With the 2021 New Members Exhibition, Silvermine welcomes 38 new members into its Guild of Artists. In recent years, Guild membership has expanded to national and even international reach. Many of these new members have work in museums and private collections. Their practices are innovative, sometimes experimental or conceptual, and always expanding the boundaries of what contemporary art can be. The New Members Exhibition is on view at the Silvermine Galleries from Feb. 6 to March 13.
Stardust for Twenty Angels by Elaine Longtemps, honors the children lost in the shooting at Sandy Hook—children who, in the artist’s words, are “no longer a part of us and yet so much a part of us.” This two-part work of art has wall and pedestal components, one made of hand-painted rope, polymer, pencil, cotton duck, gemstones, and sequins; the other—twisted rope, paint and stitching on paper, and digital printing on silk and organdy. Two new Guild members—Alden Crocker and David Marchi—came to brilliant painting careers after traumatic accidents that affected their central nervous systems and transformed their lives.
Roberta Tucci’s layered paintings express her perceptions of organic forms, material objects, and the spaces between them. The exhibition also features Kate Fauvell’s photographic collages and Arlene Rush‘s sculptural and conceptual series, “Where Liberty Dwells.” Both artists amplify contemporary currents of social and political change in the U.S. In Rush’s words, “I find it crucial to map this time in American history.”
The Silvermine Guild welcomes the following new members in 2021: Britt Bair of Rowayton, CT; Meg Bloom of New Haven, CT; Connie Brown of New Canaan, CT; Alder Crocker of Fairfield, CT; Cheri Dunnigan of Naples, FL; Kate Fauvell of New York, NY; Susan Fehlinger of Bridgeport, CT; Daniel Feldman of Pound Ridge, NY; Lisa Flynn of Scituate, MA; Heide Follin of Norwalk, CT; Kurt Gibson of Tucson, AZ; S.E. Gilchrist of Livingston, TX; Francine Gintoff of East Hampton, CT; Lois Goglia of Cheshire, CT; Jennifer Moné Hill of Danbury, CT; Ellen Jacob of New York, NY; Matthew Karas of New York, NY; Barry Katz of New York, NY; Dana Kotler of Weehauken, NJ; June Lee of Seoul, South Korea; Kerry Long of Trumbull, CT; Elaine Longtemps of Brooklyn, NY; David Marchi of Wilton, CT; Fruma Markowitz of Norwalk, CT; Ruben Marroquin of Bridgeport, CT; Carl Mehrbach of Lyme, NH; Nancy Natale of Easthampton, MA; Dido Nydick of Exeter, NH; Miller Opie of Norwalk, CT; David Ottenstein of New Haven, CT; Miguel Rivera of Kansas City, MO; Scott Roberts of Gardiner, NY; Minna Rothman of Brookline, MA; Arlene Rush of New York, NY; Nina Temple of Carmel Valley, CA; Roberta Tucci of Wilmington, DE; Jarvis Wilcox of Westport, CT; and Debi Worley of Kirkwood, MO.
Incorporated as a non-profit in 1922, Silvermine has exemplified excellence in art exhibitions and education for nearly a century. Its mission is to cultivate growth through the arts for all and to be inclusive of every age, race, gender, ethnicity, and income level. What attracts some 17,000 artists, students, and visitors annually is the pivotal role Silvermine plays as a community gathering place that deepens understanding and empathy through the transformative power of art.
Silvermine’s five-acre campus encompasses an award-winning School; a nationally renowned Guild of over 300 professional artists; five galleries, with free admission, presenting exhibitions by emerging and established contemporary artists; a permanent collection of original prints; and an outdoor Sculpture Walk that blends art and nature.
This exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with the work of the newest members of this dynamic community of professional artists. The Silvermine Galleries are open, and the public should visit www.silvermineart.org for information. Silvermine is following all CDC and CT State guidelines to keep visitors and staff as safe as possible. The New Members Exhibition can also be viewed online.