Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery Exhibit to Run Through March
Iona University’s Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery is proud to present The Gratitude Project: Paintings and Poetry by the US Poets Laureate, featuring the works of Hilda Green Demsky. This exhibition will be on view through March 8.
The Gratitude Project is a profound exploration of the collective sentiments during the challenging years of the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to The New York Times’ invitation on Thanksgiving 2020, thirty Poets Laureate of the United States submitted concise expressions of gratitude for their states after the tumultuous year of the pandemic. Hilda Green Demsky, inspired by these powerful words, created a series of oil paintings interpreting each poem, resulting in a unique blend of poetry and visual art.
The exhibition showcases the artist’s process, where she meticulously studied each poem, visualizing symbolic colors representing different geographic regions, researching mentioned images, and incorporating the outlines of each state. The result is a collection of paintings that delicately capture the essence of the poems, offering a hidden outline of each state and, in some canvases, portraying the natural beauty of the environments.
One Poet Laureate remarked, “She really captured the spirit of my words.”
Hilda Green Demsky, a distinguished New York artist, is renowned for her nature-inspired oil paintings. Growing up along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, water often serves as a muse for her creations. Ms. Demsky has earned numerous national awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Recipient, Andy Warhol Award, and a Christa McAuliffe Fellowship.
As a member of prestigious art organizations such as The Mamaroneck Artists Guild, The Rye Art Center, and The New York Artists Circle, Hilda Green Demsky’s work is celebrated in various collections, including the National Gallery of Costa Rica and the United States Department of the Interior.
Gallery Address
Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery
JoAnn Mazzella Murphy ’98H Arts Center
665 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801
www.iona.edu/new-rochelle-community/br-kenneth-chapman-gallery