Current Exhibition

Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition, a show not to be missed!

I had the pleasure last week of visiting the beautiful Mad River Valley in Vermont. While there, I stopped into the Red Barn Gallery to see the 9th annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition (GMWE) sponsored by Mad River Valley Arts.  It was not my first visit to this world class exhibition but this year it also includes a display of approximately150 “whiskey paintings” by the Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) thanks to the efforts of the WPA leadership and Gary Eckhart, a curator for the Green Mountain exhibition and himself a signature member of WPA.  On display in a room with paintings by the exhibition’s curators, jurors of selection and judge of awards, the WPA paintings truly stand out because of their small size and outstanding quality.  No WPA painting can be larger than 4×5” so even with mat and frame the largest pieces are 8×10”.  The subject matter is varied and it’s such a treat to see how various WPA artists are able to capture excitement, light and life in such a small space.  The paintings showcase the artists design sensibilities by catching the eye from a distance and astound up close with their illusion of great detail.  And it’s not just me who is impressed with the WPA showcase because their sales have been brisk and I should know because I took one home with me!  If you live in the area or you are close enough to make the trip, I highly recommend visiting the show.

Congratulations to all of the WPA participants on your outstanding work.  The addition of your paintings to the Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition makes this year’s show one not to be missed!

Mick McAndrews