REMEMBERING CHRIS: AN EXHIBIT IN HONOR OF CHRISTOPHER R. MORLEY, 1953-2011

For the month of April, The David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village will honor a dear friend, Chris Morley, with an art exhibit featuring his work and that of three local artists who knew him well: Michael Gellatly, Pieter Lefferts, and Karen LeSage. The exhibit will be on display on the library’s art wall from April 9 through April 28. A reception with refreshments will take place on Saturday, April 14 from 5pm to 7pm.

Mr. Morley, who passed away in April of 2011, helped make the library’s art wall a permanent feature for the exhibition of local artists. The library’s art wall committee thought it would be appropriate to honor Chris this year with an exhibit of three artists who were his close friends and whose work he collected.


Michael Gellatly, who was Chris’ art instructor for several years, is the illustrator for the popular mystery writer, Rita Mae Brown. Mr. Gellatly’s work (right) in this exhibit includes graphite drawings featuring corgis and other animal characters from Ms. Brown’s books including the cat heroine, Mrs. Murphy.

Pieter Lefferts, a painter and art instructor from Sharon , will exhibit a selection of his landscapes, both in oil and pastel. Pieter was Chris’ choice for the inaugural exhibit on the Hunt Library’s art wall in April of last year.

Karen LeSage’s first exhibit of her enigmatic abstract landscapes took place at the Hunt Library in 2002. Since then, Karen has exhibited regularly at venues around the Berkshires, most notably with the Ober Gallery in Kent .

In addition to these artists’ work, the library is pleased to exhibit works by Chris Morley himself. Chris’ work, on loan to the library by his wife, Leone, includes a gentle and subdued self portrait and several eccentric still life paintings that display a humorous combination of brightly-colored objects. Ms. LeSage said of Chris last year, “I have never met an art appreciator like him. He collected art with unbridled glee and, in recent years, began making art himself. His first paintings were remarkably vital and reinforced my belief that ‘passion trumps technique.’”

April 6 through April 28

Reception: Saturday, April 14, 5-7pm; Refreshments; Free; wheelchair accessible
David M. Hunt Library, 63 Main Street, Falls Village, CT 06031 / 860-824-7424

LOCAL HISTORY PRESENTATION: THE FOUNDING OF THE HUNT LIBRARY on March 24

For the month of March, and in honor of Women’s History Month, The David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village will focus its attention on the family that established and built an institution that has served its community for over 120 years.

On Saturday, March 24th, there will be a lecture entitled The Founding of the David M. Hunt Library, accompanied by many historic pictures and an exhibit on the library’s art wall. The lecture by Betty Tyburski will begin at 4:00 pm and will be followed by a brief reception. The lecture relates to the lives of David Morgan Hunt, for whom the library is named, and his three sisters--Harriet, Wealthy Ann (photo below) and Catherine, who gave the money to build and sustain the library in honor of their beloved brother.


The Founding of the Hunt Library is the story of the prominent Hunt family, whose local influence was significant during the 19th century. The talk will cover all aspects of the library’s founding, from the bequests the sisters left to the people who played major roles in establishing a library that remains a central community institution to this day.

Betty Tyburski has been curator of the library’s archival Connecticut Room for many years. Tyburski’s narrative is rich in incident and character, bringing the village, the Hunts, and the library to life. Betty was assisted by town historian Elizabeth Clark and artist Sergei Fedorjaczenko, both Hunt Library board members, in assembling a wealth of photographs, documents, and ephemera that compliment the presentation. The art wall exhibit, which will be on display throughout the month of March, will feature many of these historical items including a series of portraits of Hunt family members and others integral to the library’s founding.


Free presentation with refreshments, 4pm to 6pm

Exhibit through March 31; Tues/Thurs 10am to 5pm; Weds 2pm to 8pm; Fri 2pm to 6pm; Sat 10am to 2pm