With a scientist’s understanding of an ecosystem’s complexity, a poet’s appreciation for its metaphorical lyricism and an artist’s eye for beauty, painter Thomas Paquette brings a unique sensitivity to his portrayals of the natural world. Raised in Minnesota and now residing in Pennsylvania, Paquette’s landscapes are being recognized by both states in overlapping exhibitions this June.
In Minneapolis, Lowry Hill Gallery presents Living Historyfrom May 30 through July 4. Paquette will give an artist talk at 4 p.m. on the opening day, followed by a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. This exhibition focuses on Paquette’s depictions of old growth forests, a subject that he has been painting since the early 1990s, beginning with Maine’s pristine preserves.
Symbiosis, oil on linen, 42 x 54 in.
“Besides ancient trees, the exhibition also includes many other subjects I admire as I wander through life: cloudscapes, light play and even a couple paintings of ancient stone circles in Orkney—speaking of history that continues to live on in some form,” Paquette says. “There is nothing without history.”
The roughly 25 works in Living History range from oils as large as 42 by 52 inches, to gouache renderings as small as 2 by 3 inches. While Paquette has painted ancient forests from coast-to-coast, their rarity in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest has made the region a focus of this show.
“It’s almost [like] they chose me,” says Paquette about his choice of subject matter. “I always looped back from whatever eccentric thing pulled me away temporarily. And for years now, and explicitly in this new exhibition, I have been quite focused on them. It could be that most collectors are looking for something other than my deep forests, but they are such a meaningful part of our planet. I cannot not paint them.”
One hundred and fifty of Paquette’s miniature gouaches, most from the artist’s personal collection, along with a few examples of his large-scale works, are the subject of Intimate Landscapes, an exhibition at the Erie Art Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania, from June 11, 2026 through July 3, 2027.
Dichotomous Fall, oil on linen, 16 x 14 in.
“I cached away a good portion of these little paintings as they have outsized meaning to me,” says Paquette. “They show and remind me, in just a few square inches of paper, the essence of why I paint landscapes—and it may help explain my reluctance to sell them over the years.” —
Lowry Hill Gallery 1009 W. Franklin Avenue • Minneapolis, MN 55405 • (612) 315-4080 • www.lowryhillgallery.com
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