Exhibit Space

Do you have artwork or a collection you'd like to showcase at WTML? Submit a proposal for a feature in our Art Gallery or Display Case! Click here for more information on our exhibit spaces.

 

Art Gallery

Jean Dalton: "Artist's Choice" Thursday, July 6—Saturday, August 26, 2023

“I have always been fascinated by the power of a painting,” says Jean Dalton. “Whether figurative or abstract, a painting can evoke emotions and feelings.” Her latest show, which is made up of a variety of pieces from across her career and hand selected for the library by the artist, focuses primarily on her smaller abstract pieces. Ms. Dalton, a Glastonbury resident, began her career in art with study in classical realism in a variety of media.

Over the years, her strong background in the basic principles and processes of traditional painting have allowed her to experiment with non-objective works. Inspired by the act of putting paint to canvas, she allows each painting to become a new discovery, a product of endless creative possibilities. With bold colors and dynamic strokes, her works inspire viewers to take some time with each painting, searching for meaning in the often intentionally vague titles combined with abstract images, ideal for a public library where patrons are encouraged to linger and revisit often. Art installations and receptions made possible by the Second Century Fund

Upcoming Exhibits: - November/December 2023: Kevin Savage: Glastonbury Through My Lens - January/February 2024: Eric Urquhart illustrations

Display Case

The Ann Smith Collection: "Across the Border - Dolls of Mexico" September—October 2023

	The first dolls that Ann Wheeler Smith-Marshall (9/18/1927-2/21/2017) created were knitted out of yarn, using nibs of old makeup to add detail to their faces. As a lifelong lover of ballet, dance, and fitness, these dolls were designed as dancers. She sold them at a store called Market Fair, in Nyack, NY. Subsequently, she joined forces with a network of other creative women and opened a small store in one of the rooms of a repurposed victorian home they called Hudson House, because of its location on the Hudson river.
When she and her husband relocated to Alexandria, VA, her dolls evolved to reflect the turbulent times that they were experiencing our nation’s capital during the sixties and seventies. She was exceedingly well-read, and prided herself on being familiar with all of the controversial figures in the news and to be able to converse about them. It was these "ACROSS THE BORDER - DOLLS OF MEXICO" figures that she read about in the Washington Post and the New York Times which she began to mold into her collection of caricature dolls. These dolls were constructed of used or found materials such as old stockings and worn out pieces of clothing. She stuffed them with cotton from vitamin bottles, lint from the dryer, or other scraps. Their faces were often decorated with used scraps of eye pencils and other makeup. She was an early assemblage/recycled materials artist that took other forms as well, including quilting and decorating furniture. In early 2019, her daughter, Rebecca Koladis, and granddaughter, Rachel Koladis decided that they could not let Ann’s lifelong collection of dolls to be broken up and sold to collectors. They brought the dolls back to Hartford and have started the long and tedious process of photographing and cataloging each one. Rebecca has been working on recalling and recording the stories behind the dolls her mother collected. Meanwhile, Rachel, who obtained her M.A. in Museums & Communities from Trinity College, shares the images from the collection and hopes to engage the community in helping to identify where the dolls originate from or any of the stories behind them.
The Erley Display Case is located on the second floor of the Library just outside the Gallery. The display case is available for community groups or individuals for the display of visual arts, crafts, collections and other educational, cultural and information exhibits. Use the Exhibit Application at the top of the page to apply to create a display of your own. Upcoming Exhibits: - November/December 2023: Wesleyan Potters, Inc. - January/February 2024: TBD