Founders Gallery

Gallery on the Green Presents Vernal Vibes, a member’s exhibit plus two solo exhibits: The Lilijean Metcalf Retrospective in Memoriam and an exhibit by Sarah and Terrance Regan.

Canton, CT -  Friday, April 24 through Saturday, May 23, 2026

Opening Reception:  Saturday, April 25, 6:00-8:00 pm

Cost:  Free – open to the public

In Vernal Vibes, an all-members' exhibit in the Founders’ Gallery, members of the Canton Artists’ Guild imaginatively explore diverse aspects of the meaning of vernal (of, relating to or pertaining to spring).  The work will range from realism to abstraction and include landscapes, portraits, still lives, non-objective compositions as well as a variety of three dimensional sculptures.  Come see these compelling takes on Vernal Vibes in prints, drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, collages and fiber art.

In the upstairs galleries are two solo shows; a retrospective in memoriam honors the legacy of Lilijean H. Metcalf, a Connecticut artist who painted primarily in watercolor in the Upstairs Gallery, and in the Spotlight gallery, an exhibit illustrating the collaborative relationship of an artist couple, Sarah and Terrance Regan including paintings and ceramic vessels by Sarah and mixed media works by Terrance.

The Lilijean H. Metcalf Memorial Exhibit, in the Upstairs Gallery, is a retrospective honoring the legacy of a Connecticut artist who painted primarily in watercolor but with an intensity and depth of feeling one does not expect to find in this medium. Her carefully drafted realist landscapes and portrait paintings, often rendered in quiet, somber palettes, carry a gentle yet powerful sense of yearning and critics described her work as possessing “an unusual humanist quality.” 

Born and raised in Torrington, Connecticut, Metcalf had been drawing and painting since she was eight and was largely self-taught. She painted indoors, forming compositions in her mind during early morning walks near her Avon home, believing that “every one of my paintings is a self-portrait.” Her most active years featured paintings of gnarled rocks, weathered cedars, windswept field grass and lone figures. 

Her first landscape, painted in 1964, won a prize at the Wadsworth Atheneum, beginning a distinguished 45-year career that included fifteen solo exhibitions and major shows at the New Britain Museum of American Art and the Silvermine Guild of Artists. Over the years, she earned over 30 awards in juried shows including at the New York National Academy of Design, the DeCordova Museum, and the Slater Memorial Museum. Beyond her studio, she was an elected member of eight professional artist organizations and served as President of the Connecticut Society of Women Painters, was on the Canton Artists’ Guild Board of Directors (1965 -1979), and held leadership roles in the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and the Connecticut Watercolor Society, leaving a lasting mark on the region’s artistic community.

Still Points in a Turning World, in the Spotlight Gallery, features paintings and sculpture by Sarah and Terrance Regan. Sarah’s body of work uses portraits and decorative illustrations to investigate themes of motherhood. This body of work is made up of paintings and ceramic vessels referencing a “blue period,” primarily working in a limited palette, Sarah is reclaiming her postpartum experience as one of tenderness and transformation.

Terrance Regan’s work focuses on life from another angle, the ever growing, ever churning undercurrent of life sprung anew. From algae blooms in the pond to moss covered roofs, this body of work is made using found detritus, clays, muds and mortars, collages and scrap materials which are given new lease on life when scooped up and dumped into the crucible of creativity. The show displays the two artist’s different interpretations of life anew, the beautiful and precious, and the overlooked and uncared for. Life evolves for all things, swept up in a tide of ever-changing energy.

Sarah and Terrance Regan are practicing artists and art teachers living in Canton, CT. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Connecticut where she received a BA in Art History and subsequently worked for three years at the New Britain Museum of American Art. She currently holds a BS in Art Education at Central Connecticut State University and teaches art in West Hartford. Terrance is a mixed media artist working with a variety of materials creating two and three dimensional artworks and installations. He also is an experimental/ambient musician performing in the New England area including New Haven. 

An opening reception is on Saturday, April 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The public is warmly invited to attend this free reception.

Spotlight Gallery:

Sarah Regan & Terrance Regan
Friday, April 24th through Saturday, May 23rd, 2026
Opening Reception:  Saturday, April 25th, 2026 6:00-8:00 pm
Gallery Hours Friday -Sunday 1-5 pm

Upstairs Gallery:

“Lilijean Metcalf Retrospective in Memoriam”
Friday, April 24th through Saturday, May 23rd, 2026
Opening Reception:  Saturday, April 25th, 2026 6:00-8:00 pm
Gallery Hours Friday -Sunday 1-5 pm

Walter & Noel Baker Sculpture Garden