Morrison Gallery Has Larger New Space, First Show Featuring Sculpture By Woytuk, Paintings By Gray

KENT — The Morrison Gallery is celebrate the move into its new 7,000-square foot location with a show of monumental works by Cleve Gray and Peter Woytuk.

With its move to the new space the Morrison Gallery becomes by far the largest fine art gallery in Kent, which has become an important artistic center over the last two decades. The new gallery is located in the Kent Village Barns near the intersection of Route 7 and Route 341 in the center of Kent. The gallery now occupies the entire building that formerly housed Backcountry Outfitters.

“It is a gallery owner’s dream space and it would not have been possible without the support of Jim Preston of Rock Hill Associates, the developer of Kent Village Barns,” said Billy Morrison, the gallery’s owner. “We think this will be one of the most amazing gallery spaces in the entire state. There will also be a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden that will be located at the back of the gallery.

 “The new space is tailor-made for exhibiting the large scale sculpture of Mr Woytuk, and the large scale paintings of Mr Gray, who both worked and lived in the Kent area,” Mr Morrison added. “We are very fortunate to be able to exhibit such a large and varied collection of work from Cleve Gray.

Many of the Gray paintings have never been seen before. Mr Gray is widely admired for his large-scale, vividly colorful and lyrical abstract compositions.

His work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and many other top museums. About 30 Cleve Gray paintings will be shown, including some as large as 16 by 10 feet, plus many small and medium sized works.

Peter Wytuk was proclaimed “the greatest animal sculptor of the western world in the closing years of the 20th Century” by The International Herald Tribune.

“Peter’s work reflects his sense of humor and his love of large scale and volume. We were happy to bring him back to Connecticut with a show last October,” said Mr Morrison. “Mr Woytuk helps define the quality of our gallery and we presently have the largest collection of his work anywhere.”  

The exhibit of Gray and Woytuk works will remain on display until November 26.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 am until 5:30 pm, Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm. Call 860-927-4501 or visit TheMorrisonGallery.com for additional information.