The Westport Book Shop is pleased to welcome local artist Sally VanDevanter as guest art exhibitor for the month of June, at the Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place. Sally will be displaying an assortment of colorful abstract and figurative paintings, done in acrylics or in oils with cold wax.
"Painting is a non-verbal and intensely subconscious form of communication, which I find to be a natural means of expressing my emotions and appreciation for the world. Through painting, I am able to transcend the limitations of verbal expression, and utilize color and mark-making as my tools to explore and convey my innermost thoughts and feelings," said Sally. "While there are undoubtedly numerous factors that contribute to my fascination with painting, the simple truth is that I derive immense joy from the act of creating and manipulating paint," she continued.
With respect to the artwork on display at the Book Shop, Sally said, "Although my previous training was rooted in classical painting methods, my recent exploration of oil paints with cold wax as a medium has recently captivated me. The thick consistency of cold wax has provided me with a newfound freedom to experiment, allowing me to build layers, peel them back, erase, scratch, and follow my intuition in shaping the direction of my work. In this process, I have come to view accidents and unconventional tools as my closest allies. From chopsticks to tile scrapers, I embrace everything within my reach to delve into the unexpected and embrace spontaneity. This sense of exploration brings me immense delight and fuels my artistic journey."
Sally’s art studio is located in the G&B Cultural Center in Wilton. In addition to painting, Sally has a diverse artistic background. She worked for over a decade in advertising, as an Art Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, and worked for over two decades at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as a Production Manager, overseeing the production of "coffee table" art books. Sally apprenticed with internationally known painters Danni Dawson and Frank Wright in Washington, D.C., and has studied at the Art Students League of New York and the School of Visual Arts in New York, and at the Cocoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. She holds an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a BA in Art History and Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Sally VanDevanter’s artwork will be on exhibit at the Book Shop through June 30, 2023. All pieces on display are available for purchase.
The Westport Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of The Artists Collective of Westport, curates the Book Shop's art exhibits, which change monthly.
For the Westport Book Shop's address, hours and other information, click here.
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