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