Spring brings a yen for Zen at the Hammond Museum

By Georgette Gouveia

One of the loveliest of spring rites in our area is the reopening of the Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem.

With its calligraphic brushworks and sinuously spare landscape, the Hammond is an oasis of Zen amid the clamor that is New York. And its August moon-viewing – all those stringed instruments and saki under the stars – is one of the social events of the season.

August is a long way off at the moment. So why not content yourself with the trio of inaugural shows (April 16-June 18)?

First among equals is the annual “Brush With Nature,” a juried show of works by more than 20 artists that captures the tranquil art of Chinese landcape painting in concise but expressive brushstrokes. The exhibit is presented by the Oriental Brush Artists Guild, made up of more than 50 painters from the tri-state area.
 “Soyokaze” by Kiyoshi Otsuka features this Japanese artist’s abstract acrylics.

“Water is the elemental aspect/concept of my work,” says Otsuka, who was born in the mountains of Gumma prefecture in Japan. “Water provides nourishment through roots, and the intensity of roots’ energy is powerful. I aim to express this power through my paintings.”

In the third show, “The Notion of Home,” Shanna Fliegel draws on the Surrealistic dreams and memories of her childhood to create ceramics that explore threatened and forgotten species.

Opening day (noon to 4 p.m. April 16) includes a reception, from 1 to 3 p.m., and a brush painting demonstration by Frank Liao. Admission is free.

The museum is at 28 Deveau Road. 669-5033, hammondmuseum.org