Tag Archives: Arts@Clark!

“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!

Clark Memorial Library is proud to host the works of the Bethany “Art Gang”, a group of friends who meet each Thursday at the Town Hall to create and experiment with artistic techniques. The “Art Gang” is sponsored by Bethany Senior Services and led by local artist Mary Lou Narowski; it began as a weekly hour-long watercolor class, but soon branched out into a wide variety of techniques and now normally runs for at least two hours. For more information, contact Robin Glowa, Director of Bethany Senior Services, at 203-393-2100 x1124. The Gang’s art is being displayed upstairs, on the table to the left of the checkout desk and the shelves across from it. Be sure to stop by during Library hours to take a look!

Some of the Gang’s work will also be part of our 5th Annual Public Art Exhibit, which will take place on July 28th, 1:00-5:00 PM. Save the date!

The Arts@Clark! Fifth Annual Public Art Exhibit will take place on Sunday, July 28, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM!

Parking will be available at the Bethany Historical Society (512 Amity Road) and the First Church of Christ Congregational Church (511 Amity Road).
 
This event is our gift to the community: it is free to all participants – artists, would-be artists, and those who are simply looking to enjoy, renew, and relax on a beautiful summer afternoon. Twenty-six local artists will have their artwork on display on the library grounds – with a wide variety of styles and mediums, ranging from paintings and drawings to needlework and sculpture! There will be live music provided by local musicians, a bake sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library, a display showcasing our newly expanded collection of art books, and even “plein air” art activities for visitors to try out the creative process for themselves!

In celebration of the upcoming Arts@Clark Fifth Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit – which will take place on July 28th, 1:00 to 5:00 PM – our displays for this month will feature books about artists of all kinds, their works, and the process of making art in general. Take the chance to learn about the people who bring so much wonder and color into all of our lives, and make sure to mark the Outdoor Art Exhibit on your calendar so you can meet the artists in our community in person!