Warren watercolorist, the late Gary Eckhart, was honored last week when the Big Red Barn art gallery at Lareau Farm and Forest was dedicated to him.
At the June 11 dedication, which preceded the opening reception for the annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition, which Eckhart founded, friends, family and fellow artists gathered to toast Eckhart and his contributions to art in The Valley.
In the Big Red Barn at American Flatbread/Lareau Farm and Forest in Waitsfield, co-founder George Schenk invited all to offer tributes and opened the ceremony with these words:
“When I think about Gary Eckhart, what I think most about is a profound dedication to the arts but also to us, and what that was that was helping us better understand the worth of art,” Schenk said.
GREAT WORTH
He said Eckhart always had something positive to say about people’s art – even when it was less developed or childlike.
“I was just taken away and felt a kind of validation that I might otherwise not have felt. And I think that Gary did that for all of us and he pointed to everyone. He saw the great worth and the beauty in each person and in this landscape. He loved the mountains, the trees, the running water. And that love of life, that love of place, that love of beauty made the world better. It made our world better, and it made this show amazing,” Schenk continued.
I was always breathtaken when Gary was organizing this show and would get all these great artists to bring all their stuff to this little barn in this faraway place and put on a real show that got recognized both nationally and internationally. That was because Gary put his heart into it. His heart and his skill were so good that people wanted to be part of the art that he was advocating for and worked so hard to make real,” Schenk added.
GOOD AND IMPORTANT
Schenk mentioned the three other shows that happen in the gallery throughout the year, all which benefit from the work of Valley Arts and the Valley Arts Guild, both of which Eckhart was involved in.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to have this place used for such a good and important purpose. When we think about our own society, so often we’ve gotten caught up in science and engineering and technology and math and sometimes as a result of that emphasis we have de-emphasized and defunded the arts, but when we look at society more broadly, what we so often see is that it’s the arts that are at the center of rejuvenating our inner cities, so often it is the arts where kids who don’t excel in science or math find a place and purpose and way to express themselves in ways that are meaningful and joyful. Gary helped us all see those things and do those things and it’s my pleasure to have you all here tonight,” he concluded.
No one spoke after Schenk other than to acknowledge he’d said it all and said it well. The toast was raised, and the cake was cut.
