The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Flanders founder is focus of exhibit, talk
WOODBURY — Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust founder Natalie Van Vleck was an artist, farmer, businesswoman and environmentalist. She was also a woman of mystery with a fascinating history, according to Flanders Nature Center members. Born in 1901 in New York City to well-to-do parents, she developed a talent for art at an early age, evolving into a well-regarded artist of her time.
“A rugged individualist, Van Vleck had a well-developed sense of self. Just as she did not conform to any one school in her artistic style, she also did not conform to feminine sensibilities, cutting her hair short and preferring men’s clothing. She painted and created for her own satisfaction,” members said in a statement.
In 1926, the Van Vleck family bought a farm and farmhouse along Flanders Road in Woodbury. She had an art studio and a carpentry shop built near her parents’ home. It was there where much of her artwork was created.
The year 2020 is the Year of the Woman for museums across the nation. It also marks a year since a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Van Vleck’s work was held at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury.
Flanders curator Marc Chabot and Flanders Art Committee members will present a lecture and presentation of her work and life, on screen and on exhibit in the nature center’s studio at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
Chabot will speak about Van Vleck’s role in early 20th century American Modernist art, some challenges the curator faced in unearthing or verifying new information, and reveal information on some of her lost works, untraced by the center’s founder, known only from cryptic catalogue entries or tiny archival photos, according to a statement.
The Flanders’ Studio is located at 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury. Cost for attendance is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. Those interested in attending are asked to preregister online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 12, for more information.