The Institution for Savings Gallery, located on the first floor of the Firehouse Center for the Arts, hosts art exhibits year round. Artists are invited to submit examples of their work for review and selection by our Visual Arts Committee once a year. A reception is scheduled for each show and offers a great opportunity to meet the artists.
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Thursday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Friday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Follow the Gallery on Social Media:
Past Artists
Johanna Finnegan-Topitzer
FOREST, SEA, AND MYTH
ON EXHIBIT: November 30 - December 25, 2022
ARTIST RECEPTION: December 10 from 3pm-5pm
About the Artist Animals have long been important to humans and our ancestors created many tales about them. They imagined animals as taking part in creation tales or looked to them to explain why things are the way they are today. Many of the pieces in this exhibit were inspired by folktales and mythology. They draw from many cultures. It is fascinating to see how humans have respected the animal world and given them credit for so many aspects of life. I hope my artwork might inspire contemporary humankind to have the same respect for wildlife and consider the importance of each species as part of the Earth’s ecosystem. The natural world and how humans have perceived it are themes that run through my work. I am fascinated by the folklore and mythology of cultures around the world, especially as it relates to animals. In our human history and oral tales there is much respect for our fellow creatures, but this does not always play out in how we treat them. With my art, I hope to rekindle that sense of awe and respect for other living creatures and hope we humans can turn around our destructive nature to enable all life to survive on this planet.Artist Statement
Artist Bio
My creative process involves exploring in nature and taking reference photos. I then come back to my studio and start with simple sketches. I paint my animals with gouache which allows me to get subtle details. I use cut colored paper to create plants and landscape elements and define their details with pen. All these components are made separately and then adhered to a solid color background.
I grew up on the Northshore of Massachusetts but have lived many places. Whether I was living in the Rockies of Colorado, the green fields of Ireland, the tropical island of Taiwan, or the beautiful Northeast of the U.S., I have always been inspired by the wildlife that has surrounded me. But above all, I am a New England artist as this is my home.
Anne Silber
LIMITED EDITION SERIGRAPHS
ON EXHIBIT: November 2 - 27, 2022
Artist statement
These works are limited edition serigraphs, or silkscreen prints, hand-printed by me using hand-cut lacquer film stencils. The inks are mixed with a large percentage of transparent base, allowing for the visual “blending” of overlaid tones, creating an effect like that of well-controlled watercolors.
My work emphasizes the graphic qualities: form, line and especially color relationships. I enjoy working with colors in an almost musical sense, creating harmonies and occasional dissonance with the combination of tones. Many of my works also explore the possibilities of light and shadow, with shadows becoming as much an interesting and integral part of the composition as the objects casting them.
Many of my landscapes and cityscapes are inspired by my love of foreign travel and the many countries I have been privileged to visit, others by the beauty of Boston and the surrounding area. Alternately, working in the realm of still life allows me the luxury of control in creating a small, ordered universe, with all elements carefully chosen and arranged.
My work has been shown in numerous one-person and group exhibitions around the U.S. and Europe, and my prints are included in many corporate and museum collections. In addition, my serigraphs have appeared on the sets of over one hundred feature films and TV series, including “Grey’s Anatomy”, “The West Wing”, “The Departed” and “The Bucket List”.
Artist Bio
Born in New Jersey, Anne Silber studied at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and has lived and worked in the Boston area since 1977. Silber's work has been shown in numerous one-person and group exhibitions around the U.S. and Europe, and her prints are included in many corporate and museum collections. Her work has also appeared on the sets of a large number of television series and major motion pictures.
Jim Kociuba
THE KOMOREBI PAINTINGS
ON EXHIBIT: October 5 - 30, 2022
Artist statement
The subject of this series of paintings are tightly cropped tree studies is a variety of seasons. The common thread in this work is my goal to portray light that passes through as well as light that bounces off of the leaves. The Japanese language have a single word, Komorebi, which describes light that passes through the leaves of trees.
My process is a deliberate building up layers starting with the sky, branches, and finally diagonal pixels to appear as the shapes of leaves. I chose the diamond form to represent the leaves as it tends to mimic the movement of leaves in a breeze. Although the process may appear to be tedious, my state of mind while painting these is quite relaxed, similar to that of meditation. My intent is to bring the viewer a sense of being closer to the slowed pulse of nature with these paintings.
Artist Bio
Jim Kociuba was raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in a first generation Ukrainian and French Canadian household. My first exposure to art was gazing up at the amazing frescos in St. Ann’s Church on Sunday mornings. I studied studio art and art education at Rhode Island College and Rhode Island School of Design. My work as a high school art teacher took me to New Hampshire, where I taught at Hopkinton High School for 31 years. In 2012 I retired from teaching and have been privileged to be painting full time while living here in Massachusetts.
Rosalie Cuticchia
IN THE ABSTRACT
ON EXHIBIT: August 10 - September 18
Reception on Sunday, August 14 from 2:00-5:00 PM.
Artist statement
An American Contemporary Artist, Rosalie studied with the late Oil Painter Enrico Donati. Her work with Donati laid a classical foundation that informed her evolution from representational to abstract art. Her paintings are non-conceptual and process driven. They celebrate color form, shape and share dynamic, expressive, lyrical qualities.
“I've been asked countless times how I create an abstract painting. I answer that say work is process-driven, intuitive’. I talk about color, shape relationship, and line. While that is true, it’s also true that sometimes I have no idea how a painting appears, and how those layers of paint speak to me, and for me. That moment when color, shape and line transform into a beautiful, provocative composition is impossible to describe. It's a mystery how a painting finally sparks to life. One that I will continue to happily explore.”
As a juried member of the storied National Association of Women Artists, Rosalie exhibits extensively. Her work is held in private collections around the country, and she is currently preparing for her 7th solo show. She lives in Newburyport and keeps a sun-filled studio in Amesbury.
Diane Maroun
ON EXHIBIT: June 29 - August 7
Reception on Saturday, July 9 from 2:00-5:00 PM.
Artist statement
Born and raised in Methuen, MA I was taught to draw at first by my Mother who was an artist and took lessons after that through public school. I received an Associate of Arts Degree from Bradford College in Bradford, MA and a Batchelor's Degree in Fine Art at The School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA. Since then I have painted with different groups and on my own. I ran The Andover's Artists Guild Art in the Park outdoor art show for many years, helped several organizations run shows of their own and participated in many group shows.
Paige VaughAn
SWEET-PEA'S DREAM
ON EXHIBIT: May 18-June 26, 2022
Reception on Saturday, May 28 from 1:00-5:00 PM.
I am Just a lady, Following a Dream.
As a Self-Taught Artist, I have always enjoyed trying new techniques and styles. Growing up, I was very lucky to have a grandfather who encouraged me and bought me countless supplies to explore my natural artistic tendencies. He himself was a Newburyport Native, so it seems fitting that I have a show here.
You will see I have developed 3 distinct styles:
- Palette Knife Landscapes
- Repurposed “JUNK” into vibrant Textured art pieces
- Abstract
After 30 years of Painting, I was encouraged to share my Artwork with the world.
The response has been absolutely amazing. I am kicking myself that I didn't open up earlier.
I am thankful to have a loving and encouraging husband and an amazing pup. They keep me grounded and balanced, inspiration for many of my paintings.
My friendships are filled with strong willed women, and we try to encourage each other to reach for the STARS. I am forever grateful for our village and the strength it brings to all of us. The future excites me, and all the possibilities it may bring.
I truly hope you enjoy what you see.
John Sheedy
ALONG THE MERRIMAC
ON EXHIBIT: March 30-May 15, 2022
I began this series of painting in the Winter of 2020
The 117 mile long Merrimac River begins at the juncture of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee Rivers in Franklin, NH and empties out into the ocean between Newburyport and Salisbuty
Looking across the river at the houses and buildings affords a unique panoramic view that, in my opinion, makes for a compelling subject matter.
The mos efficient way to paint dozens of homes and businesses in a detailed manner is to directly from phots, although the treatment of the sky and the water is more impressionistic than realistic.
My hope is that people enjoy viewing these works as much as I enjoyed painting them
About the Artist
I began painting and drawing during my years as a student in the Boston Public
Schools. I studied at Mass College of Art for 2 years and went on to finish my
education at the University of New Hampshire, where I worked extensively in the
printmaking department. After graduating from college, I taught art at several local
public schools and also served as an apprentice at Fox Graphics, where I helped print
numerous editions of lithographs, etchings and monoprints.
For the last 20 years, I have been painting landscapes, which are on display at
my gallery next to my home in Newbury.
I have been in several shows at the Newburyport Art Association, The Firehouse
Gallery, Seaport Art and Antiques in Newburyport, The Banks Gallery in Portsmouth, and
the Barn Gallery in Ogunquit, among others.
Although I have worked in watercolors and various print media throughout the
years, I now work mainly in oil on canvas.
OpArt
Joyful Quilt
ON EXHIBIT: February 16 - March 27, 2022
The OpArt program, founded in 2004, is a partnership between the Newburyport Art
Association and Opportunity Works with a mission is to encourage and support individuals
with disabilities to fulfill their life’s ambitions through the creative process. OpArt provides
participating artists with artistic training to professionally create, exhibit, and market their
artwork. The program is managed by Jenna Signore and Michele Champion, with volunteer
assistance from Michelle Gray, Christine Molitor Johnson, Susan Leck, and Tara McQuaid.
OpArt is dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities to enrich their lives through
creative expression and artistic practice by providing art instruction in a variety of mediums
and techniques. Open studio sessions are held weekly at the Haverhill and Newburyport
Opportunity Works locations. Artists are encouraged to work freely with materials offered
(paint, pastels, collage, drawing, sculpture, etc.) to create artwork centered on a particular
theme or may choose to work independently. All forms of expression are encouraged, and
the result is artwork that is unique, vibrant, and innovative.
Nicole Dombrowski, Mixed Media Artist
Puzzle Art
ON EXHIBIT: January 5 - February 13, 2022
About the ArtistNicole Dombrowski first studied art in high school, and she has continued her art education through art classes and her art therapy. Nicole recently completed a delightful series of mixed media art using puzzle pieces on canvas and wood. Her exhibit of Puzzle Trees and Puzzle Letters will be on exhibit at the Firehouse Center for the Arts Institution for Savings Gallery from January 5th through February 13th.
Watercolor Interest Group and Amy Conly, Photographer
Winter Refuge
ON EXHIBIT: November 17-December 26, 2021
About the ArtistWatercolor Interest Group of the Newburyport Art Association
Thirteen talented NAA watercolorists’; Muriel Angelil, Elizabeth Bell, Katie Cornog, George Darcy, Karen Fitzgerald, Ann Jones, Betsy Lewis, Claudia Mathews, Mary Ann McCarthy McArdle, Perry McIntosh, Peggy Poppe, Mary Remillong, and Christine Sanford will exhibit work alongside the very talented Amy Conly, photographer.
Amy Conly, Photographer
Amy is an award winning photographer that has been documenting the north shore for many years and specializes in coastal locations. Having grown up with a love for the ocean, Amy captures elements of boat architecture, beach walks and seaside towns.
She is a member of the Photography interest group at the NAA. You can see her work published in Newburyport Magazine, and in the upcoming show, “Winter Refuge” at the Firehouse Center for the Arts.
Jay McCarthy and Kale Baker Amato
Outside-In
ON EXHIBIT: September 30-November 14, 2021
About the ArtistJay McCarthy
Master Artist and award-winning photographer Jay McCarthy has been passionate about his craft for the past 30 years. He specializes in landscape and portraiture photography and his work has been featured in numerous juried shows and galleries including Alpers Fine Art in Andover, MA, the former First and Ocean Bank in Newburyport, Fidelity Investments in Boston, The Newburyport Art Association (Best in Show and Best Photographic Submission - Annual Winter Members Juried Show/2012 and Best Photographic Submission Annual Winter Members Juried Show/2018), Cambridge Art Association's "Blue" Exhibit, David’s Restaurant, the Blu Water Café, Michael's Harborside and Chase & Lunt in Newburyport, The Topsfield Fair (2005 Honorable Mention and Third Place in the Professional Photography Division), The Merrimac (MA) Town Hall (Best in Show), Yankee Homecoming’s “Photography at Brown Square”, inclusion in the Mass. Municipal Association’s 2005 Calendar, The Newburyport Literary Festival (Website), The Newburyport Documentary Film Festival (Website), Newburyport Magazine, Merrimack Valley Magazine, Post Road Framers in Rowley, MA, Andover’s (MA) “Art in the Park” and other venues.
Kale Baker Amato
Vessels is a grouping of Baker’s most recent works. These paintings depict potted plants in the controlled setting of a greenhouse; a delicate structure which protects its contents from the harshness of the elements, while simultaneously utilizing the environment to its benefit.
Through use of perspective and subject matter, Baker explores the parallels between the potted plant and humanity, speaking to the fragility and codependence of both upon outside forces bigger than themselves.
Vessels is a nod to the beauty of the collective, the power of the individual and the interconnectedness of humanity with the land. Everything is at the mercy of nature and survival is dependent upon the ability to work with it instead of against it; acknowledging the “glass house” we live within.
Kathleen Grace Bennett
Skies to Inspire
ON EXHIBIT: September 2-26, 2021
About the ArtistDramatic skies ignite the artistic passion within my soul. Living at the seacoast, I am grateful to be surrounded by nature’s infinite beauty. My wish as an artist is to inspire you with awe and wonder of our intriguing sky.
The warm, soft glow of a sunrise refreshes me, offering the promise of a new day. I am thrilled by nature’s glory of color blazing across the vast sky above. Peaceful moments watching the sunset offer a time of reflection and inspiration to dream and to have faith in the future.
My oil paintings of luminous skies are created using layered brush techniques. Often you may see changes in the painted light depending on the angle of your view or the amount of lighting in the room.
Artist Statement
Kathleen Grace Bennett is a self-taught artist from Salisbury Beach, MA with a fascination for painting skies. While maintaining a professional career in pharmacy, Kathleen enjoys oil painting in her spare time. Visiting the coast to view a storm, sunrise, or sunset, fuels her passion to paint. As an artist, Kathleen sees the far reaching beauty of our sky as inspiration to the unlimited possibilities in life. Through painting, her goal is to invite the viewer to perhaps feel a sense of peace and connection as she felt while creating her artwork.
Kathleen’s paintings may be seen at kgracefineart.com, NOA Gallery, Groton, MA and Post Road Framers Gallery, Rowley, MA. She is an active member of the Oil Painters of America, Newburyport Art Association, and Greater Haverhill Art Association.
Rachel Wilcox
Endless Summer
ON EXHIBIT: August 5-29, 2021
About the ArtistRachel Wilcox is a New England artist who was born and raised in Haverhill, MA and graduated from The Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. She spent countless summer days on the beaches of Hampton, Seabrook, and Salisbury, smelling of Coppertone, body surfing and eating way too much beach pizza.
Rachel currently works out of her studio in a historic mill building in Amesbury, MA and is represented by Edgewater Gallery in Middlebury, VT. Her work can be found in public and private collections across the country.
Artist Statement
With my Endless Summer series I celebrate the very things that make my local seacoast so special. Nostalgic memories of sunny beach days and a pocket full of quarters that could keep you busy all day long are ingrained in the minds of many native residents. Here in New England, we wait all year for a few precious months of sun and sand, street food and music, and good times all around. The summer is short, but the memories are forever, so take that beach day, eat the ice cream and make the summer endless!
Michael Milczarek
Call of the Sea
ON EXHIBIT: July 22 - August 1, 2021
About the ArtistMichael is a life-long resident of the Massachusetts North Shore which is the inspiration for most of his work. Michael began painting in 2000 studying with a local artist whose work he admired. Since then, a combination of private study, workshops, live and digital demonstrations and experimentation form the extent of his training.
"We have a great range on subject matter to draw from in New England, ranging from rocky coastlines, smooth beaches, salt marshes, fields, meadows and mountains. We drive by them every day going to work, school, errands and taking our children to endless soccer, band, and football practices. Take away the asphalt, streetlights, and buildings, and we can see the landscape as it truly is. For the past 20 years I've called my work 'landscapes from the side of the road' - because that's literally what they were."
Michael works primarily with a limited color palette often tilted towards a tonal approach. His goal for a landscape painting is to convey a sense of quiet calm we all need from time to time.
He is a member of the Newburyport and Marblehead Associations and an associate member of Rockport Art Association and the National Association of Oil and Acrylic Painters.
He has exhibited as a principal with Saltbox Gallery and has contributed his works for auction with the Massachusetts Audubon Society and House of Seven Gables.
He is represented by Roux & Cyr Gallery, Portland, Maine
Laura B. Kozlowski
Natural Beauty, Near and Far
ON EXHIBIT: June 24 - July 18, 2021
About the ArtistLaura B. Kozlowski graduated from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in English Literature and Studio Art. In 1998, after attending the, School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Laura turned her passion for photography into a business and opened her first studio in South Boston, Massachusetts.
During the advent of digital photography, Laura began educating others on how to make the transition from film to pixels It was in 1999, when she made the transition to digital photography and helped the Boston Public Library launch their digital library for their extensive collection of artwork and literature with their first digitally photographed publication “American Art & Architecture of the Boston Public Library”. In addition to photographing for Cornell’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, where she has been published in: A Room of Their Own, the Bloomsbury Artist in American Collections, and Colored in the Years New Light: Japanese Surimono from the Becker Collection, her photography has been recognized nationally as well as internationally through a wide range of clients such as : Met Life, Equifax, Reebok, Harvard University, Time Life Books, and The Art Museum of New York.
C. Peter Erickson
On the Bridge of Sighs
ON EXHIBIT: May 27 - June 20, 2021
About the ArtistMy perspective as an architect is that of moving through space. Essential to this is the passage of time. COVID-19 has brought us to this time of a “new normal” and even beyond. In response we persist as individual souls, each finding one’s way through the world, sometimes by bumping along conflicting paths. It has been suggested that the power of art is just “to be”. However, taken in the context of the passage of time, art as continuum can be about just being, in this ever changing world... incidental, fleeting and complete. This is to say, life passing by; nothing more and nothing less. As asserted by Edward Hopper: “The sacredness of everyday fact”.
For many years I was most interested in painting with oil on canvas, eventually trending toward incidental subjects caught in motion; painting “En Passant”. For this approach, I found airbrush techniques, once relegated to photo retouching, to be well suited for depicting the world moving before my eyes. I find it interesting when practical and commercial techniques such as airbrush, film photography and screen-printing, pass through a period of obsolescence, to later become available for making art. This, too, is an expression of the passage of time.
“... each individual has their own personal measure of time that depends on where they are and how they are moving.”- Stephen Hawking: A Brief History of Time
Amy Selwyn
Street Cuba
ON EXHIBIT: Jan 29 - Feb 23, 2020
ARTIST'S RECEPTION: Saturday February 1, 2020, 2:00-4:00 PM.
Through photography, Amy Selwyn tells complex and honest stories from the streets of Cuba.
About the Artist: Amy Selwyn is a photographer living in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She has always loved stories, and cut her teeth as a lifelong story aficionado on Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham”. She has been writing for more than 50 years, and fell in love with photography – a visual language – only recently. By day, Amy has worked in the news industry for more than 30 years. Street portraits are her favorite subjects. This year, in addition to street photographs from Portsmouth and local towns, Amy will travel to El Retiro, Colombia, Havana, Cuba and Oaxaca, Mexico for photography. She lives with the world’s greatest dog, Arrow the French Bulldog, and is determined to learn to speak Spanish…not necessarily to Arrow.
Artist Statement: “Telling a great story requires the storyteller to peel the onion, revealing layer after layer of depth and honesty. The deeper you go, the simpler and also the more moving the story. Photography takes this to yet an even more powerful level. As the photographer, my job is to tell a complex and honest story without sound and without words. I love the street because it is where life just happens – randomly – and where each person out there has a story they could tell. A story that could probably break your heart. Or make you laugh out loud. Or both. When I make the photo, there is a tiny little window of time when all subject’s defenses are down, and I am offered a tiny little window – fleeting – in which to see the real story being offered.”
Thank you to Singer Editions for printing the work, and A Street Frames for the framing.
Sarah Koff
With the Grain
ON EXHIBIT: Jan 1 - 26, 2020
ARTIST'S RECEPTION: Saturday January 4, 2020, 4:00-6:00 PM.
About the Artist: Formally trained in environmental studies and landscape design, Sarah has used her art/design training and love of nature to inform her subject matter. She wants her art to encourage others to pay attention to the nature, farms, and community around them. In this time of social media and virtual reality, Sarah makes woodcuts that aim to remind people where their food comes from, why they should protect their clean air and water, and how to build relationships with their neighbors. Supporting local community and environment is not only a guideline for subject matter but also technique. Sarah uses nontoxic methods of printmaking whenever possible; for example, vegetable oil-based inks that wash out with biodegradable soap and water. She carves birch plywood that she purchases from locally owned businesses, and uses recycled plastic sleeves or recyclable cardboard to transport/package her work. Largely self-taught, Sarah has taken classes from Matt Brown (NH) and Daryl Storrs (VT), two artists who have greatly influenced Sarah’s sense of craftsmanship and style. She has also participated in Big Ink, a traveling printmaking program that allows printmakers to print large-scale, original blocks collaboratively. After printing with Big Ink in 2017, Sarah was invited back to print a new block at the MFA in Boston the following year. Having gotten her start selling notecards at local farmers’ markets and shops, Sarah has progressed her focus to much larger-scale woodcuts that range from 18x30” to 24x72.” She also makes custom house and pet portraits, as well as logos for businesses/municipalities. Local clients include: Stout Oak Farm, 45 Market Street Bakery, Great Bay Wool Works, Nottingham Recreation and Seacoast Eat Local. Finally, she teaches printmaking workshops regularly at local art studios. She is always exploring the region, looking for her next big woodcut.
Artist Statement: Sarah Koff tells stories of community, nature, food, and home through woodcut printmaking in the seacoast of New Hampshire. Her collection of large, bold black-and-white woodcuts have different subjects, but together capture life in New England. From a buoy house on the Piscataqua River to a trail along a White Mountain ridgeline, from her flock of backyard chickens to a portrait of a sheep from a nearby wool farm: these are all moments in Sarah’s life as an artist, mother, nature lover, and member of her community.
Amy Vander Els
ON EXHIBIT: November 6-December 1, 2019
ARTIST'S RECEPTION: Saturday November 23, 2019, 3:00-5:00 PM.
About the Artist: Amy Vander Els grew up in the seacoast of New Hampshire and studied Studio Art and Art Education in college, earning both a B.A. and an M.Ed in K-12 Art Education from UNH. Her teaching career brought her overseas to teach visual art at international schools in Italy, Hungary and the Cayman Islands. Amy returned to New England in 2014, began studying encaustic painting at Maine College of Art, and now designs jewelry, creates artwork and teaches encaustic workshops out of her mill studio in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Her jewelry and print designs are sold in boutiques, galleries and gift shops throughout New England and her award-winning artwork has been featured in solo, group, invitational, and juried exhibitions as well as private collections in the US, Canada, South America and Europe.
Artist Statement: “Encaustic painting allows me to abstract forms in a way that is both measured and unexpected. It is planned and controlled, until it isn’t. It then becomes a tale of layers, reactions to what came before, choices about what will remain, what will be concealed, what will be revealed. The UTILITY series investigates the relationship between man-made and free-form, geometric and natural, planning and intuition. The work is a combination of static, realistic forms and silhouettes layered with dynamic, abstract, expressively painted environments. It is said that utility is functional rather than attractive. UTILITY aims to unite the two, both function and form, and highlight the aesthetic beauty of these structures that quietly serve and connect all of us. Informed by our natural environment, these images that have evolved out of beeswax, pigment, found materials, color and line are homages to the beauty and fragility of our world. My work is an attempt to elevate and honor quiet, overlooked moments, to revere the ignored, and find beauty in the breakdown.” (Amy Vander Els)
Ron Wybranowski
ON EXHIBIT: October 9th-November 3rd, 2019
ARTIST'S RECEPTION: Sunday October 20th, 2019, 2:00-4:00 PM.
About the Artist:
Ron grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, just two blocks away from the Grand River, and he spent many days fishing in the river or in the woods of northern Michigan. This formed the basis for his love of nature. He was accepted to Dartmouth College, and when he got off the train for the first time in Hanover, NH, in the fall of 1957, he knew that New England would forever be his home. He majored in physics as a Liberal Arts Major and took art courses to learn about the works of the masters.
He spent his working career in Information Technology and did not take up photography seriously until 1983. He learned the art of nature photography from the books of Freeman Patterson, the late Galen Rowell, William Neill, and Art Wolfe, but all those days in the outdoors in Michigan and those art courses in college had prepared him for this new avocation.
When Ron retired in 1999, he did what most people say they're going to do. He bought a high-top GMC van, some camping gear and proceeded to take many extended trips to the National Parks. He sat on the edge of the Grand Canyon to watch the sunrise and sunset. He and his wife traveled the perimeter of Florida twice, around Nova Scotia, and drove from San Diego to Seattle in multiple trips. All this was done with a camera and tripod at hand. And during that time, his photography progressed from the literal capture of nature to an impressionistic view of what the heart and soul see.
Ron is a member of the Rockport Art Association, the Newburyport Art Association, the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, and the Massachusetts Camera Naturalists (CamNats), an informal organization founded in 1959, dedicated to the appreciation of nature and the natural environment. He was juried into the Copley Society of Art in 2016 and the New Hampshire Art Association in 2013.
Artist Statement: “As a photographer, I want to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. And, it is all around us, not just in the iconic scenes of the national parks, seashores, and mountains. It is in the forests, streams, and wetlands in our neighborhoods and parks; there for the seeing! We just have to slow down, look around us and let the beauty envelop us. A goal of my photography is to help others do that.” (Ron Wybranowski)