Wendy Hackett-Morgen, “Horse Dreams,” oil on canvas
MONTPELIER – The T.W. Wood Gallery will present the work of Wendy Hackett-Morgen beginning Friday, Sept. 29, in conjunction with Montpelier Art Walk. An artist’s reception will be held on October 6, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the exhibit ends November. 18.
Wendy Hackett-Morgen’s paintings, which border somewhere between abstract and realism, display her deep love and connection to horses from an early age. Her favorite artist was Henri Matisse. Wendy’s paintings of horses are somewhat reminiscent of Susan Rothenburg’s horse paintings, however, where Susan Rothenberg’s horses are tools for formal abstraction, Hackett-Morgen’s paintings and drawings explore abstraction while capturing the quiet attitude and movement of horses.
Wendy Hackett-Morgen, early, showed a facility for drawing and painting, which developed under a supportive mentor at Mamaroneck High School in Westchester, N.Y. After 25 years in and around New York City, Wendy and her husband Michael moved so she could pursue her Masters of Fine Art at SUNY New Paltz, N.Y. This helped her become the artist that she felt deeply drawn to be. Hackett-Morgan exhibited her work in Hudson, N.Y, London, England, and also was awarded two solo shows at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, in Montpelier.
Wendy sang in school choirs all her life, (including Madrigals, in high school) and had a unique and powerful singing voice. Wendy and Michael performed music as a duo in Greenwich Village for 20 years and Wendy was also lead singer for their rock band, “Stormfront,” for five years. The duo played thousands of gigs, two to three times a week at The Back Fence on the corner of Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village. As a strong music duo; their strengths complemented each other. Wendy was the bass player and sang lead on many of the songs being very comfortable on stage. When not harmonizing, Michael sang lead, played guitar, arranged the music, and monitored the sound. Wendy and Michael had many performing adventures together. A memorable highlight was playing during the New York City Black-out of 1977. Despite there being no power for amplification, Wendy’s strong voice brought people into the club, off the street in front of a darkened stage, lit by candlelight.
The T.W. Wood Gallery: A Museum of American Art was founded in 1895 by Montpelier native and 19th-century master artist Thomas Waterman Wood. One of the oldest art museums in Vermont, its mission is to preserve our local artistic heritage and to bring the best of today’s art to Central Vermont. The T.W. Wood Gallery’s permanent collection consists of works by T.W. Wood and his contemporaries and artworks from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era. The Gallery also has two contemporary exhibit spaces, The Nuquist Gallery and the Contemporary Hall, that exhibit the work of regional artists. Located at 46 Barre Street, the Gallery is a short walk from the shops and galleries in downtown Montpelier. For more information visit twwoodgallery.org.
