July 26 - September 6, 2025

The Color of Light

The Olive Free Library Association is pleased to present its eighth annual juried summer group exhibition, this year titled The Color of Light. The show, installed in the Olive Library's spacious Community Gallery, runs from July 26 to September 6, with an opening reception on Saturday, July 26, from 3 to 5 pm. The exhibition has this year been juried by well-known painter Jane Bloodgood-Abrams.

The show's call for art resulted in an astounding number of artist submissions, 261 artworks by 72 artists of which 51 works, covering all styles and media, and focusing on the theme of the exhibition, were chosen by Bloodgood-Abrams, offering the community a great way to view and purchase works by Hudson Valley artists.

The Color of Light 's participating artists are:
Lauren Baker, Harriet Forman Barrett, Rebecca Conroy, Maxine Davidowitz, Lisa DeLuise, Nancy Donskoj, Collin Douma, Mary Elwyn, Mira Fink, Ena Firinn, Denise Giardullo, Tom Hackett, Sara Harris, Christine Heller, Danielle Holke, Barbara Holt, Pat Kelly, Patti King, Pam Krimsky, Maureen Lohan-Bremer, Alison Maltby Duggan, Dana Matthews, Mark McCarroll, Karen Merritt, Susan Miiller, Wilma Miller, Ann Morris, Estelle Nadler, Eliza Nappi, Raymond Negron, Jacqueline Oster, Susan Shaftan Perrin, Geraldine Popko, Eileen Power, Cassandra Quackenbush, Regina B Quinn, Elaine Ralston, Marilynn Rowley, Linda Schultz, Roberta Sickler, Jan Sosnowitz, Michelle Seigei Spark, Rich Spisto, Judy Stanger, Natalie Wargin, Marlene Wiedenbaum, and Roni Wilder-Guidi.

About Jane Bloodgood-Abrams:
A native of the Hudson Valley region of New York, Jane Bloodgood-Abrams received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists, and is listed in "Who's Who in American Art." Her work has been chosen for numerous regional, national, and international exhibitions, including the Florence Biennale in Italy, exhibitions in Austria and Germany, and several exhibitions at the National Arts Club in New York City. She is the recipient of a Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation grant, participated in the Rhine-Hudson Artist Exchange in Cologne, Germany, and was selected as a semi-finalist for the Basil H. Alkazzi $20,000 award for painting. Jane Bloodgood-Abrams' paintings are included in numerous corporate, museum, and private collections. Bloodgood-Abrams says, "The deeply profound moments in nature excite me most, where there is a connection with a higher energy and one feels alive. I seek to transcend the landscape as mere subject matter, yet use it as a tool to evoke nature's spiritual or emotional essence." At the opening reception, one artist will be awarded a $100 prize for Best in Show, and there will also be two Honorable Mentions, all three artworks selected by Jane Bloodgood-Abrams.

The Olive Free Library has created a platform to show and sell the art of regional artists, both established and emerging. This provides art enthusiasts a way to view, appreciate, and purchase local and regional artworks. The rural town of Olive does not have a cultural center, so the library converted its spacious, light community room into a gallery space. The response from both artists and the community has been overwhelmingly positive.