Wow! That was fast. What happened?
July - Bolton Landing NY was the site of a tremendous art show this summer. The Bolton Landing Historical Museum transformed itself into a top-notch regional art center. The addition of a large barn-like museum space enabled programming to include a brilliant 2019 exhibition. Naturally, art fans recognize the name of this town because it was home to famed 20th C American sculptor David Smith. Several of his three dimensional works were on display, along with his lesser known fine art works on canvas. Surrounding the Smith sculptures were roughly two dozen fabulous Hudson River School works, all representational 19th century works of Lake George, most on loan from local collections.
David Smith, Menand VII, 1963.
Sept - Smith’s works showcasing “Abstract Expressionist” art of the mid-century inspired me. After pulling a decaying juniper from the lawn, we needed to fill a hole. After much searching through the summer months, we discovered Underhill Ironworks of Vermont. Gerald Stoner is an acclaimed and national prize-winning sculptor who works with reclaimed metal at his barn under the face of Mount Mansfield at Stowe, Vt. In September, we were lucky to find him exhibiting at Switchback Brewery in Burlington, and bring home an inspirational mix of I-beam and iron hoop he created earlier this year. Absolutely love it.
I’ve used the Instagram account @CartwrightFineArt to catalogue eye candy that has caught my eye through 2019, including chiefly various museum expeditions that inspire. Follow along!
For the Reading List
The best reading I did in 2019 included Ninth Street Women by Mariel Gabriel. This terrific history features five American women artists who shattered the glass in the post-WW2 years. The lengthy, but worthwhile book chronicles the break from European modern art and emergence of Abstract Expressionism and the rise of the New York School. An inspiring read, I highly recommend.
Gerald Stoner, I-Beam Dream, 2019.