One of NEML’s own puts on a show

MILLERTON — Avery Wickwire is wearing two hats this month at the NorthEast-Millerton Library, as he fulfills his part-time job as library clerk as well as being the artist behind the current exhibit in the building at 75 Main St.

A second-year student at Dutchess Community College (DCC), lifelong Millerton resident Wickwire hopes to major in visual arts at SUNY New Pultz when he completes his work at DCC at the end of this academic year.

According to the library’s newsletter, rather than using a single art form, “His mediums include charcoal, acrylic paint, photography, mixed media, wood and more” as he combines his two great loves: art and nature.

The current exhibition, which will be on display until the end of the month, features digital photography with one pastel painting, all of them either landscape or “landscape-esque.”

Wickwire explained that the second form is achieved through the use of photographic techniques such as variation in depth of field and shutter speed, which allow for differing perspectives of the subject.

Musing on the possibilities different cameras enable — including the Canon TI6, which was used for this exhibit as well as his recently obtained more advanced TI7 — he said, “It’s amazing how far technology has come in a relatively short time.”

As the artist on the spot, Wickwire, who has had his art shown at his high school and college, said he would be glad to discuss any of the techniques with library patrons viewing the work.

Of the latest artist to share his work through the monthly exhibits, library director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said: “It’s just so nice to be able to support someone in the early parts of their career. It’s especially gratifying to be able to share the talents of a valued member of our own library family.”

Visitors need not be patrons, but library cards are available for free for residents, and with a $25 fee for nonresidents.