Lewis Bryden paints majestic views of the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts in the tradition of the nineteenth-century plein air painters. From works capturing the play of light on water, trees and sky, to softer, sweeping overviews of the Connecticut River Valley, Bryden’s canvases are a place where modern life recedes and nature steps to the fore.

The Connecticut River Watershed Council will join us at the reception for a gallery talk and fundraiser. Learn more about them here.

“For the past 350 years the farmers of my town, Hadley—as farmers in all the Pioneer Valley—have waited impatiently each spring for the ground to thaw so they can plow their fields. Thus begins the most hectic and delightful time of year, a period I call the Growing Season. From the first seeds in the ground to the final harvest in the fall, there is an abundance of outdoor activity that unites us all across the centuries. But it is more than just a time for crops. There are also the home gardens and their gardeners, and the blossoming of the parks and forests. The river and the local lakes, too, become places of activity after being long neglected in the winter. Everything is growing, seemingly—even the people. This is my favorite time of year, and I wanted to celebrate it in paint.”
— Lewis Bryden