On Exhibit: Danielle Mailer
"Autumn Reveries 2024" - Mixed Media
October 30 - December 20
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 7 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Artist Statement:
"Somewhere nestled between Miriam Shapiro, and Niki De Saint Phalle, Mailer creates her own interpretation of the patterned silhouette. Once a still-life painter, in the last two decades she has been more interested in stepping outside this tradition and capturing for lack of a better word her “inner reality.” Both her woman and animals embellished with symbols and mixing of visual imagery, have offered up a more personal narrative.
Subtlety sprinkled throughout Danielle’s work, like the mortar in an elaborate mosaic, are her strongest influences: Her Peruvian heritage, the colorful echoes of her Mother's large abstract expressionistic paintings, and the words of her Father, the late Norman Mailer, who always said, “paint what you know.”
From patterned pups, to dancing cats, to larger than life female silhouettes, she will energetically navigate this eclectic terrain presenting in both the giant and the small, a message of optimism.
About the Artist:
Danielle Mailer received her BA from Bowdoin College and studied at the New York Studio School and School of Visual arts. In the two last decades, she has completed six larger than life, public art pieces permanently installed in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner and beyond. The most ambitious of these is Project Fishtales, a 200 x 20ft applied mural installation on the backside of Staples, facing the Naugatuck River. All of these works were made possible in part by grants from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, a Berkshire Taconic grant and a Community Foundation Grant. Her most recent commission is a freestanding 9ft dog and a 5ft cat installed on the grounds of “Our Companions,” an animal sanctuary/rehab center, in Ashford, CT. Other public art includes four wall pieces (2010 thru 2018) commissioned by Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA on permanent display in various areas of the hospital.
Mailer has shown in galleries and museums throughout North America. She was honored with a retrospective at the Mattatuck Museum (2009) with over 40 works on display. The Mattatuck Museum also invited her (along with five other Connecticut artists), to offer a cyber studio tour showcasing to their members her current work. She is represented by the Berta Walker Gallery in Provincetown, MA.
Not only is she a two-time recipient of the 50 most important people of Litchfield County, but also Litchfield Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” favorite Artist of 2023. She has also been featured in Connecticut magazine's January 2024 issue.
The Winter of 2025, in collaboration with the Litchfield Arts Council she will begin creating a 30 x 9ft mural install on the Bantam Arts building façade in Bantam to be completed by fall 2025. Nutmeg Conservatory in Torrington has commissioned her to create a 20ft dancer silhouette to be permanently installed on the front entrance wall to the ballet company to be completed by winter 2025.
Danielle divides her time between making art and teaching art at The Salisbury Boys School in Salisbury, CT. She lives with her husband, a jazz musician and are visited regularly by their three adult children and grandchildren.
Coming Soon: litchfield Montessori School
"Expressions of Art" - Mixed Media
January 6 - 31
Opening Reception: Tuesday, January 7 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Litchfield Montessori Winter Art Show, Expressions of Art, features work from our talented, creative students. The exhibit offers a look into the power of creative expression! Through different artists and art mediums, the children bring forth their marvelous imagination. As a central focus of Montessori elementary education, the independence of the child is encouraged and, because of this, the child has the space to develop his/her unique and personal interpretations of life.
The exhibit opens with Henri Matisse, a French visual artist. He is best known for painting, sculpting, drawing, and collage. Matisse broke free from the classic art world and ushered in a time of intense color, bolder and simplified forms, and decorative patterns. Towards the end of his career, due to his health and lack of mobility, Matisse turned to the art of collage, or cut paper. He painted his own paper and then designed a composition from forms that he cut from the paper. He called it “drawing with scissors”.
The elementary students mimicked Matisse's collage process by painting pieces of paper and then designing a composition on canvas with cut paper. From fun, colorful, whimsical forms to intricate patterns, the students created their own unique compositions!
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From the world of collage we move into the three dimensional art form of mosaic work. The elementary students are introduced to creating an image made with small regular and irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic. The pieces are held in place on a surface with a mortar and grout. In ancient times, mosaics were practical and not artistic. For example, a floor would be made from many different stones, but with no eye for beauty.
Eventually the idea came to create aesthetically pleasing mosaics, such as murals, floors, pots, and plates. The ancient art form has lasted centuries and holds the history of many cultures within the images portrayed. As a class, we sourced our designs from the natural world and the divine nature of patterns. The children designed intricate pictures and carefully placed the pieces in the mortar to create their mosaic. The pieces are abstract, colorful, and a thing of beauty.
Norman Rockwell, American painter and illustrator, embraced the happenings of everyday life. He is most famous for his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post. The themes that are common throughout his paintings are children, family, Santa, dogs, friendships, and heartfelt moments. He is the quintessential New England artist and portrays many scenes that pull at our heart strings or bring a smile to our faces.
The children were asked to sketch a moment from their life that embodies a time of love, joy, or gratitude. Once sketched, they drew the final piece on watercolor paper and then used mix media (colored pencil, crayon, watercolor, and black sharpie.) to bring their image to life. The drawings speak to what is truly important in this world!
The children of Litchfield Montessori School are encouraged to be independent thinkers as well as good citizens of the world. As seen through their artwork, the children express their unique qualities as well as their love for the world around them.
The Jamie Gagarin Gallery and Exhibits at OWL
The Jamie Gagarin Gallery is a space dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of art for the enjoyment of our community. Exhibits rotate several times during the year and feature works for sale by artists.
All exhibits include an opening reception.
Patrons can meet the artist, have a first look at the artwork and enjoy refreshments. All exhibits and opening
receptions are free and open to the public.
Since the art gallery shares its space with the community and library events, it is recommended that you confirm
that the art gallery is open before visiting. Please call us at 860-567-8030.
How to Submit Art for Consideration for an Exhibit
All artwork exhibited is selected through a competitive, juried process by the Cultural Committee appointed by the President of the OWL Board of Trustees. The Cultural Committee uses guidelines in its selection including technique, price range, size of proposed work, type of medium, type and style of framing, and artist credentials.
For more detailed information on the submission process, click here.
Gallery Dimensions