Debra Keirce, Party Line, 2022, oil on panel, 10 x 10 in. 

“It is the first time AAPL has partnered with another organization and their members for a major exhibition," says Aki Kano, AAPL president. "In addition, hyperrealist painter Glen Hansen, the awards judge for the exhibition, will present his large-scale, striking works on the gallery’s expansive back wall. Set in a beautifully restored historic barn at Waveny Park in New Canaan, Connecticut, the exhibition celebrates creativity, collaboration and community. For collectors, Visions offers an opportunity to discover and acquire exceptional work by leading American artists in a relaxed, elegant and inspiring venue.”

Irina Kaplan, Michael, 2025, QoR watercolor on Aquabord, 18 x 18 in. 

Among the artwork featured in the exhibition is a still life by Debra Keirce titled Party Line, depicting an old candlestick telephone set against a bright cerulean backdrop. “Remember the days of party lines? The phones that were used in the 1960s weren’t quite this vintage, but they were rotary dial phones, and there was a human switchboard operator connecting calls to the right networks,” says Kano. “People used party lines, where they shared the signal with a neighbor, to save on the cost of the phone service. If you picked up the phone to call someone and your neighbor was on the line, you would hang up and wait awhile if you were polite. If you were mischievous, you’d stay quiet and listen until they heard you breathing and told you to hang up…Party Line looks back to a time when phone calls were shared and carefully planned. The work reflects how communication once required patience and consideration, long before unlimited plans and instant connections.”

Karen Israel, A Feast for the Senses, 2025, pastel on paper, 11 x 14 in.

Another highlight is a watercolor by Irina Kaplan titled Michael, in which a young man runs his hands through his hair and gazes at a point off composition. “Michael is a tribute to the quiet, introspective threshold of a boy’s coming of age, where childhood innocence begins to give way to a more complex, burgeoning self-awareness,” Kano muses. “Kaplan used multiple layers of watercolor to create a contrast of light and shadow, mirroring the multifaceted nature of growing up.”

Thomas Torak, Atlantic Surf, 2025, oil on linen, 36 x 36 in.

Visions: AAPL at the Carriage Barn will hang from April 19 to May 8. An awards reception takes place on Sunday, April 19, from 3 to 5 p.m., giving attendees the chance to meet the artists. A special watermedia workshop will take place on April 22 led by nationally recognized watercolorist and educator Andrea Walker, designed for artists of all levels. The show is juried by distinguished AAPL artists Anna Toberman, Keith Willis and JuliAnne Jonker. —