Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Peter-Cottingham-pastels

Full Text:

STORY NEVER RAN, HOLD FOR REFERENCE (show canceled at last minute): Pastels

That Share A Sense Of Community & History

BY SHANNON HICKS

The artist Peter Cottingham may not live in Newtown, but he certainly has an

affinity for the area many of us call home.

Mr Cottingham, a pastel artist who resides in New Jersey, is being represented

in a one-man show on view in the gallery area at McLaughlin Vineyards in Sandy

Hook this month. "Views of Newtown" presents very recent works by the artist,

all done within the last two months. The works depict a town Mr Cottingham

sees as very beautiful not only for its scenery but also for its historic

presence.

"I find Newtown fascinating because it's very much a historic-feeling town,"

the artist said recently. Mr Cottingham visited Newtown a few times a week

while working on his series. His trips included frequent stops at his sister

Barbara's house, which is on Hanover Road near the center of town.

"You can feel the history," he insisted. "A lot of towns around the United

States don't have that depth."

On the day of his interview, Mr Cottingham had his easel set up at a popular

scenic view in town, at the corner of Castle Hill and Old Castle Drive. The

view east from that vista has captured the attention of artists in all media

for years, with the steeples easily visible of three church buildings and a

gorgeous landscape of Newtown that runs for miles.

Mr Cottingham was fascinated to learn of the history that had taken place on

the same ridge he was working on that Friday morning. It was on that ridge, he

was told, that a large collection of the French General Rochambeau's troops

were camped out during the Revolutionary War.

For four days in June 1781, before meeting up with General Washington's troops

in New York, Rochambeau and his well-trained soldiers stayed in Newtown. In

fact, local legend holds the rooster weathervane atop what is now Newtown

Meeting House was pock-marked from rifle shots of the general's soldiers, who

used the weathervane as target practice.

"You see?! That is the kind of history that makes a town like this so

special," Mr Cottingham said. It is Newtown's history, as well as its

stability, that drew Mr Cottingham to devote an entire series of pastel works

to the community.

"I also love the sense of culture everyone feels around here," he said. "When

you walk into that general store on Main Street, it just feels so American .

"There is a strong sense of community here. This is a town that is very

connected, from person to person. One of the things I love about this town is

its sense of stability. Sure, there are new developments, but this community

has a strong sense of what it wants to be. There is some rock solid stuff here

that is not going to change."

Mr Cottingham had a two-day opening reception at McLaughlin Vineyards the

weekend of December 5-6. The vineyard is hosting a month-long series of

Scottish celebrations, with different events being held each weekend. On

Saturday, December 5, "Views of Newtown" had its opening tied in with the

vineyard's tree lighting.

A large number of visitors spent time not only watching the vineyard become a

view of holiday illumination, but then returned to the gallery area to enjoy

Scottish-inspired refreshments while viewing the debut of Mr Cottingham's

show.

"The show is great," said Brenda Zimmermann, an employee of the vineyard.

"There are a lot of local scenes, some garden and floral scenes, all in a very

nice sort of impressionistic style.

"We had a good turnout and people seemed to really like the show," she

continued. "He sold a couple of his works that afternoon." A portion of the

proceeds from any of the pastels that sell this month will be donated to the

Family Counseling Center of Newtown.

In addition to the pastels of Newtown scenes, Mr Cottingham has also included

a few scenes of Princeton, N.J., where he resides.

What may be ironic is that the weekend Mr Cottingham's show opened in Sandy

Hook was the same weekend the town had set aside for its annual holiday

festival. (The festival is also a benefit for the Family Counseling Center.)

The Sunday afternoon holiday event annually draws out a few thousand people

who revel in meeting up with friends and neighbors to celebrate the spirit of

the holidays. Such a sense of community among townspeople of all ages is just

the kind of thing Mr Cottingham feels is the backbone of Newtown.