On Saturday, July 13, it was standing room-only at LaMantia Gallery when close to 150 guests turned out over the course of the evening to celebrate the talent of one local watercolorist, Ward Hooper. The artist, known for his vibrant and whimsical color palette , was surrounded by fans, friends, family and students from the Art League of Long Island where he had taught for ten years.
I have been following the work of Mr. Hooper, a man whom I admire both as an artist and a person, for years and was delighted to see watercolors of local sites which I had never seen before, including evocative pastel-hued images of the Crab Meadow marshes and Bayview Avenue.
“It was a great night,” said Robert Bluver who co-owns LaMantia Gallery with James LaMantia. “ Ward has been with the gallery since it opened. The Village really turned out and supported him. It was the best kind of retrospective because the artist was there to enjoy it,” Mr. Bluver indicated.
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The gathering also exceeded Mr. Bluver’s expectations in another way. A Ward Hooper watercolor was raffled off, raising funds which will be used by the Kiwanis Club to benefit Unicef’s The Eliminate Project whose goal is to eradicate maternal and neonatal tetanus in developing countries.
“It was one great party,” said Mr. Hooper who thoroughly enjoyed the opening, and is looking forward to teaching a whole new class of students at the Art League of Long Island.
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If you weren’t able to attend that evening, don’t despair. Although the exhibit has been taken down, LaMantia Gallery, located at 127 Main Street, Northport Village, still has an intriguing assortment of matted Ward Hooper prints. You can also appreciate and purchase Mr. Hooper’s work on www.wardhooper.net.
