Joseph Barrett Exhibit At Silverman Gallery – Town Topics

“EARLY AUTUMN”: This painting by Joseph Barrett is featured in a collection of his works on view at the Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art in Holicong, Pa. Opening receptions are on Saturday, May 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 17, from 1 to 4 p.m.

The Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art now presents a collection of art from local artist Joseph Barrett. The public is invited to the opening receptions taking place on Saturday, May 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. The opening weekend features art, live jazz guitar, and light refreshments. The exhibition continues through June 20.

Born in 1936 in Midland, N.C., Barrett was raised on Bentiver, his maternal grandmother’s home in Profitt, Va. He earned his BFA in painting at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, and completed his MFA at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. He has received multiple awards for his work through the years. In 2010, he was honored at an exhibition of his paintings in the Pennsylvania State Capital Building in Harrisburg. He was presented with a proclamation by the House of Representatives and honored at a reception hosted by the governor.

After working as an art teacher in the Camden school district, Barrett moved to Bucks County over 50 years ago. Working from his home studio in Lahaska, Pa., his favorite subjects were always the homes, gardens, and roadways along the river and canal. Cheerful, colorful and whimsical are words often used to describe the oil paintings done with bold brushwork and presented in his signature frames. An avid buyer of fine art throughout his life, he is also a fan and collector of Harer and Badura frames. Wanting his own paintings to have a unique look, he designed his gold-etched frames with a commitment to continuing the tradition of Bucks County frame-making.

Barrett’s work, though influenced by earlier American Impressionists, is uniquely his own and instantly recognizable. Buckingham, New Hope, Lambertville and other settings come to life with his broad, vivid brushstrokes. Barrett’s paintings can be seen in homes and public spaces not only in the Delaware Valley but throughout the country, from California to Texas and New York.

Barrett portrays the hills, rivers, and towns of the area in palettes of glorious lavender, yellow, orange, pink, blue and green. The exhibition includes several paintings that have not been shown before, such as View from My Window, Neshaminy, and County Theater in Snow.

Barrett’s painting Estate of Joseph Stanley will also be back on display — recently returned from a two-year stint where it hung in the United States Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. It was selected as part of the State Department’s Art in Embassies program by the former ambassador, Eric Kneedler, a Pennsylvania native. The painting captures the quirky essence of the large early New Hope home that no longer exists.

The gallery also represents Jennifer Hansen Rolli, David Stier, Desmond McRory, Jim Rodgers, Anita Shrager, Jean Childs Buzgo, Jonathan Mandell, Glenn Harrington, Evan Harrington, Trisha Vergis, and Rhonda Garland.

The gallery is located in the Buckingham Green Shopping Center at 4920 York Road (Rt. 202) in Holicong, Pa., just north of PA 413. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment. For more information, visit silvermangallery.com or call (215) 794-4300.