Finnegan’s Farm: Then and Now

Old Lyme is the home of American Impressionism and has been an active artist colony since Henry Ward Ranger asked for lodging at the home of Florence Griswold. This show is a tribute to the tradition of sharing a beautiful place with visual artists, allowing them to continue to do what they are suppose to do, inspire us!

Finnegan’s Farm: Then and Now was sponsored by The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts was curated by Patricia O’Shaughnessy, with amazing support from Stephanie Richards, assistance from Sandy Garvin, and was only made possible by all the artists who participated.

It was a salute to the artists whom we befriended while living at Finnegan's Farm, from 1990 to 2010 and a salute to Sylvia Marsh, an artist, a watercolorist, our landlady, who actually encouraged us to sublease to all those artists! We were blessed to have such a liberal, engaging, and endearing person who encourages us to share. And she always did, freshly baked bread, paintings and always flowers. The artists and their artist friends who shared our house, their friends who came to parties, enjoyed the beach, painted on the property made it a plein air paradise of sorts. We took our cue from the original, the Griswold home, with Sylvia's blessings.

This was a very personal Fine Art show and it was a wonderful salute to a time and a place. Even though it has changed and Patti is no longer in Old Lyme to enjoy the weekly change of seasons, she continues to love dearly the spirit of the place.