Miltonians: The Portrait Show to hold opening reception April 4
Miltonians: The Portrait Show is an exciting and innovative multimedia exhibition featuring paintings, photographs, and a video slide show, plus a book - a show all about Miltonians by Miltonian artists.
The Miltonian Portrait Show opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, April 4, and runs through May 2. The Milton Historical Society is hosting the free show in its gallery space at Union and Magnolia streets in downtown Milton. The public is invited to join the artists to chat about the exhibit over light refreshments and wine, bid on the paintings and photographs, and join locals to look for themselves and their neighbors in the video. Check www.historicmilton.org for directions, hours and other events.
The show is dedicated to Gladys Wilkins and Frankie Ditman, both loved and respected icons in Milton whom the community lost this past year.
Wilkins lived her life in the Milton farmhouse where she was born. She was a homemaker and gave warmly and enthusiastically of her time to the town. She was the welcoming face for Concerts in the Park and most especially for Milton Historical Society events. The batch of chicks she raised was famous for their banty eggs and raised high dollar amounts each year at the annual MHS fundraising auction.
Ditman was a U.S. Navy veteran and a carpenter prior to becoming disabled. Afterward, he was an avid community volunteer, turning his disability into a means for creating unique and lovely art; he was gifted at quilling. Various pieces of his art are seen throughout Sussex County as well as at Baltimore-area museum gift shops.
A book about the art works, created by Raymond Petersen, one of the participating painters, includes paintings and photographs from the show and information on the artists. It will be available for sale and autographs.
Jeanie Greenhaugh, a Milton photographer and videographer, demonstrates her artistic interpretations of photos of many Miltonians. She has imaginatively woven them into an original slide show, which will be projected during the opening.
In conjunction with the show, Stephen Goode will give two lectures on art colonies, “Surrounded by Beauty: American Art Colonies, the Early Years.” The talks are general in nature, but will focus on two colonies: Woodstock, N.Y., and Taos, N.M. The first is scheduled for Saturday, April 5; the second is Wednesday, April 9, both at 7 p.m. at the Milton Historical Society.
Works by the participating artists - painters and photographers - have been shown locally and nationally in galleries and won numerous awards. The artists are proud members of many of the local arts organizations, including the Milton Arts Guild, a sponsor of the show.
In addition to Petersen, Greenhaugh and Goode, participating artists include Jean Bowers, Eddie Filemyr, Aurelio "Rail" Grisanty, Earle “Butch” Norman, Keith Steck and Libby Zando.
