Pound Ridge Library exhibit spotlights ‘Women Through Women’

Kelly Edwards, “Carry Me,” Watercolor/ink/photo transfer. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Tracy Burtz, “Silence,” oil on linen. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

By NEAL RENTZ

Tracy Burtz described what she found interesting about creating the female form in her artwork.

“I grew up in a house full of women. I have three sisters and have always had close friendships with women my whole life,” said Burtz, who lives in Pleasantville. “I love being a woman and find the female form to be beautiful. Often my paintings have an autobiographical element to them, at least when I start them.”

Burtz is one of nine female Westchester- and Connecticut-based artists whose works will be featured in “Women Through Women: Contemporary Female Portraiture” from March 18 through May 10 at the Pound Ridge Library, located at 271 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge.

Monique Ford, a Bedford resident who grew up in Katonah, is curating the exhibit and will also have her work on display.

In addition, Ford said this week she will be leading the artist talk during the reception Saturday, April 19, from 3 to 5 p.m.

“Marcy B. Freedman, Tracy Burtz, Kelly Edwards and Gail Buggy will be speaking about their work during the artist talk,” Ford said. “The focus will be on their connection to the female form, what motivates them to keep returning to the female form and how their work has developed over time.”

“‘Women Through Women’ celebrates the work of female artists who use the female form as their main subject matter,” Ford said, noting that March is Women’s History Month. “My goal is to honor our local community of female artists who work with the female form.”

The exhibit will feature paintings, photographs and mixed media, as well as 2-dimensional works done by hand and digitally, Ford said.

The artworks that will be on display are available for purchase.

“Each work tells its own story and has its own relationship to the viewer and to the psychology of their own composition,” Ford said.

“Whether approached from a documentary angle or interpreted through brushstrokes, each artist shares a diverse range of stories, all seen through the female lens,” Ford said. “The works in this collection are capable of being both intimate and profound, as well as lighthearted and whimsical, capturing the multifaceted nature of the female experience.”

Ford praised the artists who will be featured in the upcoming exhibit. “It’s this unique ability to convey the sacred essence of womanhood that makes their work so powerful,” she said. “Through this project, I hope to foster a vibrant, supportive community for these artists — a space where dialogue around the female form can flourish and inspire future collaborations and communities. “

Ford noted that she previously held a solo show at the Pound Ridge Library and enjoys working in the facility.

Ford is the chair of exhibitions at the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association. “I’m passionate about exhibiting my work throughout the local community and raising awareness of the emerged artist, as there is always a focus on the emerging artist,” she said.

Burtz explained why she wanted her work to be exhibited as part of “Women Through Women.”

“I met Monique Ford through the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association and when she mentioned the name of the show I was immediately interested, as my main painting genre for the past 45 years has always been about painting women and from the perspective of being a woman.”

Burtz described herself as a figurative painter, who uses oil paints on a linen canvas.

“My departure point is from life,” she said. “Color, light, form, composition and space are of the utmost importance to me. I generally create large life-size paintings of and about women. They are not portraits and generally tell a story with ambiguous emotions. I prefer to suggest an emotion as I want the viewer to project their own story and feelings onto the painting.”

Burtz expressed what she wanted viewers of the exhibit to take away.

“I hope they get pleasure from seeing a group of women artists creating paintings of women,” she said.