We Bloom in Winter, a mixed-media art show is now open at the BAFFA Gallery in Sayville, featuring paintings, photographs and sculptures by members of the Bell Street Artists. The exhibit runs weekends through November and highlights a range of creative styles united by a shared appreciation for beauty and community.
Art enthusiasts are invited to visit the historic Gillette House, located at 47 Gillette Ave., between 1 and 4 p.m. The free exhibit showcases works that reflect the distinct personalities of their creators.
“We have a variety of artists, painters, photographers and sculptors. All of the work is very different. All have very different styles,” said Bell Street Artists President Nancy Ruth Cronin, who creates under the name “nancyruth.”
Despite the diverse styles exhibited by the group, Cronin said there’s harmony once the show is assembled.
“We always laugh because once we hang the show it always comes together, always complements each other,” she said.
We Bloom in Winter has attracted “a lot of florals,” but the show is not limited to flowers or the idea of blooming in winter. It includes a variety of subjects. Based on participation in the group’s previous exhibits at BAFFA — Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts — Cronin anticipates attendance of 100 to 150 people.
“We just like people to come in and enjoy the artwork. We just want them to enjoy and have it be a pleasurable experience,” she said.
Bell Street Artists was founded 45 years ago by the late Gerry Grace, who held meetings at his house on Bell Street in Bellport, hence the name.
Today almost 10 active members, hailing from communities like Patchogue, Sayville, Bay Shore and Huntington, continue to meet in each other’s houses. Some have been participating since the inception, said Cronin, who herself joined Bell Street Artists 25 years ago.
“If the personalities get along, because that’s important in a small group, it’s wonderful to have new artists come in and add their work to our creative collection,” she said.
The goal, she added, is to keep the group small to allow for informal meetings.
Cronin commented on the inspiration the artists derive from gathering as a creative outlet.
“We all feel very fortunate to be together and be able to commune and create,” she said. “That kind of atmosphere is very friendly. It’s very encouraging for the artist.”
Cronin said she finds the association “wonderful” because “we balance each other and kind of push each other. You see what your friend does and their creative flow and it helps you with your creative flow.”
Cronin is known for incorporating the unusual in her work—everything from shells and fabric to her late grandmother’s sheet music.
“She (her grandmother) was never known to part with her music, but she agreed only if I promised to tear it up and put it in pictures. It adds another layer, another dimension…She helped with my creative technique by allowing me to do so,” she said.
Founded in 1968, BAFFA is a nonprofit on a mission to make arts accessible to artists, singers and musicians. Bell Street Artists has been showing their work at the gallery for some 17 years. To learn more visit the website.