With Brattleboro artist William Hays ending 25 years’ presence in the downtown on Main Street, several of us have gotten together to try to honor his contributions to our community’s cultural life. Accordingly, we are seeking places to display portraits by Hays which are part of his Brattleboro community portrait series.
We’ll anchor these Hays retrospective displays with a front-window feature of two of his best-known portraits, those of ‘Nina’ (NIna Singleton-Spencer, now the bass player for The Snaz), and of Wayne London, the iconoclastic psychiatrist / metaphysician who is founder of the Brattleboro M.A.S.H. Unit (Metaphysical and Spiritual Healing).
These two portraits will be on display in the front window of the new Angel Boy Gallery on lower Main street next to Shin La restaurant beginning Friday, May 1 during Gallery Walk. Come see ’em!
Rare Perception
The first time I saw ‘Nina’ in William’s gallery on Main Street I was astonished by his use of arresting tonal contrasts, akin to a Johannes Vermeer.
The “pearly light” light passing through her hair illuminating her left cheek, the child’s highly mature eyes left in a cautious eternal hard stare, the simplicity of the red neck cloth, all against an effectual use of stark background could have only come from artist eyes with rare perception.
Rare Indeed!
Same here, Vidda! You couldn’t have said it better!
We can say volumes
Thanks John. And you know we can say volumes about his landscapes. Many of us will miss the ‘Come on up” sign and open street door that greeted passersby – everyday, not just Gallery Walk.