“Town & Country” Show at Portsmouth Arts Guild Celebrates Guild’s Artists and Portsmouth’s 375th Anniversary

As Portsmouth celebrates its 375th anniversary this month, the Portsmouth Arts Guild sets a new standard of achievement in their current exhibition, aptly titled “Town and Country.”  The show, exhibiting 50 pieces of artwork, offers an assortment of interpretations on the theme. From the small sculpture of a woman in country dress, titled The Bird Lady Goes to Town, by Portsmouth artist Sandy Dwares, to the tranquil landscape of oil painter and local arts activist George Furbish, the show provides subconscious reminders of all the reasons why residents of Aquidneck Island and surrounding communities are so enamored with their surroundings.

Doug Smith, Portsmouth’s Steering Committee Chair for the 375th celebration events commented, “I am very impressed by the variety and quality of the art displayed at the show and encouraged by the breadth of talent among our local artists. A major part of our 375th anniversary celebration is to showcase our local resources and I would hope that everyone stops by to see the current PAG show and support our local artists.”

First prize in the show went to Susan Cabral for her painting entitled Russells
Mills Rd., an oil painting gessoed on watercolor paper—a classic scene of our uniquely idyllic environment articulated with a focus on the soft light of an autumn afternoon.  Approaching the painting more closely, you can appreciate Cabral’s distinctive application of the medium, as the texturized paper emerges through the paint, becoming part of the overall composition.

Second prize went to Jonathan Small for his oil painting Bellevue al Fresco, a
detailed midmorning rendering of this quaint section of Newport on a summer
day. 

Third prize was awarded to P. Jane Renwick of Newport, for her dramatic and highly engaging Polo Pony III. In this acrylic painting, an Italian polo player is depicted riding a horse, mid-stride, but it is not the rider’s face we focus on (which is purposely absent from the painting) but rather the intense stare of the animal; both man and horse are bathed in a late summer afternoon light, the painting’s highlights and shadows seemingly magnified by the intensity of the painting’s bright red background. 

“With such a high quality show such as this one, we hope local art lovers, buyers and collectors get the chance to come by and see what the Portsmouth Arts Guild has to offer. Not only is this a place to buy art, affordable, local art, but the Guild is a resource for our community’s educators, emerging artists, and families,” states Guild president Madeline Ruiz.

The “Town & Country” show runs through April 7.  The Portsmouth Arts Guild
gallery is located at 2679 E. Main Rd in Portsmouth (across from the library); open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1 - 5pm; portsmoutharts.org.  For more information, contact info@portsmoutharts.org.

Note: This was taken from a PAG press release