It is surprising that the average American lives in twelve different dwellings throughout their lifetime, with each living space often being referred to as “Home”. From January 11 to February 28, the Flinn Gallery presents an exhibition titled “Home Sweet Home”, which delves into the tangible and intangible aspects of the concepts of home. This exhibition features the works of four talented women artists Brigid Kennedy, Melissa Misla, Mary Tooley Parker, and Nitza Tufiño. Through a range of mediums, these artists skillfully weave narratives of home, family, and community, offering a rich exploration of memories and experiences.
Home Sweet Home opens Thursday, January 11, from 6-8PM, with a reception open to the public. During the seven-week exhibition, free programming includes: an Artists Talk on 1/21 at 2pm, February “StayCation” tie-ins with Greenwich Library such as the Flinn Art Lounge & Friends Friday Film “Encanto” 2/9 at 7pm; and an Innovation Lab project. Additionally, the exhibition will foster connections with various community partners, with further details to be announced.
Brigid Kennedy skillfully captures fleeting moments of natural light and reflections on glass in compositions of exterior views and domestic interior spaces. As if fused within the same frame, her smart As if fused within the same frame, her smart paintings offer complex inside-out reflections of our layered lives, literally and metaphorically. She paints on Yupo paper and Dura-Lar archival film to achieve the delicate translucency of the glass. Kennedy’s many themes draw upon memories, lived experiences, and point of view as her way of questioning, re-examining, forging meaning, and ultimately engaging the viewer to look longer. Currently residing in Connecticut, Kennedy has also lived and worked in South America and Europe. Since the late 1970s, she has exhibited her sculpture, drawings, and paintings in national and international venues, earning numerous prestigious awards. Her works have been acquired by museums and private collections. Kennedy earned an MFA in Sculpture from Yale, a BFA from SUNY, and a BA from the University of Toronto.
Misla’s immersive installation warmly invites viewers into her “Nuyorican” (New York Puerto Rican) home setting with paintings, furnishings, and potted plants. Drawing inspiration from photographs and memory of both her 30-year residence in Elmhurst, Queens, and her aunt’s Lower East Side public housing, Misla recreates the ambiance of her childhood home. A native New Yorker, Misla holds an MFA from Queens College, and a BFA from Hunter College where she was honored with the esteemed Kossok Fellowship Award. As an emerging artist, she has been showcased in Missouri, Florida, and recently made her museum debut with pieces acquired by the El Museo Del Barrio, New York. Additionally, she held a solo show at the Arts Center at Duck Creek in East Hampton, NY. Misla is proudly represented by Praxis Gallery in Chelsea, New York.
Mary Tooley Parker’s time-intensive, hand-hooked rugs bring a touch of whimsy, warmth, and joyful moments of home to the exhibit. Her fiber artworks skillfully depict realistic people, places, and objects, whether drawing inspiration from personal memories, local history, and visual imagery. Parker’s vibrant compositions of everyday scenes and domestic interiors infuse the traditional medium with a contemporary aesthetic. To create her pieces, she meticulously hand-dyes wool, cotton, or silk, cuts them into strips, and expertly pulls them through a linen foundation using a handheld hook. Residing in Westchester County, NY, Parkers holds a BFA from NYU. Her exceptional talent has earned her multiple awards and fellowships; her works have been exhibited internationally and are held in public and private collections.
Nitza Tufiño expands the immersive home experience through her mixed media clothesline and hanger artworks. Tenderete pays homage to her bicultural “Mexi-Rican” heritage, featuring vibrant banners of collaged vintage family photographs, printmaking, and embroidered machine-drawn stitching. Even at the age of 74, Tufiño continues to exhibit her unwavering passion, currently co-curating and having recently showcased her works in a solo exhibition at Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, as well as a group show at El Museo Del Barrio in New York. A New Yorker since 1969, Tufiño has tirelessly advocated for diverse representation and the inclusion of Latinx artists in mainstream conversations. Tufiño has been the recipient of many prestigious awards; received her MS in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, a BFA from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and has studied at Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City.
According to curator Ellen Hawley, the Flinn Gallery is in its 95th season and has a rich history of exhibiting renowned artists from Picasso to Pollock, Matisse to Motherwell, yet through the decades, has maintained a focus on showing affordable art. In the 1960’s and 70’s, when it was known as the Hurlbutt Gallery, it curated a series called “Mr. & Mrs. Hirshhorn Select: Art for the Young Collector.” This series featured works by esteemed artists priced between $25 and $500. The list of participating artists is extensive, including Josef & Anni Albers, Jean Dubuffet, Al Held, David Hockney, Alex Katz, Louise Nevelson, Ad Reinhardt, Edward Ruscha, George Segal, and Frank Stella, Diego Rivera, among others. Exhibiting emerging and mid-career artists at often accessible prices, remains at Flinn’s cornerstone. The Flinn Gallery is fortunate to occupy a stunning space designed by Cesar Pelli, located within a state-of-the-art library where it also hosts related programming.
Home Sweet Home will be on view through February 28, 2024. The remaining exhibits of the 2023-24 season include: (De)Construct with artists Linda Lindroth, Ryan Sarah Murphy, and Keiko Narahashi; and Mapping the Invisible featuring Laura Battle, Jaq Belcher, and Amy Myers which will close the season on June 19, 2024.
The Flinn Gallery has been honored with The Best of the Gold Coast, CT award by the readers of the Moffly Media Group. As a non-profit organization, the Flinn Gallery is sponsored by the Friends of Greenwich Library, with proceeds from artwork sales contributing to community programming at the Library. The Gallery welcomes visitors daily Monday to Saturday, 10-5PM, Thursday until 8PM, and Sunday 1-5PM.
