Exhibitions

Gallery One is pleased to announce the June show, “Painting to Music” open to the public June 4, 2025 through July 1, 2025.

The visual arts have always been influenced by music, and vice versa. The ‘Nocturnes” painted by Whistler was inspired by Chopin’s solo piano compositions of the same name, Paul Klee’s geometric abstraction, “Polyphony” by Bach’s polyphonic choral works. Stuart Davis’s painting “Swing Landscape,” Piet Mondrian’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie,” and Henri Matisse’s “Jazz Suite,” all avant-garde masterpieces were influenced by the popular jazz music of their day. This month the artists of Gallery One share their musical inspirations. Many artists strive to recreate visually what music does sonically, while most simply enjoy listening to music while they work. There is ample evidence that music effects the brain in ways that enhance and facilitate creative and divergent thinking, relaxation, and problem solving as well as bringing to mind past emotions and memories. For artist Laura Hickman her pastel painting, “Bossa Nova Beach,” brought back the memories and emotions of listening to music as a child. “When I was young, I loved listening to Brazilian Bossa Nova. I still do, and I often think what a wonderful place it had to have been in the 60’s to produce this combination of samba/jazz genre of sophisticated, calm and swaying melodies.” Artist Lesley McCaskill was inspired by the music of Christopher Cross for her acrylic painting, “Sailing.”  “The words and rhythm are smooth, and glide like the boats sailing in Lewes that I love to watch.” For artist Dale Sheldon, “Fields of Gold, Eva Cassidy” in acrylic, brought back the memory of the magical golden fields found on the small back roads of the Eastern Shore in late April, with sun light spilling across them. Dale was reminded of Eva Cassidy’s song, “Fields of Gold”. Pure joy!” While artist Mary Boyd Byrd’s acrylic painting, “Ladies Lets Dance,” was inspired by the beat of a Mavericks album.

Artists Cindy Beyer and Laurie Fields used music as inspiration just a little differently. In “Undersea Band, ”an acrylic painting by Cindy Beyer, listening to “island music, “got me thinking about 8 beats to a bar and 8 counts in line dancing.  Which led to …Why not have a sea creature with 8 legs be his own conductor in a one octo band?”  And in “Sway,” a mixed media work, Laurie Fields, melted the wax so that its movement matched the beat of the music.

We hope you’ll come experience our musical interlude this month with a visit to Gallery One. Gallery One is open daily from 10am – 5pm. This month’s theme will be accompanied by a reception on June 21st, from 4-6pm, the public is invited.