Art thrives within The Fountains as a new exhibit opens

Art thrives within The Fountains as a new exhibit opens

Celebrating the art of The Fountains community and its influence beyond that community, Barbara Minton, center, received a bouquet to mark the opening of a retrospective exhibit of her works. She is joined by The Fountains’ art instructor, Ellen O’Shea, at left, and recognized artist and friend Merle Perlmutter of the Society of American Graphic Artists.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Wintry breezes did not deter residents and friends from gathering at The Fountains on Thursday, Feb. 20, to be inspired and instructed by a retrospective showing of etchings created by Fountains resident Barbara Minton.

About 14 etchings, a woodblock and a painting were on display, created over a lifetime, Minton said, each an exploration of architectural and natural components.

“She treats architecture as organics,” said Jeff McCord, Minton’s son visiting from Seattle for the occasion.

Minton grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, daughter of an architect, surrounded by the natural grandeur of the Great Smoky Mountains. Both environments informed her art. As a child, she and her four siblings engaged constantly in drawing, developing a lifetime of passion for the arts.

“All the kids drew,” she recalled, noting that they would use the reverse side of discarded blueprint paper provided by their architect father.

Minton studied etching with Latvian printmaker Janis Sternbergs, moving on to post-graduate work at London’s Slade School of Art, before earning an MFA degree in printmaking and art history at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Celebrating the opening with Minton was her artist friend, Merle Perlmutter, with whom she shared studio space in New Rochelle.
“We’re very different, Barbara and I, but we took to each other,” observed Perlmutter of their different backgrounds. “We had fun.”
Open to the public, the exhibit will remain up for three to four weeks, said Ellen O’Shea, art instructor at The Fountains.

To learn more about Minton’s art, go to www.barbaraminton.com.

Latest News

Amenia board honors employees for service

Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.

Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.

“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.

Keep ReadingShow less
Historic marker dedicated at Amenia Union Cemetery

In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.

A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton Street Fair celebration June 28

Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.

Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millbrook Historical Society announces summer Quaker lecture series

The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.

For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.

Keep ReadingShow less