Whimsical Women Exhibit Opens
December 3 at forARTSake in Malone

Participants in the photo who attended the 2006 Whimsical Women at Whispering Willows included (left to right): first row: Pamela May, Mary Agnes Murphy, Caron Roulston, Margaret Tsuda, Valerie Norwood, Joan Mazzacano, Linda Sauther, Karen Lamitie-King, Dottie McIntyre, Joan Gosselin, Bonnie Ida. Second Row: Guy-Anne Lefabre, Kalpana Reddy, Julie Davies, Bev Quenville, Jeanne Danforth, Nancy Hale,  Nancy Child, Jean Kenison

            Whimsical Women at Whispering Willows, a multifaceted collection of works by some of the North Country’s most outstanding women artists, opens Sunday, December 3 with a special reception from 3 until 6 p.m. at the forARTSake gallery in Malone. The exhibition, jointly sponsored by Foothills Art Society and forARTSake, runs through December 30, 2006.

            This varied collection features paintings, photographs, and mixed media pieces inspired by a special day of creation held by Foothills Art Society  at Whispering Willows in North Bangor.  Mike Mathie and Rob Smith, who reside at this beautiful old brick house, graciously opened their home and gardens to women members of Foothills Art Society on a warm sunny day in August.  

            Participating artists included Margaret Tsuda, Jean Kenison, Valerie Norwood, Linda Sauther, Julie Davies, Mary Agnes Murphy, Jeanne Danforth, Pamela May, Beverly Quenville, Joan Mazzacano, Caron Roulston, Dorothea McIntyre, Karen Lamitie-King, Nancy Hale, Barbara Ida, Joan Gosselin, Rosemary McCaffrey, Kalpana Reddy, Guy-Anne Lefabre and Nancy Child.

            The Whimsical Women is an annual invitational organized by the Foothills Art Society to recognize the artistic talents of women in the North Country. It provides an opportunity for these artists to spend a day at a secluded woodland and water site, sharing inspiration and creative impressions and impulses. The various works inspired by this day of creation are then collected and put on exhibit for the public.

            The 2006 Whimsical Women at Whispering Willows was the fifth annual invitational. The first, in August 2002, was at Camp Tullamore at Mountain View, N.Y; the second was at Between the Brambles on Upper Chateaugay Lake in August 2003; the third was at Willowview Cottage on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec in August 2004; and the fifth was at Roaring Brook Farm in Chasm Falls. Over the years, more than 60 Whimsical Women have produced unique creations ranging from paintings and sculpture to furniture, jewelry, and works in beads.

            Foothills Art Society is devoted to preserving, restoring, and developing culture in the arts for the continued education, creativity, and fulfillment of those living in Northern New York. ForARTSake is a local gallery, arts programming, gift, and framing shop; Beverly Quenville, proprietor.