On Saturday, October 1st, from 6-8pm, True Grit Art Gallery will host an opening reception for ‘It's A Local Thing’— a solo exhibit of artworks created by Middleboro artist L.E. (Lori) Ashley. This event is free and open to the public. Complimentary adult refreshments will be served.
   L.E. Ashley (Lori) grew up in Middleborough, MA, drawing and writing stories since she was a toddler. In the early 1980s, she traded linework for oil paint when she studied under Leland B. Smith in his studio on the third floor of Middleborough's historic Pierce Building. When going through an inspirational "dry-spell", she'd sit at one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and watch summer storms roll in, or study art books —especially the Hudson River School painters. Later, she graduated with a degree in Illustration from UMass Dartmouth. Her work concentrates on landscapes, abandoned properties, and animal portraits. Passionate about history since exploring her grandfather's Acushnet, MA homestead as a child looking for treasure, Lori found a deep affinity for old wooden objects, rusty metal, and antique paper, which she gradually incorporated into her art. Today she crafts "vintage" assemblages, using her oil paintings as a focal point. Most are in miniature, designed to lure the passer-by in for a private glimpse of nostalgia or hometown feel. She draws upon a tactile love for the antique elements in her work and from carefully chosen, painted views to get the observer to smile and say "Yes. I have been here once before, in a simpler time."
  “The pieces I have chosen for this showing are the culmination of a year's work concentrating on local scenes that have touched my heart.” says Lori. “It's been a very long year of changes and difficulties, love and sadness. I watched as my little, happy-go-lucky dog Ollie struggled with congestive heart failure, and finally took his last breath. Often I would paint through tears and deep introspection on the presence and absence of loved ones, searching for meaning, and a sense of grounding. In the process of completing these works, I found a glimpse of that grounding, that balance, coming to the conclusion that what matters most in life is with who and what you closely surround yourself—the people, animals, landscapes, and memories you hold very close to your soul. The small things, the familiar. The ‘Local Things’. “
   ‘It's A Local Thing’ runs from its opening night through October 29th. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St in Middleboro, MA. Regular gallery hours are Tues 11-4, Wed thru Fri 10-5, and Sat 10-3.

   Join us Saturday, July 23, from 6 to 8 pm, as we host an opening reception for 'American Sublime', featuring recent work by gallery co-owner and resident artist Peter J Damon. Enjoy complementary adult refreshments, meet and chat with the artist, and socialize with other local art enthusiasts. Free and open to the public. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St. in Middleborough, Massachusetts. This show will be posted online, here at our website,  beginning Tuesday, July 26th.

   Join us Saturday, June 25, from 6 to 8 PM as we host an opening reception for Margaret Rosenbaum's 'Explorations — A Cycle Of Mixed Media Images From Spring 2021- 22'. Enjoy complementary adult refreshments, meet the artist. Free and open to the public. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St. in Middleboro, MA.
   "We live in complex, often distressing times. Yet I am still captivated by the natural world, its patterns of light and shadow, palette of colors, and diversity of forms. I feel a deep connection to nature that inspires me to interpret and express what resonates within as I explore the local landscape on walks, or glance at a golden sunrise outside the kitchen window. In these moments, my mood shifts from worry to wonder and delight. My exploration continues in the studio. The pieces I create are unique, as each moment and each response is singular. But as days go by a series evolves, then another, based on the shifting seasons and responses. I use paints, ink, papers, collage materials, new ideas and inspirations to recreate the essence of those moments with nature. My intention is to hold on to that uplifting connection— and share it!"

   "Since childhood, I have been inclined to express myself through drawing or painting in any medium available, crayons, pencils, pastels, oil paint, beach sand by the ocean. Inspired by a workshop with Lisa Daria in 2016, I have been painting 6”x 6” floral acrylics on art board in my home studio. I named this project “Bright Spots”, reflecting my wish to create more light and beauty in this complex, difficult world. Now retired from teaching mathematics, painting has become a daily ritual, and I created Bright Spots Studio. I continue my daily painting practice, as well as create additional work in pastel, acrylic, mixed media, and watercolor. My pieces are always based on the natural world; its vivid brightness and shadows, colors, and organic shapes. I wish to convey something of the beauty and mystery of the world we inhabit in each image I create" — Margaret Rosenbaum







— Margaret Rosenbaum

   Join us Saturday, May 21st from 6-8pm as we host an opening reception for 'Sky Magic '—recent works from Cape Cod artist Suzette Lebenzon. Enjoy complementary adult refreshments and socialize with other local art enthusiasts. Meet and chat with the artist about her works. This event is free and open to the public. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St. In Middleboro, Massachusetts

  Suzette Lebenzon grew up by the sea in Scituate, MA. She began painting from an early age at the tutelage of her father, and majored in fine art at college. Suzette kept a studio for most of her adult life, while also working as a nurse. Her circumstances moved her around the country, which gave her opportunities to study with a wide variety of painters. She has shown her work from Maine to California. Most recently, her solo show “Cape Dreams” hung at The Commons in Provincetown (June 2021) and she was the featured artist of “Local Color” at Scituate’s Front Street Art Gallery (August 2021). Suzette is prompted by her natural environment to make her art. The spectacles of the sun and moon, clouds, marshes, and waves, capture her fancy as subject matter. She is compelled to paint her experience of being in a place, rather than a depiction based on realism. After a victorious battle with cancer, Suzette left her nursing career to pursue a devoted full-time art practice. “Each day is to be celebrated, so I try to put that joy into my paintings,” says Lebenzon. “Optimistic Contemporary Landscape,” is how she describes her present work. Suzette makes her home and studio in Wellfleet, MA.

    Living on Cape Cod, the skies, marshes, and sea, provide wondrous theater. A place never appears the same twice, as it is influenced by weather, time of day, tides, and even my own mood. I am taken with the motion and colors of clouds, the boldness of the sun, and the elegance of the moon. Tumbling waves, chaotic after a storm, are visual wonders. I watch them and record their commotion in my mind’s eye to use as reference in the studio. Driven by the need to record the feeling of being present at a particular celestial event, perhaps a moonrise over the dunes, I paint to capture my memory of the experience. Color is exaggerated or even improvised, often resulting in a dreamlike image — S. L.

Join us Saturday, April 16, from 6 to 8pm as we host an opening reception for our open group exhibition 'ABSTRACTS'. Enjoy complimentary adult refreshments, meet the artists, and socialize with other local art enthusiasts. 'ABSTRACTS' will be up from it's opening night through May 14th and features over 70 works in abstract art from over 25 local and regional artists.

    Beginning Tuesday, February 8th, True Grit Art Gallery (Middleboro,MA) will host a retrospective exhibition of paintings by long-time Middleboro resident and accomplished artist George Edward Hartley. Sadly, George passed away in 2020 but left behind an impressive body of artworks that deserve to be seen by the public. Through a collaboration with surviving family members, the gallery will showcase an exhibition of the deceased artist’s large paintings. ‘George Hartley: Native Son’ is on view at True Grit Art Gallery from February 8th through April 9th of 2022.
   George was born a twin on January 1, 1933, in Boston. He moved to Middleboro with his family when he was a boy and graduated from Middleboro High School in 1950. He served on an oil tanker in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii and Kodiak, Alaska, after which he returned to Middleboro and worked as a lumberjack. In the late 1960s, he became a member of the Iron Workers Union Local 7 in Boston.
   After retiring from construction in the late 1980s, he became a full-time painter. He was a member of the prestigious Copley Society of Art in Boston. One of his early influences was Maxfield Parrish, whose technique of glazing led George to experiment with earlier painting methods of the nineteenth century. Recurring themes of nineteenth-century Romantic poetry can be discerned in many of his works. A love of history and nostalgia is also prevalent in many of his trompe l’oeil- style, still-life paintings. George used family members and acquaintances as models in his works, often depicting them in scenes from mythology and literature.
   As a whole, George Hartley’s paintings suggest he was a renaissance man of many dimensions who lived a rich and rewarding life. In addition to painting, this blue-collar worker turned artist also enjoyed ballroom dancing, traveling, and playing the harmonica. It is apparent through his works that he was a man not content to let life pass him by.

​   Join us Saturday, Dec 11, from 6-8pm as we host an opening reception for our annual small-works show, 'Small Wonders 2021', featuring works of fine art and photography priced for the holiday season. Enjoy complimentary adult refreshments and meet some incredible local artists. Free and open to everyone. 'Small Wonders' runs through Jan 8, 2022. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St in Middleboro, MA.

   Join us Saturday, Oct 9, from 6-8pm for the Opening Reception to popular gallery artist Tatiana Roulin's upcoming show, 'Inspirations'. Come meet the artist herself and enjoy some complimentary adult refreshments while you socialize with other local art enthusiasts.
 
 Tatiana Roulinis an award-winning, internationally renowned representational painter who has been working in New England as a full time artist for the past 20 years. Currently Tatiana is primarily working in oil and pastel but she is proficient in all fine art mediums. Her credentials include being a juried member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA) and Pastel Society of America (PSA). She is also a member of many art associations in NewEngland. Roulin’s approach combines the classic atelier training, largely based ontechniques used by the Old Masters, with her own personal style expressed through the harmony of design, color and light. Her art is in many private, corporate and public collections worldwide, including many European countries, Canada, Australia, South America and China. A few major collectors in Massachusetts include: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office of Boston; The Department of Youth Services; Unquity House; and Suportel Portuguese Supermarket Chain


     The COVID pandemic has changed our lives and affected us globally and individually, bringing loss, uncertainty and separation, making many people feel devastated and unmotivated. It encompassed our lives and suppressed many positive things, bringing to the surface the darkest feelings. The world we live in changed and not for the better. Yet it still has glorious beauty that can heal and inspire. As a person and an artist, I want to stay focused on the positive side and translate it through my creative work. Art is a great and unique form of communication that has no borders or limitations. For me personally, art has always helped me to overcome any life circumstance. I called my show 'Inspirations' because this is about things and places that moved and inspired me. There are many locations I painted during the pandemic, including Cape Cod beaches and the surrounding areas, several locations of New York State (New York City, Ithaca & many other upstate NY locations), many local areas of Southeastern Massachusetts (World's End of Hingham, locations of Marshfield, notable locations around Sharon, my home town), and more.

     As a full time artist I am used to painting a lot, both outdoors (en plein air) and in my studio. I mainly work in oil and pastel. As a representational painter, I find it important to catch the interaction between light and shadow and how it affects whatever I paint, conveying the atmosphere of the place when it comes to landscapes. Accuracy of translating this interaction is a key to any successful painting in my opinion. I aim to capture the momentum, translating the physical appearance of reality while also reflecting my own personal vision. That vision is expressed through the harmony of design, color, and light.
  
   Whenever I paint, I try to make people see the ordinary in a new perspective. A reminder that beauty is all around. It is just a matter of stopping for a moment to see it. People find that my paintings 'can evoke feelings of calm happiness and joy', can 'light up the room', and 'enable us to stop and appreciate a view we may see everyday'. — T.R.

See full show here

   Join us Saturday, June 26th, from 6-8pm, as we host an opening reception for ‘BEing’— a solo exhibit of artwork by Boston-based artist FJ Rod. Enjoy complimentary adult refreshments, and socialize with other art enthusiasts while viewing and enjoying the work of an emerging local talent. This event is free and open to everyone.
   “As a self-taught, mixed-media artist, I hope to embrace the viewer on a visceral level with works that explore the most beautiful, raw parts of life,” says FJ. “ I push myself incessantly to discover a part of me that I didn’t think could exist. With every brushstroke, I learn something new; gaining the ability to face my fears and break through limitations. Art has taught me that the world is without limits. My mission is to explore the most beautiful and raw parts of life through my work. In doing so, I hope to inspire others to do the same.”
   “The mediums I use depend on what phase I’m currently going through,” the artist explains. “I will work in oils through one phase, then move onto a different one when I see fit. I enjoy popping colors, especially contrasting ones, as well as using varied textures. My process is to start a painting using a brush, then turn to a palette knife for movement and texture. I also love to scratch at a nearly finished painting to give the work more texture and life. My goal is to draw someone in for a closer look, and to feel the urge to touch the piece”
  “Being self-taught, I see my work as outside the mainstream. It was never my intention to pursue painting, but art came to me when my life was in crisis and it proved therapeutic beyond my expectations. I learned about myself: my talents, my drive, and my work ethic. Art has become a major focus of my life. It enlightens me. It entertains me. It deepens me. I hope it does the same for others.”
  ‘BEing’ runs from its opening night through July 24th. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St in Middleboro, MA. Regular gallery hours are Tues 11-4, Wed thru Fri 10-5, and Sat 10-3.

Join us Saturday Evening, Dec 12th as we host a staggered reception for our upcoming exhibition of smaller, more affordable artworks for the holiday season. COVID19 has wreaked havoc on small businesses throughout the nation and support for local artists is more imperative now than ever before! The foundation for every thriving community is built upon the arts and culture of that community. We appreciate your continued support in these trying times. And tradition is important as well! That's why we're moving forward with our holiday show. Help to keep it safe by reserving your spots to this great holiday tradition here!  

  On Saturday, Sep 19th, beginning at 5:00pm, True Grit Art Gallery will host a staggered  opening for a solo art exhibition from Blackstone, MA artist Mike Perron entitled ‘Where We Were— Paintings From Before Now’ . In accordance with social distancing guidelines, and in order to limit the number of occupants at one time, the gallery requests that attendees reserve spots to attend the event during one of three spaced 50-minute intervals throughout the evening. Attendees can reserve their spots at here or by calling the gallery at 774-419-4160. Attendees will enjoy complimentary wine, beer, snacks and hear from the artist himself as he speaks about his paintings and the experiences that inspired them. The gallery has taken a number of precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening experiencing the local arts. A limited number of free tickets to the reception are available.
   Mike Perron is a special educator and part-time art instructor teaching oil painting techniques to teens at Hunakai Studio in Foxboro, MA. Mike has trained in myriad of pursuits including painting and drawing, sculpture, furniture design, ceramics, metal work, and stained glass. “To me, art speaks to a culture, it tells a story of where we are, and where we have come from, perhaps imagining where we are going to be.” says Mike. Channeling Proust, he exclaims, “I have found that a color or an object can sometimes transport our imaginations to where we have been. A certain color can remind me of a glass I used to drink from on a warm summer day, or the hazy sun on a picture plane might trigger a specific memory of a trip to the beach with my pepere as a child.”   

    ‘Where We Were— Paintings From Before Now”’ is on view from it’s opening night of  Sep 19th through Oct 10th.

**REQUEST FREE TICKETS TO OUR NEXT EVENT— Sat, Jun 20, 5-8pm**
Things are looking up. And respectfully, we MUST start taking steps to plan our next event. We anticipate the reopening of retail stores in Massachusetts within the coming weeks. We also expect there will be limits on capacity levels. For that reason, we will STAGGER our next opening reception, letting in a limited amount of people within several time-frames throughout the evening. Request your FREE tickets at the following link and we will let you know when to arrive. https://www.truegritartgallery.com/request-tickets.html


So join us Saturday, June 20th as we host an opening reception for 'Artful Journey— Paintings by Joli Ayn Wood'. Enjoy complimentary wine, beer, and snacks. Meet the  artist and marvel at a vast array of her compelling plein- air paintings.  Previously hailing from Virginia, Joli is  a recent arrival to Massachusetts' North Shore. Her exhibit reflects how this transfer has affected her artistic pursuits. 

Social distancing guidelines will be in place!

​Virtual Reception: in addition to our regular opening reception, we will also be hosting a virtual reception on both our Facebook and YouTube pages on Saturday, June 27th  at 7pm. Patrons will be able to  live comment with the  artist and also purchase show pieces online.