FEATURED ARTISTS
First Floor Gallery
Polly Whitcomb, assemblages
While living in Ribera NM around 2006 I began collecting old objects lying around the landscape and constructing assemblages. Drawing on years of working with clay, I incorporate clay shapes with metal, adding color and interest. I try to remain open to the possibilities of each object I discover. Each completed piece is different and is partially determined by the nature of the ‘find’. The process is a partnership between the elements chosen and what I bring to it. Some pieces fall into place with startling ease and others need considerable fiddling and redoing.
I find beauty in each of the found objects and delight in the contrasts and harmonies between them and the clay. I love the juxtaposition of deteriorating materials eaten away by time and weather and the seed-like new life of the clay forms. My current work continues the process begun in New Mexico; however, the works have changed slightly now that I have returned to my native Vermont. Some of them are smaller and most of have a background of paint on aluminum flashing. The joining of elements is all done with wire.
Website: www.pollywhitcomb.net
Instagram: @pollywhitcombartist
First and Second Floor Galleries
Bruce Hasse, mobiles, assemblages, prints, sculpture
As a student and after graduating, Bruce Hasse worked as a darkroom technician and photographic assistant for several NYC photographers. In 1970 he moved to Vermont. In 2019 he began creating assemblages, and mobile and static sculptures. In the intervening years he worked as a photographer, a jewelry and woodworking craftsman, a carpenter and a dental lab and microelectronic technician and instructor. His pieces are created using a combination of wood, metal, plastic and glass, as well as salvaged objects and experimenting with various processes to combine them. They are for the most part nonrepresentational and evocative.
Artist Statement
My artwork gives me the opportunity to employ my past work experiences, tools and processes in ways that are new and exciting to me. Ideas that are sketched and/or modeled, evolve into multifaceted creations that are altered by the movement and
juxtaposition of the elements. The nonrepresentational aspect of the pieces allows the viewer to interpret them.
Though my work is largely abstract, sometimes an object or group of objects will suggest something specific to me, and I will follow through with that design. The chance to work this way and experiment, with the outcome always in doubt, is very satisfying.
Email: bruhart@gmavt.net
Instagram: @brucedhasse
First Floor Alcove Gallery
Chris Colvin, drawings
Biography
Chris Colvin grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and left his hometown after high school to explore the world. His journey has taken him across 48 states and five countries, shaping a life deeply rooted in experience, resilience, and self-taught creativity. Chris discovered art through human connection, drawing alongside friends during vulnerable conversations, offering them a quiet outlet and a shared sense of expression.
Now living at Harbor Place in Shelburne, Vermont, Chris continues to nurture his artistic passion and generously shares it with those around him, using his art as a bridge to support, listen, and inspire.
Artist Statement
My work largely displays moments or observations from my life. I delve into difficult themes of suicide, homelessness and crime, but also draw gardens, happy childhood scenes and views from my window. I insert hidden little things in my pictures to keep people's eyes moving to spot new things that they didn't spot before. The ideas from my pieces come to me randomly. Sometimes I'll just do odd shapes and merge them into a new work, sometimes I'll sit outside in nature and draw what is in front of me. The challenging part for me is visualizing what I want to put on the paper before I put it on paper.
Children's Room Galleries
Essex Art League, paintings
The Essex Art League returns to the library with a vibrant new installation designed especially for the children’s area. This collaborative collection was created to spark imagination, inspire creativity, and offer a playful visual journey for our youngest library visitors.
The Essex Art League (EAL) is a community of Vermont visual artists dedicated to sharing ideas, supporting one another, and growing together through creativity. Their mission is rooted in connection—through monthly artist talks, weekly plein air sessions, exhibitions, and social gatherings, EAL members continue to inspire both each other and the wider community.
Website: www.essexartleague.com