Art school plans benefit reception, new exhibit

OLD LYME — To commemorate its reopening this fall, the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts plans a fundraising reception a day before opening its inaugural exhibition, “Memento Vivere.”

The Oct. 16 fundraiser will be a preview of the exhibit.

Tickets to the reception are $100 each, with proceeds to benefit student scholarships at the academy at 84 Lyme St. Works of art, with prices ranging from $350 to $46,000, will be available for purchase, with 40 percent of proceeds benefiting the academy, according to a press release.

Curated by artistic directors Amaya Gurpide and Jordan Sokol, the exhibit, which opens to the public Oct. 17, will feature more than 20 works by international artists. They represent “a progressive vision of the figurative tradition,” an announcement said.

“The vigor of these pieces and the optimism with which the Academy moves forward exemplify the exhibition’s Latin title — Remember to Live — serving as a reminder of the resilience of life and the importance of celebrating it through art,” the news release said.

Featured artists include Felipe Alonso, Steven Assael, David Baird, Colleen Barry, Tamie Beldue, Hedi Ben Nun, Nina Cairns, Eudald De Juana, Hollis Dunlap, Paul Fenniak, Ann Gale, Michael Grimaldi, Amaya Gurpide, Grzegorz Gwiazda, Diarmuid Kelley, Edward Kinsella, Paco Lafarga, Kate Lehman, Eduardo Millan, Eloy Morales, Ed Praybe, Edmond Rochat, Travis Schlaht, Bernardo Siciliano, Will St. John, Peter Van Dyck, Eran Webber, Timothy P. Wilson and Yuval Yosifov.

The reception will be catered by Colt Taylor, executive chef at The Essex.

Masks will not be mandatory, however, they will be available for guests, the announcement said.

The exhibit, in the Chauncey Stillman Gallery, will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Oct. 17 to Dec. 10. Tickets can be purchased by visiting lymeacademy.edu.

Lyme Academy of Fine Arts / Contributed photo Paul Fenniak’s Excursion, oil on canvas.