Reviving a long tradition after a 30-year hiatus, The Westport Woman’s Club again will host, May 2 and 3 only, an Art Show fundraiser showcasing top local talent. Featured artists include: Nina Bentley, Miggs Burroughs, Trace Burroughs, Vincent Calenzo, Jennifer Dewis, Helen Klisser During, Karen Ford, Tom Kretsch, Susan Malloy, Dayan Moore, Kathy Ross, Jill Sarver, Jo Titsworth and Cris Xavier. Multiple works by each of the 14 artists will be displayed in the Club’s newly renovated Bedford Hall and available for purchase.
According to Art Show chair, Jo Luscombe, the event revives a long partnership that flourished into the 1980s between the WWC (est. 1907 as the Woman’s Town Improvement Association) and some of America’s best representational artists, Westport’s “Famous Artists” of the 20th century. In that era, many Woman’s Club members either were wives of artists or artists themselves. During the Great Depression, WWC art shows helped unemployed artists and their families make ends meet. In good times and bad, to benefit the community’s unmet needs, local artists pitched in at the Club’s annual fair.
Art Show Curator Miggs Burroughs recalls posing as a child at Yankee Doodle Fair for a $5 portrait, which he still owns. “Work by that artist now sells for over $50,000;” he notes.
Styles have changed, but community spirit endures. Admission to the WWC Art Show at 44 Imperial Ave. is free and open to the public. 30% of sales will benefit need-based scholarships for Staples seniors.
The WWC Art Show’s hours are very limited: Saturday, May 2nd, 5 to 8 pm (Opening Reception) and Sunday, May 3rd, 12 to 4 pm. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted for purchases or donations.
