Quogue Library To Bring “A Touch Of Spring” To The East End

On Sunday, April 1, Quogue Library opened its latest art exhibition for the month of April, titled A Touch Of Spring Art Show.

Exhibits at the library are curated by the Art Gallery Committee, which is comprised of twelve volunteers that are passionate about and well-versed in art. The committee works with the library year-round to plan exhibits for the indoor gallery as well as the outdoor space with sculptures. It highlights East End artists monthly, with this month’s exhibit featuring the works of East Enders Jean Arena-Barbieri, Susan Nadel, and Sheila Thompson. They will present their interpretations of spring through oil paint and watercolor.

“In the real outdoors, spring has been slow to show its glorious bounty of blossoms and blooms; three Long Island artists – Susan Nadel, Jean Arena, and Sheila Thompson – bring spring’s joys to life in the works on display in A Touch of Spring,” shares Elizabeth Hartman, the Chairwoman of the Quogue Library Art Committee, who co-chaired this show with Judith McDermott.

Arena-Barbieri was first trained in the classical method of Renaissance Masters as she earned her art degree from Rosemont College. Thereafter, she worked in advertising while taking classes at the School of Visual Arts in the evening. As of late, Arena-Barbieri has immersed herself in the subject she paints–heading outdoors and working en plein air. Her works include portraits, portraits of children, landscapes, and flower studies.

Nadel’s works are marked by vibrant strokes of watercolor. “I love the transparency of color and the challenge it presents. When I focus on color, my brain switches over to an intuitive state – I’m almost not thinking; I’m reacting to what I see on paper,” shared Nadel.

Thompson finds inspiration from her summers spent in Maine and on the East End. “I look at my surroundings as a collection of shapes and colors; values of lights and darks and enjoy expressing these images in my works,” said Thompson, who is a member of the Manhasset Art Association and the Aquarelle Watercolor Society of Long Island.

A Touch Of Spring Art Show closes on Sunday, April 29. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, April 14, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Quogue Library is located at 90 Quogue Street in Quogue. For more information, please visit www.quoguelibrary.org.