SOUTH NEWFANE-For two years, Willow Vermont Retreat has been under the stewardship of Tom Concannon and Ravi Shimpi, who turned to Vermont in search of a better quality of life.
In the spacious, appropriately lit downstairs parlors of the 1899 inn, Concannon, a longtime art collector, and Shimpi, with whom he's been collecting for several years, will host "Passage: The Future of Contemporary Realism."
The late-August show - another step on the couple's "joint path to find and support artists we love" - will exhibit students, teachers, and alumni from the Grand Central Atelier (GCA) in Brooklyn, New York.
One of the world's premier institutions focused on renewing techniques and principles of classical training in works with a contemporary viewpoint, GCA's training emphasizes skillful draftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and a focus on capturing the sensual world in portraits, figures, landscapes, and florals.
Concannon adds that GCA "celebrates the skill, dedication, and vision of artists who push the boundaries of traditional art, creating works that are technically impressive and emotionally resonant."
An internationally regarded center for such training, GCA was formed in the 1990s by a group of artists led by Jacob Collins, who, according to the GCA website, "envisioned an aesthetic sensibility motivated by works from Raphael to Ingres."
A nonprofit, GCA has become a destination for artists seeking an authentic classical art education.
"I think what makes the work of GCA students and alumni special is really the Jacob Collins lineage," says Scott Garder, co-curator of the 2024 Willow Vermont show.
"Many of the greatest living artists in the realist tradition were, at some point, trained by Jacob, trained to meditate deeply about light hitting form," he continues. "This is what makes us unique in the art world today and what ties our work to the great sculptural and conceptual draftsmen, painters, and sculptors of history."
One area of significant expansion in the 2024 show is the inclusion of works by Collins, as well as by two of GCA's highly-regarded teachers, Edward (Ted) Minoff and Tony Curanaj.
"The caliber of artwork in this year's show covers a vast ground, from first-year students to leading figures in the movement," notes co-curator Tyler Berry, a core instructor at GCA.
Concannon and Shimpi created the first one-day show at Willow in August 2023. Charged by that event's success with paintings sold both at the exhibit and through an online catalog, they and collaborators have expanded this year's show to nine days.
Michael Fetherston, 2024 co-curator and a GCA graduate who was key in the assembling of the first show, notes that "we have a more distinct vision" for "Passage."
He says that the special appeal, beyond the benefits of showing to a different audience in a bucolic setting, is Concannon.
"Tom is a rare patron. He really understands not just academic classic realist art, but he also really appreciates and encourages everyone to move past pure technique, which is what we're focused on at the Atelier," he says. Concannon actually thinks more about composition and narrative, he observes.
From artistic fluency to artistic poetry
"Last year was pretty informal," Concannon says. "This year it's an invitational: Some artists have been asked to submit specific works; others will submit their own choices - all high-quality works that are within the vision of the show. We're much more intentional about content this year," he says.
And where 22 artists showed 75 works last year, "this year up to 40 artists will be shown in more than 100 works."
True to Atelier style, the subjects of each portrait, figure, landscape, and floral are painted from life, not from a photo or from imagination.
"They observe," says Concannon, and thus the artists capture the essence and subtleties of their subjects in authentic interpretation.
"Those who do this honestly, trusting their inner experience, will inevitably […] make works that no other person could," he adds.
"We intend to tell a story of passage," Concannon continues, "of how this group of people will carry realism into the next few decades. They labor for years through a gauntlet of instruction in tenets, foundations, and ancient techniques. You might expect this gauntlet ties them to the past, but many emerge from it to create signature works that are powerfully independent and contemporary."
According to Fetherston, at GCA "we're there to learn technique as a language; we spend four years in the GCA gaining fluency in this language. When we leave or on our own time we can start thinking about our art, what we want to say, what kind of poetry we want to make with that language."
That, he continues, is "exactly the area that Tom is focused on - seeing how artists who come from this academic tradition start maturing, growing, progressing past simply being a student" to actually articulating a style.
The works were selected for this show to tell a story of the artists' evolution from classical training to their emergence on the contemporary art scene. "Passage" pushes boundaries by presenting works that are both technically impressive and emotionally resonant for a contemporary audience.
"We're telling the story," Concannon explains, "of the evolution from academic to more advanced work. We're going to try to sharpen that story this year quite a bit."
"The first two rooms will be the students' work with a mixture hung by theme - academic model drawing, for example, then maybe cast drawing," Concannon explains.
"But when you get into the next rooms, works are going to be grouped by artist," he continues, to showcase longtime graduates who've established themselves in the art world.
"We'll have examples of academic material, unfinished works, studies in form and light," all leading to an artist's "leveling up" to their stretching beyond Atelier training, Concannon says. "You're going to get a picture of where these artists really go with their careers."
Visitors to the show will be encouraged to loop through it twice: First go through to see this progression, says Concannon; then return with an appreciation of the artists' trajectory and to savor favorite works.
In a sampling preview, the works - beyond technical proficiency - are rich in subtleties, articulated curves, deep shadows, elegant shading, intricate details, dynamic contrasts, and fine brush strokes. With exquisite use of light and deeply plumbed color values, they manifest an affinity for the human form, for landscapes and still life. Some touch on myth, others are quite dramatic; some are ethereal and serene, others agitating.
A communal experience
Fourteen of the show's artists at a time will be in residence at Willow during the run of the show for a couple days each: In addition to being available and eager to talk to showgoers, they'll venture in pairs across scenic landscapes - fields, streams, forests, and farms - of southern Vermont for plein air work. And that's a cherished time.
"From our experience with the artists involved last year, it's a plus that we're out in the country in the middle of nowhere," says Shimpi.
"It was something new for the artists; most of them are from the city so they are always looking for escapes like this, a chance to do landscapes outside," he continues. "All who came were helping to prepare food, setting up breakfast, having conversations out on the porch - it was a communal experience."
Last year's show drew regional audiences and collectors from across the United States and the United Kingdom, including newer art appreciators from around southern Vermont. It's anticipated this year's reach will be even greater.
The show has yielded "a direct benefit for us," says Concannon.
The retreat "reaps the benefits of relationships with these exceptional artists" who, in turn, he says, are grateful for the chance to engage with viewers about their work, one-on-one, and to hear questions and feedback in a relaxed, conducive setting.
"It puts us on the map, and it's a boon to Willow's retreats," Concannon says, "in both participation and leadership."
Willow Vermont Retreat hosts "Passage: The Future of Contemporary Realism," Saturday, Aug. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 1, at 369 Dover Rd. in South Newfane. A preview reception will take place Saturday, Aug. 24 from 1 to 6 p.m. Registrations are requested.
The opening reception for the free public show is Sunday, Aug. 25 from 1 to 6 p.m.; the closing reception is Sunday, Sept. 1, 1 to 6 p.m.
For more information and to register for the Aug. 24 reception, visit willowvt.com/art/passage.
Parking is available, and assistance is available for those who need it up the four steps to the entrance.
This Arts item by Annie Landenberger was written for The Commons.