Category Archives: Arts@Clark

Updates on anything involving or sponsored by Arts@Clark.

Arts@Clark! and Clark Memorial Library invite you to join us
August 3rd from 1:00-5:00 PM for our Sixth Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit:

“Spellbound: Art, Poetry, and the Enchantment of Reading”

This “plein air” experience is in the tradition of our famous Connecticut art colonies; engage with local artists while enjoying fresh air, activities, and live music. Witness countless styles of visual art, from sculpture to painting to needlework – and this year, for the first time, the artistry of our local poets and writers as well!

This event is our gift to the community and is free to all participants – artists, would-be artists, and those who are simply looking to enjoy, renew, and refresh on a beautiful summer afternoon.

Parking will be available at the Bethany Historical Society (512 Amity Road) and Bethany First Church of Christ Congregational (511 Amity Road).

Mark your calendars – we hope to see you there!


Local artists Liz Smolinski and Susan Taddei will have their works on display in the Library’s Community Room and display cabinets, respectively, throughout the months of June and July.

Elizabeth Smolinski grew up in New Haven and moved to Woodbridge in 2006. Oil paints and charcoal are Elizabeth’s favorite art media, and she typically works from her own photographs in the style of realism. Making time to create art is a priority for her, and she loves meeting new people via art. She enjoys elevating things that are easy to overlook, like flags hanging above, or the shadows cast by pond lilies, into compelling images of unconventional beauty.

Susan Taddei moved to Bethany in 1974. She is a self-taught quilter who sews on a vintage Universal De Luxe machine that is over 75 years old. Brightly colored batiks are her favorite quilting fabric. She is very grateful for the generosity of the members of the quilt bee she was part of when her children were young, who taught her many sewing techniques and provided endless inspiration, and loves to give quilts to her friends and family to honor milestones of their lives. Besides quilting, Susan’s other hobbies include singing in the Our Lady of the Assumption Church choir and doing jigsaw puzzles.

There will be an artist reception on Saturday, July 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Community Room.

Remember, the application deadline for the 6th Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit is June 20th! We’re welcoming local poets and writers to take part alongside visual artists this year – so feel free to apply regardless of whether your art is meant to be viewed or read.

The Call for Artists, application forms, instructions, and exhibit information are available on the Arts@Clark! page of the Library’s website under “2025 Public Art Exhibit“. Applications should be sent to artsatclark@gmail.com.

“Never Alone: Keeping Company with Painters and Poets”

Gigi Lawrence, along with Margot Trout
April – May 

Keeping company with those who give and have given form to imagination across genres, media, and time, Gigi Lawrence presents her work – along with work by Margot Trout, her friend and mentor – and poetry that has sustained and inspired them both.

“When trying to envision a library show that would be running concurrently with National Poetry Month, the idea of including Margot Trout came to mind, and the possibility looked rich and rewarding. Margot has inspired me as a painter, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend for the past 30 years. I have shared more poetry with Margot than with anyone else in my life, as is also true of paintings, and of art in multiple mediums.

It is noticeable that the appearance of our work is very different. What is important about artwork, is not its style, but what comes through it. In that respect, they are probably not so very different at all. This show is an opportunity to see Margot’s work along with mine, and to think about the art and poetry that has spoken to each, and sometimes both, of us.”

There will be an artist reception on Saturday, May 17, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Library’s Community Room, but unfortunately, Margot will not be able to attend.

Call for Artists!

Arts@Clark! and Clark Memorial Library are proud to present

The Sixth Annual Public Art Exhibit
Spellbound: Art, Poetry, and the Enchantment of Reading

Join us on Sunday, August 3rd for our Sixth Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit.
This year, we are welcoming poets and writers to share their artistic voices!
Display your art, read poetry, demonstrate your process, and engage receptive audiences from the Bethany community. This “plein air” experience is in the tradition of our famous Connecticut art colonies. Enjoy sharing your passion and having conversations that engage and support local arts. This event is our gift to the community and is free to all participants – artists, would-be artists, and those who are simply looking to enjoy, renew and refresh on a beautiful summer afternoon.

Artists, poets, and authors working in all formats and mediums are encouraged to apply. Application Instructions and Exhibit Information can be found on the Arts@Clark! page of the Library website, under the Community tab on the homepage.

Application Deadline: June 20.

The art teachers of Amity High School and Bethany and Orange Middle Schools are collaborating with Arts@Clark! to display student artwork at the Library during February and March. Stop in any time during Library hours to see the work of a new generation of artists in the glass art displays and the Community Room!

A reception will take place on Thursday, March 6, from 4:00 – 6:00 PM in the Community Room.

Arts@Clark! & The Bethany Land Trust are joining forces to bring you a fascinating historical display this winter! The boundary stone once used to mark the site where Bethany, Naugatuck, and Prospect meet will be on display in the Library’s first floor exhibit case during December and January. This ancient stone is engraved with dates and initials and was originally located at the top of a steep ravine marking where the three towns’ borders converge in the Bethany Land Trust’s Three Sisters Preserve.

An artist reception will be held on November 16th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM for the local artist featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibits for October and November, Roberta Scott. Her work will be shown in the Community Room and the downstairs display cabinets from Tuesday, October 8th, until Friday, December 6th.

Roberta is, in her own words, “a maker of fine art and not so fine art.”
She grew up in the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, on and off the Navajo reservation and military bases. After high school, she went to work for the Forest Service, served 5 years in the Navy working as an aviation mechanic, and worked locally at Sikorsky Aircraft. She received a BFA in Sculpture at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, a college of the University of New Haven, and is currently a technical writer for Sikorsky, a mother, and a “fair weather artist.”

An artist reception will be held on August 24th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM for the local artist featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibits for August and September, Kim Ahrens. Her work will be shown in the Community Room and the downstairs display cabinets from Saturday, August 3rd, until Thursday, October 3rd.

Kim is a Bethany resident whose favorite subjects include landscapes, chickens and other animals, and flowers, mostly painted in watercolor or acrylic. She paints almost daily in her studio, and hopes her creativity is an inspiration to all who see her work.
Stop in during Library hours to take a look!