January’s stark landscape inspires the artists at ACGOW to kick off the 2026 exhibition season with works in celebration of this season's delicate beauty. An artist might see a line or a mark in a snowy January landscape or a squiggle in a still life. Marks, lines, squiggles plus imagination might trigger abstractions that become complete through the art-making process itself. Whether realistic or non-objective, In the final piece, the original marks may not be visible, but they remain integral to the composition.

      All are invited to an opening reception on Friday, January 9, from 5 to 8pm. There will be two-dimensional and three-dimensional original artworks including paintings, photographs, and collage and three-dimensional works of handmade glass, woodwork, pottery, jewelry, fabric, and more that interpret the theme.

       In the United in Art Community Gallery, don’t miss “Artistic Ancestors.” Come see how artistic and cultural forbears inspired some of our member artists in a variety of ways.

       In the gallery’s west wing, visitors will find a Gallery Shop filled with all manner of small, affordable, one-of-a-kind handmade decorative objects, small paintings, framed and unframed prints, books and journals, and cards specially curated for the season.

       Why not start the year off by signing up for a painting or book-making class and renew your own creativity? Artist member Tammy Blais creates highly stylized paintings, often featuring nautical themes, with her palette knife. Ms. Blais will offer two, two-hour classes each month from January through May in which participants will sketch a motif and produce a finished 6x8” oil painting using only a palette knife.

       In artist member Janet Maher's Artist Book Workshop participants will make a book from the inside-out, creating experimentally painted pages, designing them in sequence and making traditionally covered boards with colorful paper to complete their concertina-styled books. Treating it like a journal, they can continue to write, sketch or doodle within this visual book structure through the rest of winter, when the weather may be frightful!

Find out more about the classes and pre-register by contacting the artists directly. Click for info on our Events or Education pages.

       Happy New Year!