With its shelves of curios and knickknacks housed beneath low ceilings and exposed beams, a visit to the Watermark is like a trip to Grandma’s house. But instead of pinched cheeks and a lecture on why you should call more often (which you should), the Watermark has something Grandma probably doesn’t have: an art gallery in the back room.
“It’s such a special spot; it’s nice to be able to share it,” said Laurie Pepin, owner of the eclectically decorated cafe.
For the month of June, Pepin is sharing that special spot with the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center’s weekly adult multimedia art class. The class, which has produced an array of works in watercolor, oils, and acrylics, is showing its work publicly for the first time and doing so with a good cause in mind. June is local hunger awareness month, and in recognition, all exhibit-goers are asked to donate a nonperishable food item as their price for admission.
All food donated will go to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, which is home to southeastern Connecticut’s largest emergency food pantry, giving out well over 30 bags of food daily, and providing for far more during the holiday season. It’s estimated that close to 1,000 people, including adults, children, and seniors are fed annually through the pantry, which is stocked in part by donations and events of this kind. And while the exhibit will undoubtedly help battle area hunger, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center classroom artists are also thrilled to have their work shown in a gallery for the first time, said teacher Dannielle Ivey of Uncasville.
“They were here hanging this afternoon, and they were pretty excited,” Ivey said at the exhibit’s opening.
Vicki Anderson, director of the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, said she was also very excited that the exhibit was organized and expressed her gratitude to Pepin for hosting the event at the Watermark Café.
“It was offered by Laurie…for us to have the month of June for our art class to display their works,” Anderson explained, “and it’s very exciting in that our art class will be prominently displayed, but also, June is local hunger awareness month...so this is just a great way to spread awareness, supplement our food pantry, and support our art class.”
Maureen Reynolds of Stonington, one of Ivey’s students, hopes the exhibit will bring more publicity to the class.
“It might encourage people to join us,” she noted.
However, the ultimate goal of many aspiring artists is also the greatest compliment anyone can give an artist—purchasing their work. Particularly thrilled on the evening of the opening was student Cheryl Leong of Westerly, who learned shortly after arriving that her oil painting of poppies had already sold.
“I’ve sold artsy-craftsy-type stuff before,” she said, but noted this was her first painting to hang in someone else’s home.
Leong said bringing her artwork to the exhibit meant “all these empty hooks at my house,” but luckily, her poppies painting hadn’t found a home on her walls yet.
The artwork demonstrates not only the different media Ivey teaches, but also different skills within those media. One painting in the show is a grisaille painting, where the painting is first done in shades of gray and then color is applied on top. Another method was a smoked background on a vase decorated with Canada geese.
“I just try to teach them different techniques,” Ivey said.
The subject matter in the paintings was varied. Flowers, buildings, portraits, landscapes, and animals were all hung around the back room. Some of the paintings were reproductions of a portrait by French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
“Most of them are drawings that I do or they do,” noted Ivey.
Although the weekly class is offered to anyone, Ivey said the roster rarely changes.
“Generally it’s the same group. It’s about two guys and seven women,” she said. The class had been meeting at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, but now meets at the Westerly-Pawcatuck branch of the Ocean Community YMCA due to construction at the center.
Both Reynolds and Leong recommended the class to anyone interested.
“We have a lot of fun,” Reynolds said. “We’re very fortunate to have the teacher we have. She’s very patient with us.”
And if painting isn’t enough for you, both women said the class is also a great social event.
“We share a lot of good recipes,” Leong noted.
The exhibit of the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center’s adult mixed-media art class will remain at the Watermark Café on 2 Wyassup Road in North Stonington until June 28. In observance of local hunger awareness month, a donation of a nonperishable food item is requested. The Watermark Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Leslie Rovetti co-authored this article.