The Cooley Gallery announces the opening of the annual holiday exhibition All Paintings Great and Small featuring historic and contemporary works of art 12" in size or smaller. For many in the area this annual exhibition and opening celebration, in its 29th year, has become an undisputed kick-off to the holiday season! Artists from around the country and Mexico, with a concentration of works by artists in Connecticut, participate in this annual show.
Jeff Cooley, owner of The Cooley Gallery notes, “We had no sense of how this show evolved into a local holiday tradition until we started to talk about changing the format or doing something completely different.  Over the years we thought we would try to revamp the holiday show and freshen it with a little variation.  We were quickly reminded by gallery visitors and friends not to mess with a good thing. The very first small painting show we did all those years ago had only 15 pictures but they were choice and mainly historical works. Last year’s All Paintings Great and Small ballooned to over 350 works of art and proved too much can be too much. While we’re not going back to only 15 select works we are simplifying the show this year.”
As in years past, All Paintings Great and Small offers a wide range of subjects and media carefully chosen by the staff at the gallery.  Jeff Cooley notes, "We are a small operation. Everyone gets involved in everything here but especially with this exhibition: discovering artists and choosing their favorites. Lorre Broom, our gallery manager, orchestrates the logistics and artists. Nancy Pinney our website guru and an artist in her own right, makes sure the images are perfect and gets it all posted in time for people to get a start on their holiday shopping." 
The galleries at 25 Lyme Street are hung "salon-style" with multiples from floor to ceiling, and a wealth of varied artwork. Prices range from the low hundreds on up giving collectors at all levels a chance to acquire some truly wonderful original works of art.  The other exhibition in the back gallery features recent acquisitions, paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 
Don't miss the gallery's great holiday opening reception and show, the culmination of a year's worth of searching, and a great party where artists and their admirers gather to launch the holiday season. The show begins on November 19th at The Cooley Gallery, 25 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT with an opening reception from 5-8 p.m.  All Paintings Great and Small runs through January 9, 2016.
Located in the beautiful little village of Old Lyme, The Cooley Gallery makes it an ideal spot to enjoy among the best of American art while celebrating the season with a great New England tradition.

Founded in 1981 and located in the heart of historic Old Lyme, the Cooley Gallery specializes in fine American paintings from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and select contemporary artists.