Jon Rappleye, Where Nightly Dwells the Starry Owl, 2008, acrylic and spray enamel on paper, 60” x 40”, Image courtesy of the artist and Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York


Jon Rappleye, Where in this Night the Beast does Dwell, 2009, acrylic and spray enamel on paper, 48 x 42.5", Courtesy of the artist and Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York, NY

NEW/NOW: Jon Rappleye: After Eden
July 30 - Oct. 24, 2010
Opening Reception
5:30-8 p.m., First Friday, Aug. 6, 2010

Gaze into another plane of existence and uncover otherworldly creatures with Jon Rappleye’s collection of extraordinary works. Guaranteed to break the rules of reality and stretch the world of imagination, this artist will leave viewers lost in wonder.

Using acrylic and spray enamel on paper, Jon Rappleye's drawings and sculptures depict fantastical worlds populated by exotic hybrid creatures. Biological structures and functions are reanimated, exploring ecological issues and evoking a dream world landscape. With titles like Serene in Spring’s Treacherous Cradle and A Litany in Time of Plague, viewers are reminded of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland or Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Rappleye was born in Provo, Utah in 1967. He received a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and now lives as well as works in Jersey City, NJ. Rappleye has had exhibits all over the country including the Jeff Bailey Gallery in New York, NY and the Richard Heller Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. He has received many awards and recognitions, such as the Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and Best of Show.

Most of Rappleye’s work recycles images from pop culture, art history, children’s books, and even his own artwork. Viewers will easily identify with his art as the images are like snippets out of a dream and evoke a sense of familiarity. Rappleye explains this illusion, “my work is about…a search for identity, a combination of abstract and representational modes from a fractured narrative.”

The NEW/NOW Series is made possible by the generous support of Marzena and Greg Silpe.

Aaron Draper Shattuck, Landscape, Sunset over the Hills, oil on canvas laid onto board, 12.5 x 18.25", collection of Dr. Timothy McLaughlin


Graydon Parrish, Rose, 2009, oil on panel, 16 x 12", collection of Dr. Timothy McLaughlin

American Reflections: The Collection of Dr. Timothy McLaughlin
Sept. 10 - Oct. 24, 2010
Opening Reception
1-2:30 p.m., Sun., Sept. 12, 2010

A gem of Northeastern art. Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Timothy McLaughlin has been collecting art for the last two decades.

In the upcoming exhibition American Reflections: The Collection of Dr. Timothy McLaughlin, over forty paintings, sculptures, and works on paper will be on view, many for the first time in a museum. McLaughlin’s collection is unique in its focus on Connecticut and the region. With works by major Hudson River School artists such as Frederick Kensett and Asher B. Durand, and American Impressionist masters such as Childe Hassam and Henry Ward Ranger, this collection is truly a gem of Northeastern art. Furthermore, McLaughlin has key examples by contemporary artists, such as Sol LeWitt and Graydon Parrish, which bring this collection into the twenty-first century. Overall, this exhibition aims to show how various artists over the past two centuries have been inspired by and reflecting on the landscapes, people, and cities of our region.