The Light Lies Softly in Old Lyme, the Paintings of Clark Greenwood Voorhees marks the return of Voorhees’ paintings to their birthplace of Old Lyme in an exhibition at The Cooley Gallery on June 3rd, 2010.  The first exhibition opened in New York at Hawthorne Fine Art in the winter of 2009 with paintings by the artist of Bermuda, Newport and Old Lyme. The Cooley Gallery, in conjunction with Hawthorne Fine Art, is proud to present a selection of impressionist paintings Clark Voorhees made during his many happy years in Old Lyme. 

Clark Greenwood Voorhees is often credited with co-founding the now famous Connecticut art colony with his friend Henry Ward Ranger. Legend has it that he discovered the area while passing through on a bike ride from New York. He returned to Old Lyme in 1896 and stayed at the Bacon House (later renamed the Ferry Tavern) while his mother and sister stayed at Miss Florence’s boarding house. It was thought Voorhees recommended the Boarding house to Henry Ward Ranger who, after staying at Miss Florence’s, decided it would be a perfect place for his vision of an American Barbizon.

This exhibition was eagerly anticipated throughout the art world since few of Voorhees’ paintings had come to the market having been held safe in the collections of the artist’s descendents.  Jennifer C. Krieger, managing partner of Hawthorne Fine Art, writes of her attraction to the artist's lyrical landscapes in the exhibition catalog foreword:

"It is with a true love of Voorhees’ unique style that this exhibition was born, a love for the flickering of light, the rich softness of color, and the rippling of texture, all inherent in his touch. While Impressionist pictures often seem most effective when viewed from afar, I urge the viewer of Voorhees' works to inspect them closely and appreciate their tactile delicacy, the warp and woof of the artist's imagination."

Large impressionist landscapes of snow and summer illustrate Voorhees’ infatuation with the marshes and hills at the mouth of the Connecticut River.  It is only fitting that the exhibition comes back to Connecticut, to Old Lyme and, therefore, The Cooley Gallery.

Sylvia Hochfield wrote in the March, 2010 edition of ARTnews: “Clark Greenwood Voorhees is a half-rediscovered figure in American art one of the many talented painters who were respected in their day and then more or less forgotten. The pictures in this beautiful little show made a case for their full recovery. A full recovery indeed.”

The exhibition will open on June 3rd, 2010 with an evening reception from 5-8pm and run through July 31st, 2010.

[Images at 300dpi or greater available upon request].

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.

Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Please call (860) 434-8807 or visit www.cooleygallery.com for additional information. The Cooley Gallery is located at 25 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371.