Illustrations on view at Historical Society

Illustrations on view at Historical Society
Peter Steiner's illustrations are featured at The Sharon Historical Society. 
Photo by Leila Hawken

By all accounts the opening reception for the current exhibit at the Sharon Historical Society in Sharon, Conn., was a superb success. Visitors mingled with artists and lingered over their works, all part of the current gallery exhibit, “Illustrators in the Northwest Corner.”

The opening event was held on Saturday, Jan. 14. Selected works of the late masters Eric Sloane and Arthur Getz were a strong draw, paired with the showings of the works of 17 significant area artists.

Opening alongside the illustrators’ exhibit is a small, locally significant display titled “The Ebenezer Gay Family,” presenting a glimpse into the life and family tree of this 18th-century local farming family.

As an illustrator, an artist entices the viewer into instant dialogue with an evocative story being told. And each piece in the current exhibit has a story to tell. There is whimsy, certainly, along with profound commentary and emotional appeal. Importantly, there is remarkable art created by astoundingly talented illustrators who live among us, members of our communities.

Eric Sloane, 20th-century artist, gained recognition for his rich landscapes and particularly his cloud paintings, a few of which are included in the exhibit. Arthur Getz enjoyed a career between 1938 and 1988 creating a wealth of covers for The New Yorker magazine. Representative samples of the 213 covers he created are included in the exhibit, positioning the original painting beside the corresponding New Yorker cover.

Garth Kobal attended the exhibit eager to see the illustrators’ works. He has been the curator of the ArtWall at the D.M. Hunt Library in Falls Village, Conn.

“We’ve shown some of these artists at the library,” Kobal said. “We’re all lucky to live among so many practicing artists in the area,” he added.

Among the illustrators invited to participate in the invitational contemporary exhibit, cartoonist Peter Steiner related that he began practicing drawing when he was 4 or 5 years old.  However, his professional career, including many years of cartooning for The New Yorker magazine, began at age 40.

“I like showing my work,” he said. “You want the stuff to be seen.”

Steiner even has a blog titled “Hopeless but not Serious.” And a gift for readers of The Lakeville Journal, Steiner’s cartoons are a weekly feature within the editorial pages.

Warren Prindle, creator of “Bronx 55,” an oil painting selected for the exhibit, characterized himself as “a small fish in a sea of big fishes." The painting is to become the cover of a comic book.

Newly moved to Sharon, Carol Neiley visited with artist Emily Rutgers Fuller, admiring her  portraits of Emily Brontë and Stephen Sondheim, the latter created during the pandemic lockdown.

The exhibit is a “meeting of art and history,” said Mary Terrizzi, wife of Kent artist Scott Bricher who has provided illustrations for Mad Magazine for 20 years. His “Dogs Playing Video Games,” published in Mad in 2003 is a wittily engaging nod to the classic “Dogs Playing Poker,” inviting comparison.

“Every single piece is done to a deadline,” Terrizzi explained, describing the work of an illustrator. Bricher added that his video games painting was created over a single weekend, the time allotted by the magazine’s editors. An illustration can be a collaborative effort, Terrizzi said, with a finished work subject to scrutiny and adjustments by editors to fit their publication’s content sensitivities.

“Illustrators have a powerful effect on humankind,” Terrizzi said. The historical society illustrators’ exhibit invites visitors to experience that effect.

On view through March 3 at The Sharon Historical Library in Sharon, Conn. For more information go to www.sharonhist.org.

Latest News

HVRHS triple jumper places 9th in New England
Anthony Labbadia set a new HVRHS record with a 44-foot one-inch triple jump June 14. The distance earned him 9th place at the New England track and field championship, which this year was held in New Britain, Conn.
Photo by Riley Klein

NEW BRITAIN — Anthony Labbadia soared to 9th place in the triple jump at the 2025 New England track and field championships Saturday, June 14.

On his first attempt of the event he leaped 44 feet and one inch, qualifying for the finals and setting the new Housatonic Valley Regional High School record. The previous school record of 43 feet eight inches was set by Don Hurlbutt in 1967.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pirates go back-to-back as league champs

The Canaan Pirates pose as champions after defending the Northwest Connecticut District 6 Majors Little League title.

Photo by Riley Klein

THOMASTON The Canaan Pirates are champions once more.

In the Northwest Connecticut District 6 Majors Little League title game Friday, June 13, the Pirates defeated Thomaston JRC Transportation by a score of 6-2.

Keep ReadingShow less
Red Sox end season with comeback win

NORTH CANAAN — The Canaan Red Sox ended the season with a thrilling 14-13 win over the Tri-Town Phillies Thursday, June 12.

Canaan trailed for most of the game but kept it close. Ultimately, the Red Sox secured the victory with a final-inning comeback in front of the home crowd at Steve Blass Field.

Keep ReadingShow less
State Rep. Horn injured in running accident

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) was treated for her injuries at Sharon Hospital.

Photo by John Coston

The day after concluding what has been described as a grueling legislative session, State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) had a running accident, leaving her with a broken pelvis and collarbone among other more minor bruises and abrasions. Despite the injuries, she is in good spirits and recuperating at home, eager to get back on her feet.

Horn said after spending weeks in the assembly hall, she was eager to get some outdoor exercise in, but perhaps pushed a little too hard too soon. She said she was excited to get a run in on the morning of Friday, June 6, but was still exhausted from her time in Hartford and in the final stretch of recovering from a meniscus repair surgery in December.

Keep ReadingShow less