Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN

“At the darkest moment comes the light”

                                                 Joseph Campbell

The month of February is short, but nights are long, temperatures are low, and winter seems to

go on forever. To counter these dark times, Gallery A3 presents WINTER GARDEN, a group show

of work by members of this local fine art cooperative gallery. Paintings, prints, photographs,

collage, and mixed media, mostly two-dimensional but some three-dimensional pieces, the art

collectively aims to suggest and to celebrate the new light and cycling life of a garden.

Larry Rankin, coordinator of the exhibit, points out that Gallery A3 began in 2002 as artists’

response to the attacks of September 11. The founding artists wanted a place to exhibit their

art and a way to affirm that the light, power, and commitment of creativity can overcome

darkness, hatred, and sorrow.

“For many, this time in our history is another era of darkness,” says Rankin. And the gloom of

winter only adds to doubt, despondency, and despair. Searching for hope, we remember our

now-dormant gardens of summer, and we long for their burgeoning life, vibrancy, and color.” 

With WINTER GARDEN, art looks for the light that comes at the darkest moment.

Art Forum Online

In an Art Forum Online on Thursday, February 19 at 7:30 pm, the artists will reflect on the work

in this show and how their subject matter and artistic processes illuminate the gloom of the

spirit and season. Community members are invited to share their perspectives. Register on the

gallery website [ www.gallerya3.com ] for this online event, which is free and open to the

public. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local

agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.