Danbury's Accessible Art features artists and venues throughout the region

Artists who explore with wax, digital devices, acrylic and many other media are featured in the “Accessible Art” series that will continue with shows that run from Sept. 24 through Nov. 9 at sites in Danbury and Bethel.

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut coordinates the series, which promotes different artists throughout the year.

The venues, which art lovers can visit any time during normal work hours, include Danbury City Hall, CityCenter Danbury offices, ESCAPE to the Arts, Hodge Insurance, Mothership Bakery, Filosa Convalescent/Hancock Hall, Pour Me Coffee and Wine Cafe, and Bethel Public Library.

The artists featured in this round of shows are Kurt Wandelmaier of Brookfield, Helga Ruopp of Newtown, Mary Jane Magoon of Sherman, Peter Schachter of Danbury, George Zipparo of Redding, Amy Salerno of Danbury, Honorah O’Neill of Bethel, and Francie Grace of Wilton.

Kurt Wandelmaier

Danbury City Hall, 155 Deer Hill Ave.

(203) 797-4511

“My work deals with themes of melancholy, isolation, and the illumination of hidden knowledge,” Wandelmaier says. “The mediums I use are graphite and ink, with digital coloring.”

Helga Ruopp

CityCenter Danbury, 268 Main St.

(203) 792-1711

Hulga says: “In my artwork I seek to capture ‘innocence’ and ‘beauty’ in everyday sightings using the colors of nature.”

Mary Jane Magoon

ESCAPE to the Arts
293 Main St., Danbury

(203) 794-1413

“Having a background and education in interior design, I have always had a passion for art, especially watercolor,” Magoon says. “Owning an art gallery deepened this infatuation. I am especially fascinated by the effect of light and the shadows that are created. Reflected glass and windows are some of my favorite subjects to paint. The transparency and luminosity of watercolor affords reflections to be even more luscious.”

Peter Schachter

Hodge Insurance

283 Main St., Danbury

(203) 792-2323

“I create my images on an iPad using the Sketchbook Pro software,” Schachter says. “Essentially my works are drawn by hand with a stylus; while I aim to create images that are painterly in nature, the creative process often allows for unanticipated effects to emerge, as well. The wide range of virtual media provided in the software allows for a blending of drawing, painting, air brush and printmaking techniques in a single work. “

Amy Salerno

Filosa Convalescent/Hancock Hall

13 Hakim St., Danbury

(203) 794-9466

“I fell in love with encaustic painting a few years ago, and have been smitten ever since,”
Salerno says. “My artwork is the end result of my love of the creative process, and the meanderings of my soul throughout. It's the process, not the product that I adore the most. I grew up in the magical village of Sag Harbor, where fisherman have long cast their nets and farmers tilled the soil. The ocean emerges in most of my work, whether in my palette or through my dreamscapes.”

Francie Grace

Pour Me Coffee and Wine Cafe

274 Main St., Danbury

(203) 743 6246

“Change! We feel it, it rocks our world, and sometimes creates a better one,” Grace says. “The bright colors of my giclee prints combine with shadows, haiku-like fragments of text, occasional humor, idealism for the future, and above all, emotional impact. When people feel something, that's when your message is remembered and transformed, and that's when something new and valuable is created between artist and audience.”

Honorah O’Neill

Bethel Public Library

189 Greenwood Ave.

(203) 794-8756

“I give flesh to monsters,” O’Neill says in explaining her work.

George Zipparo

Mothership Bakery, 331 Main St., Danbury

(203) 417-6914

“My work is my statement.”

The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut is the heart of the region’s creativity and dedicated to helping communities connect and thrive.  We are a 501C-3 and regional service organization serving 10-towns in the Greater Danbury area. Our aspiration is to improve access and growth of arts and culture to improve quality of life and the economy.

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Submitted by Danbury, CT

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