2008 Woodie Awards
Local artist swept up in current of success
Mary Lane MacPherson
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Local News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
When local artist Doug Lazarus first started holding major art shows in 1976, he had a little inkling that the major theme of his displays during the 21st century would be water.
Lazarus, whose art gallery and studio, The Great Falls Fine Art Center is located in downtown Middlebury's Frog Hollow, has created exhibitions of the Hudson River, the Canals of Scotland and the Erie Canal. He is currently organizing "Champlain's Lake Rediscovered," an exhibition of artwork commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Lake Champlain.
"Since 2000, the theme that keeps showing up in my life is water," said Lazarus. "The first thing people notice about my gallery is that it's sitting right next to [Otter] Creek."
The theme of waterways came into Lazarus' life unexpectedly, as a brainstormed idea during a lunch with an employee of the Lake Champlain Publishing Company in 1999. A friend had recently loaned him a 12-foot long scroll created by William Wade in 1846, a remarkably detailed work recording the river communities from New York to Albany.
"It wasn't the river that attracted me, it was the…unique novelty of the scroll," Lazarus pointed out. "I wasn't thinking I would be getting involved in waterways on and on."
Lazarus traveled up and down the river on a lobster boat, taking around 500 photographs to work from. An exhibition of his 68 watercolors was held at the South Street Seaport Museum in Lower Manhattan, copies of which can be found in his book, Hudson River Journey: An Artist's Perspective.
His Hudson River watercolors drew attention from the Waterways Trust of Scotland, which had recently finished refurbishing the Scottish Canals. Gail McCauley, the head of the Trust, thought it would be an interesting twist on the promotion if an American Artist were chosen. After traveling around Scotland, Lazarus put on a modest show of 20 paintings, which accurately depicted the equipment and architecture of the canals, but which took liberties with the scenery and setting.
Lazarus, whose art gallery and studio, The Great Falls Fine Art Center is located in downtown Middlebury's Frog Hollow, has created exhibitions of the Hudson River, the Canals of Scotland and the Erie Canal. He is currently organizing "Champlain's Lake Rediscovered," an exhibition of artwork commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Lake Champlain.
"Since 2000, the theme that keeps showing up in my life is water," said Lazarus. "The first thing people notice about my gallery is that it's sitting right next to [Otter] Creek."
The theme of waterways came into Lazarus' life unexpectedly, as a brainstormed idea during a lunch with an employee of the Lake Champlain Publishing Company in 1999. A friend had recently loaned him a 12-foot long scroll created by William Wade in 1846, a remarkably detailed work recording the river communities from New York to Albany.
"It wasn't the river that attracted me, it was the…unique novelty of the scroll," Lazarus pointed out. "I wasn't thinking I would be getting involved in waterways on and on."
Lazarus traveled up and down the river on a lobster boat, taking around 500 photographs to work from. An exhibition of his 68 watercolors was held at the South Street Seaport Museum in Lower Manhattan, copies of which can be found in his book, Hudson River Journey: An Artist's Perspective.
His Hudson River watercolors drew attention from the Waterways Trust of Scotland, which had recently finished refurbishing the Scottish Canals. Gail McCauley, the head of the Trust, thought it would be an interesting twist on the promotion if an American Artist were chosen. After traveling around Scotland, Lazarus put on a modest show of 20 paintings, which accurately depicted the equipment and architecture of the canals, but which took liberties with the scenery and setting.
Be the first to comment on this story