WILLIAMSBURG — It is common to discover long-forgotten treasures in old New England barns, but people take notice when those items are the paintings of a respected and prolific painter.
This was the case when Willo Carey, of Pennsylvania, discovered a sizeable collection of artwork by her late mother, Greta Carey, stashed in the family home and barn in Williamsburg.
That find has been the catalyst for a monthlong celebration of Carey’s life and work, culminating in an auction and sale of over 60 previously unknown paintings that will take place this weekend.
Twenty-eight paintings have been on display during the month of April in the Neil Hammer Gallery at Meekins Library. A closing reception on Friday from 7-9 p.m. will include a live auction for select paintings, as well as a silent auction that will take place throughout the evening on the rest of the collection.
An exhibit and sale of over 40 additional paintings will also be held at the Williamsburg Grange Hall on Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. This exhibit will include other unique works created by the artist, including hooked rugs of her own design and oil paintings on natural objects.
When Carey died in 2004, a sale of about 60 of her paintings was held at Meekins Library to benefit the library and the Hill Institute in Florence, where Carey taught painting and rug hooking for 27 years.
While going through the family home in Williamsburg last fall, Willo Carey discovered even more paintings hanging in the home, stored in closets and stashed in a barn.
“I thought, ‘my gosh, what am I going to do with all of these?’” she said. “Then I decided that there was actually enough to hold another benefit for the institutions in town that she loved so much.”
Carey chose Meekins Library, the Williamsburg Grange and the Williamsburg Historical Society as organizations that would receive the proceeds from the auction and sale of her mother’s work.
In honor of the celebrated local artist, the Select Board officially designated April 2018 as “Greta Carey Month.”
“This is the first time they have ever dedicated an entire month to an individual,” said Williamsburg resident Charlotte Meryman, who is involved in organizing the events. “Greta was a real special person; everyone who has been in town for any length of time knows her name.”
Meryman said that more than 15 businesses are supporting the events. “Our sponsor list is growing by the day,” she said.
Born Margrit Koeppel in Widnau, Switzerland, Carey came to the United States in 1929. She studied at the Ridgewood Art Institute in New Jersey with Arthur F. Maynard, who had been a student of Frank Vincent DuMond, a master of the effects of light on a landscape.
In 1967 she moved to Williamsburg with her husband, Rollin Carey, and daughter, Willo.
Carey served as president of the Williamsburg Brush & Palette Club, was an active member of the Deerfield Valley Art Association, and participated in a variety of regional exhibitions.
Carey’s oil paintings feature a variety of New England landscapes, seascapes and still lifes.
“My mother was a highly creative person who did a lot of work on commission,” Carey said, noting that her mother’s work also includes several murals in local banks and four large murals that were originally commissioned by the Williams House, now Brewmaster’s Tavern, for which she received the Grumbacher Award.
Carey said that her mother always carried a notebook around with her to jot down ideas for future works and projects.
“She lived to be 94, and she often said she would have to live to 150 to do all of the things that she thought about,” Carey said. “She didn’t watch TV, and it was before email and social media so during our wonderfully long New England winters, we spent our evenings being creative.”
She said that one of her mother’s biggest and most treasured projects was the creation of the town’s bicentennial quilt, which is currently on loan to Meekins Library from the Historical Society.
Greta Carey designed the quilt and enlisted the help of several women in town to create the squares. She painstakingly put together two identical quilts, one to raffle off and one to donate to the town.
According to Carey, on the back of the town’s quilt is an inscription that reads: “This is my gift to my American home town.”
Pat Billingsley has been spearheading the monthlong events and has created a website about Carey and her work at gretacarey.art. All of Carey’s paintings in this collection are depicted on the website, some of which are currently part of a silent auction, and people can place their bids online.
Billingsley said that Carey was much loved and highly respected in the region.
“She was very involved in the community as both an artist and a citizen,” Billingsley said. “This is the last known collection of Greta’s work and a rare opportunity for people to see and purchase one of her paintings.”
The Friday night reception at Meekins Library will include musical entertainment, finger foods, and an assortment of wines and other beverages. Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend.
Tickets for the reception are $15 per person and may be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets, at Meekins Library during the library’s regular hours, or at the door the night of the reception.
The exhibit and auction at the Grange Hall is free and open to the public. The Grange is located on Route 9 in the center of Williamsburg.
All purchases made at both events may be made by cash, check, or credit card.
For visitors who pick up a coupon at the Grange or the Meekins Library exhibit, The Williamsburg General Store and the new Handfield Building will donate 10 percent of their sales to the project. Brewmaster’s Tavern is also offering 10 percent on purchases.