What Is Branchville?

RIDGEFIELD — “What is Branchville?” will open Saturday, May 28, from 5 to 7 pm, at the Branchville Gallery and will continue through July 10. The group exhibit deals with the area of Connecticut known as Branchville. Twelve artists from Connecticut, New York and Maine will participate with drawings, paintings, webart and photography.

The show will offer landscape paintings by Michael Barberie from Redding and Chance Browne of Wilton, narrative paintings by Ken Becker of Ridgefield, photographs by Debra Browne of Wilton and Gary Bunce of Redding, cyanotype photos by N.W. Gibbons of Fairfield, drawings of Weir Farm by Marc Chabot of Woodbury, mixed media paintings and charcoal drawings by Constance Evans, and pastels and paintings by Vanessa Nesvig of Maine.

Additionally, Mary Dwyer, an artist from Bridgeport, will create site-specific painting installation about “The Wide Awakes,” a group of men who guarded Abe Lincoln when he campaigned through Branchville; John Roleke from New York has created a website on Branchville at www.branchv.com; and Joan Wheeler of Easton has taken her 6-foot-tall handmade baby dolls and photographed them throughout Branchville.

Also opening on May 28 in the Outdoor Project Space will be work by five artists. Chrissy Conant of New York is creating an outdoor installation dealing with childhood memories. Bob Keating of Bridgewater has installed three humorous mixed media sculptures. Janice Mauro of Redding is showing figurative work. Saba Quraishi of Newtown is creating an installation in a stone building. Andrew Reiss of Redding is creating an environmental work.

Kenny Owens and his band will be entertaining at the opening.

The Branchville exhibit will continue in The Whistle Stop Bakery located at the Branchville train station. Ten percent of all sales during the run of the exhibit will go to Norwalk River Watershed Association.

The public is also invited to an art talk on June 9 at 7 pm. Several of the artists will lead an informal discussion of their work.

Branchville Gallery is at 14 Branchville Road, just across from the parking lot at the Branchville train station. For information, call 203-544-8332 or visit www.BranchvilleArt.com.