CooleyGallery.com
Title
American Paintings: American Impressionism and Hudson River School at The Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, Connecticut, home of the Lyme Impressionists
Description
A more dramatic change of scene and focus would be hard to imagine than my switch from building wooden racing shells in Northern Vermont to working in the American Painting Department at Christie's in New York City back in 1981. In fact, it may not be as strange as it sounds, as I had grown up around my father Paul Cooley's business and own collection. Through some form of osmosis I began to appreciate the beauty and value of fine art and antiques, even as a kid, though it was the great outdoors that always beckoned me. It was through the process of selling a handful of my father's old master paintings that I was introduced to both the art world and the art market in New York. I was hooked. I visited museums and galleries, finally discovering the American Luminists at the landmark exhibition at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Between the awesome beauty of the 19th century depictions of the American wilderness and the excitement of seeing the market place at work, I immediately dreamed of having my own gallery to create exhibitions and develop relationships with new and established collectors. My two years helping the Christie's American Painting Department grow offered a remarkable education and a lot of interesting times.
As electric and engaging as the auction world was, it didn't have the sense of permanence and passion that the prominent art galleries in the city conveyed. I have worked hard to establish a high level of connoisseurship, combining it with a friendly, inclusive atmosphere in my gallery here in Old Lyme, Connecticut. While there are disadvantages to being out of the mainstream, visitors to the gallery consistently remark at the surprising quality of the art and the remarkable space in which we exhibit it all.
While a primary interest of mine is the mid-19th century painters of the Hudson River School, we are inevitably linked as well to the painters of the Old Lyme Art Colony. Our proximity to the Florence Griswold Museum, one of our nations true gems of the museum world, has helped to promote the awareness and interest in the region's artists.
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