Rendezvous in Jeffersonville
Special edition! For the next month, Rockport, MA, galleries are celebrating the local tradition of painters gathering in the scenic Vermont town of Jeffersonville.
Since the 1930s, Cape Ann painters have been venturing up to Jeffersonville, VT, to capture the scenic and untouched landscape. “Jeffersonville still has many of its open fields and big views are common,” writes Stapleton Kearns in his article about the history of this tradition, featured in the current issue of American Art Review. “The rhythmic silhouettes of those hills, their mixture of sizes and shapes, and their overlapping forms are splendid material for artists to arrange into pictures.”
Some fun facts about Jeffersonville:
It’s in an area known as Stowe-Smugglers’ Notch.
The town’s population was busting out at 750 according to the 2020 census.
Yankee magazine voted it a top 25 place to see New England foliage.
The town’s land area is less than 1 square mile.
Five galleries are highlighting historic and present-day artists participating in this tradition in Rockport Presents: Rendezvous in Jeffersonville September 24-October 23, 2022. You can have a lovely Rockport afternoon visiting the galleries, enjoying a lobster roll, and stopping at Brother’s Brew for coffee and a donut that’s been voted the best on Cape Ann.
Palate & Palette has already interviewed four artists who participate in the Jeffersonville tradition: Stapleton Kearns and Dale Ratcliff, Todd Montanaro, and T.M. Nicholas. Here are some show highlights, plus an exciting recent unexpected Edward Hopper find.
Folly Cove Fine Art
I went to Folly Cove Fine Art to see their Jeffersonville paintings and learned about a recent and unrelated discovery—handmade holiday cards made and signed by Edward Hopper! Gallery co-owner J.P. Boudreau said the cards were a recent find, discovered while handling the paintings and furniture from the estate of artist Max Kuehne.
The cards are signed, which makes them more valuable:
Folly Cove Fine Arts is a mini museum of beautiful historic and current paintings. J.P. and co-owner Jill Guthrie have deep subject matter knowledge of the artists they show, so it’s always an educational visit. Here are highlights of the Jeffersonville paintings featured there:
Gallery Montanaro and Stapleton Kearns Gallery
Gallery Montanaro is featuring historic and contemporary Jeffersonville paintings, including work from the Stapleton Kearns Gallery.
Rockport Art Association
The association is featuring historic paintings from its permanent collection.
Ken Knowles Gallery
Although it is not part of the official show, here a nice Jeffersonville painting by T.M. Nicholas that you can see in his gallery:
Where to find these paintings and more in Rockport, MA (and you should!):
Gallery Montanaro: 10 Bearskin Neck
Stapleton Kearns Gallery: 59 Main St
Rockport Art Association: 12 Main St
Folly Cove Fine Art: 41 Main St
Ken Knowles Fine Art: 102 Main St
Tom Nicholas Gallery: 65 Main St
Lovely summary of who is involved in this sterling event! And a real feast for lovers of American art!
Love that part of Vermont