Artist Reception: Claudia Mengel on ‘Alchemy of Light’

Join us on  Wednesday, December 18 , for our artist conversation with Claudia Mengel, whose exhibit, Alchemy of Light, will be on display in The Westport Library's Sheffer Gallery from December 14, 2024, through February 4, 2025.  There will be a reception from 6 to 7 pm, followed by a conversation between Mengel and Miggs Burroughs from 7 to 8 pm.

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Despite its intended goal of turning common metal into gold, a mystical aspect of alchemy was at the heart of its expression in the Middle Ages. It was thus associated not only with chemical experimentation, but also with the spiritual belief in ultimate transformation.

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Viewing these canvases, one can almost feel that transformation, thanks to Mengel’s playful experimentation with paint and her soulful combination of interior ideas and experiences.

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On the topic of her artistic process, Mengel said, “To be an artist, one needs to be in a world of inner connection — at times both poetic and spiritual. Although I draw upon art history especially the Impressionists and Abstract Expressionists, I paint from my own impressions and memories. It is my experience as an artist to take my ideas, images, and inspirations and transform them on the canvas, where together they create a dialogue.”

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A longtime resident of Westport and a lifetime artist, Mengel graduated with a BFA from Brainard Art School at State University of New York at Potsdam. Subsequently, she studied painting with Yale University Professor Robert Reed and painting with Boston University Professor Hugh O’Donnell. In addition, she studied concepts of art in Darien with Constance Kiermaier and has done two residencies at the Vermont Studio School. Her work is in private and corporate collections in the United States and abroad.

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