BETHEL – The Bethel Historical Society is bringing back a popular White Mountain art exhibit starting Thursday, July 2, Executive Director Randall Bennett said Thursday afternoon.
The exhibit is titled Secluded Glens & Noble Landscapes: Traditional White Mountain Art Recaptured. It is free and open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, July 2 to Aug. 29.
In 2013, the society organized an art show centered around 19th century and contemporary paintings of the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
“It was very successful, and we discovered that it was one of the few times in the Maine and New Hampshire region that a large collection of 19th century White Mountain art has been displayed alongside contemporary White Mountain art,” Bennett said. “People really seemed to like it. It’s a social and personable experience.”
Bennett said this year’s exhibit will feature over 20 landscapes of the White Mountains, along with a selection of paintings from Erik Koeppel and Lauren Sansaricq, plein air artists from Jackson, N.H., who displayed their White Mountain art at the 2013 exhibit.
Plein air painting is a term given to the act of painting outdoors.
“It will be an interesting contrast for visitors,” Bennett said. “Eric and Lauren are so accomplished at what they do. The techniques used by the artists that became so well known in this region and the Hudson River area in the 19th century are the same ones used by Eric and Lauren to produce their art.”
Bennett said there will be close to 50 White Mountain paintings from 19th century artists displayed at the exhibit.
“We have two paintings from our collection in the exhibit,” Bennett said. “A majority of the paintings are on loan from private collections in the area.”
All of the contemporary White Mountain paintings will be available for purchase, Bennett said, with all sales going toward the general operations of the Bethel Historical Society.
Bennett said Koeppel and Sansaricq will be at the Bethel Art Fair on Saturday, July 4, to discuss their paintings and work.
For more information, call the Bethel Historical Society at 824-2908.
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