By John Chambless
Staff Writer

The longtime link of the Wyeth family and the Chadds Ford Art Show was shown in the showcase at the Chadds Ford Elementary School last weekend, where prints – some of them signed – were up for raffle. But the spotlight of the show is on new, contemporary works in the gym, which is transformed each year into an art gallery that manages to not look too much like a gym.

The 67th annual show brought together regional painters, photographers, sculptors and artisans for a weekend must-see event.

Spotlighted on the stage were originals and prints by featured artist Helena van Emmerik-Finn, whose pastel animal portraits, still lifes and landscapes glowed with vibrant colors. Familiar artists such as Richard Bollinger showed alongside the distinctive semi-abstract landscapes by Carol Lesher, Frank DePietro's razor-sharp paintings of fields, homes and endless skies, and J. Wayne Bystrom's large expanses of field, streams and woodlands that were made up of thousands of tiny details.

West Chester artist John Suplee showed six fine acrylic paintings that wryly commented on West Chester sprawl (“New Neighbors,” “The Rabbit Proof Fence”), and celebrated generations of artists and history in his huge “Giants Revisited.”

Jacalyn Beam's warm depictions of weathered buildings and dappled sunlight were a welcome addition, and Mary Ann Weselyk showed vibrant, stylized paintings of cats and flowers hat had a fun 1950s vintage vibe.

Among the surprises were the fascinating three-dimensional collages by Greg Jaskat, which had splendid, time-worn surfaces and intriguing juxtapositions of objects. You could also admire three awe-inspiring bronze sculptures by Lorann Jacobs, including a White Rabbit that seemed ready to speak.

Packing together a who's-who of regional artists into one place makes the annual show a popular destination for buyers and browsers, and the show raises money for educational programs at the school. It's a win-win for the artists, buyers and for students, and it's a showplace for art and inspiration.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].