Four local artists’ works on display
Katie Swanson’s scarves use fibers suited for — and sourced from — summery climates.
Winthrop Gallery will host an artists’ reception from 5–7 p.m. on Saturday (June 4) to mark the opening of its new exhibit — “Obliquity: Our Tilt Towards the Sun” — featuring new works by local artists Tamera Abate, Margaret Kingston, Dennis O’Callaghan and Katie Swanson.
The exhibit, which opened June 1, continues through July 25. Saturday’s free event will include refreshments.
The exhibit’s new works “celebrate the warmth, beauty and colors of summer,” according to a press release from the gallery.
“The seasons are caused by the angular offset or obliquity between the Earth’s axis of rotation and a perpendicular to the Earth’s orbital plane with the sun,” the release said. “When the northern hemisphere is most tilted towards the sun we have our summer solstice and the longest day of the year.”
“My pottery shed gets hot during the summer,” Abate said in her artist’s statement, “so I tend to spend only the early morning hours there. I let this be the time when nature refuels my creativity, storing it up for the winter months ahead.”
Kingston will present summer scenes painted with oils. “The hot sun and long days of summer caused by the Earth’s tilt or obliquity have inspired my work for the show,” she said. “My paintings include a unique beach scene, a sunrise, a sunset, and an osprey nest in a flower-filled bog. I have tried to capture some of the peaceful moments that occur during the summer season.”
O’Callaghan’s photographs concentrate on nature in all its varied forms and mostly in the Methow Valley.
Swanson’s work will include a series of scarves that are woven in perle cotton and tencel, plant fibers that get away from the “winter woolies” and let her weave with vibrant colors, crisp pattern definition and a lovely drape.
The Winthrop Gallery, located at 237 Riverside Avenue, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 996‑3925 or visit www.winthropgallery.com.
