An art exhibition by Mount Vernon’s Artist-in-Residence, Sarah Fitzgerald opens Sunday, Jan. 21, in the third Floor Gallery of Cole Library on the Cornell campus. The opening reception from 2-4 p.m., with an artist talk at 3 p.m., is the first event of the Artist-in-Residence program initiated in 2023 by the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council (MVAAC). The exhibition, titled “Fanciful Vignettes”, co-sponsored by MVAAC and the Cole Library, is free and open to the public.
“We are excited about the opportunities for community engagement in the arts through the new artist-in-resident program. MVAAC’s first artist-in-residence is former elementary art teacher Sarah Fitzgerald,” says MVAAC President Dr. Tiffany Carr. “Since her retirement, she’s been working on her own art. The exhibition gives us all a chance to see what she’s been up to!”
Fitzgerald, together with Cole head librarian Grace Chamberlain, will also host the inaugural “Creatives Connect,” a gathering of area artists Sunday, Feb. 4 from 2-4 pm in room 108 of Cole Library. The meeting will be the first of a monthly series featuring opportunites for local creatives to come together.
“The idea is to initiate a forum for area artists —a time and place for creatives to get to know one another, form community, and share about their artistic practices ,” explains Carr. “Each month will feature a new area artist and also offer low-pressure opportunities to share and connect.” Local artists are encouraged to attend, they are welcome to just come for the community building or to bring examples of their own work to share (digital or physical).