherlands. She attended the Academie des Beaux Arts in Louvain, Belgium, and furthered her art education in Europe and the United States. She is a member of the Rowayton Arts Center, the Silvermine Guild Arts Center, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, and the Darien Arts Center. Hanneke has also studied privately with Pam DuLong Williams, Wolf Kahn, Ron Pokrasso and Constance Kiermaier.

Ruth Ipe was educated at the University of Kentucky and Cornell University with a major in Interior Design.   She worked as a graphic designer for Whitney Library of Design and as an Art Director for Architectural Forum and Architecture Plus magazines in New York City before she moved to Fairfield County with her family.  In 2002, she was accepted as an exhibiting member of the Rowayton Arts Center, where she joined Charles Ray's Monday painting group called "The Wild Bunch".  In 2007, she joined the Wilson Avenue Loft Artist. She has shown her paintings at The Rowayton Arts Center, the Westport Arts Center, The New Canaan Carriage Barn, the Wilton Library, the Darien Library, and the Geary Gallery. Ms. Ipe resides in Wilton, CT.

Pam Lindberg can't remember the last time she wasn't making a project, taking a picture or working on a painting.  Art has always been "large" in her life.  After graduating from Syracuse University she had several jobs in New York City as a textile designer.  She has made art in Fairfield County for over 27 years and is a member of the art centers in Darien and Rowayton and The Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, CT.   She also loves to take photographs and has her studio at the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists in Norwalk.

Grace Shanley’s art reflects her love and connection to her large and growing family.  Through the use of pastels, collage and printmaking, she presents portraits and landscapes that relate to family, place, memory and relationships.  Through her unique mixed media works, Ms. Shanley conveys universal truths that speak to our common sense of humanity. A Rowayton resident and founder of the Center for Contemporary Printmaking Grace, maintains her studio at the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists and is also a member of the Pastel Society of America as well as the Silvermine Guild of Artists

As an artist working on location, Vicki French Smith says she feels the air and movement before the brush touches her canvas. The location arouses the mood and emotion of that particular place and as an artist, Ms. Smith underlines the significance of “connecting to the beautiful world of nature.” Ms. Smith is the President of Fairfield County Plein Air Painters and a teacher of watercolors and oil at the Darien Arts Center.

Nancy McTague-Stock is an artist whose passion for reinterpreting nature has led her to work in a multiplicity of media.  She received her MFA from the Art Institute of Boston and her BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. As a painter, printmaker and photographer, her work has been exhibited in many venues throughout Connecticut including The Mattatuck Museum, The Housatonic Museum, The Stamford Museum, The University of Connecticut, and Sacred Heart University. Ms. McTague-Stock has also exhibited at The Walter Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art in Mississippi, The Bristol Museum in Rhode Island, The Attleboro Museum, The Art Institute of Boston, Wheaton College and Hampshire College in Massachusetts, Appalachian State University, The University of Fayetteville in North Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth University, among others. Nancy’s work is collected in the US and abroad, both privately and publicly. She resides in Wilton, CT.

 Diane Weeks’ background includes the Parsons School of Art and Design and the National Academy of Design, both in New York City. Currently she is working with rapidograph pen and watercolors depicting scenes of local places that people frequent in the course of their daily lives. Ms. Weeks maintains her studio at the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists in South Norwalk and resides in Darien, CT. 

For those who have already viewed the Mansion and are solely interested in the art exhibit, viewing hours are 12 to 4 p.m. Wed.-Sun.  Admission is free. During the season, full tours at the mansion are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children and young adults ages 8-18. Children under 8 are admitted free. Tour hours are 12- 4 p.m., Wed.-Sun. Tours are on the hour, and the last tour is at 3 pm. For information on educational programs, events and rentals, call 203-838-9799 or e-mail: info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

For press inquiries:

Susan Gilgore, Deputy Director

sgilgore@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

203-838-9799 ext. 113