Westerly Art Gallery’s July Show Highlights Coastal Themes and Visual Storytelling

From seaside lilies to soulful reflections, the July show at the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly (ACGOW) invites visitors to step into a world of visual storytelling, one panel at a time.

Titled Diptychs & Triptychs, the exhibit features the work of Lora Cobden and Ardie Harrison, two artists who breathe new life into the timeless art of multi-panel storytelling. Their approaches are deeply personal and refreshingly unexpected. Cobden, inspired by the Rhode Island coast, uses luminous watercolors to capture moments of peace drawn from shellfish harvesting and nature’s quiet grace. “Whether I paint crabs and oysters or shells and flowers,” she says, “I am living with and in our treasured island home, Earth.”

Harrison, a self-taught photographer with decades of experience, focuses on capturing fleeting moods, especially in the soft light of early morning. “The goal, for me, is less about capturing a beautiful image and more about relaying the mood, feeling, and emotion before me,” he explains. Although he hasn’t often worked in diptychs or triptychs, he’s found the format complements his creative rhythm. His travel photography and portraits of his grandchildren naturally unfold as visual narratives, with each panel revealing a chapter in a larger story.

Beyond the main gallery, the Community Gallery offers a spotlight on the next generation of creatives. This month, ACGOW presents the work of “Art it Forward” scholarship winners Dylan Tallardy of Westerly High School and Fernanda Celio Langer Alva of Stonington High School. These rising stars embody ACGOW’s mission to nurture young talent. “This scholarship is about giving young artists the kind of boost that can change the direction of their lives,” says Serena Bates, who founded the program in memory of fellow artist Corrine Hansen Taylor.

Visitors can also catch a glimpse of ACGOW’s summer outreach. The Art for FUN program returns with hands-on workshops in oil painting and book arts.  Diptychs & Triptychs runs July 2 through 27 at ACGOW, located in the historic Westerly Train Station. Admission is free. For more info, visit WesterlyArts.com.