Good Morning/Good Night Exhibit

Spectrum Art Gallery and Artisans Store of Centerbrook presents Good Morning/Good Night, an exploration of the beauty found in the transitions between day and night. From the soft glow of morning light to the mysteries of evening, this show highlights how light and shadow shift throughout the day, inspiring both contemplation and creativity. The exhibition opened  March 21 and runs through May 3 at Spectrum Art Gallery, 61 Main St., Centerbrook, Connecticut.

This exhibition features both new and returning artists whose work captures the interplay of light and darkness. Among the featured painters is Beth Pite, whose dynamic, color-infused pastels vibrate with movement and energy. Barbara Rossitto explores the interplay between realism and abstraction in her evocative pieces; she works in oil, watercolor and pastel with a variety of subjects, mainly representational.

Joining is also Dianne Gorrick, an award-winning artist known for her luminous depictions of the ever changing light of clouds as they move from night to day. Other painters showcasing their unique interpretations of this theme include Vivian Zoë, an artist and arts educator with a varied background who shows colorful works in oil, while Tatiana Ferraro presents a new watercolor mountainous landscape. Diane Rubacha offers new relief prints, and Ned Farrell, a painter and calligrapher, shows several celestial works in oil and mixed media. Sean Carney is an award-winning artist with a unique style that specializes in painting with Minwax wood stain and a Dremel.

Tom Swimm returns to Spectrum. Born and raised on the East Coast, he resettled in Southern California and was inspired by the landscape of Laguna. His work is recognizable for its exceptional use of light and color. With numerous exhibits and awards and several illustrated children?s books to his credit, his painting methods have been included in several art instruction books. Lori Neumann, a versatile artist from Connecticut, specializes in oils, acrylics, and pastels. Educated at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, she is known for her plein air paintings using a palette knife, capturing rural New England landscapes and farm animals at dawn and dusk.

Laurel Hoynoski, a Connecticut-based artist, is new to Spectrum Gallery and primarily works with oils,
focusing on birds, landscapes, and still life. Mary Alice Landry, an artist deeply connected with nature,
creates vibrant paintings depicting wildlife and landscapes, ranging from abstract realism to whimsy. A staunch advocate for both wild and domestic animal rights, she actively participates in conservation
efforts and animal welfare. Jean Watson, also new to the Gallery, paints landscapes, seascapes, still life, birds, flowers, and animals using oils, pastels and cold wax.

Mark Bavolack, who had a fulfilling career in commercial printing and color retouching, embraced painting as a creative outlet several years back. He has a passion for color and beauty and continually seeks to expand his skills through the experiences of others, using the canvas to express his artistic vision. Nita Vitaliano works primarily in acrylics to create landscapes, seascapes, and florals, with a recent focus on birch trees. Kim McGennis, a multifaceted artist and educator, has dedicated her life to exploring and expressing the interconnectedness of humanity through art and explores painting, drawing, photography, and unique hand-painted furniture. She has created numerous mini-paintings for the show.

Other favorite Spectrum painters and mixed media artists include Rosemary Gates, Molly Waite Lund, Linda McCarthy, Maria Johnson, Jena Maki, Jeanette Delmore, Carol Courtney, Sabely Peralta and Christian Kunze. Eileen Clark, also a sea glass jeweler who has now turned to mixed media showcases for the show a stunning crystal, pebbles and gemstone piece called, Luminous. Don Carter and Dora Dylanne-Reyes who have a unique vision again present several graphic design pieces of birds interacting with and enjoying desserts!

Among the photographers exhibiting in Good Morning/Good Night is Bryn Souza, an award-winning photographer who has exhibited throughout New England. Although her primary focus is landscape photography, she is also an experienced pet photographer with her work featured on MarthaStewart.com, Today.com, and USA Today. Also new to Spectrum is Geneva Renegar, renowned for her vivid portrayals of the state?s landscapes, from shoreline vistas to historic dairy farms. Known for her early morning ?Sunrise Sequence?sessions, she has been featured in exclusive exhibits throughout Connecticut, with her work also in the International Traveling Exhibition ?Water, Water, Everywhere? highlighting the significance of water as a dwindling resource.

Robert Thomas, a returning favorite photographer at Spectrum, is known for his ability to capture dramatic landscapes and fleeting light in exquisite compositions. Jake Barba returns with a new work on metal. His preferred subject matters range from landscapes to wildlife and travel photography to astrophotography. Dianne Roberts also presents a unique composition called Window that captures a sunset through an interior window. George Fellner, a fine art photographer, returns to Spectrum Gallery to unveil new work including a stunning aurora borealis image and a church in Iceland located on a small piece of land in the middle of a large body of water. And Luke Giroux presents his latest photographic interpretation of a location at sunrise and sunset.

Other talented photographers in this exhibit include David Zeleznik, an underwater and nature photographer based in Essex presenting lunar and solar images. Carole Drong, new to Spectrum,is a versatile photographer and graphic designer whose compelling photographs have been featured in calendars, magazines, and brochures. Gary Connolly, also new to the Gallery, is an award-winning photographer, who captures for the Good Morning/Good Night show a powerful image of a total solar eclipse. And Donna Spencer drawn to photography for its expressive potential in capturing animals, flowers, and natural scenes presents a primarily black and white waterscape for the show.

Visitors will also find an exciting collection of fine artisans? works, including handmade jewelry, glass, pottery, textiles, and home décor available at the Spectrum Artisans Store. These include clothing and fabric artisans Dale Gardner-Fox and Anna Mastropolo; potter Hannah Leckman, and ceramicist Niko Scharer. Roger Harvey, new to Spectrum is a wood turner, who crafts his pieces on a lathe using primarily local wood destined for disposal. He specializes in spalted wood, which features unique patterns created by fungal activity during the early stages of decay.

Carol Hawes rekindled her passion for art after retirement, exploring air-dried clay and watercolor, to create mini-sculptures of pets, birds and other animals. Marianne Dietz offers whimsical collages of bunnies and flowers; Diana Eastwood shows memorable paper folding art books. Kate Street presents innovative mixed-media home décor items created with resin, mica pigments, shells, beads, gold leaf, and paint. Leigh Graham, a lifelong fiber artist from Western Connecticut, creates dramatic textile and bead embroidery jewelry. Her beadwork, characterized by vibrant colors and intricate textures, features unique jewelry designs that never repeat.

Elaine Sych presents her intricate fabric bags and playful seasonal critters, while Maureen Maalouf offers painted seasonal glassware. Lynelle Abel, a pressed flower artist, shows several botanical prints and keepsakes encased in glass and ready to hang. Michelle Beauford is a fiber artist who specializes in crocheted items, a skill she learned as a young child from her mother. She creates a variety of shawls, wraps, baby blankets, and more in bright color palettes. Sharon Lee Mullen-Reynolds, a former art teacher, crafts Frida Kaholo-inspired spring headbands. Maryann Flick presents new seasonal-stained glass work, perfect for the upcoming holidays. Linda Saucier and Lisa Fatone offer striking handcrafted jewelry, with Fatone also showcasing mini-paintings in acrylic on wood panel.

Innovative jewelry design is well represented by Beth Terhaar, Joanna Biskupski, Gloria Nilsson, Sandra Huber, Kristie Foss, and Barbara Hernandez-Froehlich who offers new jewelry pieces, rosaries, and charms.

Spectrum Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday (12-6 pm) and Sunday (12-5 pm). For more information call (860) 767-0742 and visit Spectrumartgallery.org. Shop online 24/7 at spectrumanytime.com with shipping available throughout the US ? a perfect choice for convenient gift giving all year long, with gift cards are also available in the Store and online.