Art openings and exhibits

OPENINGS

Noank Summer Art Show

Opens Friday

Chester Latham Gallery, 108 Main St., Noank

A showcase of over a hundred pieces representing more than 40 artists, the exhibition features original paintings, photographs, sculptures, prints, and cards that celebrate life along the seashore as well as other subjects; a portion of all proceeds will benefit the Noank Historical Society; a “meet the artists” reception will be held July 7 from 4 to 7 p.m.; runs through Sept. 5; hours 1-4 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; (860) 536-3029.

River Valley Artists Exhibit Opening reception today from 5-8 p.m. The Space Gallery, 1 Main St., Chester

A selection of new contemporary art by River Valley Artists, 27 works by 21 artists featuring a diversity of styles, medium, sizes and prices; runs through Aug. 31; hours noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun.; (860) 526-3459; rivervalleyartists.com.

MUSEUMS

Dana Sherwood: Animal Appetites and Other Encounters in Wildness — Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme; this exhibit includes films, sculpture installations, oil and watercolor paintings created over the past 10 years that interrogate the relationship between wild nature and domestic culture, drawing on research into cross-species communication, the feminine experience, historic literature, and the occult; runs through Sept. 18; hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; (860) 434-5542.

Picturing Mystic: Views of the Connecticut Shoreline, 1890-1950 — Lyman Allyn Art Museum, 625 Williams St., New London; this exhibit features the art of Mystic, Noank, Mason’s Island, and Stonington, with more than 60 landscapes dating from 1890 to 1950; it focuses on the area’s history as an art colony, with Charles H. Davis at the group’s founding center; runs through Sept. 4; also, “Poetry of The Wild Installation”; three new Poetry of the Wild sculptures by artist Ana Flores in collaboration with area poets Michael Bradford, Jose B. Gonzalez, and Rhonda Ward; the poems call attention to perception of nature and encourage viewers to reflect on relationships with place, memory, and the natural world; a permanent installation; also, “The Will to Change: Gathering as Praxis,” the sixth annual exhibition of Nasty Women Connecticut dedicated to the life and work of writer and social activist bell hooks (1952–2021), features over 60 works of art in an array of 2D, 3D, digital media, performance, and other styles; runs through Aug. 12; hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.; (860) 443-2545.

Norman Rockwell’s 323 Saturday Evening Post Covers: Tell Me a Story — Mystic Museum of Art, 9 Water St., Mystic; the exhibition will present all 323 covers created for The Saturday Evening Post by renowned American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978); runs through Sept. 18; hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; (860) 536-7601.

Sea as Muse — Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic; silver objects and wood carvings inspired by the sea; runs through summer 2022; hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; (860) 572-0711, mysticseaport.org.

Pioneers: Photographs and Oral Histories of Hispanic Women in New London County, 1989 by Resurrección Espinosa-Frink — New London County Historical Society, 11 Blinman St., New London; this exhibit is a collection of 15 portraits each with personal stories, transcribed in Spanish and English, by a Hispanic woman as she resided in New London County in 1989; a permanent exhibit; hours by appointment only; (860) 443-1209.

GALLERIES

You Are Everything! — Groton-New London Airport, 155 Tower Ave., Groton; an exhibit presented by the Cultural Coalition features a selection of new and old artwork from women whose artistic careers began at York Correctional Institution in Niantic; runs through today; hours 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; (860) 448-5135; culturesect.org.

Zolton Solo Art Exhibition — Hygienic Art, 79 Bank St., New London; using light as the common denominator, nature’s forms, and the mind’s patterns, color, shape, and time are blended to dissolve the limits of formal logic in abstract oil paintings; runs through Fri.; hours noon-7 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun.; (860) 4438001.

I’ll Follow the Sun — La Grua Center, 32 Water St., Stonington; a solo exhibit of the large-scale botanical works by photographer Shelley Lawrence Kirkwood; runs through today; hours 1-4 p.m. Wed., Fri. and Sun.; (860) 535-2300; lagruacenter.com.

“Ship to Shore: A Maritime Show” and “Renaissance in Pastel” — Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St., Old Lyme; this exhibit featuring members’ work celebrates all aspects of the sea and shoreline life in a broad range of styles and mediums including paintings, prints and sculptures; “Renaissance in Pastel” includes pastel work from the Connecticut Pastel Society member artists; also “Water All Around Us,” a concurrent exhibit, features young artists’ work inspired by the bodies of water around here; shows run through Aug. 4; hours 10 a.m.5 p.m. Wed.-Sun. or by appointment; (860) 434-7802; lymeartassociation.org.

Immigration: An American Story — Otis Library, 261 Main St., Norwich; a Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History exhibit presenting documents, maps, and images telling select stories of those who came to America, some by coercion and others by choice in search of a better future for themselves and later generations; runs through today; hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon. and Wed., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues. and Fri., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Thurs. and Sat.; (860) 889-2365.

Marine-Debris Artist Sarah J. Thornington — Preston Public Library, 389 Route 2, Preston; this exhibit displays the work of marine-debris artist and conservationist Sarah J. Thornington highlighting the need for conservation efforts to sustain the oceans; runs through mid-August; hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues., Wed., Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.; (860) 886-1010.

Clouds, Winds & Breezes — Spectrum Art Gallery, 61 Main St., Centerbrook; artists from throughout Connecticut and the region present new and original abstract and representational artwork featuring elements of nature and how they affect the environment and people in the physical world; runs through July 10; hours noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun.; (860) 767-0742; spectrumartgallery.org.

Inspired — Studio 33 Art & Frame Gallery, 140 Bank St., New London; a two-woman show featuring the work of local artists Amy Hunter Drago and Yujuan “Juner” Zhai; runs through Sat.; hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. or by appointment; (860) 442-6355; studio33gallery.com.

Bon Vivants, Barflies and the New Cocktailians — The United Gallery, 5 Canal St., Westerly; an exhibit featuring paintings and caricatures from saloon artist Jill DeGroff; runs through July 24; hours 3-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-9 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; (401) 388-8208.

Velvet Mill Artists Mixed Media Art Show — The Velvet Mill Gallery, 22 Bayview Ave., Stonington; an exhibit featuring a visual art form that combines a variety of media in a single artwork; paint, paper, pencil, ink, photographs, etc. are layered and worked to create a unique image; runs through July 17; hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; (860) 941-2426.