Faces of Pandemic Frontline Art Show with CSOPA

The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists (CSOPA), responds to the impact of social isolation on artists by having members create a portrait of someone they know who is working on the front lines during COVID19. The result is a telling mix of healthcare professionals and providers of essential services who will receive their portraits as "Thank You" gifts. Faces of Pandemic Front Lines (FPFL,) is an art show of historical importance to the experience of our local pandemic.

ShawnaLee Kwashnak created a Charcoal portrait of Joe Dinova from Four Corners Grocery in Middlebury CT. Joe, a third generation grocer, responded immediately to the needs and safety of his employees and the town. He adjusted quickly to keep his employees on staff, closed the store to the public, delivered groceries and provided safe pick up to the town during the peak of the crisis when groceries were scarce from panicked shoppers. (He even rationed the elusive TP so that everyone could have some!). This iconic image of Joe carrying groceries out of his store has added impact as he is a third generation grocer providing for his town in the footsteps of his father, “Gus” and his Grandfather, Joseph, who started the store in 1941.

According to Joe “The store was on the corner where the Meet Me Here restaurant is. My grandfather and his brothers pedaled produce from Waterbury to Washington depot. Stopping at farms and house selling and buying along the way. At that time they owned the the Washington depot store which was a train stop to and from NYC. We moved the the new location on May 26, 1982.”

You’re invited! There are three ways to experience the FPFL Art Show during the month of June 2020!!!!

~Online Art Gallery: The Faces of Pandemic Front Lines (FPFL) Art Show may be viewed online: http://csopa.homestead.com/2020FPFLGallery.html

~Online Artists Reception: There will be a virtual artist’s reception on Sunday June 14th from 3-5pm. Artists and their subjects will be honored and the public is welcome to attend from the safety and comfort of their homes. free registration and open to the public. It will include artists as well as heroes. Register Here.

~Storefront Window Display: You'll need to take a drive for this one! The portraits will also be on display in a storefront window beginning June 19th at 170 Bedford Street in Stamford CT in collaboration with Stamford Downtown.

For More Information: www.csopa.org/heroes.html.

Artists/Heroes include: Linda Champanier/Evelyn Akin Dahm. Joyce Zeller Endick/Nurse Genevieve Anne Puppel, Cynthia Gillette/Husband Firefighter Earl Gillette, Colleen Hains/Pharmacist Stephanie, Jeanine Careri Jackson/Nurse Kerri Conklin Burghart, Shawna Lee Kwashnak/Grocer Joe Dinova, Christine McBryan/Nurse, Nancy Malkin Stember/Peter Stahl, MD, Wing Na Wong and more... including Student Work sponsored by their art teacher, Bridget Grady! Four talented and selected Northwestern Regional 7 High School Seniors share stories about their heroes and what life for them has been like during this pandemic: Madeline Faith Giaconid/Nicole Lodovicoby, Casidhe Hughe/Kim keegan. Clara Koch/Amy Koch, Carolyn Marek/Elizabeth Marek, Georgia Haley Miller/Big Kev.

To see more Pandemic Portraits by ShawnaLee, visit her artist's facebook page: Portraits by ShawnaLee -photos -pandemic portraits. watch as more pieces will be added over time.

www.shawnalee.com

artist@shawnalee.com