The Island’s libraries have a well-earned reputation for serving the community’s cultural and social as well as intellectual needs. In addition to its regularly scheduled programs and events, The West Tisbury Free Public Library continues to bring attention to the artistic talents of Islanders, displaying in turn the work of artists both emerging and established. Guided by Colleen Morris, the Library’s program director, and artist Leslie Baker, who puts everything into play, the Art Wall in the main library has become an ongoing attraction and the opening receptions take on a lively, salon-style atmosphere.
During the month of July, the Art Wall will feature “Neverland,” a show of paintings, photographs, and hand-painted photographs by West Tisbury resident Heather Capece. The public is invited to meet the artist at the show’s opening reception, Thursday, July 4 at 4 pm.
“For this series, I wanted to do things that had to do with book, so I decided on ‘Neverland’ (based on the never-grow-up land in J.M. Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’),” Ms. Capece explains. “The Vineyard landscapes represents adults’ version of Neverland.”
Inspired by the fantasies conjured by childhood imagination, and by her two daughters, five-year-old Lucia and three-year-old Koko, Ms. Capece creates fanciful acrylic paintings of such images as mermaids, fairies, and dragons to decorate the children’s room.
Her Vineyard landscapes are photographed with medium format 120-mm film taken with either a Rolex dual camera or a Helga camera. She also hand-paints many of her black and white images on 35-mm film.
The West Tisbury resident grew up spending summers on the Island. After pursuing an acting career in her 20’s — she worked six years behind the scenes on “Nash Bridges,” Don Johnson’s television show — she returned to the Island, affiliating with the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School where she remains an artist in residence. Ms. Capece recently appeared in Taylor Toole’s movie “Mow Crew.”
Opening reception for Neverland, Heather Capece’s painting and photo show at West Tisbury Free Public Library, is Thursday, July 7, at 4 pm. West Tisbury town center, State Road.
