‘A Midsummer's Night's Dream in Oil Paint'

Art teacher to exhibit,- and demonstrate, his work Goshen — The Wallkill River Art Gallery will host an exhibition of prints and original plein air paintings by three of Orange County’s finest painters in this technique. One of the featured artists is Robert Lewis Hoover, an art teacher at the Goshen Intermediate School. The term “plein air” is French for “outdoors.” “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream in Oil Paint” combines the views of three dreamy painters whose work evokes a mystical and spiritual connection to the landscape. Hoover will demonstrate in oil his graphic impressionist approach to the landscape on Saturday, June 17, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The demonstration is free and a rare opportunity to watch the artist at work. Hoover cites Van Gogh as a primary influence on his style and productivity. He paints primarily in the Black Dirt region of Pine Island, and says he feels a spiritual connection “that cannot be described with words, only paint.” His landscapes portray a sense of serenity and oneness that reflect this spiritual connection. He has shown extensively in Orange County and is well known for his large-scale portraits of Jesus and Buddha. Entranced by the Hudson Valley, Mary Mugele Sealfon enjoys plein air painting, portrait painting, and still life in pastel and oil. She has taught at the Star Gallery in Middletown, Orange County Community College, the Northern Lights Academy in Warwick, and Pike County Arts in Millford, Pa. Her work was recently featured at the Beck Gallery in Hurleyville and the Kenridge Farm Gallery and The Arts Alliance in Cornwall. In New York City she pursued a career as art director and designer for various publications and companies. She also studied at the School of Visual Arts, the Art Students League, and the Ridgewood Art Institute in New Jersey. She has won numerous awards. Her paintings and prints have been exhibited in California, Venezuela, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, William Noonan is an active member of the Newburgh art scene where he now lives. He explores the local terrain with his brushy impasto. A figure and portrait painter, Noonan also has a talent for landscape. His landscape work is best described as tonal impressions that capture the mood and feel of observed moments. He has a bachelor of fine arts degree from the State University of New York at Purchase and has since studied at the New York Academy of Art, the Woodstock School of Art, the International School of Art-Umbria Italy, and the Art Students League of New York. The Wallkill River Art Gallery is an artist-owned co-operative gallery dedicated to promoting and exhibiting plein air paintings of the Wallkill River School. The mission of the gallery and school is to raise public awareness of disappearing open spaces, and the challenges facing small farms. By showing that the region is beautiful and worth preserving, and through art activism, the gallery hopes to inspire others to help preserve green space. The opening reception will be on Sunday, June 4, from 3 to 6 p.m. A closing reception will be held on Sunday, July 30, from 3 to 6 p.m. The show is free and open to the public during gallery hours of 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday. The gallery is located at 357 Old Forge Hill Road, Suite 900 (inside New Windsor Art and Frame), on the corner of 32 North and Old Forge Hill Road. It is two lights down from the five corners on 32N in New Windsor. For more information, visit www.wallkillriverschool.com.