Mimi Duffy Maher: Wooded Landscapes Exhibit Coming to Caldwell College

The art exhibit "Mimi Duffy Maher: Wooded Landscapes" will open March 22 and run through April 9 at the Visceglia Gallery on Caldwell College's campus.

An area artist and Essex Fells resident, Maher's work in oils, watercolors and collages features her observations of nature. From a broad expanse of trees to the detail of a single branch, Maher distills the complexity of her subject's color dynamics into compelling representations of space and light. "I like to invite the viewer to see what color can do as it interacts with light and shadow and how it vibrates when placed next to its color compliment."

The exhibit is open to the public. A special reception with Maher, also open to the public, will be held on the campus on Sunday March 28 from 3 to 6 p.m.

Maher's subtle compositions distill nature's inherent complexity to reveal the underlying form and color values. "I try to use color to create an almost fanciful expression, with light and shadow to add a dimension you could imagine walking into. I'm intrigued by the life and interplay of light and color as it changes throughout the day and how it reacts to the other colors nearby." A graduate of Rosemont College with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts, Maher recalls how her studies of "patterns in nature" for her senior thesis project became the catalyst for her recent works, some of which will be displayed in the exhibition as a tribute to the academic location of the gallery. Duffy graduated from Mount St. Dominic Academy, which shares a campus with Caldwell College.

This is not Maher's first showing at Caldwell College. In the past, she received two honors on campus --- the WEAA Annual Juried Exhibition, Patrons/Sponsors Award and she was a Winners Circle Finalist for the North East Arts Festival. She has exhibited in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and in galleries in Morris and Essex Counties.

While Maher's primary fine art media are watercolor and oil, her background includes commissioning watercolors for commercial and private clients, working in graphic design and as an art director for a magazine publishing company. She also has done interior decorative painting and color consultation.

For further information, please contact Professor Kendall Baker in the Art Department at Caldwell College at kbaker@caldwell.edu or 973-618-3457.