Westerly Sun
WESTERLY — Catherine Shotick, the director of the Westerly Museum of American Impressionism, will give a talk in the Carriage House of the Babcock Smith House on Sunday about the new museum — whose opening is much-anticipated, and whose construction so visible to all who travel along the Watch Hill Road.
The museum, established by philanthropists, art collectors and Westerly natives Thomas P. and Cynthia D. Sculco, will be dedicated to the research and exhibition of artworks created by American Impressionists from the 1880s-1920s.
Shotick said she plans to provide a background on American Impressionism, the artwork visitors will be able to see throughout the museum’s galleries once its complete, and give an update on the building’s progress.
“The major update is that construction is coming along,” said Shotick in an email Tuesday morning, “the museum’s estimated opening is now late spring 2025.”
Shotick, a Peoria, Illinois, native who served as a curator at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art prior to accepting her new role in June of 2023, said her first year in Westerly has been “one of the happiest in my life.”
“Helping Tom and Cynthia Sculco plan the new museum is truly a dream come true,” Shotick said. “The people I’ve met within the community have been welcoming and their excitement for the museum is heartwarming.”
Plus, she added, “I’ve had a lot of fun exploring around New England and my list of places I want to visit keeps getting longer and longer!”
One of the places Shotick has visited is the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, where she gave a talk in August as part of “At First Glance: Highlights from the Westerly Museum of American Impressionism,” a pop-up exhibition on display through Sept. 15, which is coinciding with “Impressionism 150: From Paris to Connecticut & Beyond,” the Connecticut museum’s summer show.
Shotick said she “had the pleasure” of meeting with Joshua Torrence, the museum’s director and Amy Kurtz Lansing, its curator, and during one of thier conversations, “Amy extended an invitation for the Westerly Museum of American Impressionism to host a pop-up exhibition.”
“We eagerly embraced the opportunity to collaborate with such a prestigious institution,” Shotick said, “and to join in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Impressionism.”
“It also provided a fantastic chance to bring some of our paintings out of storage while we await the completion of our building,” she added.
The 12 paintings on display — ranging from seascapes and harborscapes to florals and figural works — offer visitors a preview of what will be showcased at the Westerly Museum of American Impressionism once it opens, she said.
Her talk “at the FloGris” drew a full house, she said, “a testament to the community’s enthusiasm for this cultural addition to the region.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting even more people at the upcoming talk at the Babcock-Smith House Museum,” Shotick said.
We were featured in September in The Westerly Sun – READ ARTICLE
