There have been many hardships over the past year that have affected people around the country in different ways. Gallery owner Mary Williams recognized this and while “praying for our beloved and embattled country” the idea for the exhibition America the Beautiful came to her. The invitational show, presented by her gallery, Mary Williams Fine Arts, includes artwork representing the 50 states.
Mary Ann Cherry, Presenting the Flag, oil, 29 x 20"
And The virtual exhibition, opening Memorial Day weekend on May 31 and running through July 10, has its own website and a unique organizational system so collectors can easily find works by the more than 130 participating artists. “We have represented every single state in the show, but that doesn’t mean if you’re from Oregon that your paintings are of Oregon,” says Williams. She explains that when visitors go to the website they will first see all 50 states so they can search for artwork by the state. Pieces will feature landmarks, objects, people or landscapes associated with the specific state. On the second page of the site is an alphabetical list of artists, so visitors can shop by the artists who could have paintings representing multiple states.
Christine Drewyer, Ribbon of Light, oil, 24 x 30"
It took Williams about two months to find most of the artists to invite to participate. Some artists are represented at her gallery, while others she learned about through publications and the internet, and some were recommendations from friends and artists. Participants include Nancy Haley, Jim Westphalen, Lori Putnam, Cecy Turner, Rich Alexander, Barbara Schilling, Debra Reid Jenkins and Angela Trotta Thomas.
Jacalyn Beam’s work On a Clear Day was painted in plein air at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Delaware. “I was drawn to paint this scene because of the profusion of colors and shapes in the fields,” says the artist. “Winterthur is one of the last of the original wild gardens. You see harmonizing colors and forms throughout the landscape. In the far distance you see one of the historic farms on the Winterthur property. It’s a quintessential landscape. The title, On a Clear Day, reflects my perspective and feeling for the landscape on this particular day. As the song goes, ‘On a clear day, you can see forever.’”
Jacalyn Beam, On A Clear Day, oil, 14 x 18"
Ribbon of Light, by Christine Drewyer, came about when the artist was admiring a twilight evening sky while driving on Ventura Highway. “I was admiring all the lovely colors in dusky mauves and pinks and plums that Arizona is so famous for. It was that fleeting time just before sunset. Looking for the perfect backdrop, I came across this little stream that was reflecting the late day sunlight,” she says. “I knew there would only be a moment to capture this mystical landscape before the light was gone. On a whim, I turned and faced west to be graced with the distant mountains aglow and bathed in the most spectacular array of stunning reds under a majestic sky, the likes of which artists only dream of! There was no doubt left what vista needed to be memorialized. The stream still made it into the composition, only getting more dramatic as the light continued to fade.”
Nancy Haley, Out Front, oil, 10 x 20"Mary Ann Cherry’s figure painting Presenting the Flag was inspired by a scene she has witnessed while attending Native American powwows. She elaborates, “I am always moved by the presentation of the flag at the various Native American powwows I visit and this dignified young man, regardless of his youth, personified both dignity and patriotism.”
As a way of giving back, 20 percent of all art sales will be donated to Feeding America, one of the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organizations. —
Mary Williams Fine Arts
5311 Western Avenue #112 • Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 938-1588 • www.marywilliamsfinearts.com
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