Graham exhibit opens at NorthEast-Millerton Library

MILLERTON — Barbara Graham’s art will grace the walls of the NorthEast-Millerton Library through the end of July.

Her exhibit, “Nature’s Mysteries,” which took about a year to complete, features what she labels as “Totems” inspired by objects she has found walking through nature and the town. Using everything from tree bark to twigs to fungi and more, Graham says the resulting art aids in thought clarification, similar to Shamanism which began in Tibet and India centuries ago.

The response that she has to the objects she uses can depend on many things, Graham says, including her mood at the moment, the time of day and the light in which they are seen.

In some instances, the works of art emerge quickly, but in others, time is needed for the material and images to evolve.

She cites a neighbor’s tree which hosts a fungus, noting that its texture and color change as the year progresses. She waits to harvest it — usually until autumn — when the right color is achieved, and dries what she has collected on top of her furnace at home.

Because the material she uses continuously changes as it ages and dries, she completes her work by spraying a preservative over the designs which are glued to cardboard.

Graham’s journey to the Millerton exhibit was not a simple one. “I wanted to be a dancer when I was a little kid,” Graham said. “But then I segued into being a costume designer which I did for 40 years, and a lot of my art reflects that sense of fantasy.”

After she completed a master’s in costume design at New York University she toured the country, plying her trade from Broadway to the West Coast for 40 years, particularly enjoying creations for opera and Shakespeare. Eventually she found less satisfaction in traveling for months at a time and decided to create a home base.

That led her to focus on visual art, which now includes her nature series and a series of greeting cards. In addition to exhibiting her work, Graham also sells her creations at the Millerton Farmers Market and the Salisbury General Store in Connecticut.

She does the majority of her work at home, but about once a week she and other artists gather in someone’s home to work as they provide encouragement and feedback to one another. Anyone who is interested in joining that group may leave a message at the front desk of the library.

Library director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson says Graham’s work has been exhibited and appreciated in the past and adds an interesting element to the facility. She notes that patrons enjoy looking at the walls covered with unique creations. She invites area artists to reach out to the library if they would like to display their work.

For more information about the exhibit or the library, located at 75 Main St., call 518-789-3440 or go to nemillertonlibrary.org.