An Artistic State of Mind

An exhibition of small works curated by Jennifer Cross opens at Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor on Saturday, November 26, with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. The show runs November 23 to December 15, and brings together artwork by East End artists of different generations — the youngest 18, the oldest in her 80s. Done in a variety of media, works define emotional states of being and express diverse points of view — some self-reflective, some political, some transcendent.

The show will include self-portraits by Caren Sturmer, Joseph Cornell Saunders, and Emelia Winter, the latter a potent ink drawing that captures the anxiety of Winter’s final years as a high school student during the age of COVID-19. Jeremy Dennis, member of the Shinnecock Nation, will be represented by a photograph from his “Nothing Happened Here” series, a selection of stylized portraits of nonindigenous people impaled by arrows symbolizing, in a playful way, “white guilt.”

Abstractions capturing mood and nuance by Pam Focarino, Roisin Batemen, Lucille Colin and Christina Schlesinger are included, as well as Sag Harbor artist Michael Butler’s art-filled painting of an interior, Jennifer Cross’ own work responding to current events, and works addressing various states of being and transformation by Christa Maiwald, Burton Van Deusen, Sue Gussow, Kathryn Szoka and Stephanie Brody Lederman.

Canio’s Books is at 290 Main Street, Sag Harbor, and hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. and Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.