Luther Ridge Dedicates New Art Gallery

Middletown, Conn.: While the rain came down in sheets outside, Luther Ridge glowed on the inside with the warmth, light and color of beautiful paintings and sculpture. This addition of an elegant art gallery to the five-year-old facility sets Luther Ridge apart from other and more expensive residential programs by offering a place of beauty, peace and cultural enrichment to residents, their families and members of the public.

The gallery is the brainchild of artist and resident, Greta Stromberg, whose work was featured in the opening exhibition. “Spirituality is at the heart of my work,” says Stromberg, who has been a working artist and teacher all of her adult life. She’s grateful that Luther Ridge has offered her the opportunity to share her creativity with her fellow residents and the public.

The works of two additional artists were on display at the Luther Ridge Art Gallery. Matthew Schwager, who is on the staff at Luther Ridge, paints in oil and “creates a feeling of repose or tranquility through low-key color harmony and a diminished light source.”

Rita Garboski contributed two pieces of hand painted porcelain as well as porcelain dolls with lace draping. Wesleyan Potters also loaned several pottery pieces to the exhibition.

The Friends of Luther Ridge funded the creation of the art gallery, which is, in the words of marketing manager Heather Bale, “A gift not only to the residents of Luther Ridge but the whole community!”

Bale along with housing manager Amy Raccagni, activities director Linda LaBarge, the arts committee and the artists themselves, designed the space, transforming a second floor corridor into a place of peace and inspiration.

(photo, Greta Stromberg)