Saugerties artist Nancy Campbell will be exhibiting some 20 new paintings featuring images of Italy in a show entitled “Paintings of Italy: Discoveries and Connections,” which opens on March 5 at the Arts Society of Kingston gallery.
Campbell has traveled regularly to Italy, to the region about 50 kilometers southeast of Rome, since 2006. That year, while visiting Rome with her husband, Nancy first “discovered Ciociaria” (cho-cha-ree-ah) while researching the origins of her paternal grandfather, whose birth certificate was missing, and who, according to family lore, was the illegitimate offspring of a princess Orsini. The birth records to this day have still not been located, but during her search, Campbell met many members of her paternal grandmother’s family living in the towns of Piglio (peel-yo) and Serrone.
On subsequent journeys back to Ciociaria, Campbell explored the area more thoroughly and became fast friends with second cousin Giulio Tirinelli. Charmed by the landscape, by the lack of tourists and even more so by the friendly hospitality of the local people, she thought Ciociaria would be a great place to bring artist friends for painting trips. With the help of Giulio and her husband Mike, Campbell embarked on an Italian adventure with 5 guests in July of 2012, and Discover Ciociaria workshops were born. In October of 2015, the fourth workshop was held and in September of 2016 number five will take place.
During the past 10 years, Campbell has deepened her connections to Ciociaria, its landscape, its villages and its people. She has tried to distill and share her experience of Italy through her paintings. Most of the paintings on display at ASK have been created during the past six months. Some have been worked from on-location sketches or studies, some from photographs, and some from a combination of both.
“Paintings of Italy: Discoveries and Connections” will be on display at the Arts Society of Kingston gallery through March 26. Gallery hours are Tues – Sat, 1 to 6. The gallery is located at 97 Broadway, on the Rondout, in Kingston. A meet the artist opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 5 from 5 to 8 pm. The public is cordially invited.