1968 Community Art Exhibit a Big Success

As part of the ONE BOOK – ONE COMMUNITY reading initiative that took place throughout April, the Larchmont Public Library hosted a unique art exhibit featuring works in numerous media by over 40 members of the Larchmont and Mamaroneck communities in the library’s Oresman Gallery. A reception was held in the Gallery on Saturday, April 7, from 2:00 to 4:00pm which was well attended by people from Larchmont and surrounding communities and included a visit from Westchester County Executive, George Latimer.

As tumultuous a decade as 1968 was, it is also known for its impact on the art world. “Pop Art” became tremendously in vogue that year and people like Andy Warhol were very much in the spotlight. The works that were featured in the exhibit either depicted specific events from 1968, or were created in styles that were popular in the late 1960s. The exhibit was unlike any other that the library has hosted as many of the pieces on display have been created specifically for this showing.

Each of the artists had a story to tell about their work and what guided them to create it.

Regina Gelfer, THE BEATLES TRIP TO INDIA: “The work is inspired (as much of my work is) by the Beatles and the impact they had not only on music but on the culture of the time. They were pioneers in changing the way we viewed sound, fashion, philosophies and mindset. In February 1968, the Beatles travelled to India to study Transcendental Mediation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi”.

Tapani Talo, JOHN MAYALL TURNING POINT ALBUM COVER: “I took the original photograph in the fall of 1967 in Helsinki, Finland, where I lived. I graphically processed it in 1968 and I loved the result. When John Mayall came to Finland on tour I gave a copy of my image to him. He asked if he could use it and it became the image for his album The Turning Point. The next year, when he again was touring in Finland, he said I should be sure to send something to him, and it became image used for the USA Union Album cover. The connections I made due to these images led to employment with the Rolling Stones in 1973. I worked for the Stones for 5 years as a sound engineer before pursuing Architecture”.

Charles Seton, ABBIE HOFFMAN AND CHEESEBURGER: “In 1970, Abbie Hoffman spoke at Mamaroneck High School in my Social Studies class. He was wearing the shirt made out of an American flag, which he had been arrested in. The daughter of William Kunstler, who defended the Chicago Seven in 1968, was a teaching assistant at MHS, and had helped to get him to speak to us. I was a student. This was one of my first jobs, and one of my first published photos”.

Gregory Shapiro, COMPOSITION #6: “This geometric composition #6 was painted in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) and inspired by the two Russian avant garde artists: Kazimir Malevich, the founder of Suprematism and Lyubov Popova, one of the first female pioneers in Cubo-Futurism. I was proud of being a part of the unofficial Soviet Nonconformist Art movement in 1960-70s”.

These are but a few of the stories that were told through these artist’s portrayals of the late 1960s and there are many more. The exhibit was made possible through the sponsorship of the Friends of the Larchmont Public Library and was curated by artist, Diane Davis.