Via Community News Service, a VTSU-Castleton internship, for Mountain Times
CASTLETON — The collective art pieces in the Merwin Gallery in Castleton cover the 200-year-old house, once Adam’s Feed and Grain store, from top to bottom.
For nearly 30 years, the gallery has showcased the Merwin family’s art and is co-owned by husband-and-wife duo Julie Merwin, an author and illustrator, and Matt Merwin, a painter. They also feature the videography of their son, Matt.
The gallery is located at 557 Main St. in Castleton, next to the Castleton Pizza Place and Deli, and doubles as an art studio for both Tom and Julie.
The two-story gallery features watercolor landscapes and studios both upstairs and downstairs, where Tom does much of his painting. It includes a variety of works from painting to literature to film because the Merwin trio shares unique artistic talents.
“The watercolors are all my husband Tom’s,” Julie said. “He’s been painting for about 60 years, and we’ve been here for, next year it’ll be 30 years.”
Just inside the front door, some of Julie’s books are displayed under her company, MacGregor House Publishing.
“Anything that you see that is pen and ink is my pen and ink,” she said.
Julie said that although the winter months tend to be their downtime, they get many tourists throughout the warmer seasons.
Tom grew up hiking, sketching, and painting the landscapes of New York and Vermont, and received his training from the Art Students League in New York. His grandfather was a dealer of impressionist art.
Tom said his work tends toward landscapes, utilizing stencils within them. He said he uses the stencils to pick out figures he sees within the landscape and makes humanistic figure drawings.
Tom works out of a studio in the downstairs part of the gallery, but said he prefers to work outdoors in the warmer seasons.
“In the spring and summer and autumn, I do a lot of work outdoors, drawing landscapes,” he said.
He said he spends about four days a week in the studio.
Before settling in the village of Castleton, Tom had numerous other exhibits throughout Vermont, including the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier and the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester. Other exhibits included the T.W. Wood Gallery, also in Montpelier, and the 77 Gallery in Rutland.
Matt showcases his videography work in the gallery as well, under his production company, Drawing Water Productions.
Julie said the family’s work is also featured at Kaleidoscope Art Supply, an art supply shop and gallery in Rutland.
Raven Crispino, founder of Kaleidoscope Art Supply, said she showcases their work and has sold two of Tom’s paintings. She said she first met Tom at the HUB CoWorks in Rutland, and they have been friends and supporters of each other ever since.
Crispino said Castleton needs the gallery and that the Merwins are incredibly deserving of recognition from their community.